I've been to Scotland before for work, but it was in an industrial area, which never gave me the chance to fully explore the more scenic sight.
I could also never forget that unique, distinct Scottish accent from the locals, which was always amusing to hear.
The plan is to fly to Edinburgh and head into the highlands, where I'm looking forward to visit several places such as the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness. Getting into and around the highlands can be a pain, so do plan in advance (self-drive, coach rides, train, etc) or consider guided tour options.
Edinburgh
Had one day to explore Edinburgh (capital of Scotland), which was a pity as the general feeling I got from people around was very positive, and wished that I had more time there.
I've managed to visit the main sites and wandered the streets a little. Based on my experience, Edinburgh is probably one of the better, modern places to see 'Harry Potter buildings'.
Edinburgh Castle
Entry to Edinburgh Castle was quite expensive - £19.50! Still, there was significant ground to cover. For anyone interested in Scottish history, this is definitely the place for you. I kinda skimmed through most of the rooms, as it's always the same song about kings, war and power. I was quite lucky as well as to coincidentally pass by a guard firing blanks from the castle's artillery close up!
Walked over to Calton Hill next, which was quite a good stop for photos, especially with its domed shaped structure (Dugald Stewart Monument) over-arching the city's landscape.
Calton Hill
The hill had many other significant monuments on it, such as the 'National Monument' that kind of looks like the Acropolis. It is has a contemporary art gallery there as well, if your into that kind of stuff.
The hike up Calton Hill isn't so bad. There is a slightly more strenuous one up Arthur's Seat, which is about a 40min incline hike 2-3 miles away.
Arthur's Seat
Arthur's Seat summit is the highest point of an extinct volcano, which looks pretty bold from afar. I clearly wasn't dressed right for the hike, but still eventually made it up.
Summit of Arthur's Seat
At the top, there was a compass-like structure, with carved words on it, showing directional angles on where key locations are from that point. Lots of people walk the trail, so don't be too afraid of getting lost.
En-route to the various destinations, I was fortunate enough to catch a traditional Scottish bagpipe player on the streets.
Bagpipe Player
It's one of 'uniquely Scotland' things that you cannot miss out on. Be aware though that most of these street performers will probably get pissed off if you start snapping photos without giving a 'donation'.
Edinburgh is truly a beautiful, modern yet historically rich country that houses some of the coolest people I've ever met. Compare a random shopkeeper in Edinburgh to that of London and you'll see a very big difference.
Loch Ness is a large deep freshwater lake in the middle of the Scottish Highlands. The loch is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as 'Nessie'. No sign of her when I was there...
Journeyed on to Pitlochry, a quaint Victorian town that had a christmas shop which opens for the year! It had a christmas tree that spat out small styrofoam balls as snow, which was then caught by an umbrella which spat them out again - blew my mind.
Headed back into Edinburgh through one of the three bridges that crosses the Firth of Forth, which looked epic. Felt quite exhausted after so much travel in the short span of three days, but it was worth the effort.
This concludes my time in the UK/Europe. What an adventure it has been!
P.S. Pictures have all been uploaded to Facebook and Instagram
Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are a mountainous region encompassing northwest Scotland, home to many vast landscapes, less touched by modern civilisation. It is also where the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness resides.
There were a couple of nice stops to make en-route to Skye. Castle Stirling would be the first major stop to make, before heading on to Trossachs National Park to see some cute highland cows.
Further north, the roads start to enter areas that reminded me of Lord of the Rings (similar to the southern parts of New Zealand). Picture yourself driving through a majestic valley of huge mountain ranges.
Glencoe
Glencoe was a prominent place I recalled, which was an epic U-shaped valley formed by ice age glaciation.
If your interested in seeing UK's highest mountain - Ben Nevis, you can consider making a stop at Fort Williams after Glencoe, to do your stock-check on food and necessities. If your driving up from Edinburgh, I'd recommend you to make one of the towns at the entrance of the Isle of Skye (I stayed in Broadford) your 'base camp' to travel around the area.
Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye lies on the west coast of the highlands, known for its 'land before time' scenery, just like when dinosaurs walked the earth! It also had the influence on me of looking like a place straight out of a manga/anime/fantasy world/movie.
