Scotland
Scotland is a beautiful country that is part of the United Kingdom that covers the Northern part of Great Britian. It’s a fascinating place with a long history with much of it being in conflict with the English as they tried to keep their independence. The country has been portrayed in countless movies and televisions series such as Braveheart, Highlander, Outlander and many others. There are many famous Scottish citizens throughout history such as Willam Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, Adam Smith, Alexander Grahm Bell, Sean Connery and many more. After years of war and strife in history, today Scotland is a tranquil country full of beauty and kind and friendly people. There is so much to see and do in cities like Edinburgh, Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow that you could spend weeks there and not cover it all. We so far have been there once but look forward to returning as soon as we can. Like the Scottish Folk Song that I enjoy that is sung by the Irish group “Celtic Woman” called “Westering Home” I agree with the lyrics when talking about a part of Scotland:
Ah but it’s grand to be waken at day
And find oneself nearer to Islay
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Getting to Scotland and Transportation
Scotland is a very well- connected country to much of the world. London Heathrow is a huge gateway to the rest of the world and makes it easy to get to Scotland. There are direct flights from the US to cities like Edinburgh on Airlines like American, Delta, United and JetBlue. There are also ferries if you are in Ireland that will take you over to Scotland. In the United Kingdom there are plenty of great rail options so you can travel to Scotland from Wales or England. We flew into Edinburgh after changing planes at London Heathrow as we fly British Airways the majority of the time when flying overseas. As for getting around Scotland there are plenty of great options. ScotRail is a great option for traveling between cities in Scotland. They have many stations including is small towns like Kieth that we visited. Within the larger cities like Edinburgh, you can use Uber, trams and busses, and of course taxis. We used Uber Eats while in Aberdeen since it was late and it worked out well. While in Scotland we used ScotRail, Uber, Uber Eats, busses and a taxi.
ScotRail
ScotRail is the national rail service of Scotland that was once a privately owned rail system a few years ago. We used them while in Scotland and did enjoy the service. We found the staff to be kind and helpful and the trains are clean and comfortable even in second class where we sat. We bought our tickets online and then picked them up at an automated kiosk at the station.. On our journey we went from Edinburgh Wavery to Aberdeen where we had around 20 minutes to change trains and then Aberdeen to Keith. It took around 3 hours in total for our journey and we were treated to beautiful views of the Scottish coast overlooking the North Sea. We passed by small villages, bright green pastures with baby sheep following their mothers, cliffs with crashing waves and we passed over neat bridges. Aberdeen station was very easy to change trains in, and we watched a commercial being filmed at the station. Our train from Aberdeen to Kieth was nice and we then arrived in the small station in Keith.
On the way back from Keith to Edinburgh we did have an issue. My good friend Gordon who we were visiting in Keith saw that our 19:15 (7:15pm) train was not on the schedule. Customer service contacted him quickly and it had been canceled due to a mechanical issue, and they were sending a bus to continue the service. We headed to Keith station and being a very small station, it had no staff there at that time. We used the help system, and the friendly representative let us know where to wait for the bus. As we waited at the bus stop, I heard someone talking from the station and I headed over there. The very helpful representative researched when the bus was going to get there are realized we would not make it in time for our connection and had called us a taxi to get to Aberdeen. Gordon waited with us to make sure all was well, and a nice Scottish lady gave us friendly advice. We drove through the beautiful Scottish countryside at sunset and ran into a bit of traffic as well. We missed our train by 10 minutes! The Aberdeen Station office was closed but the great employees stayed open a few minutes after to help us out and chat. They got us a hotel that ScotRail paid for that was a Victorian era hotel that was built in 1890 called The Station Inn. The next day we hopped on the early train into Edinburgh. While things did not go according to plan as they do during travel sometimes, I was really impressed and happy with the kindness and helpfulness of the staff and the great lengths they tried to get us to our destination. In the States, many times we find ourselves on our own when travel issues occur, so it was great to see and experience the hospitality of Scotland.
