Mini Euro Trip #12 (part 2) - New Years in Glasgow

I left off my last post, sitting/chilling in a pod at the Dublin Airport. It was not long however until we were up in the air, winging our way (on a rather cramped plane with more than one screaming baby) across the divide - to Scotland. The flight was thankfully quick, and in less than an hour, we were walking out of baggage claim, straight into the arms of my beautiful warm welcoming bestie Shauna.

Shauna collected us from Glasgow Airport and drove us back to her family home. While I have been lucky enough to meet both Shauna's mum and sister in the past, I had not yet met her dad, and what excited me the most was the chance to finally meet her two gorgeous dogs, Iggy and Brodie.

We received the warmest welcome from all, except Brodie. Who we had been warned about. He is the most adorable little black pug, who likes to think he is the ruler of the household. And he alone must decide if a person is worthy of being in the house. To do this, he must bark bravely at the intruder, then sniff said intruders eyeball. For me, it was a case of kick off my shoes, throw my bag at Michael and drop to my knees as quick as possible to be greeted and vetted by Master Brodie. I had been warned numerous times that he does not like people immediately, that he must slowly warm to people, that it might take a few days. I tried to inform our hosts that it did not phase me, that I had a special thing with dogs. Hours and days later, Shauna and her family were still marvelling at how it took Brodie just 5 minutes to be settled on my lap on the couch, awaiting pats and cuddles!

Iggy on the other hand is a large dog with the friendliest of natures and I was more than happy to get big cuddles from this one too. You see, being away from home for over a year and a half, one begins to miss their four footed friends. Yes I see dogs here all the time, but they aren't mine, they aren't available for pats and cuddles at my leisure. But this holiday presented me with 4 amazing days of puppy love opportunity!

Ok, enough dog swooning. Shauna's dad had made us a lovely feast for when we had arrived, and he had even taken my allergies into consideration. We had a few drinks, a few laughs and then eventually made our way to bed at a very late hour.



We had big plans for the following morning, but for the first time on our holiday, we didn't have to rush to check out of a hotel or feel the pressure of making it to the breakfast room on time. So we went from a 'getting up at 7am and on the 9am train' plan, to 'eugh.... its morning...... but its still dark.... eugh'. And we weren't the only ones. It seemed that the entire household was in favour of a sleep in. So when we eventually got up around 10am, we weren't sure if it was worth making the day trip into Edinburgh. But we bit the bullet, skipped breakfast and ran down to the local train station in Shauna's home town of Bearsden. The train into Edinburgh took just over an hour and had us there just after midday. A spot of brunch was in order.




We walked up a massive flight of narrow alleyway stairs and found a quaint little cafe at the top. After a feed, we also nabbed a couple of slices (Caramel and Raspberry) to carry with us, to keep us energized as we wandered on. Following Matt's (Shauna's boyfriend) list/map of what to see and do, we made our way on foot around Edinburgh, but only the old town side.







As a true Harry Potter fan, we made one of the first stops the famous Elephant House - famed for it being the cafe where author JK Rowling sat and wrote some of her novels. Sadly for us, the cafe was covered in scaffolding, and yet the line was still out the door for service. Being that we were on a time schedule, this fangirl had to suffice with photos of the plaque and a quick peek inside before moving on.

We then came across the statue of a little puppy dog atop a pedestal. This dog was surrounded by tourists, all taking turns to pose with the statue and rub his little button nose. Michael then explained the history of this dog to me. His name was Greyfriars Bobby. He was a little terrier that stood guard over his owner's grave for 14 years after his owner died. The graveyard stood just behind the pub behind the statue, and was called the Greyfriars Kirkyard. We also later walked through the graveyard, found his owners grave, and the dog's grave. Bobby died in 1872, and was buried just inside the gate of the graveyard, near his owner. A sad tale but the tale of loyalty on the part of the dog was beautiful.

Across the road from this was a large building that played home to an Edinburgh art gallery/museum. According to Matt, while the museum itself was nice, with time pressure, it was best to just head straight to the top! And was he right. The best view of Old Town Edinburgh came from here. It took a while to find our way to the viewing platform as the lift was out of order, but hundreds of stairs later, we made it. We were also very lucky to have the most beautiful weather, and regretted not bringing sunglasses! But it did give us a very beautiful view of the landscape and Edinburgh castle.

Comical...

We then slowly walked through the streets of the old town, just drinking in the sights, the architecture, and eventually found our way up to the entrance of Edinburgh Castle. For a multitude of reasons, we had decided to just admire from the front and not go in. Which really isn't our usual style, I love exploring castles! But it was rather late in the afternoon, and we were starting to become slightly concerned.

