I’ve just returned from a few days in Scotland and enjoyed myself so much there that I just had to write about it! Hopefully the useful information contained here and there within this story will be useful for anyone else planning a similar holiday.
Our journey began on Wednesday 11th May. My friend Ann had to travel separately by train due to her passport not having arrived in time, but I took an early morning flight from Bristol to Edinburgh which took off on time and the skies were so clear on route that it was lovely to see our land so far below. Touching down in Edinburgh an hour later it seemed miraculous to get there so soon (remembering that awful long drive when I visited Edinburgh the first time in 2000). The sun was shining brightly which was a lovely surprise as I was not expecting brilliant weather, Scotland being further North and usually a few degrees colder than England.
Outside the airport it was an easy matter to take the airport shuttle bus which is only a £3 fare taking you to the centre of town within 30 minutes (and a £5 open return is also available). On arrival at the destination (by Waverley station, which is the main station of two in Edinburgh) it was just a short walk to South St David Street to get the bus to the bed and breakfast accommodation I had booked online before arrival. The bus driver was very helpful and said he would call out when I reached the stop where I had to get off - which he did and I was delighted to realise we were based so close to the centre with several buses available, some 24 hours a day. In no time I reached our accommodation and hauled my case up three flights of stairs, and was warmly welcomed by Barbara, our hostess. Ann and I had been allocated a double room each and I was quite happy to rest for an hour in mine before setting off back into Edinburgh for a look around.
I spent a very pleasant day revisiting favourite places, both on foot and by bus (a one day bus ticket on Lothian buses costs only £2.30 with which one can travel unlimited and the services are excellent. One never has to wait more than a few minutes at most. Later in the day I spent some time online finding out about which rail excursions were possible and prices so that I could share this information with Ann later in the day and we could then decide how to spend the next few days. The last couple of hours was spent in the park enjoying the warm sunshine, until it was time to make my way to Waverley station and meet Ann off her train.
On arrival I was just studying the screen and noted that her train had arrived on Platform 19 which was just below me so I waited until I could see her and then waved until she spotted me. I already knew the train was on time as she had phoned a couple of times during the afternoon to confirm it was running to schedule, and it was good to realise that despite travelling alone she was really enjoying the 7 hour train ride from Bristol. (£39.50 single fare booked 3 days before date of travel, also available for £30 if booked 7 days in advance). We decided to make the most of the last of the sunshine in the park before heading for our accommodation and took the first of several photos with the castle and other impressive buildings in the background. These gardens in Princes Street are really beautiful and at this time were really colourful with rhododendrums in full flower in many colours. Ann was really impressed with her first sight of Edinburgh and really excited at the prospect of the five days ahead of us.
Finally we set off to find a restaurant to eat when Ann opted for an Indian restaurant out of the various places I had suggested. This restaurant on Rose Street (which runs parallel with Princes Street) offered two main course dishes for the price of one if ordered with two starters, so the meal worked out very reasonable at roughly £11 per head for the food alone. Over dinner I gave Ann all the travel information and we decided to visit Dundee the following day (for the bargain fare of £12 return with Scot Rail known as a ‘midweek mover’ fare available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays only, which did not require advance booking). We reached our accommodation around 9.30 pm and decided to have an early night as we had both been awake since pretty early that morning.
Next morning we were up early and enjoyed a continental breakfast in Barbara’s sunny kitchen before setting out for the day. Whilst at the station we decided to purchase train tickets for 2 days later - also with Scot Rail - for Inverness which were a really bargain price of £19.50 each if booked at least 48 hours in advance, £88 being the next cheapest fare if paid for on date of travel. Had we left it until our return from Dundee it would have been to late to get them at that price, and with Inverness nearly 4 hours journey each way we would not have had time to go on Sunday because we were already booked into something taking place at 9.20 pm on Sunday evening.