Country Information
Scotland is a country within the United Kingdom that includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has it’s own parliament, first minister (like a prime minister), judicial system and more. It has the highlands in the North that have mountains up to 4,400 ft tall. There are lowlands that are sweeping plains, and the uplands in the South that are full of hills. The country has a long history with much of it in conflicts with groups like the Romans and the English. The Romans stopped their conquest of Britain at Scotland and built Hadrian’s Wall. The Picts were the inhabitants of Scotland in the early years that had small kingdoms and villages. Later the English took over Scotland and people like Willaim Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, Robert the Bruce and others fought for independence.
Today Scotland is tranquil. The language spoken is English, but Gaelic is spoken in some areas. You can find it written on road signs in areas like Inverness. Everyone knows English so there is no problem in that area. The currency is the British Pound like in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Like Northern Ireland (Ulster Pound notes), there are Bank of Scotland pound notes that are generally not accepted in England, but the pound sterling is accepted the entirety of the United Kingdom. The US Dollar is not generally accepted. As of this writing in May of 2025 the Pound Sterling to US Dollar is 1 Pound = 1.33 USD. Scotland is pretty far North in latitude, so be prepared for chilly weather especially in the Fall through Spring. Rain and wind in also common so bring an umbrella. When we arrived during the Spring in Edinburgh we were greeted with Rain and a strong, cold wind. So be prepared for varied weather. The United Kingdom in general is relatively expensive in costs such as food so be prepared for that when planning.
The Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are legendary in history and in books, film and popular culture. It’s a beautiful land in the Northwest portion of Scotland. As the name states it’s full of mountains and has multiple lochs (lakes) as well including the very famous Loch Ness. Plenty of movies are about the Highlands or set in the highlands including Harry Potter. The famous Highland games that are full of feats of strength and traditional Scottish dancing. The highlands is more rural with the largest city and “The Capital” of the Highlands is Inverness with a population of 47,000 people. We stayed in nearby Keith that is in the Moray Council (kind of like a county in the US) that is not part of the Highlands but borders it. Keith is only a little over an hour from Inverness. Our trip was quick, so we only stayed in the area for a day and a half (which is not nearly enough time) but we made the most of it as saw a good amount. Here is our Highland adventure!
Spending Time at a Scottish Home
After having dinner with Gordon and his Mum and we were kindly welcomed to stay at her home. We had great conversations about a wide variety of things and we exchanged gifts. We brought a couple representations of Texas with a stuffed Texas longhorn and a Bluebonnet throw blanket. She gave us the amazing Walker’s Shortbread Biscuits/Cookies to take home. Football (Soccer) is of course very popular in the United Kingdom and most of the world. Gordon and his mum are huge fans of The Rangers of Glasgow Scotland, so we had the chance to watch a bit of them and other teams while there. Like many of our American Football teams fans, they travel down to Glasgow to see the Rangers play from Keith when they can. We enjoy Football/Soccer ourselves, so it was nice to watch some matches while talking about life in Scotland and in Texas. It is always a great opportunity and nice to slow down during a trip and spend time with good friends and make new ones! We slept very soundly that night after the long day of travel and we are very grateful for the hospitality and time we got to spend there!
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
The next morning, we headed out of Kieth and drove through the beautiful Scottish countryside to the Highlands on the way to Urquhart Castle. We passed by once again green fields with grazing sheep and baby sheep. We passed by beautiful small towns like Elgin which is the capital of Moray. We also saw fields of the yellow flowers we saw from the train as well. As we got close to Inverness, we could see the Moray Firth (an inlet/bay that is part of the North Sea) and green covered cliffs that went into the sea. We passed by the small Inverness Airport that is the main airport for the Highlands Region, and then made it into Inverness. The first thing we saw in Inverness was a sign in English and Gaelic that announced “The Capital of the Highlands”. The city was busy as we went through with people heading to work or shopping. There are small hotels and plenty of nice restaurants there. Inverness is a cruise and ferry port so a lot of tourist arrive in that manner. We passed by the train station as well. In the distance we could see snow covered mountains where the true mountainous Highlands is. We headed south to Loch Ness and passed by green hills, and then the first views of Loch Ness (no we did not get to see Nessie the Loch Ness Monster). It’s very rural in this area and we found only one small gas station in the main village and tourist center of the area that’s name is Drumnadrochit. It only has around 1,000 people. The scenery is once again beautiful with Glen Urquhart (a green valley in Scotland) that runs near the village. After a quick stop for gas, we headed to our first tour stop with Gordon.