I should take the time to mention that it was December 30. This meaning not much to the average person. Yes it was one day prior to New Years Eve, but for the people of Edinburgh, it meant something more. Of course the following day was to be the massive celebration that is Hogmanay. But Hogmanay is more than just one night of fun for these people. The day we were in Edinburgh happened to be the Torchlight Procession. Now that sounds lovely I am sure. Michael and I even really wanted to stay in Edinburgh to be a part of it. That was until we missed out on the chance to get some torches to join in. They were all sold out.

But that wasn't what was concerning us. The concern came when we saw everyone else carrying around their already collected torches for the evening's proceedings. They were big. I mean long wooden sticks covered in some flammable material. People were running around wielding these sticks, pretend fighting with them and such. It made us think, if they are having this much fun with them un-lit, what on earth was the night time going to be like. We could only think of one word - Crazy!

It was at this point we decided we had made the right decision to head back to Glasgow in time for dinner with Shauna's family. However, we were not finished in Edinburgh. A little more sight seeing to go, including a tartan making factory right near the castle. It was so cool to see the machines working to create the tartan pattern fabric. So many strings, so many moving parts all working seamlessly (albeit noisily) as one.

 At this same factory, there was obviously a lot of things for sale, including kilts, women's skirts and such. But they even had kids bagpipes for sale. They were soooo cute! And little Loch Ness baby booties!









We made our way back down through the town (we had made it up to the highest point by now) taking our time to look at a few shops and admire some strange things, including a wedding happening on the main cobbled street, and a piper in action.

Bypassing all the police and traffic chaos, we jumped back on a train to Glasgow city centre, which only took us about 40 minutes this time.










So from the train, we had been informed that we must take the underground to our dinner meeting point, some 5 stations away. Having now lived in Munich for so long, we thought that the underground would be easy to navigate. Easy was understatement. The Glasgow underground line is just that. A single underground line that travels in a circle, with two trains, one going in each direction! It couldn't be any simpler. But even more amazing was how tiny the train and the underground tunnel was! Michael and I were both cooing at the system, despite Michael having to stoop to avoid banging his head on the ceiling!

Emerging from the underground station, we waited for our hosts to come and meet us. It wasn't long before we were whisked into a little drinking place for a quick G&T before walking across the road for our dinner reservation. Dinner turned out to be the most amazing meal and shared with the most wonderful company. It was a mixture of great food, great wine, bucket loads of laughs and a mutual love of each others accents! Michael and I can't get enough of the Scottish accent, and as it turns out, the Scotts love the Aussie accent!

We were very lucky to be given the private party room at the restaurant, even though it hadn't been specifically booked. It did mean a wonderful party could be had.

The Thomson Family

Scallops and Black Pudding for entre - deeeelish!

Shauna had the haggis burger

I had salmon on a lovely crab risotto

Michael and Dave both had super delicious tender lamb

Noni's delicious dessert!

And so ended our evening in the Bothy.




But the night was not over. Shauna, Michael and I said goodbye to the rest of the family and headed back over the road, to another back street bar, where we met some of Shauna's lovely friends where we partied away until.... midnight. When we were all chucked out cause it was closing time. I have never been asked to finish a drink and leave because it was closing time! I never stay out late enough. But apparently midnight is late enough in Glasgow!

However, the night did not end here. We walked for a bit before ordering our taxi home, giving us enough time to stop at a shop and order 'Chips and Cheese'. This is apparently a post drinking tradition. And I have to admit, it was really delicious. The best moment though was, when waiting to order, Lorna, Shauna's friend, ahead of me in the queue could be heard over every single patron in the crowded shop, asking.... "Have you got any Pickles?" in the thickest Scottish accent!

As my chips were handed to me though, our taxi pulled up out the front, so we very quickly stowed them away and jumped in the cab home. Back at Shauna's, I tucked into my chips covered in melty gooey cheese. Then proceeded to crawl around on the floor with Iggy for cuddles.















The next day dawned with once again grand intentions of a big day of sight seeing, this time in Glasgow, and this time with Shauna and her beautiful mum Noni. However, once again, it could not have been with a slower start! Perhaps it was just because we felt so comfortable, so welcome in the Thomson household, we almost felt like we were at home and thus could take our sweet time!

There was beautiful building artwork everywhere

But after a few grumbles, we did manage to gather in the kitchen, minus a very tired Noni. Today we did eat breakfast (as Papa Thomson was none too pleased that his Australian guests left the house without being fed the day prior), and then we were lucky enough to get a lift down to the Bearsden train station from Annie (Shauna's sister). Once in Glasgow, we wandered, and we were led to a small cafe for a quick caffeine hit, right next to the bus station that was to be the start of our main adventure for the day.

