Travel to Scotland Part 2

On May 4th we picked up our rental car in Edinburgh - a non-diesel, automatic, small SUV. This really helped with lower fuel prices and anxiety as we navigated narrow roads and roundabouts while driving on the opposite side of the road. Our designated stop for the night was Inverness, but we had some wonderful places to stop along the way.

A little over an hour north of Edinburgh we visited Huntingtower Castle. Formerly known as Ruthven Castle, the oldest part is a three-story, 15th-century tower and garret. The second, four-story, tower house was built in the 16th century. Built close to the first structure, the buildings were connected towards the end of the 16th century by a three-story structure containing a staircase.

Huntingtower Castle

A short, 40 minute drive north of Huntingtower Castle is Blair Castle & Gardens. Home to the Atholl family for over 750 years, its origins date back to 1269. It holds the distinction of being one of Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited castles. It is also home to Europe's last remaining private army, the Atholl Highlanders. It was well worth the drive to tour the castle and gardens.

Blair Castle & Gardens

We next drove to see the Clava Cairns, a unique collection of three stone structures. Little is known about who built them, but it is believed they date to the Bronze Age. Rumor has it that the stones were the inspiration for the stone circle where Claire falls through time in the Outlander books. It is very unique, for sure.

Clava Cairns

We finished the day by driving to our lodging in Inverness, where we were able to walk to have dinner and enjoy a little of the sights in town.

Inverness

Travel to Scotland Part 1

flying into Edinburgh

On May 2nd we had an ugly 6:40 AM flight from the Shannon Airport to Edinburgh. While it was hard to get up that early, we landed at 7:55 AM so we had the whole day ahead of us. We took a cab to the area of Old Town Edinburgh where our two bedroom flat was located. Because it was too early to check in, we found a nearby shop that had lockers to store our suitcases.

Since we were out of bed before dawn, the first thing we did was grab breakfast down the street from where we dropped the bags. From there it was an easy walk to Edinburgh Castle. Standing on Castle Rock, there has been a a royal castle on this location since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century The castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633. We wandered the area for a bit, but could only get tickets to tour the castle the next day.

Edinburgh Castle

We explored the Royal Mile, the historic district of Old Town, with its cobblestone streets and medieval architecture. It was a beautiful day, and the streets were packed with locals and tourists alike. St. Giles Cathedral, one of three cathedrals in Edinburgh, is incredibly beautiful. Founded in 1124 it was built on the eastern edge of Edinburgh and predates Old Town. There was a lot to see and do in the area.

Royal Mile

St. Giles Cathedral

We had grabbed some provisions at a small grocery store near our flat so that we could eat breakfast in the next morning. We had early tickets to tour the castle. The day was overcast with a light rain, so that kept some of the crowds away. The castle grounds contain over 20 buildings on about 9 acres, so we spent a couple hours looking around.

Edinburgh Castle tour

Following lunch we did the underground walking tour, which had been highly recommended to us. The below-street level experience allows you to explore a series of vaults constructed in the 1780s. They initially served as workspaces and storage, but the damp environment was not conducive to those activities. The vaults by the 1820s became densely populated slums, and were eventually sealed off. They are now a tourist attraction reportedly haunted by ghosts. We thought the tour was overrated, but perhaps it was just our guide.

Old Town sights

This was our last day in Edinburgh, so we had a nice dinner before packing our things once again. 

Travel to Ireland Part 3

Shetland pony

On May 1 we said goodbye to the animals of Ballyseede Castle and made our way to Limerick. We were hoping to see White House Bar, established in 1812. It is not only the oldest bar in town but also one with a storied literary heritage. Unfortunately it did not open until later in the day, so we just drove by for a quick photo of the outside.

We stopped by St. Mary's Cathedral, founded in 1168. It is the oldest continuously operated building in Limerick. It is a cathedral of the Church of Ireland, and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

St. Mary's Cathedral

We also visited nearby King John's Castle. The castle construction on the River Shannon was overseen by King John, brother of Richard the Lionhearted, between 1200 and 1210. He wanted to secure British power in Ireland. It's a little hard to get a sense of the castle as they have turned the main outdoor area into a performance center, but the views from the top were definitely worth seeing.

King John's Castle

Our last stop of the day was a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. This is always on the bucket list for anyone traveling to Ireland. When I first went with my husband nearly 30 years ago, we renamed it the Cliffs of Less as it was so foggy you couldn't even see the cliffs. My sister and I visited 20 years ago and had a wonderful, if very windy, weather day. On this trip it was overcast, but still very pretty.  My observation is that Ireland has taken what was once a scenic, natural experience and turned it into a tourist trap. The huge, paid parking lot is quite a hike to get to the now-paved trails you must take to get to the viewing areas. That was somewhat disappointing to me.

Cliffs of Moher

After our visit we checked into our airport hotel and returned the rental car as we had an extremely early flight out of the Shannon Airport to Edinburgh the next morning.