We arrived at Urquhart Castle, and it was very full. In the past Gordon said you could just buy the tickets when you get there. That has changed with its popularity. We were turned away from the parking lot until we got a ticket. I bought our tickets as we drove and came back for our timed entry. I for sure suggest getting your ticket online to avoid any issues. The castle has a great visitor’s center with a cafe, giftshop, some exhibits and a video about the history of the castle that spans hundreds of years. The castle was in use and changed from the 1200s to the 1600s. It passed from Pict (in the beginning) to Scottish to English and back again to Scottish control multiple times in its history. There were sieges and other conflicts in its military history. The castle was eventually destroyed to keep it was being captured again. It was blown up and burned. Today you can see what is left of the castle, which is a decent amount including towers and other areas. After the movie on the history the curtains open and you can see the castle and Loch Ness. We walked the castle and climbed the towers and gate house. The castle has great interpretation with plenty of displays going of the history and areas of the castle. You get great views of Loch Ness and the green hills and cliffs. There is a Loch cruise that pulled up to the dock at the castle. We could see flowers blooming around the castle grounds as well. After a quick visit to the nice gift shop, we headed on to our next stop.
The Loch Ness Center, Shops and Cafe
We headed back into Drumnadrochit and stopped at a museum, shopping and restaurant complex. They have Whiskey Tasting, Gelato, and nice Cafe that we got lunch at that serves sandwiches, soups and other light fare. They have a museum about Loch Ness and how it was formed and about how deep the lake is. Of course, it also goes over the hunt for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. We did not end up visiting the museum due to time constraints. It does cost a decent amount to visit the museum. We did visit the shops and got plenty of nice Scottish souvenirs. From there we headed back to Kieth and was treated to more beautiful views of the Scottish countryside. It did sprinkle while we were at Loch Ness, so as always be prepared for the weather in Scotland.
Tours from Inverness - The Capital of the Highlands (Click Below):
Aberdeen
While we only spent a night in Aberdeen due to the train related issues, Aberdeen around the train station looked to be a nice city. The train station is not as large as Edinburgh as it’s a smaller city so it’s pretty easy to get around. The station staff we worked with were very friendly and helpful. In the morning the city was quiet and nice being able to look at the church spires, murals on buildings and the birds just waking up. When we arrived to our hotel we got Uber Eats for a unique KFC meal pack. At the station there is a nice and large mall that was closed when we were there but looked like it would be a good place to go. While our stay was short, we would like to go back someday to do more!
Aberdeen Tour Options:
Where we Stayed in Aberdeen - The Station Hotel
ScotRail put us up in The Station Hotel that is the original hotel for Aberdeen Station that was built in 1890. It is in the Victorian Style and has a nice restaurant and very nice rooms. We got an Executive Double Room with a separate seating area and very comfortable bed with Hypo-allergenic pillows and sheets. There was also a nice closet for our bags and a large bathroom with a rain shower head. We did not get a chance to get breakfast due to the early train, but it is offered. If we get back to Aberdeen I would definitely consider staying there again!
Edinburgh
We arrived after a beautiful sunrise train ride from Aberdeen into the Capital and second largest city in Scotland. Edinburgh has been the capital for many years and a point of contention in the past between the English and the Scottish. It’s home to the Scottish Parliament that was reformed in 1999 to govern Scotland. It’s home to the famous Edinburgh Castle that sits high above the city, many historic people like Mary Queen of Scots, William Wallace, Adam Smith and many more. The city is full of museums (many are FREE), historic places and hidden gems. It has been the setting of movies and has inspired others like Harry Potter. While we didn’t get the chance to see it all in our short trip, we did get a great overview of the city and saw a lot in a short time!