Shauna had booked tickets for us all to go on the Glasgow city open top deck tour bus! Which was a great idea, except for the fact that it was a dreary, rainy day. We had two choices really. Either stay downstairs in the cramped bus with foggy windows out of which we could see zilch, or be brave and sit up top, on wet seats, in the cold drizzle filled wind. We took the later option, at least for a while, because it did at least afford us a much better view. And rather than listen to the dull audio guide interspersed with elevator music, we used our very own personal tour guide Shauna to tell us the more colourful tales of Glasgow.... "Oh, that was one of my favourite night clubs!"

Shauna's favourite night club!

The Aussie New Years Celebration!

After about an hour though, we reached the half way point of the tour and Michael was just too cold and wet to stick around. By now, a pair of seats had become available in the tiny covered area at the front of the upstairs deck so he hurried in there. I did join him, but it wasn't long before I looked around to see Shauna waving us back out. I didn't know what she wanted so I was very pleasantly surprised when I reached her to find her handing me a small hip flask and merrily saying "Happy Australian New Year!" It was 2pm on the dot, Scotland time, thus making it midnight back home! What a thoughtful gesture it was, so we all took a good swig of the flask, before Michael hurried back to his seat inside to message his family.

I on the other hand, stayed outside because a rather nice young man had at this time also decided to take a seat right next to Shauna. Once again, I remind you that we were on the top open deck of a tour bus in rain and wind..... there were 20+ wet available seats for this young man, but he found the one next to Shauna quite to his liking. I wasn't sure what to think at first so I stuck around to make sure he wasn't too creepy, but after a while, realised he was harmless so I headed back inside to stay warm with Michael. By now, the scenery on the tour was not so interesting and I was getting both hungry and tired.





Soon however we reached our destination, Shauna said goodbye to her new friend, and we made our way around to a pub called Brew Dog. This was apparently a micro brewery here in Glasgow that Matt quite likes, and Michael had already tried one the night before at dinner. So we took a rest inside Brew Dog for some grub, and so that Michael could have some beer tasters. We even ate dinner on an old 80s video game thing, so while waiting for our food we were all kept well amused.

The food itself was incredibly tasty, but we all rolled out stuffed at the end. A short wander down the road, including a pit stop for some extra bottles of Prosecco for the night, and we were back on a train to Bearsden.








We got home to find the house full of music and movement, with the family getting ready for New Years Eve pre drinks. Now usually, so I have been told, the Thomson family Hogmanay Party is the talk of the town, and in the last 20+ years, has only been missed 4 times. This year was one of them. Friends of the family were taking the reigns this year and Noni and Dave had instead opted for having friends around for pre drinks. So with only an hour to prepare ourselves for the guests, we did a bit of rock paper scissors over the shower. I won, and thankfully within the hour, I was ready, all dressed up for my first ever Scottish Hogmanay.

Shortly before everyone arrived, Noni started preparing a concoction in the kitchen. This turned out to be a very yummy cocktail with berries and alcohol. Shauna and I got to be taste testers for the mix! Soon though the house was full of guests, lots of Scottish people, all of whom were just as keen as the Thomsons to hear us talk with our cute little Australian accents!

A few drinks down, and the taxis turned up, ready to transport all of us to the main party venue. Amazing though, how friendly the cabbies in Scotland are. Well the Glaswegians were. On the way to the party we were discussing the cabbie's family history, because he has a son in Australia, as did the other couple in our cab.

There really isn't much to say about the party itself other than it was a lovely house party, during which we brought in the new year. The photos will tell you the rest really.

My favourite shot of Shauna - very Pulp Fiction

Except for the story of Jack. Jack was one of Noni and Dave's good friends, who had joined us for drinks earlier. He was a lovely older gentleman, very well groomed and came in a full suit of plum colour, including a beautiful silk waistcoat. He was a very dapper gentleman, in both appearance and personality. And I discovered this even more so during the evening. When we were all having a good old dance in the lounge of this home, Jack suddenly grabbed my hands and pulled me into a full rock and roll partner dance with him! It was hilarious and so much fun!

At 2am, a few taxis turned up to take us all home again. So we said our goodbyes to the lovely hosts and managed to get into the car. This time the cab driver was very interested in talking to Dave about his secret recipe for his New Years Day steak pie. Because this is a thing in Glasgow.

Back at the house, getting Shauna out of the car was trickier than it should have been. She had somehow ended up with her jacket on her, but only just, looped over her head with the hood, because her arms were carrying so many things, including not just her own but also her mother's handbag. And as she swung her legs out of the cab, she also laid over a bottle of prosecco! Thankfully it didn't smash and we took it all inside.