The journey to Dundee was very pleasant and made even more interesting by the fact that we travelled over two great rail bridges - the first being the Forth of Firth, the sight of which I had admired many a time previously from various vantage points around Edinburgh. Unfortunately we were unable to view the bridge before arriving on it as we were already on it before we were aware of it, having forgotten to look out for the best vantage point to take a photograph. One crosses the bridge between Haymarket and the following station. I took a photo after we had crossed later, but whether it appears on the photo remains to be seen as we were quite far from it before it could be seen from the train and it appeared lost in hazy sunshine through the view-finder. We passed many villages on the way and then crossed the Tay rail bridge just before arriving at Dundee, which was just as impressive as the Forth and much longer and taking a few photos was much easier.
We enjoyed our four hours in Dundee. We had lunch, saw as many sights as possible and enjoyed the shops and took photos. It was another hot day and we stayed until 4 pm, knowing that the next train after that wasn’t until 6.30 due to restrictions on our midweek mover ticket. We didn’t want to get back too late as we had decided to go to another nice restaurant in the evening. Before this however, we paid a visit to the bus station, following up on suggestions made by Barbara, and purchased bus tickets for the following day which would take us to Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, with a change of bus in Glasgow. After this we went to a new Turkish restaurant called Nargiles situated on Hanover Street, where we spent a very pleasant evening. The food was excellent with marvellous choices on offer, much different than the Turkish restaurant I am accustomed to in Bath. The average cost of a main dish in Nargiles is around £12 and our decision to go there was because it was one recommended in the Easyjet magazine that had been given to passengers on board the aircraft.
Next morning we were up early in order to have time for breakfast before getting to the bus station for our 8.35 Citylink bus to Glasgow. In Edinburgh the bus station is only about ten minutes walk from Waverley train station and is situated on Elder Street by the St James Shopping Malls. Whilst waiting to board our bus, I noted there was an excellent Citylink bus service, with links between Edinburgh and many major cities - all useful information for future reference. Citylink are like National Express - coaches rather than buses that take you direct to your destination of choice with no stops along the way. An hour and a half later we were in Glasgow where we had to change to another bus. When we boarded it we were the last two to get on a bus bound for Uig on the Isle of Skye, some 9 hours distant and we took the last two seats at the back.
When the bus stopped later in a layby on a very fast dual carriageway, we did not realise at first that the bus had stopped to let us off, and may have missed our stop altogether had the driver not recognised Ann and shouted out that it was our stop. As we got off he apologised saying we had a ‘wee walk’ to our destination and told us to walk back to the next roundabout and follow the road signs to Balloch. We didn’t mind the walk - it was another sunny day and very pleasant walking along and listening to the birds singing in the trees. About a mile later we reached the outskirts of Balloch and decided on a cooked breakfast in a little pub - only to discover on arrival inside that food would not be available until noon due to changeover of staff from breakfast to lunch session. We had a drink instead and a very friendly old local chap told us we could get snacks in the corner shop just along the way and confirmed when we asked him that cruises on Loch Lomond were definitely possible! Continuing towards Balloch afterwards we came across a train station and popped in and were delighted to note that trains to Glasgow left every half an hour and decided to get the train back rather than hike back to the dual carriageway later for the bus we were booked on.
We thoroughly enjoyed our crusty Turkey rolls bought in the shop and were just contemplating going back to get another one when we noticed a pub with very interesting dishes on offer and tables under umbrellas on a large deck outside with splendid views of the lake, so decided to have lunch there instead. Being early we were able to sit at a table in full sunlight with an excellent view of the lake and lingered there for an hour and a half enjoying the excellent food and a large glass of Italian rose wine, knowing that at 1.30 we could make it onto the next hour long cruise. This cost £5.50 and was excellent value.
The cruise was fantastic and we enjoyed every moment of it, and various points of interest were pointed out as we made our way around the lake, including a castle. On the lake people were having fun jet skiing and we even got great photos of someone water skiing. The scenery was breath taking and we knew we were seeing Scotland at its best under those sunny blue skies, with the fresh green colours of early summer, the varied colours of the trees etc. We learned that Loch Lomond is 5 miles wide and 26 miles long and around 680 feet deep at its deepest point.
