Scotland

Family Reflections:

The mix of old world with new around every corner is fascinating.
We would all live in a castle in a heartbeat, well, if someone else was paying the bills of course.
Yup...still some accents that we can't understand...even though we're speaking the same language. 😂
Kids have been slumber partying nightly, sharing a room. The mass giggles are hilarious!
Highland Coos (Cows) are so adorable. I might be addicted to them and how they show up in art at every turn!
Eggs are so much tastier here (and in Ireland)!
Outside of Nairn, there's a town called, "Whiteness". We got a good laugh at that!

Edinburgh (Scotland's Capital)

Our plane to Edinburgh was the smallest and loudest one Amari and Waylon have been on to date. Got to bus over and walk on the tarmac. More turbulence too, which nobody struggled with...so we're raising travelers for sure!

We had a fun time at The Scotch Whiskey Experience...the kids only got to try a Scottish soda called Irn-Bru...they did not like it (tasted like Ibuprofin), but the tour was suited for us all. Who knew the secret ingredient is Scottish water!

Largest collection of scotch in the world!

Can you hear us?

We miss you!

View of Edinburgh Castle from our "home" (above).

The Edinburgh Castle...

Prison life...one of our favorite areas of the castle.

Military prison latrine

(model, not in actual use 😂)

Scottish National War Memorial

Highland Cow art, and I fell in love with this chain store name!

Finally getting to the Scotch Egg! B.C. is the only one who ate it (there was some black pudding in it too).

Holyroodhouse

The Royal Mile

Amari was not happy to learn that once we walked down, we planned to walk back up. It's a mile and 107 yards. Normally, not a feat, but we've been averaging between 15,000-20,000 steps daily (and it shows in the kids' bottomless pits).

The Cauldron

Since we did scotch for B.C., we did cocktail and mocktail potion-making for the rest of us. B.C. actually ended up loving it too, and even wore the cape...go dad!

Slàinte Mhath

(pronounced Slanj-a-va)... Cheers!

We might've gotten a couple extra drinks.

Magic in every bottle!

This really was a clever bar (that opens some hours to wee ones too)! "Working" wands that lit things, swirled things, poured things, and even got the server.

For any Harry Potter fans, we went to the cemetary that inspired many of J.K. Rowlings character names. Our visit was on the brink of darkness and the bats and rats started coming out...for real. The kids were a bit spooked, but it was fun and a memory for sure!

McGonagall Headstone

Tom Riddle Headstone

Moodie Headstone

Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle (The Highlands of Scotland)

Times have changed, but the loch itself hasn't (other than some more Nessie sightings). We had a fun time in the "new" digital experience at the Loch Ness Centre and learned all about the myths, legends, witness accounts, and scientific research that has popularized the Loch Ness. It was cheesy, but awesome!

The spirit of Nessie survives with almost half of the visitors choosing the, "I see Nessie" category after participating in the experience. She was first seen in the 6th Century by an Irish abbot named Columba! And they still record sightings yearly. What a legacy!

A beautiful drive along the Loch Ness coast.

Driving the Deep Sea scanning research vessel. Our captain was spectacular!

Both kids did a great job steering!

Waylon's souveneir and creativity making a Nessie habitat. WE SEE NESSIE!

Around Nairn (We like to say "Nairn" as we imagine a highland coo/cow would!)

Culloden Battlefield

The last Jacobite battle was fought here in 1746, with a bloody, quick defeat by a British government force (think Outlander...I know I kept thinking about Jamie all around these parts of Scotland 🥰).

Clava Cairns

Really cool sight here with peaceful cairns dating back 4,000 years!

Nairn Beach (right down the river from us)

These taller cairns used to be domed and positioned to allow the midwinter light to come directly into them.

Had no idea these mushrooms were actually real...a fun little surprise we happened upon by the castle.

Cawdor Castle...a bit more put together versus Urquhart.

This is an actual hedgerow maze! I kept wondering how many hedge trimming hours go into this garden! We loved how the hedges "jiggled" when touched.

Inverness (The Highlands)

Took a stroll through, over, and around the Ness Islands in the Ness River. Lots of natural elements to climb or relax on. Unseasonably good weather here...we've actually been hot on our excursions. Quite atypical according to the locals. Did a bit of shopping and walking around sightseeing.

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