Here is a quick “photo dump” of the view for a very beautiful drive across the country. These are very “point and click” photos, usually from a moving vehicle, and yet so pretty…
Near Daviot, Scotland, a misty morning start
Near Bankfoot, Scotland
Near Kinloch, Scotland
Near Arthurstone, Scotland
Coupar Angus, Scotland
Coupar Angus, Scotland
Scotland A90 Approaching Stonehaven – late in the day
The natural beauty of the Isle of Skye is stunning. We visited late-May, hoping to be there before the midges and tourist season (never mind that we were also tourists), but with a chance of some cooperative weather. While it was another place on the list where ancestors once lived, I would have wanted to visit there regardless. It felt a lot like parts of the Pacific Northwest where you can feel the land “breathe.”
The “cabins” of the House of Juniper are very comfortable! One room is a living/dining/kitchen area, and it was a full kitchen too. Then a good-sized bedroom with a comfy bed, and a nice bathroom. I would definitely stay here again.
Broadford, Isle of Skye, near our lodging.
Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Thistle in region of Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Fern in region of Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Yellow Flowers in region of Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Yellow Flowers in region of Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
White cotton-like poofs in region of Fairy Pools Isle of Skye – so many of these fluttering in the breeze but keeping hold on their stems.
A lot of the rocks looked like this in the Isle of Skye region.
Sheep – Fairy Pools Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye, coordinates 57.292600 -6.089400
Portree Isle of Skye viewpoint near the lump
Portree Boats low tide Isle of Skye
Portree, Isle of Skye
Portree, Isle of Skye
Friendly dog at the Sprig Restaurant/Lounge. We ended up hanging out with the dog’s humans for much of the night, celebrating Kevin’s 50th birthday.
While Edinburgh had a surprise connection, Stirling Castle was the first planned stop for genealogy reasons – one of the places where an ancestor lived or stayed. By chasing the lines of grandmothers, we found some extra interesting history, and Stirling Castle was part of that.
Stirling was a beautiful town to spend some time in, and I enjoyed walking around the town as much as I did exploring the castle.
Stirling Castle courtyard view
Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland
There were contrasting styles at Stirling Castle, especially as restoration and updates were made over the years. People had… opinions.
From the courtyard at Stirling Castle
Stirling Castle Chapel Royal was painted to have “welcoming colors” – around 1628. It is a very long room, and this side has a mural of windows that mimics the other side of the room.
This window side of the Chapel Royal at Stirling Castle
Robert the Bruce statue at Stirling Castle
Stirling viewed from castle
In Stirling, Scotland
In Stirling, Scotland
In Stirling, Scotland
In Stirling, Scotland (walking behind Kevin)
In Stirling, Scotland, facing the Coffee House
While it’s definitely a rather intensive “touristy” spot, if you spend enough time going up and down The Royal Mile, and you will find some gems. There are alleyways that lead to little gardens and smaller shops. Entering one door led to a historical museum that was much larger than what the outside entrance suggested. The castle was interesting to explore and held a special surprise connected to my family history (hiding the Honors of Scotland). Also, the National Library of Scotland is in that area, and I could have spent more than a day just in that building!
Brewhemia is one of the first things we saw after exiting the train station in Edinburgh. The tunnel with stairs that leads to the Royal Mile is to the right of it.
Exiting the tunnel from the train station, heading toward the Royal Mile, this is directly across the street.
After exiting the tunnel, we turn left, and this is the first of many interesting curving buildings shaped to line with curving road. It’s not so much a distortion of the camera as it might appear here.
Another curved building with a curved road: Jeffrey Street.
Procaffeination and other shops near Royal Mile Edinburgh
Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh
Follow the little alleyways off of the main road, and you will often find courtyards with shops, gardens, and often simply where people live and hang out.
Edinburgh
St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, Old Town and Royal Mile area. The Adam Smith statue has a seagull on it, and when viewing other photos of this online, that seems to be a common site.
St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh
Clock tower in Royal Mile, Ediburgh
Alexander and Bucephalus Statue on High St Edinburgh
Building on Canongate near the Wyrd Shop in Edinburgh
On the way to the Museum of Edinburgh, where we spent about an hour or so.
Across st from National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland, stairs in entry. This is where I was able to get some of the genealogy information.
The Witchery Shop
The Witchery Sign
The Coo Bakehouse, Edinburgh. There were so many names of places, tourist keepsakes, and other mentioning of coos… but I never saw a single actual real-life coo the whole time we were there. Lots of sheep. A couple of goats. Signs for otters. No coos. Guess I’ll have to go back and try again…
Victoria Street in Edinburgh is so pretty and difficult to fully capture in a photo.
A couple shops on Victoria Street.
Kevin taking pictures of Victoria Street.
“To look over the South Bridge and see the Colgate below full of crying hawkers, is to view one rank of society from another in the twinkling of an eye.” Robert Louse Stevenson, 1878.
Cowgate Cow – sign below says “The TOON COOcillar”
The Worlds End sign, Edinburgh