Where we Stayed - The Roseate Hotel
We decided to stay at the very unique Roseate Hotel in Edinburgh. It is a Victorian Era home from the 1860s that has been made into a small hotel. It has two buildings with one being across the street from the other. The hotel is a SLR (Small Luxury Hotels) hotel and part of the Hilton portfolio so you can use your Hilton benefits there. The hotel has a nice and popular restaurant in what would have been the sitting room of the home. Thankfully us staying at the hotel got us a seat as reservations seem to be needed on busy days. We were upgraded to a Junior Suite that was right near the hotel front door that overlooked the front yard garden. Our room was called “The Hoy Suite” and most likely was where the parlor would have been based on designs of other Victorian Era homes I’ve visited. The room had a beautiful king bed and made you feel like you were in another era. Even the radio and phone looked antique but still had modern conveniences. The bathroom had a separate bathtub and shower and had luxury toiletries. The hotel has been reviewed by magazines like Conde Nast Traveller. For breakfast we got the full Scottish Breakfast with Poached Eggs, bacon (European Style), a type of scone, beans, sausage, black pudding (a type of blood sausage) and Haggis (Sheep Heart, Liver and Lungs cooked in a sheep’s stomach contents). We tried it all. The Haggis wasn’t bad but also not my favorite dish as it had a slight grass taste with the Sheep Stomach cooking. We loved the Roseate Hotel and the staff was wonderful there. We would stay again!
Hop On Hop Off Bus
Hop On Hop Off busses are great options to be able to get an overview of the city while listening to the history and commentary either on a recording or live. We take them fairly often to do just that and to use as transportation to get us to different museums and attractions. We took an Edinburgh Double Decker city bus for a couple pounds from our hotel to the city center. It was a nice bus with TVs showing each stop and how long it would take. We made it to the first stop for the Hop on Hop Off. While in Edinburgh we took a full lap around the city without getting off and were able to see the palace where Mary Queen of Scots lived called Holyroodhouse Palace (Holyrood Palace), the Scottish Parliament, views of Edinburgh Castle, famous Greyfriars Bobby Bar and many other sites in the city. It’s a beautiful city mixed with the historic and the modern. There are also many Universities and statues to the important and famous people in history from the region. We enjoyed our tour but didn’t have time to do a second round since we had three tours booked that day!
Edinburgh City and Walking Tours (Click Below):
The Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a important and famous street in Edinburgh. It runs from Holyroodhouse Palace (Holyrood Palace) to Edinburgh Castle on Castle Hill, hence the name Royal Mile. It actually is about 1 mile long and has a lot to see on the Royal Mile and around it in Old Town. The name is a nick name for multiple streets such as High Street that make up the route. There are many shops, restaurants and historic buildings. There are many interesting and sometimes gruesome stories in the area. We decided to take a walking tour that started half-way up the Royal Mile that ended at Edinburgh Castle. It was a pretty cold and windy day and during the tour a light rain started falling. It didn’t stop us from learning and enjoying our tour! We went to Parliament Square that has the former parliament building that now houses the Supreme Court of Scotland. In the parking lot of the square there is a peculiar marker. It ends up as our tour guide told us it is the Grave of John Know who was a theologian from the 1500s who overall was not a great guy. He did not treat women very well and wrote up Witchcraft Laws. He is buried somewhere under parking spot 23. A statue of King Charles II is in front of the Supreme Court that is not accurate at all since he is dressed as a Roman Caesar and does not look like the King. We passed by the statue of Adam Smith who wrote “Wealth of Nations” and is known as the father of capitalism who is from Scotland. Across from Parliament Square you can see the Edinburgh City Hall. Something to look for as you walk through the Royal Mile is what the Scottish call “Closes”. These are very small alleyways that are named and go North and South off of the Royal Mile. There are also passageways underground, but I will discuss that below. Our guide talked about how nasty old Edinburgh really was. They had no sewer system so chamber pots “contents” were thrown out the window onto the street. They would yell “Gardyloo” to warn people that they were about to throw it out. Unfortunately, many people were not able to get out of the way, so they disallowed the practice until late at night at the same time when bars closed. As you can imagine this did not end well, and allegedly the phrase “S**t Faced Drunk” comes from the aftermath of this practice. There are nice churches you can visit and so much more along the Royal Mile.