When we arrived back we decided to follow a lake shore path that would eventually bring us to Loch Lomond Shores, an upmarket area of shops, but we never made it as far as the shops - on the way we came across a sunny little beach inhabited by lots of ducks, including baby ones, and a swan, who did not seem to mind us sharing that space with them and some were so tame they came and took food from our hands. We spent the remainder of the afternoon there sunbathing until gone 6 pm, only then leaving reluctantly, because in the distance I had noticed buses arriving every half hour and stopping by the shopping precinct and I felt pretty sure that some of these buses would head for Glasgow even though I wasn’t too worried if they didn’t, knowing we had the trains to fall back on if not. We decided not to leave it too late though as such buses may have been infrequent once the shops closed.
As we approached the bus stop, two buses arrived at once and one of them was headed for Glasgow which was a very reasonable £2-15 fare for a journey lasting one and three quarter hours, and as we got nearer some very helpful local ladies told us where to get off the bus at a point closest to the central bus station and instructed the driver to ensure we got off there as well! We then walked up through the central part of the town - Buchanon Street - and stopped for a drink in a pub along the way - then continued and made it to the station in time to catch the 8.30 Citylink bus instead of the 9.30 we were booked on and we arrived back in Princes Street about 10 pm. We then managed to visit Sainsburys supermarket before they closed, to stock up on snacks for the train journey next day and then decided on a fish and chip supper before heading back to our accommodation for an early night, knowing we had to be up early for our 8.40 train to Inverness the following morning.
This was another great rail journey which would get us to Inverness by noon, with a full six and a half hours before our train back. We thoroughly enjoyed the journey which to begin with followed the same track as the one to Dundee, something I had forgotten about, so we again were crossing the Forth rail bridge and again missed the opportunity to take a photo before arriving on it which I understand is the only way it can be photographed from the train itself. Sometime after Kirkcaldy the train followed another track and the journey all the way was through some of the most stunningly beautiful scenery imaginable. Again under sunny blue skies, the green countryside colours looked lovely, with bright yellow gorse scattered across the land, baby lambs gambolling in the fields, wide streams babbling over stony beds, which with the trees reminded me of my visit to the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in Georgia in 2003, all this with rolling mountains in the background. The scenery became even more dramatic as we travelled through the highlands and the mountains got higher, some of them with snow still on them. Latterly we were travelling through the Cairngorms National Park. All in all we lost count of how many photos we took from the train on that lovely journey! In addition to the lovely scenery, the journey was a very smooth one so that it seemed we were gliding through a fairy land of beauty - unlike the poorly maintained rail tracks down south where the trains rattle and roll along when travelling at high speeds. Ann saw many a deer (including 4 stags at one point) and falcons flying - but I was almost always too late to see them as in between admiring the views I had my nose in a book (and was listening to Andean music on my iPod) and by the time I whipped off the earphones and changed glasses to better see outside they were long gone behind us!
On arrival at Inverness we had no idea what to expect. We were thinking we could see Loch Ness where Nessie the monster is supposed to reside, but had no idea how far this was from the town. Loch Ness is the largest body of water in the whole of Scotland and maybe the United Kingdom itself. However, on arrival our first priority was to catch the bank before it closed, so that we could draw out the money needed to pay for our accommodation. Coming out of Lloyds bank, Ann was just looking for the cashpoint to get hers when we both heard a charango tune up a bit further ahead. Ann said she did not see me for dust as I whizzed ahead, dying to see who was playing, and when I reached them I was delighted to see Marco, a good friend of 5 years standing, a Bolivian who lives in Edinburgh and married to a Scottish girl - and Froy, a Bolivian who lives in the Czech Republic, but comes over every summer, who I have known for about 2 years. Both were pleased to see us and a young girl was selling their CDs - which Ann bought immediately. I already had their CD having bought it in Cusco the previous summer. As you can imagine all thoughts of sightseeing went completely out of the window and we spent the next few hours enjoying their music and chatting in between. The girl proved to be Marco’s sister who really enjoyed chatting to someone different in Spanish. We stayed with them until 4.30 when they decided to pack up and travel back to Edinburgh, but before we left them Ann put Marco’s phone number into her phone, and we said we might travel to see them again next day. Their plan was to play in Glasgow next day if the weather was good enough. Marco suggested we phone to make sure before setting out.
