Scotland

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A Day in Glasgow

Thursday, July 5, 2018

A quick trip from Edinburgh you can find yourself in Glasgow. Filled with less tourist and in all honesty an entirely different feel from Edinburgh, we headed over to Glasgow for a quick trip before moving back to the States.

Sure I have headed over to Glasgow during my time in Scotland but never managed to see many of the city highlights. I knew that given my impending move meant that I needed to explore while I could - so needless to say I dragged the BF on a train ride over to Glasgow and went off to explore some of the sites on my 'Must Visit' list.

For our day in Glasgow, we headed over to the West End. Filled with museums, restaurants and amazing sites, while the city is all pretty walkable we stayed

Glasgow Botanic Garden and Glasshouses

730 Great Western Rd, Glasgow G12 0UE, UK

Head here on a sunny day (rare in Scotland but they do happen) and enjoy a picnic while looking out to the Kibble Palace glasshouse! It is all free to explore and worth at least an hour of your time. The recently renovated glasshouse is filled with a wide variety of plants and flowers (all of which

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Argyle St, Glasgow G3 8AG, UK

One of the most popular FREE places to visit in Scotland. With 22 galleries ranging from Ancient Egypt (the BF's favourite) to a gallery filled with (weird) hanging faces... We were there over the weekend and were also surprised by our very own Organ recital. So sit down after walking around the gallery, enjoy a coffee and some fantastic music all for free.

University of Glasgow

University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK

Another beautiful university... There are so many in the UK, and the University of Glasgow does not disappoint. Plus I can't help but feel like strolling through The Cloisters is like my own personal visit to Hogwarts ( I can't help it colossal HP fan here!)

While here also feel free to check out The Hunterian Museum with amazing exhibits and of course a bit of HP related items - with specimens in jars! Welcome to your own little World of Magic!

Ashton Lane

A place that is easily overlooked, but is a cute little stroll that is a must see. I suggest coming here at night and having a drink or a bite to eat. This place is filled with all kinds of pubs to check out, plus the fantastic atmosphere is a place to check out when you are here!

So there you have it - my last visit to Glasgow filled with some amazing spots all around the West End. The best part is they are all free attractions - which makes a boozy picnic much easier on the wallet!

North Coast 500 Day 2

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

The day we planned to wild camp on a secluded beach for our North Coast 500 Roadtrip.

We started off the morning heading down to the only place for food in the village where we stayed in Big Sand, the local campground. The breakfast was delicious. The weather was even better, as the sun was out and not a cloud in sight. A rare sight in Scotland.

Once we finished our breakfast, we headed down to the beach, enjoyed the view and then hopped in the car and headed onto Day Two of our trip.

Inverewe Garden

Our first destination - a tropical garden in Scotland! With possibly the cutest story of its origins -- a father-daughter team made this paradise in the 19th Century from barren land. Now a site that includes plants from China, Nepal and India, Himalayan poppies, Tasmanian eucalyptus, and California redwoods.

One of the most enjoyable things during our visit here included leisurely strolls around the gardens, you can spend as little time as you would like by taking one of their shorter paths, or explore all the gardens have to offer as we did.

We strolled the gardens for close to three hours, with the final bit including a succubus garden (hello flat inspiration) with the far end of the gardens having fabulous views overlooking the sea.

Bone Caves

With all the driving (which I had been doing) and the beautiful weather, we wanted to stretch our legs and try out one of the hikes I had found when pre-planning. We decided to go on and explore the Bone Caves or at least try to. We managed to head along the route for close to 40-ish minutes with no caves. Now I am slightly impatient and not the most interested hiker, so we turned around to head back. The cave would have been impressive to see, although if anything you can head to the National Museum of Scotland and check out the collection of bones ranging from wolves, bears, lynxes and arctic foxes that have been unearthed in the cave.

Fun fact about Bone Caves: a 2000-year-old walrus ivory pin was found in one of the caves indicating that people were here by the Iron Age (~700 BC to AD 500)!!!

Smoo Cave

Partially created by the sea and part freshwater also happens to be one of the largest cave entrances in Britain. We were 'fortunate' that we got here and needless to say we were having typical Scottish weather - rain. That meant that we pretty much had the whole cave to ourselves and it was a nice stop to see along the way.

Important note: Be aware that crossing over the footpath in the cave leads to where the fresh water enters the cave very forcefully - aka you will get sprayed by the water.

Bettyhill Beach

Last but not least our campsite for the night - we finally decided to stop when we drove past the beach. A bit secluded, blue water, and amazingly calm as it was kinda hidden away in its own little cove.

We pitched our tent and cooked out our meal for the night! We had the beach to ourselves (minus the midgies) and had a fantastic time. It was amazing to wake up to the sound of the ocean just outside of the tent door. Even better is we made it through the night with very little rain (a rare and appreciated treat in Scotland).

The end of Day 2 and halfway through the NC500 road trip! Possibly one of my favourite days as it ended with a secluded beach campsite all to ourselves, there is nothing like falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the ocean!