Victoria Street and Covenanters' Memorial
For a little time, we headed down from the Royal Mile on some stairs to Victoria Street. It is a very colorful and curved street that is said to have inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. It is also home to “The Elephant House” is a cafe where JK Rowling wrote her first Harry Potter book right on Victoria Street. You can definitely see why many think that Victoria Street is Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. We walked and enjoyed the street and it’s colorful painted shops as we headed down to a much less charming story.
We stopped by the Covenanters’ Memorial at the spot where the many people over the years were hung as it was the site of the gallows of Edinburgh. This area is called the Grassmarket as it was a marketplace in Edinburgh. There is an aptly named pub called “The Last Drop” near the site. Our guide told us the story of Half Hangit Maggie while we were there. It is a story of a young woman named Maggie Dickson who was sentenced to death due to concealing the birth of her child that was stillborn in order to not lose her job. Her husband had either left her, or some accounts say he was involuntarily drafted into the Navy. She was hanged, but on the way to her burial she came back to life. Since she had already served her sentence, she lived out her life and became famous. There is a pub named after her near the site as well. After the gruesome tales at the site, we continued on our tour and headed to our final stop, Edinburgh Castle!
Edinburgh Harry Potter Tours (Click Below):
Edinburgh Castle
On our tour we reached the top of castle rock (an extinct volcano) and emerged from the Royal Mile to is a huge plaza that was once the parade grounds for the castle. The castle has been in existence since the 11th century and has been continuously built up since the then. It has been a Royal Palace and has been one of the most fought for castles in the world with many sieges and battles through many wars. It’s a huge multi-level complex and to this day is still a garrison for the Royal Armed Forces. This is a very popular place so if you aren’t doing a tour then you will need to book ahead of time as it was sold out on the day we went for normal tickets. Our guide took us around the castle through a variety of gates up to the top while explaining its history and the tings to see. At the top there are multiple places to see of great importance to Scottish history. Our guide left us to explore on our own, so we visited The Scottish War Memorial that is in a large church like building that has sections inside for all the different wars in the past to the present in Scottish history. You can also visit and see the royal jewels of Scotland that has a sword, a scepter and more. The line was very long, and we did not have much time, so we instead toured the Royal Palace. We went through the many elegant rooms and saw the chamber where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to the future King of the United Kingdom. King James I. King James I is who had the King James Bible written. We visited the Great Hall that is full of Armor and other items from the past. We went to the oldest building in Edinburgh from the 1100s named St. Margaret’s Chapel. It’s a small chapel that overlooks all over Edinburgh. Just outside of the chapel is Mons Megs, which is a 1400s era siege gun that shot 330-pound stone balls to knock down castle walls. The Castle has multiple museums including the very well-done National War Museum of Scotland. It goes over Scottish conflicts throughout history with amazing displays, weapons and history about the Scottish soldier. Our final stop was the display in Argyle Tower that has a projection display and talks about the conflicts the castle has been involved in over its long history. Next to the tower is a cannon battery with the One O’clock Gun that is a real cannon that fires every day except Sundays and a few holidays that in times before modern technology was used for sailors to set their clocks before they headed to sea. After a gift shop visit, we headed out for dinner and one last tour.
City Restaurant
We asked our guide where we could get a good and proper fish and chips (chips are fries and crisps are potato chips) and he recommended a local favorite called the City Restaurant outside the tourist zone but not too far away. The is a family diner and was full of locals. There was a pretty decent line as we got there during the dinner rush. The wait was worth it. We got a fresh made pizza and then two orders of fish and chips. Both were wonderful with the fish and chips being some of the best we have had. A unique condiment to try in Edinburgh is Chippy Sauce. It’s vinegar with extra spices that gives it a bold and great taste. I probably went too wild with the sauce, but it was really good on the fish AND chips. It’s connected with Edinburgh so it’s not something you are likely to see elsewhere. We got limonatas for our drinks that was refreshing after not eating or drinking since breakfast. When in Europe, take note of how fresh the food is and how good it tastes without all the preservatives like we do back home. One of the best parts of our meals was being able to talk to two local ladies next to us easting before heading to a play about life in Scotland versus life in The States. It was a great meal and we lost track of time talking so we headed quickly to our last tour of the day.