We spent our last couple of hours in Inverness whizzing around to see as many sights as we could and take photos until it was time to get the 6.31 train, including buying scones, strawberries and clotted cream to enjoy on the journey back, knowing we would not arrive in Edinburgh until 10 pm which was rather late to have dinner. We were hard pressed to know which day we had enjoyed best between the trip to Loch Lomond the day before and our fantastic day in Inverness enjoying the beautiful music of Marco and Froy who are ex-Pachakuti musicians.
With only Sunday and Monday left of our holiday we decided to stay closer to Edinburgh. Knowing we had to be in the Real Mary King’s Close off the Royal Mile that evening we headed in that direction the following morning after breakfast. We enjoyed ourselves so much on the Royal Mile that we almost left it too late to travel to Glasgow. We climbed to the castle which looks so impressive from below - as it is perched on an extinct volcano and impossible to see where the rocks end and the castle begins. I think it dates back to the eleventh century. Then we went into the rooftop conservatory cafe nearby and watched excerpts from the Tattoo which takes place every August in the stunning setting in front of Edinburgh Castle - which is one of the largest military shows on earth. Watching this made me want to include this on the Agenda one day - we learned later that all tickets have already been sold for this year and it is highly likely that Ann and I will be in Edinburgh in time for the festival and this military tattoo in August 2006. Whilst in this rooftop setting we tucked into a delicious Shepherd’s Pie and enjoyed the views over Edinburgh.
We found the Real Mary Kings Close further down the Royal Mile, having spent a lot of time in the various gift shops on the way down, and then it was a mad rush to the station to find out about trains to Glasgow. All the time trying to get hold of Marco by phone without success. On arrival at the station we learned that the next train wasn’t until 2 pm and would take 50 minutes to reach Glasgow, a bit too late to make the trip worthwhile especially as we hadn’t managed to make contact with Marco and couldn’t be sure they were there. Our minds were made up for us when we discovered the cost to get there - almost 19 pounds for the two of us on a GNER train as opposed to the £12.40 for two cost had the train been a Scot Rail one. (A point worth considering if you are considering rail travel in Scotland!). This seems a good time to mention too that there is more than one bus company operating in Edinburgh - Lothian buses are the most prominent as they are more frequent and there are lots more destinations. If you buy a day bus pass buy one on Lothian as opposed to First or Waverley. And if you are there for a week buy a £12 ride-a-card which is valid for a whole week of unlimited bus travel on Lothian.
Having decided to give Glasgow a miss, we took the bus to Portabello beach instead, arriving there about half an hour later, where we enjoyed a fish and chip lunch on the beach and relaxed there for the remainder of the afternoon until about 6 pm. We were walking towards the beach when Marco phoned to ask if we were on our way. Unfortunately the reason we were unable to get hold of him was because he had inadvertently left his phone in his car, but we told him we hoped to return to Edinburgh in a couple of months time and would make contact with him then to find out where they would be playing.
Portabello is a lovely sandy beach, the first of several as one travels further out from Edinburgh, Seton Sands being the furthermost achievable on the No. 26 bus - a brilliant service which runs East to West and vise versa from one end of Edinburgh to the other via the city centre. We just could not believe our luck at having enjoyed five such fantastic warm sunny days with sunshine from early morning to evening every single day. We enjoyed Portabello so much that we decided to return the following day - until changing our minds the following morning when we realised the weather had finally turned colder.
