Imagination At Its Finest

We made it to Scotland! And it was beautiful!

Since before I even landed in the United Kingdom, I had always wanted to go to Scotland.  I heard so many great things about Edinburgh and all that it had to offer so it was on the top of my list of places to see.  So when my mom told me that we could go anywhere I wanted, I was not hesitant at all to book the next train to Edinburgh.

The train ride to Edinburgh was amazing.  We traveled through some of the prettiest parts of England including the Lakes District and continued on into the rolling hills of Scotland.  Besides the occasional difficulty of handling my mom's giant suitcase (which she jokingly claimed to have brought the rest of the family in), it was overall a very easy and enjoyable trip.  I must say that I don't think I have ever seen as many sheep in my life as I did on that train ride.

The Royal Mile in Edinburgh

When we got to Edinburgh, we were instantly taken back by the beauty of it all. It was like we stepped off the train and back in time a few hundred years.  There was really no part of that city that seemed to be spoiled by modernity. I took a bit of a shot in the dark with the hotel choice, but it ended up being an awesome hotel right at the foot of the castle.  We really couldn't have asked for anything better.

We spent the rest of our first day in Scotland taking a trip down the Royal Mile to Hollyrood Palace, the official residence of the Queen when she is living in Scotland.  Along the way we passed so many cute shops selling real Scottish wool and cashmere as well as the Scottish Parliament (which might I add has nothing on the Houses of Parliament in London).

Outside the gardens of Hollyrood Palace

Throughout our tour of Hollyrood, I couldn't help but think to myself how it was not the most impressive palace that I had ever seen. Sounds ridiculous, right? I think that's one of those times when you realize you might have become a little bit architecturally spoiled when somehow a royal palace really just doesn't do it for you.  But I really enjoyed it nonetheless, especially the beautiful, colorful gardens and the majestic King Arthur's seat.

King Arthur's Seat...AMAZING!

After a delicious authentic Italian meal and a good night's sleep, we were ready to take on Edinburgh castle the next day.

The National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle

The castle is like the heart and soul of Edinburgh.  It is set up on a mountaintop overlooking the city, so you can pretty much see it from any part of the city. My mom and I had a really awesome time getting a great guided tour around the castle and exploring the many different buildings and museums of this fortress.  It is amazing the amount of history a place like that has.

A foggy view of Edinburgh from Calton Hill

Next stop of the day: Calton Hill! Calton Hill is a big open area on the top of a hill on the other side of the city from the castle.  It is a tribute to the Scottish Enlightenment where new ways of thinking and intelligence is celebrated. There was everything from the old City Observatory to the unfinished National Monument.  Which, was quite a feat to climb up and I am very proud of myself for making it, even if I did need a little boost from Mom.

I made it! On top of the National Monument

There was only one downside to our second day in Edinburgh: THE FOG! It was so dense all day that you could barely see ten feet in front of you, forget the views from the top of the castle or Calton Hill.  My mom and I eventually just started living by the motto, "Well at least we know this view would be pretty!"  Definitely imagination at its finest. I bought a real Scottish wool scarf and some cashmere gloves to try to help with my inadequate cold weather clothes, which helped a lot.

For the rest of the day, my mom and I just walked around and explored the rest of the city.  There was so much to see and take in.  I think we could have just dedicated an entire day to simply walking around and talking.  I love spending time with my mom.  There is not a single other person in the world who knows me like she does, so it is always nice to talk to someone who just gets me.

Just walking down the streets of Edinburgh

We spent our last night in Edinburgh enjoying dinner  and wine at the restaurant on the top floor of our hotel.  We had the best view of the castle and got to watch it light up the sky when it became darker.  It really was a great way to end our time in the wonderful country of Scotland.

Even though we had a canceled train the next morning, nothing got in the way of getting to the next adventure with my mom. I knew we were in for a treat when we headed back to England and down to the beach! Next stop: Brighton, England!