Category: Travel

Our Scottish Adventure Part 4 | Harry Potter & the Highland Games

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After leaving the Isle of Skye, we headed back to the Highlands. Our first stop was a night in Glencoe before a ride on the Hogwarts Express (aka The Jacobite Steam Train). Sadly, it did not bring us to Hogwarts and while Mallaig is a perfectly lovely working fishing village in Scotland, it’s doesn’t have quite the same magic.

The Jacobite Steam Train

The train ride is a roundtrip adventure that leaves from Fort Williams. We had tickets for the morning trip, so unfortunately didn’t have much time to explore Glencoe. After a quick breakfast, we headed to the train station which was intown.

As we settled into our seats, we started chatting with our seatmates who were from “the borders” which is the southern part of Scotland that borders northern England. Their daughter had gifted them a trip on the train. Many of our fellow passengers were from Scotland.

As the countryside past by our window, we waited in anticipation of seeing the GlenfinnanViaduct. It’s an iconic view familiar to Harry Potter movie fans. While you can only get a small glimpse of the viaduct from the train, it was enough to bring a smile to my face. I was stunned by the number of people waiting by the viaduct so they could take a pictures as the train went over the bridge. There were so many people!

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Our Scottish Adventure Part 3 | Isle of Skye

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As we approached the Isle of Skye, it was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and a good omen of things to come. Throughout our time on the island we were told repeatedly, “It’s never this sunny and clear. It usually rains.” Fortunately for us, it didn’t rain.

Eilean Donan Castle

The Eilean Donan Castle rises in the distance as you get closer to the bridge that brings you onto the Isle of Skye. The castle is beautiful and I especially enjoyed the bright blue sky as a backdrop on the day we visited. After finding a spot in the crowded car park, we walked along the pedestrian path by the edge of the water and viewed the castle from different angles.

It’s an extremely photogenic castle although it had been in disrepair for over 200 years until it was restored in the early 20th century, re-opening in 1932. It’s also often used as a film location with my favorite being Made of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey, a fellow Mainer. We didn’t tour the inside of the castle but rather just enjoyed the spectacular views.

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Our Scottish Adventure Part 2 | The Highlands

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Part two of our Scottish adventure started with the most anxiety filled of destinations, the rental car agency. After taking the return tram to the airport from Edinburgh, we picked up our car and started making our way to the Highlands. Our time driving through Scotland had begun. It wasn’t the first time we’d driven internationally but it would be the first time driving on the left side of the road. Little did I know when picking up the rental car that which side of the road we were driving on was the easy part.

Kelpies

Our first stop was the Kelpies in Falkirk which are the world’s largest equine sculptures. This stop was extremely close to the airport and it was nice to have a short initial jaunt on the road before stopping to catch our breath. After parking and walking towards Helix Park, the Kelpies started to rise up in the distance. Kelpies are shape-changing aquatic spirits that typically take the form of a horse. The Kelpies were impressive and unique but other than a few walking paths around the sculptures there wasn’t much to do as we were there extremely early in the day. But, it was a nice photo opportunity and I did get to eat ice cream for breakfast given nothing else was open so the day was off to a good start.

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Our Scottish Adventure Part 1 | Edinburgh

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After arriving in Edinburgh, we took the airport tram exiting at St. Andrew’s Square and wheeled our well-balanced luggage the half mile to our first hotel of the trip. We were not the only tourists in town. The revamped Iron Throne was also touring the UK to coincide with the release of House of the Dragon. Lucky for us, its last stop was Calton Hill a beautiful vista point in Edinburgh which was only a short, although entirely uphill, walk from our hotel.

We hiked up the winding path and after a brief wait, my husband got his turn on the Iron Throne. We also got to enjoy the beautiful views of the city from this elevated spot. Arriving during a garbage strike took a bit of the shine off the experience but it was still a wonderful view. I knew immediately we were going to love the city.

After working from our hotel lobby the rest of the day, we headed to Hoot the Redeemer for some pre-theatre drinks. Walking down into the basement level bar, you’re immediately met with an art deco speak-easy crossed with a carnival vibe. A repurposed arcade claw machine sits against one wall where a three breasted temptress beckons you under a Pinch‘n Sip sign to let fate pick your drink flavors for the evening.

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A sad goodbye to Goecco. You were one of the best!

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The best travel tour I ever took doesn’t exist anymore. All that is left are the memories of one spectacular two day adventure that I’ll never be able to duplicate. I should be happy that I still have the photos to fill in the spaces as my memory fades but today I’m sad.

We are scheduled to go to Scotland this coming August but with the continued uptick in positive COVID-19 cases and delayed re-opening of the entire world, it is becoming less likely that we will be able to go on our planned vacation. While I’ve spent months meticulously planning every moment of our trip, at least for now, the itinerary will remain untested. Probably. I’m still holding out hope that with a negative COVID-19 test in hand, we might still be able to go.

But, practicality is taking over and I’ve started looking at alternatives. Maybe an elaborate staycation exploring those more remote areas of Maine that we can’t easily get to during day trips or long weekends. It’s on the list of possibilities. Or, maybe a quarantine friendly destination, if any really exist. A remote island perhaps?  I’m not typically a beach girl but I can adapt. Continue reading →