Our bus took us all the way back to our accommodation where we changed into warmer clothes for the evening knowing we would be underground. On arrival back in the Royal Mile later we had time to enjoy a drink and snack in a pub before making our way to Real Mary King’s close where we were participating in Professor Wiseman’s parapsychology experiment - one of the many events happening in the 10 day long Ghost Festival taking place during our visit. There is a Visitor Centre here from where one can take a tour through several streets of Edinburgh as it was in the 1600s, situated underneath the Edinburgh of today. We were among the 8 people taking part in the 9.20 session and were taken underground and led to an area and were told to wander at will for 15 minutes in the designated area and to write our impressions on a clipboard. We already knew that this was one of the most haunted spots in the whole of Scotland because back in the time of the plague the inhabitants were walled in and left to die. Ann and I were quite disappointed not to see any ghosts - I imagine that only really psychic people would have been able to see them. Our only impression was a feeling of coldness crossing the threshold of a doorway which was only apparent whilst crossing the doorway and not on either side. I told the man in charge of us that 15 minutes simply wasn’t long enough, but this was all that could be given as there were other groups being taken around at 20 minute intervals. The results of this experiment will be published in about two weeks time, once all the participants’ impressions have been collated. We were disappointed not to see more of this underground Edinburgh and have resolved to go on one of the organised tours on our next visit to Edinburgh where one sees everything.
On Monday our last day we woke up to grey skies which was a disappointment after the continuous warm weather up until then, but we still dressed optimistically for summer, hoping it would be sunnier later and enable another visit to Portabello beach. Our first stop was the main Post Office to post the postcards we had been busy writing all throughout our visit and then to an internet cafe to check out cost of flights as we were both very tempted to return to Edinburgh for the last week of July when we will both be on holiday from work. I also had to book bus tickets for a short visit to London two weeks later to attend the naturalisation ceremony of one of our Peruvian friends who will become a British citizen after about 16 years living in this country. I was delighted to find that cost of flights even in July were only £18 for the outward flight and £15 for the return so I went ahead and booked them, so that I could confirm the dates to Barbara and assure the same accommodation on our return. We are so lucky that flying with Easyjet is so cheap, making a visit to Scotland so affordable. It is by far the cheapest form of travel. The journey to Edinburgh from Bristol by bus is £50 one way and takes 12 hours, so £18 by plane which gets you there in an hour is fantastic. Ann was so relieved when her passport arrived in time as she was really dreading that long bus journey back on her own. Ann is as much in love with Scotland as I am and really looking forward to coming back again. We already have plans to visit other places - Castle Eillean in a beautiful loch and mountain setting, achievable by bus, Fort William which in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Oban on the west coast which Barbara said §is fantastic and we’d like to repeat our trips to Loch Lomond and Inverness. I already know that an advance cheap return (Apex) with Scot Rail to Oban is only £24.50 and we don’t even have to travel back the same day. If I can book accommodation in advance we may even stay a night there.
We spent our last day seeing as much of Edinburgh as possible, using our day bus ticket to the utmost. Although sunny at times there was a cold breeze so we decided against going to Portabello beach and went on our own sightseeing tour instead. We bought souvenirs for our family on the Royal Mile later and wound up in the park taking pictures by all those colourful rhododendrum bushes. We then took a bus back to our accommodation to pick up our luggage and then the bus to Waverley bridge from where the airport shuttle buses leave at regular intervals. By 6.15 we were on our way to the airport with plenty of time as check in wasn’t until 7.15 for our 9.15 pm flight. After check in we enjoyed a nice dinner before boarding the plane and our flight left on time and arrived back in Bristol at 10.30 where it was raining heavily! Colin met us at the airport and took us home and we told him all about our trip along the way in hopes of persuading him to come with us next time, which for us will be the last week of July and then again in May next year and yet again for the fringe festival and tattoo in August next year. A visit to Scotland is highly recommended by us, and May is an excellent time to visit according to Barbara, as this is normally the best of Scottish summer when the midges are absent. (We will need to come armed with insect repellant in July in order not to be a feast for Scottish midges in countryside areas!). I hope this description of our 6 fantastic days in Scotland will persuade you to one day pay a visit there too! The photos will be on my website within two or three weeks - see address below - and a version in Spanish will follow within the next couple of weeks also.
Un version en espanol luego ......
