Scotland
What a wonderful trip. Even if the Highlands had not been so profoundly beautiful, if the Locks had not been so stunning, if the driving had not been so invigorating, and sites had not been so historical, the people of Scotland would have made this trip something to cherish. Every, and we mean every, Scot we met was friendly, courteous, cheerful and had an infectious sense of humor. The people of Scotland alone are worth the effort to visit.
We had an eight day package. It included three hotels in different parts of the Highlands, breakfast each day, and a very nice rental car. We flew into Dublin and drove to each stop thereafter.
Anyone who has traveled seems to have an experience that supports the "six degrees of separation" theory. We're certain while in some far off place you, as have we, met someone from your state or city. This time we had a really pleasant surprise of the unusual meeting type. We looked up our first morning in Scotland to see a wonderful couple we had traveled with in Kenya, perhaps a year earlier. John and Vivian were great traveling companions in Africa, and while we each had separate vehicles and individual agendas in Scotland, we did meet most mornings at breakfast to discuss what had been visited and what the plans for the day were. Had we not talked with Jon and Vivian, we would not have attempted to drive up to Isle of Skye, but they assured us the drive was not that long and well worth the effort.
There's more history to be found in Scotland than one could ever expect; we saw structures, historical items and locales that had enormous impact upon both Scotland and the world. The countryside was stunning and indescribable - so I won't try, I'll let the pictures illustrate the beauty. The towns, cities and country side were exceptionally clean. The roads, while narrow in some places, were well maintained and had the best signage I've seen in any country, including the US. The roundabouts were a snap.
We have been to a number of countries. Each has it beauty. However, none had the consistent and overwhelming beauty of Scotland. It didn't matter if whether there were sun or showers - each brought out beauty to take your breath away. The Highlands, the mountains, streams, waterfalls, locks and heather cannot be described accurately. As a matter of fact, the beauty cannot truly be captured by photograph. I'm guessing you may consider lack of vocabulary or camera skill to be he cause of the "lacks" in the prior sentence. But I challenge you to visit and upon return tell me you were adequate to the job.
Scotland Travel Trip Cost Tip:
The charge to enter the historical locations is steep. As there are so many, so close together or within a short drive, the day's cost to visit can put a real dent in your pocket. Many, if not all, of the locations had a reduced price for members of Historic Scotland which can be found at http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/ . A very quick review of the costs of an annual membership appear to start at 45 pounds. If you study the site, I think you might find a Explorer Pass that runs perhaps 20 pounds for 3 days and 28 pounds for 7 days. You may want to analyze where you want to visit and see if Historic Scotland membership is for you.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Well, after all this verbiage, select the areas you wish to see below, and enjoy our trip to Scotland.
Edinburgh 2- Castle and Underground
Isle of Skye Island and Castle
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I use WIKIPEDIA, here's how