Edinburgh Food and Whiskey Tours (Click Below):
Ghost Tour of Edinburgh with Underground Vault
We did one more tour and that was a Ghost Tour of Edinburgh. We are not huge paranormal people, but the night ghost tours are good night tour options and give you a different perspective of the history of the city. The tour we took met on the Royal Mile and was led by a ‘murderer’ from the past dressed in period clothing. We walked to Parliament Square and talked about the issue of body snatching in Edinburgh. The city has had many great medical schools throughout history and needed cadavers for medical study. People started robbing newly dug graves and bringing them to the schools for a handsome reward. People started guarding the graves until the bodies “were no longer useable to science”. Two men came up with another plan. They worked at an inn and they started bringing in drunk people and killing them to give to science. They were eventually caught but it is a gruesome story in Edinburgh history.
Edinburgh in the past had a overcrowding problem. So the poorest of the population ended up living in small homes under the city. The conditions were very poor considering sewage was dumped onto the street and would seep through the porous rock. There are also storage vaults under the ground that during the plague, children were quarantined there. According to our guide a vault we visited was a plague vault for children where one of the children got the plague and the vault was sealed with one of the parents. The parent and one of the kids is said to haunt the vault.
Our last stop was to the Greyfrairs Kirkyard (Kirk is church in Scotland). It is an eerie graveyard at night around a church. It is famous as being one of the most haunted places in Edinburgh. There were mass graves there and people that were arrested for religious reasons were kept there where many died from execution or disease. The man who carried out the orders around the Covenaters (Scottish Presbyterians) was nick named “Bloody Mackenzie” and is buried there. A more heart warming story is that of Greyfriears Bobby. Bobby was a dog who would not leave the grave side of his master and is now buried in the cemetery as well. A Disney film was made about this years ago and there is a famous pub outside the cemetery named after him and has a statue. You can also see barred graves to keep body snatchers out. While we saw no ghosts it is a creepy place to be at night.
Ghost Tours in Edinburgh (Click Below):
Outside Edinburgh Tours and Edinburgh Airport Transfers
Leaving Scotland and Tips
In Europe if you are connecting to one of the major hubs to get home, the chances are you are going to be taking an early morning flight from mainland Europe or elsewhere in the British Isles. For us our British Airways flight left at 5:50am so a transfer picked us up around 3am to head to the airport. It was pretty easy to get through the Edinburgh airport, and they have plenty of places to get breakfast such as Starbucks. From there we headed to London Heathrow where we had a couple hour layover. Some flights from Heathrow might not truly be at a gate/jet bridge as was our case so we took a fairly long bus ride to our plane on a remote stand and then headed up the stairs. After a 10.5-hour flight that was pretty uneventful other than having the chance to speak with a Polish Flight Attendant that we talked about her homeland with, we made it home
Scotland is an amazing country with very friendly people and so much to see and do. In our journey we skimmed the surface of the Highlands and Edinburgh. Edinburgh alone would take a few days to visit the great museums such as The Scottish National Museum and visiting places like Holyrood Palace. Summer is of course the best weather time to visit Scotland but do be prepared for rainy, cloudy weather as is common in the region. European Rail Travel is wonderful and traveling by train is no different in the United Kingdom. It’s recommended to get Travel Insurance just in case you run into situations like ours. We were able to recoup the money from the night we did not get to use at the Roseate Hotel due to the train issues. Be prepared to budget a decent amount of money for food, admission and souvenirs because the costs are higher in the UK compared to countries like the US. Do get out into the countryside as it is absolutely beautiful, but also don’t miss cities like Edinburgh with their incredible history (both good and bad). We really want to return and travel by rail to different areas of Scotland, England and Wales as it’s a wonderful place to visit and you will fall in love with the country just as we have!
Until the next time we head to the amazing land I’ll be humming this line dreaming of waking up on a flight….
Ah but it’s grand to be waken at day
And find oneself nearer to Islay
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