Solo in Scotland

March 26

Another Weekend, Another Country

On Saturday, I headed off to Scotland (alone)! I arrived in Edinburgh in the late afternoon, so I took some time to explore my new home for the weekend.

I saw Edinburgh Castle from the bottom of the cliff-face and St. Gile's Cathedral. I then went up to Edinburgh Castle, which offered beautiful views of the city and mountains in the distance!

After some sightseeing, I went to The World's End pub (which is over 500 years old!) for food and met a lovely University of Edinburgh student. I stayed at the pub for a bit, chatting with him about Edinburgh and Scotland!

That night, I went to Sandy Bell's to listen to some Scottish folk music played by locals. It was a very small pub, but it was so cool to just listen to the Scottish folk music!

March 27

Galavanting Around Scotland

On Sunday, I took a day tour to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness. We departed from Edinburgh around 8am to start our journey northwards.

Through the mountains we went! We passed by some beautiful lakes on our way to the Highlands. And then there we were! The mountains were much taller than expected and absolutely breathtaking to stand in front of.

We then passed through Glencoe and saw Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland.

Finally, we made it to Loch Ness (home of Nessie, the Loch Ness monster)! We saw Urquhart Castle and took a boat tour of the "loch."

On our way home, we went even more north to Inverness and then finally headed back south to Edinburgh. By the time we arrived back in Edinburgh, it was 8pm. We had traveled 367 miles!!

The entire day was sooo amazing. Every part of Scotland was stunning to see. Definitely some of the coolest landscape I've seen yet!

March 28

Experiencing Scottish Royalty

On Monday (my last day), I woke up really early and walked around Edinburgh some more before visiting Edinburgh Castle!

I walked down Grassmarket and saw the Scot Monument.

After a short walking tour of the city, I went inside Edinburgh Castle. The castle sits upon a hilltop, giving stunning views of the city.

The castle itself was huge! There were so many different buildings within the castle walls.

I saw a prison where they kept prisoners, the room where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth, and the Scottish crown jewels! Every building I went into was so cool!!

Scotland was absolutely amazing. Edinburgh was such a cute city; it truly felt like an old village. It reminded me of Amsterdam with its tall, narrow buildings set along cobblestone streets.

Everyone I met was so nice, which made traveling alone easier. Everything about the trip was perfect, making it truly unforgettable.