Today, we got up and left
the house at a decent hour. And stopped for our coffee. ;)
We took a very long and scenic route home, so I got
to see so much more of Scotland! Fiona's fiance James met us in Edinburgh and was so nice to drive us home and take the time to show me around! :) Our first stop was the William Wallace Monument. We had to hike up a bit
to get to it, but there was a beautiful view and the monument was really cool!
View from William Wallace Monument
William Wallace Monument
Stirling Castle from William Wallace Monument
Awwww the engaged couple! Fiona and James
View from William Wallace Monument
Then we hiked back down and headed to Stirling Castle – my first castle!! Although technically not, considering that we didn’t actually pay to go in. I’m
saving that for Edinburgh Castle. :) But anyway, it was still really cool! So
much history at the first two places we visited.
House-hunting at Stirling Castle - I wish!!
Stirling Castle
As we continued on, we stopped
at a cute little walled-in town called Callendar. By that time it was raining,
so we scurried around looking for a place to eat and ended up at a cute little
hotel. And it was there, at Waverly Hotel in Callendar, Scotland…..that I tried
haggis!!!! If you don’t understand, look it up. Anyway, James ordered it so I
took it as my opportunity and it wasn’t half bad! I stuck to my bacon &
cheese burger with “chips,” though, and when we were stuffed to the brim we
headed onward.
On the way back we passed two or three lochs, and at Loch Lomond
we stopped a couple times to take in the view. However, our “stops” pretty much
consisted of squeezing out of the barely open car door, and running from place
to place to take pictures really, really, really quickly. Why? Well, in
Scotland there are not mosquitos. Nope, they don’t have them. But what they DO
have are midges. UGHHHH, midges. These tiny, tiny little guys swarm like crazy
and are just terrible! They are so small, and there are so many…….and
apparently was I experienced was “nothing.” And their bites are a different
kind of itchy – less painful, more of a constant never-ending itch. So anyway,
the few pictures I did take a Loch Lomond were in quite the panicked state! And
then the whole way home, Fiona and I were constantly squishing the stupid
little things. But let me tell you, driving through Scotland IS SO PRETTY!!
Everything is so green, and there are just endless fields and hills of sheep
and cows. Mostly sheep….lots and lots of sheep. The lakes or “lochs” (I’ve been practicing, and I can almost
say it correctly! At least my throat stopped hurting from trying to say
it…that’s a step in the right direction…) were absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful
emerald glassy surfaces, and absolutely everything was so green and bright.
Actually, throw some purple flowers into there – yeah, gorgeous! After
a long beautiful drive home, we were exhausted! Oh, and I forgot to mention
that I finished almost a whole book that day, and still had plenty of time to
look out the windows. :) It was a gorgeous day!
Running from the midges!
All above photos: Loch Lomond
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