We were on the road again - first stop, Scotland! Unluckily for us, it was a UK public holiday weekend and still in the height of peak tourism season in Scotland, which made it super challenging to make plans last minute for rental cars, accommodation.. everything really! We weren’t sure how to best make the most of the 9 days we had in Scotland, and after much deliberation, we agreed to maximise our time with a short 3 day organised tour with Haggis Adventures to make it out of the cities, and up to the Highlands. We had hoped being summer we might have good weather, but alas, it was not to be, as Scotland was experiencing one of their wettest summers on record!
We touched down in Glasgow and were warmly welcomed by a familiar face, Jess, a local friend from EURO2024 who graciously picked us up for a late-night ride into the city. Glasgow holds a special place for Jelley because it was the first European city she ever visited and the site of her debut working an international sports event during the 2014 Commonwealth Games! Staying right across from her old home base, the Radisson Blu (where the NZ hospitality house once stood), felt nostalgic. Glasgow may not have Edinburgh’s famed allure, but with its layered history and hidden gems, it offers its own kind of charm.
It did feel good to be back in a country where things made sense again. Driving and walking on the lefthand side, people speaking English (kind of!), familiar systems and foods. It was a little confusing just how COLD it was though, it truly felt like winter and we wore all of our warmest clothes! The forecast for our time here was for rain, rain and more rain.
Our first morning in Glasgow kicked off with the local ParkRun at Queen’s Park. ParkRun is a global movement where locals come together to organize free 5km community runs, and this one drew a big crowd - nearly 800 runners tackled the unexpectedly challenging course with its steep climbs. Afterward, we joined the nearby church’s ‘ParkRun café,’ where a £1 donation delivered bottomless coffee and homemade cakes. It was a fun to chat with friendly locals, although Luke found himself struggling with the thick accents! Feeling a bit out of shape, we were glad for the chance to ease into being on our feet and moving again, and for Jelley to start breaking in her new hiking boots.
We met back up with Jess who took us to the more bougie part of the city, the West End. The cobblestoned Ashton Lane was super cute, with live music and market stalls, and we popped into a pub to try some new drinks - a Tennants for Jelley which was fine, and the iconic IrnBru for Luke, which was not quite so fine. We enjoyed wandering around the gorgeous buildings in this part of the city, including the Glasgow University campus and the KelvinGrove art gallery and museum. A highlight for Jelley was spotting Clyde, the mascot from the Commonwealth Games styled from the Scottish thistle.
The subway in Glasgow, otherwise known as ‘the orange roundabout’ is the third oldest in the world, and hasn’t been extended since it was first established in 1896 (that's 128 years!). The trains themselves have been upgraded since then (they looked brand new in fact), but we found that this was a cool way to return home through the city, and apparently is popular for local students to do a subway pub crawl, stopping at a pub at each station.
It was an early night ahead as our Highlands tour started at 8am the next day from Edinburgh. Being a Saturday night, the last night of the Military Tattoo, and last weekend of the Fringe Festival, it was the worst time to find affordable accommodation in this extremely popular city. We instead stayed in Glasgow, and took the 6am bus to Edinburgh. Some of our fellow tourmates later told us they spent as much as £400 for 1 night of accommodation in Edinburgh that night!! So although we were tired, we were happy with the decision.
We were a little out of practise with travelling, and usually make a habit of taking fairly comprehensive notes along the way to make the blog writing easier. However, we must have been so enthralled in the twists and tales of the tour that we didn’t quite get around to it this time! So most of this post is based entirely on our memory, and those memories sparked by our many photos.
We arrived into Edinburgh just after sunrise. As we rode into this historic city, we had a brief glimpse of Edinburgh’s charm before meeting up with our Haggis Tours group. Our guide, aptly nicknamed ‘Tartan Tom,’ was fully committed to his Scottish roots, wearing a kilt for the entire tour! Tom welcomed us aboard our bright yellow bus and quickly won us over with his endless enthusiasm. He had a knack for storytelling and making the most of clear weather. He even took us on some hidden detours up hills and into the countryside for a short walk when there was a good weather window, even if it meant a slight change in route.
Leaving the city, we crossed the "Firth of Forth", a tidal estuary known for its stunning views and rich history. This area is particularly famous for its three iconic bridges, including the world’s first cantilevered bridge—an impressive engineering marvel that has stood the test of time. The hills surrounding Edinburgh were blanketed in vibrant purple heather, providing a breathtaking backdrop throughout our journey, and we were often glad to be dry in the van, not out hiking or camping!
We stopped in several picturesque villages, but the highlight was Dunkeld, situated on the border of the Lowlands and Highlands. Dunkeld is not only charming but also home to a delightful café owned by a former competitor from The Great British Bake Off, where we enjoyed some of the most amazing scones we’ve ever tasted (with the exception of Jelley's Mum's scones!).
