We are off to Scotland again!!! This time for a fabulous wedding!!!
Day 1
This trip included just myself, my mom Joan, and my friend Debbie. We visited Scotland, Amsterdam, and Germany!!! So many fabulous pictures to still go through!!
We arrived to Scotland bright and early in the morning around 8am. We collected our luggage and headed straight to the car rental center at the airport after a latte and a breakfast sandwich at the new Costas (kind of like the UK version of Starbucks) at the airport. The sun was shining and we grabbed a photos at the giant Edinburgh sign outside before we took off in our upgraded SUV. Yeah for upgrades!
The first thing I always do when I get to Europe is swing by a 3 Store to top up my SIM card or get a new one for my phone and iPad. This is so important!! A unlimited data and calling/texting package for an entire month will cost you about $20!!!! That’s way cheaper than the $10 a day Verizon charges me for international use! That’s $10 a day for EACH device. So, $140 for one week! Let alone a 2 week trip! So, I usually print out directions to the closest 3 or Vodaphone store from the airport car rental location, not from the Airport. I made that mistake the first time. If you are luck there might be a kiosk at the airport. You get a different phone number for the duration of the trip. So, make sure family and friends back home know that. But, everything else will work they data and WiFi. So you Facebook, Instagram, SnapChat, and WhatsApp will be fine. So, once the sim car is installed you can ‘top up’ online as needed.
My second stop is always an ATM machine. It is much cheaper to get cash from your ATM and pay the $3 fee than to try and exchange money at the airport or before you leave at your local bank. If I arrive in Europe with absolutely no Euros, then I hit the ATM at the airport. But, the fees are always higher there. I try and keep back at least 10 euros from every trip for my next trip. Just make sure before you leave the US, you make sure that your bank allows you to use you ATM card abroad. I always up my withdrawal limit to at least $300. Because with the conversion rate and fees I usually withdraw 200 euros at a time. Most restaurants and souvenir shops take credit cards as long as they have a chip. I usually reserve my cash for buying coffee and little snacks. Sometimes when you get out on the outer islands they only take cash. So, you need a little with you at all times.
Our first stop was at the Outlander filming location for Lallybroch, Midhope Castle. We’ve stopped here before on a previous trip to Scotland. But, it’s such a sweet little, quick spot for some photos! Standing there always feels so magical for us Outlander fans.
Next, was Hopetoun House and estates. This also is another Outlander filming location. Magnificent! Many of the indoor and outdoor filming scenes were done there. Especially, those that in the book were located in the Lake District in England. Great tour guide, coffee shop, grounds, and castle to explore.
Because this was our first day and we were all very tired, 6 hours ahead, and hadn’t slept on the plane, we headed to our AirBnB in Linlithgow. I love AirBnB and other self-catering cottages. Ours was right off the main road and easy to find. We had a nice bathroom, two bedrooms, living room, and a cute kitchen. It is nice to spread out a bit and relax.
We had good dinner at The Four Mary’s in town on main street before we slept like the dead until morning. I had a haggis burger with an amazing whisky sauce!!!! Yum!! Don’t be afraid of the haggis people! It’s yummy and a great addition to a lot of dishes. It almost tastes like corned beef hash for those of you have never tried it. So, a little haggis patty was on top of my normal burger patty.
Day 2
We took our time the next morning getting ready and then we toured Linlithgow Palace!! It was right in the middle of town and I had no idea the night before because the main street buildings kind of hid it. There are several little cafes and breakfast stops right by. The palace/castle is probably the best-preserved ruin I’ve toured. Mainly, this is because the castle was ruined by fire set during a war with The Duke of Cumberland’s army. Not by bombing or purposeful destruction by another clan. So all of the exterior walls are intact. This was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and is supposedly haunted by her mother Mary of Guise. But, she didn’t bother us on this dreary, rainy day. You can climb the one tower up 6 floors for a beautiful view of the castle and surrounding town and countryside. There are many great photo ops, long arched hallways, and winding stairs to wander through. Several of Wentworth prison scenes on Outlander were filled here. The gift shop is small but just perfect and had a lot of Outlander themed items (that I may have bought too many of as presents….)