Visiting the fairy pools brought out the true Celtic myths of Scottish culture, which embodied a sense of magic in its unbelievably blue waters - if you ask me, I'd say this is where the fairies wash themselves.
Visiting the fairy pools brought out the true Celtic myths of Scottish culture, which embodied a sense of magic in its unbelievably blue waters - if you ask me, I'd say this is where the fairies wash themselves.
Fairy Pools
The place is really only accessible by car/mini-bus due to the incredible screwed up one lane roads (that are two way) leading up to it.
I initially thought the Fairy Pools to be just one big fancy pond, but its made out various small pools. There is a trail leading through them and a hike down the whole stretch would take approximately an hour or so.
Another 'fairy' like place to visit would be Fairy Glen. It's another bumpy off-the beaten path spot amidst the farmlands. Though there's no definitive folklore linking the land to the magical realm, some say faeries created the dramatic landscape and still dwell within its many crevices.
Fairy Glen
Locals believe that if you walk around the mystical rock formation and make a wish in the center, it'll come true! Don't be that dumb Instagram chick that does it though, as it that will ruin the rock formation and destroy the landscape.
If your in Skye, you've got to get your hands on some of the local Scottish whiskey. I had mine at the Talisker Distillery in Carbos and it was a very pleasant experience.
Skye Whiskey
I ordered the 'Skye' whiskey, which came in a 25ml glass. It had an alc. percentage of over 40 percent and costed around £4 - that's a good deal!
Dunvegan Castle was also around the area, which had a pretty nice garden around it that you could explore.
Dunvegan Castle
Floral Gardens
It's quite a relaxing walk around the premises, but entry into the place will cost you £16 - other than that, there's really nothing else to do in Dunvegan.
The Quiraing is the kind of place that leaves you breathless, and not just because you have to trek uphill. The craggy landscape looks like something from a magical realm. Its ridges roll toward the sky like great green waves.
The Quiraing is the kind of place that leaves you breathless, and not just because you have to trek uphill. The craggy landscape looks like something from a magical realm. Its ridges roll toward the sky like great green waves.
The Quiraing
Though it looks like a serene scene straight from a dream, the Quiraing
was formed by terrestrial turmoil. It’s one of Scotland’s largest
landslips, and was created due to strain within its underlying layers of
rock. Remember to dress accordingly to fend off the strong winds!
Another set of eye-catching cliffs to see is the Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls. Both cliffs are visible from the same observation point on the Trotternish Peninsula.
Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls
The Kilt Rock is the flat-surfaced cliff at the back which looks strikingly similar to a pleated kilt, whereas the Mealt Falls is the waterfall closer to the observation point.
Tried to catch a glimpse on the Old Man of Storr on the way back, but the sight was unfortunately blocked by some intense mist/clouds. Ended up in a fishing town called Portree to re-stock on supplies.
Portree
Even with just a population of 4,500+ people, Portree is one of the largest town and the capital of the Isle of Skye. It's crazy at how scarcely populated this whole section of Scotland is.
On the way back down to Edinburgh, there's a very photogenic castle called the Eilean Donan Castle, situated on an island at the point where the three great sea lochs (lochs are lakes in Scotland) meet.
Eilean Donan Castle
The place gave off this whole Game of Thrones vibe and was probably used exetensively for movies/wedding shoots.
Loch Ness is a large deep freshwater lake in the middle of the Scottish Highlands. The loch is best known for alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as 'Nessie'. No sign of her when I was there...
Loch Ness
The Loch Ness extends approximately 37km southwest of Iverness, and can be best viewed from a town called Fort Augustus. If you're willing to fork out some extra cash, you can take a boat trip up and down the loch.
Headed back into Edinburgh through one of the three bridges that crosses the Firth of Forth, which looked epic. Felt quite exhausted after so much travel in the short span of three days, but it was worth the effort.
Overall Thoughts
If I were to rate the best views in Europe, those in the Isle of Skye would probably top the list. Not only so, they've got the chillest and friendliest locals, compared to some of the other places I've been in Europe. If you ever find yourself in Scotland, do consider making the trip down to the Highlands to get a taste of what a dream-like magical land would be.
This concludes my time in the UK/Europe. What an adventure it has been!
P.S. Pictures have all been uploaded to Facebook and Instagram
