Glasgow and One Last Castle

Our last stop on our Scotland tour was Glasgow, but before we got there, we made a stop at Stirling Castle.  We were a little disappointed in this castle compared to Edingburgh castle because a lot of it was closed off and there wasn't as much information available.  That being said, you could get a guided tour or the audio tour for a few euros and I'm sure would have had more information than you needed.  

There were a few rooms that were open that were pretty cool, such as the Queen's sitting room and bed room.

They had actors and actresses throughout, which made it seem a little cheesy, but they played the role quite well!

I'll take that view out my window!

We walked around the castle for about an hour before heading out. 

Our final stop was Glasgow, where we would spend the night before catching our flight back to Berlin.  At this point in our Olmsted experience, we've been a lot of places.  There are definitely places that we've enjoyed more than others and places that we won't go back, but we've never been a place that we felt was a waste of time.  That is, until Glasgow.  We both felt like there wasn't anything to do, except one church and overall, the city just felt kind of run down and trashy.  I know it's a major city in Scotland, but if I were planning a trip to Scotland, I would skip Glasgow.  I feel bad saying that, but we were not impressed and didn't see anything worthwhile there. 

Despite Glasgow being such a bust, we had a blast in Scotland.  It is by far one of the most green and beautiful places I've ever been.  It was so refreshing to get out of the major cities and do a different type of sight seeing on this trip.  Mike had a blast golfing and scotch tasting and I loved the fresh air that came with such a wonderful place.  Scotland, you win. 

Edinburgh, Scotland

It was an eventful day at St. Andrew's, but we couldn't hang around forever because we had to get to Edinburgh.  We arrived a little before dinner and checked in to our hotel before venturing out.   I know this is super cliche to say, but Edinburgh reminded me of Harry Potter.  I felt like I was living in a town near Hogwarts.  I loved it!  

This was the first place that we were met with rain and, combined with our hunger, we opted to go for the first restaurant we saw.  Our (really Mike's) usual approach is to research on TripAdvisor and find the restaurant that has the highest ratings, regardless of where it is. This usually involves a lot of walking and wandering, but almost always results in a good meal.  Because we  were so hungry, we nixed that plan and went with whatever was closest.  We found an Italian restaurant, Prezzo, across the street and dashed inside to get out of the rain.  After being seated quickly and receiving our appetizer almost immediately, we ended up sitting and waiting for our main course for almost 45 minutes without any attention from any of the wait staff.  When we flagged a waitress down and asked her about it, it became apparent we had been forgotten. When we finally received our food, my order was wrong and neither of our meals were actually that great.  The manager came and brought our bill and asked how everything was.  Mike responded "Not that great actually" and then the manager DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING! It was so awkward as he processed our credit card (they do that at your table in Europe) and we signed our bill.  It was the worst service and the most awkward end to dinner.  We left and never looked back.  In hopes of rectifying our night, Mike had researched a beer bar to go to, but it was closed for maintenance.  It was just not our night so we headed back to the hotel with hopes of a better day tomorrow. 

The next day, we were up and ready to go, hopeful that our day would be bright and sunny.  While it wasn't quite bright, it was sunny and a good day for sightseeing.  Our first stop was the Edinburgh castle, which was included in the Explorer Pass we had.  It was totally worth it.  The castle was huge with lots of rooms to explore and information to read.  You can take a guided tour or rent headphones for an audio tour, but there was enough information to keep us entertained without either of these options.  We could have spent a whole day there if we wanted, but opted for a couple hours of exploration. 

I love that they have a cemetery for soldiers' dogs!

Mike and a huge cannon!

USA! USA! USA!

I had one request while in Edinburgh and it was to go to the cafe where Harry Potter was written, the Elephant House.  This worked out well as our next stop because Mike wanted some coffee, so while he ordered, I took pictures.  They're such a great cafe and understand the fanfare surrounding them.  There are pictures of JK Rowling in the cafe and a few pieces of HP paraphernalia signed by her.  They welcome pictures and just ask that you make a donation to the Children's Fund in their cafe, which I gladly did.  I'm sure that there are people who are bigger fans than me that come into that cafe, but I was giddy with excitement and had a huge grin on my face the entire time I was snapping pictures.  

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!

Guys! This is so cool!!

After I calmed down from my HP high and Mike finished his coffee, we walked around the city of Edinburgh for a while.  It's a pretty cool city with lots of character and tons of side streets with nooks and crannies to keep you entertained for hours.