Our next stop was a must-visit in Scotland: a whiskey distillery! Whiskey is deeply rooted in Scottish culture and history, and our obligatory stop was at The Blair Athol Distillery. Established in 1798, it is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, nestled at the gateway to the Scottish Highlands. We joined a short tour of the distillery, and after having participated in numerous beer, gin, and whiskey tours, we felt like we were on our way to becoming experts in the field. However, despite being in the heart of whiskey country, Jelley still couldn’t develop a taste for it - no matter how many high-quality whiskies she sampled! But all was not lost; the tour was very informative and perhaps one of the best explanations of the distilling process we’d encountered.
Fun Facts about Whiskey:
Water Source: Distilleries often use pure water from nearby springs, significantly influencing the whiskey's flavor. The Blair Athol had a beautiful little creek that came directly from a nearby mountain!
Aging Process: Whiskey gains its color and complex flavours from aging in wooden barrels. The longer it ages, the richer and more complex the flavours can become.
The "Angel's Share": During aging, some whiskey evaporates through the barrel, known as the "angel's share," which can reduce the volume by about 2% each year. The phrase has been used for centuries in the whiskey-making industry, highlighting the mystique surrounding the aging process and the spirits that are lost along the way. American's often call this the "devil's cut" lol.
Bourbon Barrels: The bourbon whiskey barrels used here came from Kentucky, USA, due to their unique charred oak composition, which adds to the whiskey's character. Cheers to USA for that!
As anticipated, the scheduled poor weather finally arrived, and rain began to pour as we ventured deeper into the Scottish Highlands. Despite the poor conditions, we made a quick stop at the Battle of Culloden fields, a site of immense historical significance. This was the location of the last major battle fought on British soil, which took place on April 16, 1746. The battle was a decisive confrontation between the Jacobite forces and the British government troops. It ultimately ended in a devastating defeat for the Jacobites, marking a turning point in Scottish history. The fields were tactfully laid out, allowing visitors to appreciate the gravity of the events that unfolded there. Markers guided us through the boggy wetlands detailing the battle's key moments and all we could think was, we would not want to be fighting a battle in this weather!
Next, we ventured to the intriguing Clava Cairns. This ancient site is shrouded in mystery, as no one knows exactly when or how the stones were erected and placed into circles. These stones are said to have inspired a famous scene in the series Outlander, although we haven't had the chance to watch it ourselves.
We slept in the quaint town of Loch Ness - home to the legendary Loch Ness Monster - in a charming hostel complete with tartan carpets and a cozy corner pub. It was the perfect base between long days of driving through the Highlands. This tour was definitely the “express version” of the Highlands, and we were in awe at quite how much ground we covered!
The next morning, we set off in our trusty yellow bus, with our first stop at the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre. This inspiring project aims to restore the Scottish Highlands to their natural state by reintroducing native forests, plants, and wildlife. It also creates jobs and income for the small community it is based in. 'Rewilding' is all about reviving ecosystems that have been altered / destroyed over time by human behaviours, with a focus on encouraging biodiversity and helping the environment thrive and restore back to its natural state. One of the organisation's goals is to reintroduce wild wolf to Scotland which could be a tough sell... we're not sure if that one will catch on!
We continued our tour to the absolute highlight - the breathtaking Isle of Skye. Luckily, we enjoyed a whole day without rain! Despite the popularity (and crowds), it was easy to see why the Isle of Skye has such a stellar reputation. The island’s stunning scenery has served as a backdrop for blockbuster movies / TV Shows like Prometheus, King Arthur, Outlander, and many more. The pictures capture the magic of Skye far better than our attempt at words ever could. Much of our time in the Highlands felt familiar to us, with many similarities to the rugged landscapes in part of New Zealand, and we're sure the Scottish felt the same way when they immigrated to NZ, on the complete opposite side of the world.
On our final day, we made our way back to Edinburgh, via a very wet Glen Coe. One highlight was stopping at a small farm to see the famous Highland cows—known locally as "coos"—which were as adorable as expected. We also visited the impressive Kelpies, two giant horse statues that felt like something straight out of Burning Man. Despite the pouring rain for most of the day, we were thankful to stay warm inside our minibus, stepping out only briefly to catch glimpses of the scenery through the mist and clouds. A soon as we reached the Lowlands, the climate changed and we relished the blue skies.
Unfortunately Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK, was almost completely covered in clouds, and Tartan Tom explained it was likely snowing on the summit. It was crazy to think during our initial brainstorming of the trip that we were considering summiting this mountain and camping during our week in Scotland. Thank god we didn’t, given the horrendous weather. We would’ve walked away with much different memories.
We loved sharing this journey with fellow travelers from the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Turkey, and England—a diverse mix that led to fascinating conversations. But soon, it was time to bid farewell to our tour group and set off on our own. Arriving back in Edinburgh, we were relieved to find that the Fringe Festival crowds had dispersed, allowing us to explore the city’s charm more peacefully. Luke was instantly captivated by the narrow, winding streets and historic buildings that looked like they belonged in a scene from Harry Potter. Edinburgh truly is an enchanting city. To immerse ourselves even further in Scottish history, we decided to rewatch Braveheart, starring Mel Gibson. Despite its long list of historical inaccuracies which we fact checked along the way, it was fun to recognize the landscapes and appreciate the significance of William Wallace’s story.
