Travel to Scotland Part 3

I forgot to mention in my Travel to Scotland Part 1 post that when we were walking around Edinburgh May 2nd, we came across a large group of people line dancing by the National Gallery. As it turns out, May 2nd was International Line Dance Flash Mob day. Who knew? So of course I had to jump in and take part in that. I've always wanted to see a flash mob, and now I have not only seen one but also participated in one!

International Line Dance Flash Mob 2026

Anyway, back to Part 3 of the trip. On May 5th after our full Scottish breakfast we headed to the nearby Culloden Battlefield. The famous battle took place on April 16, 1746 and it marked the end of the Jacobite Rising. In less than an hour, the British government army crushed the rebellion of Bonnie Prince Charlie, permanently ending Stuart claims to the throne and devastating traditional Scottish Highland culture.

Culloden Battlefield

From there we drove to Urquhart Castle. Situated on the shores of Loch Ness (where we did not see the Loch Ness monster!), the castle ruins are more than 1,000 years old. Once one of Scotland's largest castles, ownership passed back and forth between England and Scotland. The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left.

Urquhart Castle

Our last destination of the day was Ardelve, where we had reservations for two nights at a lovely, small guest house with views of the Eilean Donan Castle. We chose to base here for our exploration of the Isle of Skye. The drive to Ardelve was beautiful, and our walk to a nearby town that evening for dinner took us by peaceful sheep and the castle.

Ardelve

May 6th we began our day with another wonderful Scottish breakfast, and our hostess suggested that we take the ferry to the Isle of Skye as opposed to driving across the bridge. Before driving to the ferry, we stopped for a closer look of the Eilean Donan Castle.

Eilean Donan Castle

The Glenelg Skye Ferry is unique in that it is the only remaining turntable ferry in the world. It was built in 1969 and can carry up to six cars and twelve people, though ours was the only car on board for our passage. It was a very unique experience, and I'm glad our hostess made the suggestion.

Glenelg Skye Ferry

The Isle of Skye is just as beautiful as you can imagine. Located off of Scotland's northwest coast, the island is fifty miles long, and the largest of the Inner Hebrides. It is rugged and picturesque with many ruins and coastal stops that beg to be photographed. 

Isle of Skye

We came across our first Highland cows, or hairy coos as they are affectionately called by the locals. They have shaggy, reddish-colored coats, curved horns, and a fringe of bangs over their foreheads.

hairy coos

Along the drive we visited the ruins of Duntulm Castle. During the 17th century it was the seat of the chiefs of Clan McDonald of Sleat. The McDonalds abandoned the castle around 1730 and moved to nearby Monkstadt House and later Armadale Castle in Sleat.

Duntulm Castle

After completing the loop on our agenda for the day we headed back to our inn. We took another walk into the nearby town for dinner, and enjoyed the view of Eilean Donan Castle at dusk.

Eilean A Cheo guest house and Eilean Donan Castle

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.