Mike asked if he could go to day care after seeing this sign.

After wandering around, we grabbed lunch and spent the afternoon wandering in and out of pubs and cafes.  We were hit with wave of exhaustion.  Not only were we tired, but we were kind of tired of sightseeing.  Edinburgh is a beautiful city and I'm sad that we didn't have the motivation to keep going because I'm sure there was more to see (or was there? Some people say it can be done in a day), but after an exhausting few months of travel and transitions, we were tired.  So, we took the afternoon off and rested.

After we re-energized, we signed up for the Dooms, Dead and Buried Tour through Mercat Tours.  We did a Boos and Brews tour in Savannah on our honeymoon and it was SO FUN!  While this one definitely didn't live up to that one (and you couldn't drink), it was fun and our tour guide was fantastic.  This one included a lot of fanfare and less information, but it was still entertaining.  They took us underground, to a cemetery and around the city to places that are known for their doom, dead and buried.  It was a fun way to end our time in Edinburgh and learn about an alternative side to Edinburgh.

Our tour guide Heather who made the tour worth it!

Mike Plays St. Andrew's!

Fifteen years ago, I was sitting in Mrs. Cooper's English class when I learned of the attacks on our country.  It would be a classroom and a moment that I would never forget.  I am so proud of our country for how we rallied and came together following that day.  I am so proud of our service members who defend our country day in and day out to make sure that we get to enjoy the freedoms that were threatened by those attacks.  As we've traveled the world this past year, I have never been more thankful for our country and the rights and privileges that come with being a citizen of the United States.  We're taking today to remember all of those who lost their lives on September 11th, in hopes that it inspires us to live a life in honor of their sacrifice.

"Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.”
— President George W. Bush





After our Glenfiddich tour, we headed out to our next stop, which ended up being a cottage in the middle of nowhere.  Ha!  When Mike booked the hotel, he didn't realize quite how far away from everything it was.  Plus, there was no way of knowing that we would be the only guests staying there that night, just by chance.  Because of this, we got upgraded from a hotel room to a full cottage.  The cottage was so nice and actually perfect for that evening.  By this point in our travels/move, we were tired.  We were tired of sight seeing, tired of eating out, tired of constantly being on the go, etc. etc.  While this whole experience is not something we ever take for granted, it's exhausting.  So, when we got upgraded to the cottage, it was a blessing in disguise.  We didn't feel like we were in a hotel room, so we didn't mind just hanging out in the common area and spending the night watching a movie.  So, that's what we did. And it was wonderful.

The next day, we took our time getting up and heading out, but were on the road by mid-morning.  Our next stop was Dundee, Scotland, which is about 30 minutes outside of St. Andrew's Golf Course.  Ever since I've known Mike, he's been an avid golfer.  The opportunity to play on one of the most famous golf courses in the world (and the first golf course!) was too good to pass up, so a stop at St. Andrew's was factored into our trip.  We arrived in Dundee the night before and went downtown for dinner and a few drinks, but didn't stay out too late because Mike had to be up early to play.

In order to play at St. Andrew's as a single, you have to get up extremely early and show up in hopes of walking on to the course.  The owner of our BnB recommended 5:00am.  When Mike arrived at the golf course, there were already people there.  One guy had been there since 1:00am!  There are other courses that you can play that are supposedly better, but in order to play the Old Course, you have to get there super early.  Luckily, Mike was able to walk on with one of the first groups!

While Mike was waiting in line, I was sleeping.   I had a big breakfast at the BnB and talked to the owner for a half an hour about his month long travels in Turkey!   Luckily, it was really easy to get from Dundee to St. Andrew's via bus, so I opted for that.  Once I got there, I checked out the St. Andrew's University museum and the History of Golf museum, both of which were actually pretty interesting.   After Mike was done golfing, I met him and we went to lunch at the Dunvegan, which came highly recommended from both Mike's dad and Mike's caddy.  It didn't disappoint!

Sunrise over the water from the starter hut.  Aka super early.

Mike and his caddy

This bridge is pretty famous and apparently everyone takes their picture on it when they play the Old Course

Mike had a blast and is trying to figure out when he can go back and play again! It was worth the early morning wake up and the price (happy birthday, merry Christmas, happy Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and Groundhogs Day, Mike!).  If you know a golfer heading to Scotland, I'd recommend St. Andrew's to them because as Mike said "It's like the Mecca for golfers!"