The Scottish Experience

August 19, 2012

Well, I’m finally home from Scotland and it was absolutely AMAZING!!!!!  I have never been so cold in all my life (in August, no less), but it is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever seen.  Everywhere you go, there are beautiful parks, rolling green hills, cobble-stone streets, or centuries old buildings and castles to admire.

Despite the fact that it was August, and thus the height of summer in Scotland, the temperatures did not rise above 65 degrees the entire trip (at night, the temperatures dropped to around 40 or 45 degrees).  Aside from the cold and the constant rain, I actually had a rather enjoyable time. 

After conducting some research, I discovered that accommodation would be cheapest in Glasgow (where I found a relatively cheap flight) so I booked a crummy hotel and set off on my journey.  I found trains for a decent price and spent one day in Edinburgh, one day exploring Glasgow, and my final day in Stirling (where my Rotary sponsor, Beth, studied a few years back during her Ambassadorial Scholar year). 

EDINBURGH: 

All that I can say about Edinburgh is that it is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and quite possibly the coldest as well. 

Edinburgh is almost too beautiful for words, so I will describe it with pictures and captions…ENJOY =)

I was quite amused to find a cafe called "Franco's" after having just left Spain =)

A beautiful glass house in the center of the Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh.

The roof of a monument for the Queen.  Believe it or not, the entire ceiling is made of pine cones and seashells....BEAUTIFUL!!!

It may rain all the time, but they still have sunflowers in Edinburgh =)

A squirrel that I made friends with in the gardens.  Formula:  Give squirrel a cookie crumb and he will be your friend.

Another great shot of the gardens.  This was part of a section planted by the local children.  Various elementary school classes have different plots of land in the gardens and the kids get to choose the flowers that they grow and learn how to cultivate them.

The flower clock in Princes' Street Gardens celebrating the London games.

The backdrop of the Edinburgh skyline along with a tribute to the Olympics.

This is what I call the "Burnt Tower".  Apparently it's supposed to look like that.

I know it's cliche, but these guys were EVERYWHERE!!!!

Believe it or not, this is the REAL Olympic torch passed in this year's London games.  There was a representative of the Olympics outside of Edinburgh Castle...how cool is that =)

The view approaching Edinburgh Castle.

Ok, I just couldn't resist taking a picture of the double-decker city busses.

GREAT representation of the streets of Edinburgh.

The Scottish Parliament house...surprisingly modern for such an old city.

A beautiful hill in Edinburgh...when I go back, I promised myself that I would come with appropriate hiking gear to climb it.  I don't know if you can see the magnitude of this hike, but those little dots are all people.  At the top, there is a FABULOUS park several kilometers wide with lakes and beautiful scenery.  It is suggested to spend an entire day there.  Since I only had one day in Edinburgh, I'll save it for my next visit.

The Holyrood Palace: the Queen's official residence in Edinburgh.  Also on my agenda for my return trip....so many things to see, so little time.

Who knew that a cemetery could be so beautiful.

A beautiful tower on the way to Calton Hill.

The breath-taking views of Edinburgh from Calton Hill.

Calton Hill =)

A close-up of the "Burnt Tower".

View from Princes' Street Park.

My dream house...believe it or not, it's in the middle of the park.  I wonder if anyone lives there.

The fountain and view of Edinburgh Castle from Princes' Street Gardens.

There were such BEAUTIFUL roses EVERYWHERE in Edinburgh.

The same goes for Glasgow and Stirling =)

GLASGOW:

Glasgow Cathedral and Crypts.  

The museum and gardens on the eastern side of Glasgow.

George Square 

Inspiration for the 2012 Olympic Flame perhaps?

The Museum of Glasgow (entry is free courtesy of the Queen). 

 The University of Glasgow (a.k.a. where Prince  William and Kate attended college and met; also said to be the inspiration for Hogwarts).

gow (a.k.a. where Pr

The inner courtyard. 

The inner corridor: absolutely breath-taking. 

 Enjoying a pizza after a long day of sight-seeing.

STIRLING:

The Old Town Jail of Stirling. 

Inside the Queen's Gardens in Stirling Castle. 

Queen for the day =) 

Incredibly intricate fireplaces found throughout the castle. 

Incredible 

Don't mess with me:  I have made friends with a knight. 

This garden is named after the man who fell to his death after a drunken argument in this garden.

Stirling Castle

 Our company on the castle tour.

Lovely bridge on the ride to see the Wallace Monument. 

The Wallace Monument =) 

William Wallace's actual sword.

The climb up to the top of the monument was brutal, but the views were DEFINITELY worth it =) 

Waiting on the bus back to the train station (at this point, I had flagged down 3 buses who ignored me....apparently in Scotland, 4th time's a charm). 

Well Scotland, it's been fun, but I'm ready to head home to Spain =)