Next door to the castle ruins is the beautiful St. Michael’s cathedral you can also tour. The parish is still very active with many local members. It was said that a church has been on that site for over 1000 years. The current cathedral was built and has since been maintained since the early 1100s. We made another pass through the downtown area for a little shopping, grabbed a millionaire bar and an Iced Americano at The Granary Café, and hit the road again.
Next, we hit up another Outlander filming location, Callendar House. The only filming here was done in the 18th century, still-working, kitchen. This was where the Duke of Sandringham lost his head in the show. It was close to closing time and there wasn’t much else to see because of much of the house is closed to the public. So, our visit was quick.
We stayed the next 2 nights at Ednam House in Kelso, Scotland for the wedding we were in Scotland to attend. One word. Stunning!!! The hotel and the grounds are just stunning. Kelso is about and hour and 20 minutes from Linlithgow and about the same from the Edinburgh Airport. The borders of Scotland are beautiful. They definitely do not get the attention they deserve. The drive there was gorgeous. Lots of hills and winding roads with tons of sheep frolicking in the fields (as I kept saying).
We went to dinner that night at The Wagon Inn. The food was amazing! I had the Steak and Ale Pie. Yum!!! Debbie said the fajitas were amazing too. Go figure. The nice waiter even brought me some of their haggis and the black pudding to try!! After a quick nightcap at the hotel lounge, we headed to bed.
The wedding did not start until 2pm that day. So, we visited Floors Castle and Kelso Abbey after a ridiculously good breakfast at the hotel in the sunroom overlooking the river. Eggs Benedict, Haggis, sausage, and English bacon!
Day 3
Kelso Abbey is right in the middle of the town and only a block from the hotel. I love old ruined Abbeys. We stopped at the meat shop for a Scotch egg for a later snack and stopped in the several Charity care second-hand shops that are all over Scotland before getting in the car for a 10-minute drive to Floors Castle.
Floors Castle is fully intact and is actually still lived in to this day. We wandered through the castle admiring all of the beautiful artwork, swords and weapons, and antique furniture. They have a cute coffee shop and gift shop that are must stop!! If we would have had more time, we would have visited the walled gardens on the other side of the expansive grounds.
The wedding…
Chris and Christie’s wedding was THE most fun and most perfect wedding I have ever attended!! There was a little cocktail hour before the wedding, one between the wedding and the dinner, and one between the dinner and the true Scottish caillee portion of the evening. So, we had plenty of time to mingle with the other guests and get to know everyone. The Scots are so much more friendly that the Americans. I swear. Almost everyone came up to say hello and introduce themselves. We really were made to feel at home even though we really only know the bride and groom from a previous visit to Scotland. The wedding was beautiful, the dinner was fabulous, and the caillee was the MOST fun I have ever had at a wedding. The entire evening was organized Scottish dancing, like what we call square dancing. Chris had sent us a list of dances ahead of time. But, no matter of YouTube videos was going to help me learn them all. Luckily, the announcer was great and the dances were easy to learn after the first few minutes. I danced with every one of the grandfathers and many other people!! Those Scots know how to dance!! Kilts and all.
Day 4
We actually got up pretty early so we could be on the road at a decent time. We had another fabulous breakfast at the hotel with Chris and Christie and many other members of the wedding party before we set out towards the Highlands and Inverness!!! It takes about 4 hours from the borders to Inverness in the north of Scotland. And… that is without stops. But, considering it takes me over 8 hours to get to the southern tip of Illinois. This feels like a short drive with amazing scenery.
Before we left the borders and headed north we made a quick detour east to visit Melrose Abbey and then a stop in Falkirk to see another Outlander filming location. Melrose is just amazing! There are an amazing number of arches still intact. There is even a stone on the grounds were Robert the Bruce’s heart is supposedly buried. We had the most beautiful weather on this day. So, the pictures are wonderful.
This cute little house in Falkirk served as the B&B that Claire and Frank stayed at while on holiday in the Highlands in Inverness. You can just imagine Jamie leaning against this statue in the center of town and looking longingly up at Claire in the upstairs window. There is a lovely coffee shop just steps from the statue. Don’t miss a chance to stop in the used music instrument shop next door and listen to the owner’s stories about the Outlander filming and when Johnny Cash and his daughter visited there in the past. There is a bench dedicated to Johnny Cash just a few blocks away from the town center if you are a Johnny Cash fan!!
Stay tuned for my next blog post on the Highlands and Orkney! Many more adventures to come!!!
