Midterm Scotland Trip

Amidst a busy week at uni, I decided to run off to Scotland! Yes, it wasn’t the best time to go but we rarely do family trips like this and besides, I’m not gonna say no to adventure. Here’s what we got up to on our three day trip:

First day: Free walking tour in Edinburgh

After we checked in to our Airbnb, we made our way to the city centre to join a free walking tour. It’s a great way to learn more about the city you are visiting, its culture and history as well as hidden gems known only to locals. As its name suggests, it is completely free but at the end, you can give donations depending on how much you enjoyed the tour. Please don’t be those tourists who just walks away! Yes, you are not obliged to give donations but I still think it is good to do so because the guides are often self-employed and it’s just a nice way to give back to the place you are visiting and show your appreciation.

I was surprised to see so many companies providing free tours within the city, something I do not recall from my previous visits. We chose City tours and our guide was called Kenny. I personally was expecting more from the tour. We didn’t walk that much and our stops were quite long. However, the stories our guide told us during these stops were incredibly interesting and he also pointed some hidden gems and suggested places to eat and shop. Overall, it was worthwhile despite being in the cold for so long!

We had dinner at a this fish and chips restaurant, I forgot its name but its somewhere near the Royal Mile. We ordered a small portion of Haggis to try out. It wasn't actually that bad! My parents pointed out that there were similar things in the Philippines so its not that exotic for them. I personally can live without having it again.

My sister's first time seeing Edinburgh Castle

Second day: Monster Highland tour

We decided to join one of the popular Highland tours which starts from Edinburgh. The 12 hour long tour is commonly referred to as the “monster tour” due to its scope and I realised now, in reference to the Loch Ness which is the highlight of the trip. Our tour left Edinburgh at 8 am and passed through some of the best Highland scenery I’ve ever seen in my life on its way to the loch. There are plenty of tour companies to choose from and their itineraries are mostly similar. We chose Rabbies, as it was affordable. I also liked how we traveled in small groups on a minivan rather than a coach filled with loads of people. It felt more private and you wait for less people!

Our tour guide, Al, was also fantastic. Admittedly, I found myself drifting off to sleep many times because the timbre of his voice lulled my sleep-deprived mind. We definitely spent more hours on the van rather than outside but that is to be expected on these type of tours and the guide tried his best to keep us entertained. There were frequent loo breaks as well and the sights were just breathtaking. We even had a brief glimpse of Doune Castle which was used as Castle Leoch in Outlander as well as Winterfell in Game of Thrones!

Our first quick stop was in Loch Lomond National Park. Our time there was very brief but it was long enough to take in and photograph the gorgeous scenery. Besides, it was absolutely freezing anyways. Along the way, we had more photo stops allowing us to take in the magnificent glens (valleys), bens (mountains) and lakes (lochs) the Highlands is known for. We even took photos of the highland cows (or cooooos rather).

The clouds kindly parted as we reached Loch Ness, the highlight of the whole trip. We stopped at Fort Augustus, and instead of going on the boat trip, we decided to have a lunch at one of the restaurants by the canal and took our time taking photos by the shore of the lake. Sadly, there were no monsters spotted.

Greeted by clear skies at Loch Ness

Last Day: Chill walk around the city

We headed to Dean Village to see the cute row of quaint houses. A lot of the paths were blocked off or were private ones so we weren’t able to walk around the area much but it was still an excellent area for photos outside the city centre.

We then made our way to New Town by foot and had lunch at the Waverley mall food court. There was a live show going on and we got lucky to sit right in front of the stage! We then proceeded to Calton Hill hoping for a nice view of the city, but it started raining on our way there and by the time we got up the hill, we experienced the wrath of the incoming storm, Freya. But the strong winds can not deter my sister and I from taking our photos!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my brief escape to Scotland. I was able to have quality time with my family and stuffed myself with good food. My only regret was that while I laboured against the stormy Scottish weather, my friends at university were enjoying clear skies and sunshine!

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