Have any of you ever tried wild camping? Camping? or do you only stay in hotels?

Roadtrips Scotland

Isle of Arran - Day Trip

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

One problem with not having a car in Scotland is getting to unusual places which are shall we say ''difficult'' without your own set of wheels. Lucky for me, possibly not so fortunate for the people I tag along with, is the ability to set out on a day trip to see some sites, while they are usually busy working. Such can be said for this trip to the Isle of Arran - although I did have a friend tag along with me as well!

The sad bit about having so many fantastic sites around Scotland is that many of them go undiscovered until I am lucky enough to go and visit them. The Isle of Arran happens to be one of these places that I am grateful to visit and want to go back to!

Getting to the Isle of Arran

The easiest way to get to the Isle of Arran is by Ferry. For our journey we Ardrossan to Brodick journey which cost us just about £15 (probably less) for a return ticket the same day. The ferry takes only about an hour - leaving plenty of time to take in a view on the observation deck or grab a hot breakfast and coffee!

How to get around the island?!?

Without a car - as we were just there for the day - we relied on the local transportation. As it is a rather small island there were a few options, we decided to head directly across to the west side of the island and then head north toward the distillery. Overall renting a car would probably have been the best option, even if we only had it for 6 hours, it would have allowed us to see more and do more without worrying about missing the last bus back to the Ferry.

What we did while there for approx. 5 hours

As I said he hopped on the bus and headed west, I had dreams of seeing the Machrie Moor Standing Stones, but due to time constraints that didn't happen. Our first was the end of 'The String' bus line at Blackwaterfoot. The view was amazing, the rain cleared up, and we had a lovely little walkabout while waiting for the bus to head up to our next stop at Lochranza to explore the castle and the distillery. After a nice lunch at the distillery and some whiskey, we headed back to the Ferry - ending our day on the Isle of Arran.

Top sites to see

Isle of Arran Distillery

You cant have a visit to an isle with its own distillery without a stop - in fact it was possibly one of the best breaks in our adventure filled the day. We had a light lunch, some whiskey and dessert all to finish out the day before heading back to the ferry!

Machrie Moor Standing Stones

The central part of Arran has more stone circles per square meter than anywhere else in Scotland. Machrie Moor date around 1800 to 1600 BC with evidence of much earlier use, with their usage endures as a mystery.

Kildonan Beach and Castle

While I love the fact that there are castle ruins right off the beach, there is also the sandy beach with a view overlooking the Pladda lighthouse (dating back to 1790)

King’s Cave

Rumoured to be the cave Robert the Bruce is said to have had his famed encounter with a spider. This circular heads down to explore a dramatic section of coastline with a series of caves. Total time for the hike: 1.5 - 2 hours

Broderick Castle

While this was closed while we were there due to extensive renovations - this is one of the main places to visit on the island. The castle grounds are filled with formal gardens, woodland, waterfalls, and bathing pools. It is due to open back in June 2018 and is a must visit if you are there!

Has anyone been to the Isle of Arran - what sites (or probably, more importantly, hikes) did I miss out on?

Featured Roadtrips Scotland Travel

North Coast 500 Edinburgh to Big Sand

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

So for day one we picked up the rental car from the Edinburgh Airport at approximately 10am and started our journey.

I knew the first day would be a long one, the most intense day of driving and also one with some fantastic views.

Again I am pissed that I lost (accidentally deleted) the footage from Day One of the NC 500 including possibly the best bit of our drive along the Bealach na Bà (aka Wester Ross in Scotland)!

Overall Day One took about 8 solid hours of driving, mainly due to my fear of the small roads or my amazement of the awe with the views along the route, either way, Day One included some beautiful stops, some unforgettable moments, and a drive which I can not wait to do again!

The Dunmore Pineapple

Built-in 1761 by the Earl of Dunmore as a summerhouse! At the time Pineapples were considered an exotic fruit in Scotland and needless to say this place is breathtakingly unique!!!

The Pineapple now has grounds surrounded by woodlands and filled with wildlife. A quick pitstop here was a nice way to visit a must-see on my Scottish list all while still being on our NC500 adventure!

For more information on the Pineapple House, check out the National Trust site!

Fort William

With our drive almost halfway done, we needed a break, a lunch stop and a chance to stretch our legs - so we headed to Fort William. A beautiful town right on the water, with a charming town centre to explore.

We headed into town to explore and see what there was to offer, unfortunately as you can imagine the Scottish weather got the best of us and it started to rain.

We headed to the nearest pub for lunch and lucky for us, the skies cleared up and we had a beautiful table out on the back deck overlooking the water! A traditional fish and chips for food, and we were back on the road!

TIP: Stock up on snacks whenever you go through towns with 'proper' grocery stores! We grabbed some essentials food and of course some beer as well!

Bealach ‘na Ba, Wester Ross

The one thing I am sad that I lost the day one photo/video mishap - the drive through Bealach 'na Ba, also one of the most iconic drives in the WORLD!

