From breathtaking scenery to the discovery of a medieval toilet
The Scottish Highlands have whispered my name me ever since I first arrived in Edinburgh. This Summer, two friends from Norway visited me in Edinburgh for a weekend, and it turned out that they also wanted to discover the highlands.
Since none of us felt comfortable enough to drive on the left side of the road, we decided to book an organised tour instead of renting a car.
Our first stop was the Kelpies, two horselike statues located next to the highway between Edinburgh and Sterling.
The Kelpies are mythical creatures that are said to live close to the water. But be aware, if you go near them, they will drown you. Or so the story goes. I would say that it is a good way of keeping people that have not learned to swim yet from entering the water.
The next stop on our travel was Luss, a lovely, small town located on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond, as the song ” Loch Lomond”, a traditional Scottish folk song says. Many people associate the song with the Scottish folk-rock band Runrig, but it is older than that. You can read the lyrics and the background of the song at the Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs website.In one of the nights clubs I have been to in Edinburgh, it is the last song they play to signal to the dancing crowd that it is time to go home. Everyone sings along to it before they drag their sore dancing feet home, or go for a night snack.
Since my mum is a huge fan of Runrig, I have heard the song many times. I have therefore dreamt about visiting the famous lake. And now I finally got to see it.
I wish I could have stayed longer in Luss, but the Scottish Highlands had more to offer us. For example, this view:
The place is actually called the Rest and Be Thankful pass.
We continued to drive through beautiful scenery, and listened to funny stories told my our driver and guide, who had previously worked as an actor. And before we knew it, it was time for lunch. The rain was pouring down heavily when we stopped in Inveraray to have our lunch. The rain did not really bother us that much, as my friends and I love spending time in cafés and chatting. After a long lunch, we discovered that it had stopped raining. I love how the rain acts like a paintbrush and changes the colours of the landscape to a more beautiful version of itself.
We were given the opportunity to check out the secrets of Inveraray Castle instead of having a long lunch, but we just love food too much. Next time I will check it out. At least we got to see from the bus window.
Kilchurn Castle was next on our program. We stopped by the main road, and to get the best photo opportunity, we had to cross a field filled with mud and wet grass. It knew I shouldn’t have put on my new shoes:). But it was all worth it.
Our last stop was Doune Castle, which I have blogged about before. Even though I had been there before, I found out that the castle had other secrets that waited to be revealed, such as that rumors had it that Mary Queen of Scots once visited the castle.
Another discovery was this medieval toilet:
I just had to try to sit on it (for your information, I did not actually use it). I guess it would have been a bit cold to sit there in the winter.
As we arrived at the castle about 40 minutes before closing time, I was able to take some pictures without crowds of tourists in them this time.
This was the end of our grand tour of the Scottish Highlands. One of my friends was a bit disappointed that she didn’t get to see any Highland cows, and I realized that I still have a lot to explore in bonny, bonny Scotland.
What is your favorite place to visit in Scotland?
Ina N. Moe 