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Small doses. This is how you learn to see cities when on layovers.
Having usually less than a day, it’s like winning the lottery when visiting on your own and knowing that you have more time to see everything you want to see. And the bonus? Time to venture out and see what else the country has to offer!
Excited to have that extra time in Edinburgh, we decided to book a tour…to the Scottish Highlands.
Our first inclination was to take the tour to Loch Ness. Learning that it involved a twelve and a half hour day, much of which would be after sunset, we decided to alter our plans. After much discussion and perusal of the tour company’s brochure, we finally decided on a shorter day…an adventure to West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles.
Departing from the center of Edinburgh, we boarded our tour bus at 9:15 a.m. in front of Ensign Ewart’s pub. The large coach was a little more than half full of other tourists also anxious to see the Scottish countryside.
Setting out on the highway, we first passed Stirling Castle and the William Wallace Monument standing tall on the nearby summit of Abbey Craig. On the right, our tour guide pointed out the Kelpies, 30-meter high horse-head sculptures near the River Carron.
Soon, we were crossing the Ardoch Burn river and heading through the town of Stirlingshire. Minutes after, driving down a narrow lane, we arrived at Doune Castle, the first stop on our itinerary.
For movie and television fans, this fortress is a must-see! Doune, the 14th century courtyard castle, is well known for being featured in the cult classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as well as television series, Game of Thrones and Outlander.
Though more primitive than most other castles I have visited in Scotland and other countries, it boasts one of the best preserved great halls in Scotland. Despite this illustrious fact, the castle does not have electricity and is only lit by daylight, making it quite difficult to see all facets of the building, especially on cloudy and rainy days.
Due to the rain, the courtyard was also closed, thus preventing us from entering the cellar.
After a quick walk around the property, it was time to depart and make our way to our next destination.
On we traveled, through the beautiful countryside, finally pulling over to the side of the road. Not seeing any castles or ruins nearby, we weren’t sure what we were stopping for…there were just a bunch of funny looking cows in a field. Stepping off of the bus, our tour guide informed us that these cows were what we were here to see!
The Highland Cattle are a Scottish breed. They have long horns and long wavy coats (colored black, brindle, red, yellow, white and silver) which keep them warm during the cold winters. They originated in the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland and are bred for their high quality meat which is lower in cholesterol than other varieties and is exported worldwide. We enjoyed watching them scratch their heads on the power lines and appear to pose.
After lunch at a local establishment, the Green Welly, the only restaurant for many miles around, we then stopped along the road to admire Kilchurn Castle which sits on a piece of ground jutting into Loch Awe. Once one person jumped the fence and decided to trudge through the bog to get a closer look at the castle…we all did. Thankfully, I had worn my waterproof boots, as I squished through the spongy ground and mud to stand at the water’s edge and photograph the ruined castle framed by the cloud shrouded mountains.
Kilchurn Castle, one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, looks out over Loch Awe, was built by Sir Colin Campbell and was once the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy. It was built in the 1400s and contains the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland.
Although the castle can be visited, it is only open during the warmest months of the year.
Onward we traveled to the next destination, Inveraray, home of a beautiful castle on the shores of Loch Fyne. Although the tour brochure stated that we would visit the town of Inveraray for Highland souvenirs, we only stopped near a bridge so that we could photograph Inveraray Castle.
Construction on Iveraray Castle, home to the Duke of Argyll, was begun in 1746 and took 43 years to complete. The castle as it is today resulted from a fire in 1877, when the third floor was added as well as conical roofs on the corner towers. Sitting on 60,000 acres, it was the setting for the 2012 Christmas episode of Downton Abbey. Only open from April to October, we were once again disappointed that we were unable to visit this magnificent palace, shrouded in the late afternoon mist.
The Arrochar Alps were the next thing we were to see…were being the key word. With all of the fog, mist and low hanging clouds, we could not even get a glimpse of the rocky peaks after parking at the vantage point.
Continuing on, we finally headed for Loch Lomand and the charming village of Luss. Though daylight was waning, we quickly jumped off the bus and headed down the narrow lanes of the community. Small and quaint, I could only imagine the villagers all knowing each other and saying hello over the walls of their fenced-in yards each day.
At the rear of the village, we stumbled upon Luss Parish Church. A Church of Scotland, dedicated to St. Kessog, it was founded by the saint and has stood on the site for 1500 years.
Walking through the churches gates, we explored the 15 historical grave sites in the churchyard as the light dwindled.
Finally, we headed toward the shores of Loch Lomond and the village pier. Snapping a few pictures before it became completely dark, we looked out on the picture perfect lake and some of the small islands situated in the basin.
