The Time I Backpacked Through Scotland

Hello again, did you miss me? I know I've been radio silent for the past few days, but I had an excellent reason: I took a weekend trip to Scotland! Since the wifi was a bit sketchy throughout the duration of our trip, I didn't get to add to my blog. Although I wasn't in Scotland for all that long, I did so much in those few days that I'm really not all that sure where to start. I really can't do this trip justice in one blog post, so I'll have to summarize and pare it down to highlights and my personal tips for travel. Bear with me, this might be a long post. Overall: Scotland is indescribably beautiful. I want to live there. In three days, we stayed in Edinburgh and Stirling; both gorgeous cities with an incredible amount of history. Both cities we went to were full of structures and buildings dating as far back as medieval times. Every single Scot we met was so friendly and helpful; we felt welcome everywhere we went. As a bonus, it was really nice to get out of the packed and busy streets of London for a weekend. Edinburgh is a fairly large city, but without as much of a crowd and without the loud city noises of London. We ended up taking the train from London to Edinburgh. It should have been about a 4-5 hour ride, but our train was delayed due to massive flooding and landslides resulting from the rains that had pummeled the east coast of Scotland two days before. Apparently, in 48 hours, Edinburgh received 4 months worth of precipitation. Oh and guess who forgot to bring an umbrella to Scotland? This chick. So I promised you some train tips: 1) If you buy tickets the day of your trip or if you buy return tickets for any time, you won't get a reserved seat. 2) This technically means you could be standing room only the entire duration of your trip. 3) However, if you ask one of the train guards before the train arrives, they might be able to point you to an "unreserved car" with less reserved seats. 4) If no one claims a reserved seat, you can take the empty seat even if you don't have a reservation. 5) Bring snacks. Sometimes the food car closes and the food they do have is pretty expensive. 6) We took the train from Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverly by way of Whitecastle. This takes you up the east coast of Britain and on your way you will see a breathtaking view of the North Sea as well as more sheep and cows than any one individual needs to see in their lifetime. If you want to see the sea, sit on the right side of the train as you go north. 7)Based on the time of day and direction of the train, try to sit on the side of the train not directly in the sun. There is no air conditioning and it gets miserably hot. If you take East Coast train line, you can get 15 minutes of free wifi. Just saying, every minute counts. Edinburgh tips: 1) I would definitely recommend the hotel where we stayed, Masson House. It is affiliated with Edinburgh University and in the morning you can get free continental breakfast at the Uni's cafeteria. Steal some fruit for snacks. 2) Climb Arthur's Seat, the extinct volcano. Masson House was actually just a few minutes' walk from Arthur's Seat. It's a steep, slippery climb so it might not be for everyone, especially if you're out of shape. The view is spectacular and absolutely worth it though. From the top you can see all of Edinburgh as well as the North Sea. 3) Go to pubs. We went to the Green Mantle and The Last Drop, where the last execution in Edinburgh took place in the 1700s. The pubs in Edinburgh are pretty small but very friendly and several have live music. 4) Talk to random Irish dudes you meet at the pub. We ended up meeting some reporters from Dublin who were in Edinburgh to cover the Scottish premiere of the Pixar movie Brave. 5) Go to Edinburgh castle. We didn't personally go in, since it was really crowded and relatively expensive (about 15 pounds). If you have time, though, that's where they keep the Scottish crown jewels. My only real regret in Edinburgh is that we couldn't stay longer or do more. Stirling Tips: 1) If you're going to Edinburgh, it's worth it to take the half hour train ride up to Stirling. It's full of history and a really cute little town. 2) If you don't have time to see both Stirling and Edinburgh Castle, see Stirling Castle. It was the home of King James IV, V and VI of Scotland, Queen Anne, and others. It sits at an extremely strategic spot between highlands and lowlands and was once the center of an ancient trade route. It has been called the "key to Scotland" and was thus fought over many times. 3) Do the free guided tour at the castle. Basically, do anything that is free. That's a life lesson for ya. We had a phenomenal tour guide dressed in period clothes who took us through all the buildings and explained the history and purpose of each. 4) Go to the Wallace monument. Remember Braveheart? Remember the Battle of Stirling Bridge in which the outnumbered Scottish defeated the English army under the leadership of Scottish hero William Wallace? Well, Stirling is where it all went down. The monument is atop a high hill, but it's worth the hike. The view from the top is breathtaking; you can see for miles on a clear day. 5) Get the audio tour for 1 pound. It does a great job of explaining the history of the battle, William Wallace, and tensions between the Scots and the English before the two kingdoms united. 6) Do the ghost tour. It starts at the Old Jail, and weaves through the kirkyard cemetery at the Church of Scotland. The tour guide gets really into the presentation and the script and stories told change every tour. It's a fun way to learn some of Stirling's "grim history." 7) Stay at the Golden Lion Hotel. It's a beautiful old hotel that is somewhat of a town landmark because of the time poet Robert Burns stayed there and scratched a piece of poetry into the glass window of his room. We were able to get a room for very cheap by quoting the price offered by bookings.com. General Scotland tips: 1) Don't be shy if you have to ask for directions. Everyone is really nice and happy to help. 2) Bring an umbrella and warm clothes. It gets wet and cold. 3) Bring some good shoes. I swear the entire country is uphill both ways. 4) Bring a camera! I promise you will want to take pictures of literally everything. 5) If you go see more than one attraction in a city, bring your ticket stubs. Sometimes you can get discounts for seeing more than one thing (i.e. William Wallace monument + Stirling Castle). 6) If you're just going for a few days, if possible just bring a backpack. The concierge desks in Edinburgh and Stirling were very nice and kept an eye on my travel companion Dan's suitcase, but it's really a lot safer, easier, and more efficient to bring as little as possible. I really wish I could write about every detail of our time in Scotland; unfortunately I don't have the time, space, or capability to convey how amazing the experience was. Sigh. Good thing I took over 400 pictures while we were there...yikes! Links of the Day: Things to do in Edinburgh: http://www.edinburgh.org/see-do/ The Last Drop Pub: http://www.grassmarket.net/last_drop.asp Masson House: http://Masson-House-Edinburgh.Hotel-rn.com/?lbl=ggl Arthur's Seat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur's_Seat,_Edinburgh Stirling Castle: http://www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk/ Wallace Monument: http://www.nationalwallacemonument.com/ Stirling Ghost Tour: www.stirlingghostwalk.com Golden Lion Hotel: http://www.thegoldenlionstirling.com/