A single lane road that winds through the Applecross peninsula leading to some breathtaking and terrifying views! This part of the trip was one of my favourite portions, as we managed to drive through this bit as the rain stopped and the sun came out!

TIP: Take this portion of the drive extra slow and enjoy the views! Also will say that this portion is why I would suggest doing the entire trip clockwise from Inverness (or Edinbugh like we did)

With the prettiest and also most terrifying portion of the drive done we were on our last stretch of the trip for the day. Unfortunately, the rain started back up, and I realised my hatred for small roads and terrible weather!

Big Sand

The end of our road trip led us to Big Sand on the west coast of Scotland. Again since this trip was a bit of a last minute get-away, this happened to be where we stayed (due to availability on Air-BnB), and we have no complaints at all! We stayed in a cabin overlooking the village and well, it remained a perfect end to the first day.

If you want to see the cabin we stayed in, check it out here http://bit.ly/2teaAvn and I highly recommend it if you ever need a place on the road trip.

The town (or maybe more appropriate village) only had one place to eat, located on the local campground - and served up a fantastic breakfast which we enjoyed before heading out for Day 2!

So there it is a quick synopsis of the drive we did for the first day! In the end, the day seemed insanely long, probably due to my road trip partner being asleep for the majority of the drive! Stick around for Day 2, 3, and 4 and also some video footage of the trip!

Has anyone done the NC500 before?!? If so share your favourite places, I want to make the trip again (maybe this summer!)

Scotland Travel

North Coast 500 Guide

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

So for our 9 year anniversary (HOLY CRAP THIS YEAR WILL BE 10 YEARS), I wanted to venture out and try the NC500 road trip around Scotland. It has been compared to Route 66 in the US and was even voted as one of the best road trips in the world (with it only being open since 2014).

While I would suggest making this road trip for a few more days then we did, we still managed to see some fantastic sites and even camp on a secluded beach one night. This was an absolutely amazing road trip, even though I spent a majority of it glued to the wheel, as the roads in the highlands are teeny-tiny!!!

Overall we spent 3 nights away and 4 days exploring. The first day of driving was a major one - making it all the way from Edinburgh to Big Sand on the west coast for a night at our AirBnB cabin!!!

A typical view along the drive.

My original game plan was to make some highlight videos of the whole trip, but unfortunately, I managed to delete all of our Day 1 Footage !!! Talk about an epic fail!

Overall the trip was amazing, and I would do the whole thing (at a slower pace) if I had the chance to. As for this post I am sharing all the need to know things - and for the look back later for the more detailed post sharing what we did each day (with some videos for you as well).

What is the North Coast 500???

The NC 500 is a loop that heads around the Scottish Highlands beginning and ending in Inverness. While the route was always there, they have now promoted the route along with adding/updating some bits of the road to make it much easier.

For the loop, you can either head up and north for the start and work your way around counter-clockwise or the direction we took which was clockwise heading west and then north and around.

I would highly recommend heading west as this route allowed some amazing views through the whole ride!

John O' Groats aka the most northerly point in mainland Britain.

Getting around on the NC500

Along the route, we saw countless cyclists, Rv-ers, some hikers and quite a lot of vehicles enjoying all the Scottish Highlands had to offer. While we rented a car (the smallest one at that) if I were to make this trip again, I would love to rent a campervan and genuinely enjoy the journey.

How long does it take to drive the NC500?!?

We made the entire trip in a little over 1000 miles over 4 days. This included the drive starting in Edinburgh. Overall I would suggest taking a slower pace and enjoy all the sites (as we did have to rush or skip some things I would have loved to see).

The route in total is 516 miles!!!!

A stop at Dunrobin Castle the stately home of the Clan Sutherland.

What we planned ahead!?!

As for the trip I made the map below with highlights, beaches and things I definitely wanted to see. As for pre-booking we made the trip in June (kinda last minute at that) but managed to book two AirBnB's for the first and third (final) night. We planned to camp on the second, and it was something that I would highly recommend doing.

As for sites, we didn't pre-buy tickets and found that when something looked interesting, we could head in. Even for the high season, the crowds weren't terrible, and overall we enjoyed the freedom to do and see as we pleased.

Where we stayed for night one. An amazing little cabin in Big Sand!!!

Best things to do on the NC500

While in Scotland, you must drink whisky and visit local distilleries, don't worry the Highlands have some amazing ones. Also spotted along the route are some amazing historic sites, castles and ruins, all while being surrounded by the incredible scenery I have seen so far! If you have more time, there are countless hikes you can try, including some that take you to some of the prettiest beaches in the world (seriously they post all the time about them).

All along the route, you will find castles, ruins, scenery all of which are amazing!

Well over the next few weeks I will be sharing the rest of our NC 500 road trip along with some videos of all the adventures. I must say that this was possibly one of my favourite things since being here in Scotland and is still a road trip that I would consider doing again and again with no doubt in my mind that each time would be different.