Making our way to our tour bus, we climbed in and walked back to our seats. After a long day, of driving around, it was nice to know that we would soon be on our way back to Edinburgh.
Although we had a nice day getting to see a different part of Scotland, I reflected on about how much driving was involved that day and how little time we actually had a chance to explore. See, yes. Explore, no.
The Highlands are quite beautiful and I enjoyed seeing the small villages and rolling hillsides dotted with sheep. It was disappointing, however, that things we would have been able to see during other months of the year, were not available to us on this visit, such as Kilchurn and Inveraray Castles. The Arrochar Alps…well, that has to be hit or miss, any time of the year as the clouds could be quite low during the summer months. The silver lining of a winter tour, however, is that we were able to book the tour at the last minute, the tour bus not was as full and we arrived back in Edinburgh a little early than planned…and since the Christmas market was going on at this time…we still had time to ride some rides and do some holiday shopping!
But, for any time spent in Scotland, winter or sumer, time should definitely be taken to venture outside of the city limits to the Highlands. Simply breathtaking!
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Timberbush Tours
- http://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/
- West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles Tour, Departure/Arrival, 0915-1900
- Cost: Adults, £43, Children (5-16), £41, Seniors (60+), £41, Students, £41
Doune Castle
- https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/
- Address: Castle Road, Doune, Stirlingshire, FK16 6EA
- Hours: April 1-September 30, 0930-1730, daily, October 1-March 31, 1000-1600, daily
- Admission: Adults, £5.50, Children, £3.30 (not included in tour price, does include audio guide)
Kilchurn Castle
- https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/kilchurn-castle/
- Address: Lochawe, Dalmally PA33 1AF
- Hours: March 25-September 30
- Admission: free
Inveraray Castle
- http://www.inveraray-castle.com/
- Address: Inveraray Castle, Inveraray, Argyll PA32 8XE
- Hours: 1000-1745, Monday to Sunday, March 5-October 31
- Admission: Adults, £10.00, Senior Citizens and Students, £9.00, Children (5-16 years), £7.00, Children (under 5 years), free, Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 children), £32.00
Luss Parish Church
- http://lusschurch.com/
- Address: The Manse, Luss, Alexandria G83 8NZ, United Kingdom
- Sunday worship: 1145
Fighting the strong winds, we managed to snap a couple of pictures and with a glance at our watches, we decided that if that path we missed on the way here was indeed a quicker, shorter way, we then had thirty minutes to make it back to the palace before the ticket counter closed.
Interesting to check out is the statue of John Knox, the preacher of the Scottish Reformation in 1560. Knox was the minister of St. Giles’ until his death in 1572 when he was buried in the churchyard. His grave was paved over and the area became known as Parliament Square. A six foot tall, bronze statue was erected and once stood over the site of his burial in Parliament Square, but was eventually moved back into the church when it was determined that the statue was being damaged by the weather. An engraved stone set in the pavement is now the only marker for his gravesite in the square.
The most interesting stories were of murder and hauntings. Images of disembodied limbs, child phantoms and gruesome animals have terrified many residing within and touring the close. The most recent and famous story, however, is that of a Japanese medium visiting the close. A little girl tugged on her coat as she left one of the rooms. The medium looked back to see a small girl crying in the corner. The little girl, Annie, claimed that she had died during the sickness of 1645 and told the medium of how lonely she was having lost her family, but mostly her treasured doll. The medium, went up to the Royal Mile, purchased a doll and left it for the child. Ever since, visitors have left dolls and other toys in the corner of the room for the little girl.
The Skye Terrier statue, named Bobby, is a whole other story in itself, standing on the curb in front of Greyfriar’s Bobby bar and created by William Brodie in 1872. The best known story surrounding the dog tells a tale of a canine so devoted to his master that when his owner passed away, the dog spent the next 14 years guarding his grave until his own passing. The statue was initially created as a drinking fountain with the upper part for humans and the lower for dogs, although the water supply was cut off many years ago. In the nearby Greyfriar’s Kirkyard, a red granite stone was erected on Bobby’s grave in 1981 and small dog toys, flowers and sticks (for Bobby to fetch) are frequently left.
Finally, after watching many people rub Bobby’s nose and dress him up for the Christmas holiday, our tour guide, Jodie, arrived…looking very much the part. Passing out “magic” wands (to assist with our spells for stopping traffic), we set out on our way, first entering Greyfriar’s Kirkyard. Our tour guide showed us Greyfriar’s Bobby’s gravestone and then began to give us information on the creation of Harry Potter…in Edinburgh.
