Scotland Travel Agent Extraordinaire

Scotland-The history, the people and the fun, this is the place to see!

Lock Ness- They have boat tours so you can seek out Nessie, I did not see her but I did go looking!  This 23 mile long loch (Scottish word for lake),  is so deep, it holds more water than all English and Welsh lakes combined!  No wonder the Loch Ness Monster is so hard to find!

Isle of Skye-Dramatic landscapes, hiking and the colors of the sky, you will want your camera out for this drive.  It is just a day trip and you should go during sunset for the best pictures.

Edinburgh-Most famous for the Edinburgh castle, I think I went up and down more hills than I did in the Highlands!  Even on a warm day, the castle is windy so bring a jacket and scarf.  It was built high on cliffs so it was hard to invade and easily able to see anything coming.  

The Royal Mile is a strip from Edinburgh castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (The King's official residence in Scotland) and is lined with shops, bakeries, restaurants and store fronts.  I suggest starting at Edinburgh castle and going down the royal mile and stop at the shops for souvenirs and sweets!

Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at a palace here in Edinburgh, gave birth to her son, James, at Edinburgh castle and lived in Holyroodhouse when she returned from France.  You can take tours to see many places that have ties to her as well as her bath house outside the palace.  If you love history, this is one you won’t forget!

Glasgow-Glasgow is best known for its culture, stunning architecture, free museums, and is a UNESCO City of Music. It is also famous for being Scotland's largest city.  Walking through the streets makes you feel like you are walking through history.  

Amazing parks and a grave yard (Glasgow Necropolis)  like I have never seen!  It is 37 acres, has around 50,000 grave sites and 3500 monuments.  One monument marked WW, is for Sir William Wallace (Mel Gibson played this famous Scot in the movie, Braveheart). Of course, there is no known official gravesite for William Wallace since he was executed in London (1305) and his body parts were displayed across the UK. 

There are a few abbeys in and around Glasgow however, I suggest checking out St Mungo Museum of Religious Life & Arts.  It is a free museum, rich with history!  They also still hold weddings here. They have the cutest gift shop that is worth checking out.   

The Highlands-The mountains of Scotland can be found in this most pristine and magical feeling place!  It has Ben Nevis, the highest mountain range in the UK, which some people climb/walk but I am not that someone.  The seasons are dramatic with whipping winds and snow to the changing of colors to fall, to the glorious greens, yellows and purples of spring and summer.  The Highlands cows (Or coos as the scottish would say) are so sweet, we had to pull over to pet them and the owners of the farm invited us to come onto the farm to see the babies.  This was one of the happiest times I have had in my life!  Apparently, it is against customs to bring one home so I had to leave without them.

Inverness-Gateway to the Highlands or The Capital of the Highlands is a visitor's dream!  Night life with local pubs and distilleries. Riverside walks, with local gardens and a calming effect unmatched!  There is so much history near here. Don’t forget to check out Inverness castle!

Battle of Culloden -I think this is the most famous battlefield in Scotland history, especially with the show Outlander!  Here you see the actual field & Fort George. There is a walkway with monuments, stones and markers with historical facts, names from the battle, short stories and dates.  Both sides of the battlefield are lined with flags so you can see how far apart they were at the start of the battle and how far they had to run to meet the opponents. There is a sadness/heaviness over this field that you can feel today. 

Torphichen (Pronounced Tour-fik-in)-Small historical village about 18 miles west of Edinburgh.  The village church is said to have been founded by St. Ninian in about 400AD, a small wooden structure on the site of the present church (itself rebuilt in 1756). By the medieval period, the church and area had continued to develop and in 1165, the Knights Hospitaller of St. John made their Scottish headquarters at Torphichen and the Preceptory stands as testament to their presence.By 1756, part of the old structure of the Preceptory was altered to allow the creation of a new parish church for local residents, supported by patronage from the Lord Torphichen and also from the local laird Walter Gillon of Wallhouse. Wallhouse remains as a castellated country house just on the western edge of the village.The 18th century creation of the parish church also included the addition of a belfry tower, which resulted in destruction of the Norman nave. (Wikipedia)

There is also an Inn, The Torphichen Inn, with beautiful tartan carpet and is said to serve the best haggis in all of Scotland.