It was such a delight to see the sun shining again! We started our adventurous day in Edinburgh with a hike up to Arthur’s Seat , or ‘Stuart’s Elbow’ as Luke somehow thought it was named. He also thought William Wallace was called William Clancy. There was a fair bit of education on this trip! This continued as we joined a free city walking tour, with an extremely passionate local guide who was an expert with a Masters in Scottish history.
Here are some of the Fun Facts we learned:
Edinburgh castle was built on an extinct volcano.
There are over 30,000 lochs in Scotland (loch = lake).
When the local council drowned the loch surrounding Princes Street, they found female bodies with wrists chained. They were victims of witch trials. Edinburgh castle is the site of most witches burnt at the stake in all of Scotland.
JK Rowling resided in Edinburgh for a long time, and got a lot of inspiration from this city for her Harry Potter novels.
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was originally founded after WW2 to bring positivity to the city and raise the glum spirits. It used to be exclusive to higher classes only - then creatives started performing on the streets for free for everyone - they were known as living on the ‘fringe’ of society, which is where the name came from. Now the Fringe Festival is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days and featured more than 51,446 scheduled performances of 3,317 different shows across 262 venues from 58 different countries.
Luke was fascinated with the story of Scotland’s only and failed attempt and expanding with a colony in Panama, called the "Darien Scheme". The Kingdom of Scotland hastily put 25% of the country’s wealth into this failed project and bankrupted themselves, which is why they decided to join the United Kingdom.
Holyrood House was built and cost £32million which was 3 times over budget. When the architect died and his unqualified wife took over.
Scotland's national animal is the unicorn, as it the only animal to defeat a lion (which is England’s national animal lol)
Every great city has a great fire - Edinburgh’s was 1824 and destroyed much of the city.
We learnt a lot about the battles and differences between Scotland and English, but still can’t find a way to eloquently summarise this.
With our wedding date fast approaching, one question had been weighing on Jelley’s mind: where on earth would she find her wedding dress!? Ideally, it would be somewhere in an English-speaking country to keep things simple, and there would be a way to get it back to NZ without carrying it for the next 3 months. A quick search for “affordable wedding dress” led her to an outlet store in Hamilton, just outside of Glasgow. In a twist of fate, Jess happened to live very closeby, and one of Jelley’s bridesmaids, Victoria, was also in Scotland, traveling with her in-laws. Victoria hopped on a train across the country to join Jess & Jelley for the spontaneous shopping trip! It turned out to be a huge success, wedding dress secured and safely on its way to the otherwise of the world, courtesy of Victoria moving across the globe. One more important to-do checked off the list.
One final destination of our Scottish adventure was the seaside town of Dunoon. Not a usual tourist destination! Jelley actually spent over 14 years Highland Dancing from age 4, even becoming a qualified teacher and judge by the end of her examinations. We were really keen to check out an authentic Highland Games while in Scotland, and after a quick Google search came across the Cowall Highland Gathering, also the World Highland Dancing Championships, which was taking place during our last weekend in Scotland.
We took a train from Glasgow to Gourock, followed by a ferry ride to Dunoon, and we couldn’t have asked for better weather. With not a cloud in sight and no wind or rain on the horizon, it felt like this was the best weather Dunoon had seen in years!
Feeling a bit tartan-less, we decided to pop into a local shop to get into the Scottish spirit. As soon as we entered, we were greeted by the perfect tartan Viking hats, complete with trademark red fuzz sticking out. We couldn’t resist making the purchase! The shopkeeper even hugged us, saying he had been hoping someone would buy those hats for years!
That evening, we made our way to a local Scottish music gig near the Highland Games venue. While we weren’t entirely sure what type of music to expect, we were confident there would be plenty of bagpipes. Sporting our new Viking hats, we quickly became the centre of attention! The hats were a huge hit, and we met many friendly locals eager to take photos with us. Jelley even got interviewed by a local radio station, who wanted to know how on earth we ended up in Dunoon. Coincidentally, one of the bands performed a song called "Techno Viking," which felt like the perfect match for our look!
We had been to a Highland Games together back in New Zealand in a rural town just outside of Christchurch. Following the devastating earthquakes in 2011, the small town of Hororata decided to create their own Highland Games to raise money for the rebuild of the damaged local community facilities. It has become an annual fixture since then, attracting dancers, bagpipe bands, athletes and activities, growing every year since. Luke’s favourite part was the ‘have-a-go’ for the strongman events such as the caber toss and throwing the hay bale over the rugby posts.
Dunoon's Highland Games were fantastic - a truly authentic and wholesome community event. There was a variety of Highland dancing across all ages, and we especially enjoyed watching the world championships on the main stage. Events like the caber toss, wrestling, pipeband, and shot put kept us entertained throughout the day (fun fact: shot put originated in Scotland, with the term "shot" referring to a cannonball that was once thrown). While these Games may not be the largest of their kind, an honor that goes to the iconic Braemar Highland Games, we had a wonderful time and was a perfect way to conclude our time in Scotland.
With our hearts full of Highland memories and the sound of bagpipes, it was time to return to mainland Europe. We were flying back to Paris to experience the Paralympic Games and reunite with more familiar faces!
Until then,
- A Kiwi and A Cali
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