Continuing on, we then visited the tunnel, Potterow Port, on the University of Edinburgh’s campus, which inspired the scene where Harry and his cousin, Dudley, were being chased by Dementors. It has been speculated that Potterow, an area which the author sometimes frequented, may have been the inspiration for Harry’s surname.
Lastly, we finished our tour in The Grassmarket. This area, located in a hollow, below the Castle and Royal Mile, is a historic market place and event space in the Old Town area. The long winding street, with colorful storefronts and restaurants, will have you thinking that you are on Diagon Alley searching for your first wand. Hey, you almost expect to see the goblins from Gringots standing on the street corner!
Although the castle’s origins as a residence date back to the 12th century, with the reign of David I, Edinburgh Castle only retained a residential role until the 15th century, later transitioning into military barracks and garrison. It was considered one of the most important strongholds in the Kingdom of Scotland and was involved in many historical conflicts. Recent research identified 26 sieges in the castle’s 1100 year old history.
The castle offers many different buildings, museums and vantage points. We began our exploration by climbing the Lang Stairs to the Argyle Tower. Not much to see within the tower, we moved on to Mon’s Meg, the Dog Cemetery and St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
Adjacent to the cemetery overlook is Mon’s Meg, a medieval bombard and one of the largest cannons in the world (by caliber). This cannon was built in 1449 as a gift to James II, King of Scots from Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy. It was used in many sieges until the 16th century and spent some time in the Tower of London until it was returned in 1829.
Moving into St. Margaret’s Chapel, we found it blissfully empty. With a surface area of only 160 square feet, it was nice not having to jockey for position with other tourists to capture nice photos and enjoy the beauty of the oldest surviving building in Edinburgh. The 12th century chapel, was spared the wrath of Robert the Bruce when the castle was captured on March 14, 1314 and all buildings in the castle were destroyed. The chapel, restored and now cared for by the St. Margaret’s Chapel Guild is well worth a short visit, especially for the five stained glass windows of St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Andrew, St. Columbia, St. Ninian and William Wallace, all designed by Douglas Strachan in 1922.
To the Great Hall’s south, is the Scottish National War Memorial, which occupies a converted barrack block and stands on the site of the Medieval St. Mary’s Church. When entering the building, pay note to the gargoyles and sculpture that decorate the exterior. The interior is a long massive space, with a high vaulted ceiling, stained glass windows (designed by Douglas Strachan) and monuments commemorating Scottish soldiers; those who served with the Scottish regiments and those who died in the two world wars and in recent conflicts. On an altar within the Shrine (placed on the highest point of the Castle Rock) rests a sealed casket containing Rolls of Honour which list over 147,000 names of those soldiers killed in the First World War. Another 50,000 names were inscribed on Rolls of Honour and line the walls of the main hall. No pictures are allowed within the building.
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum features a large offering of weapons, uniforms, medals and paintings which portray the story of the past regiments that formed or were associated with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, including 3rd Dragoons Guards (Prince of Wale’s Own), 6th Dragoon Guards (The Carabiniers), 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wale’s Dragoon Guards), the Royal Scots Greys (2nd Dragoons) and 25th Dragoons.
After leaving these two museums, we walked past the Governor’s House and turned left to the entrance of National War Museum. The story of Scotland at war is told here along with the story of the battles that were lost and won. Many military artifacts and personal treasures are on display. Again, this museum is free with your entrance ticket to the castle and is worth a look around. By this point in the day, however, we were getting a bit tired of the museum setting and hungry, so we made it a quick visit.
Place des Martyr’s or Martyr’s Square is a square in the center of Brussels dedicated to the days of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 and those who lost their lives. A monument and crypt stand in the middles of the square and contain the bodies of 400 heroes from the revolution, many of which lie not far from where they were shot during the battles fought in the streets of Brussels.
You will also notice not-so-historical things on your walk through Brussels. Although you can visit the Musee Magritte or Belgian Comic Strip Center, both located in the heart of Brussels, some pieces of art reside on the sides of buildings, on garage doors and on metro walls. There are some exciting street artists residing in Brussels and their masterpieces will surprise and delight!
Lastly, eat, drink and be merry! Belgium is known for some of the best beer, chocolate and waffles! Visit Delirium Monasterium, considered the temple of Belgian beer, serving countless selections of beers from over 60 countries. Relax at the bar and let the bartender choose a flight of beers for you to try! You won’t be disappointed…but maybe a little tipsy!
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After your visit to St. Catherine’s church is complete make sure to check out the Tour Noire (Black Tower) located on the side of the NH Hotel and diagonal from St. Catherine’s. This 12th century tower, still stands strong and is the lone surviving part of the ancient stone city walls.