Back inside, we all sat up and chatted, and everyone else ate Pakoras til 4am. It has indeed been an awesome night.











When we finally surfaced the following day, we all feasted on a true Scottish breakfast of haggis, black pudding, scrambled eggs etc, which we stuffed into a bread roll with tomato sauce. Oh my goodness it was amazing!

We had been pre warned about what New Years Day would bring. And that was literally sitting around in our pyjamas all day, relaxing and revelling in the chance to do nothing. We were visited by Shauna's Pop for a while (a very entertaining character), we watched Frozen while eating Haggis flavoured crisps, and we just chatted and drank tea! It was lovely, and just what we needed. A day of holiday doing nothing!

By evening though, it was time for Dave's famed Steak Pie and all the trimmings. He had indeed spent a large portion of the day in the kitchen and the smells just kept growing and growing. Once James (Annie's boyfriend) arrive, it was time to dig in! And boy did it taste incredible.

After dinner, again we lounged and did very little. But we did have a little fun with the Christmas Cracker toys that had been revealed a week earlier. Little racing penguins and robins. So of course, James, Noni, Shauna and I lined them all up on the table and had a race to the finish line.

This was also my last chance for extra puppy love, as in the morning we were off on our travels once more. So I spent a rather large amount of time on the floor with Iggy, Brodie, and now also Belle, who was James' Jack Russell.

Me with all three pups!

After so many days of leisure, we found in incredibly difficult to get moving at an earlier time the next morning, but we had to pick up our hire care in Glasgow city centre at 9am. So eventually we managed to pack our suitcase, wander down to the train and head into town. Car collected, we returned one last time to the Thomson home to collect our things and say goodbye. Even though I knew it would be mere days till I saw Shauna back in Munich, it was difficult to say farewell.

But goodbye it was, as we ran through the rain to jump into our car, throwing the suitcase in the boot. And off we went on roadtrip #2. Into the Scottish Highlands we went!










This day was decidedly a driving day. We spent a large amount of time in the car, stopping only for a little bit in each place to take in the view and then continue on. This was partially due to weather, partially time. Our aim was to be in Fort William by sunset.

Our first stop was at Loch Lomond. As we got out of the car, we could tell it was an overcast day and thus our viewpoint over the Loch was going to be ok but not great. But we weren't coming all the way to Loch Lomond without standing by the Loch. So down we wandered, being slightly tussled by the strong winds. As we stood though at the edge of the Loch however, it became clear that 'overcast' was and understatement. The winds grew and the clouds moved so suddenly, that Michael and I agreed to take a quick selfie then run for the car. Before we got back to the car it was hailing!
















The drive I must say was beautiful and scenic, especially the further north we drove. The landscape of craggy mountains, smattering of snow and muted green valleys kept us both happy despite the lengthy drive.

Stopping for lunch in Glencoe, we both had a nice warming cup of coffee/hot chocolate, and a yummy meal. I chose the soup, but not for reasons most would think. It came served with a scrumptious herb cheese scone! Oh boy I could eat that again any day! Michael had a toasted sandwich.


At the end, as we went to leave, I fell in love with a little keyring hanging on the front counter. There were many, and they were for sale, but I was in love with the fact that it was a 'hairy coo'. Usually Michael and I agree, no little trinkets or gadgets. We try not to buy too many silly things just cause we are on holidays. But Michael offered to buy this little guy for me. I wasn't going to say no!

We then took a longer route for the next leg, for the views and a stop off point that Michael had marked on his map. It was a lovely little waterfall that is not so easy to find. And between the mud and slush, it was a tricky walk from the carpark too.

I made it!

But the waterfall we did find, and it was lovely. However, halfway down to the waterfall, we crossed a small bridge, and couldn't help but notice a man on a motorcycle sitting in the stream. It wasn't until our walk back that we stopped to watch what was going on. There were in fact several men, and they were all riding around a small track that included a river crossing, riding through the water and over the rocks, then back up the slippery bank on the other side. They were very good actually. And it was good fun watching.

Back in the car, it was now nearing 4pm and therefore, nearing sunset. Michael was driving, and I was struggling to keep my eyes open. Thankfully I did get a few more photos of the passing scenery, and it wasn't too long before we arrived in the town of Fort William.

We had heard that Fort William wasn't the nicest place to visit, hence why we were only staying there overnight. But we were pleasantly surprised as we headed out later in the evening in search of dinner to find a cute central mall strip, and a very neat town. I somewhat wish we had been in town a little longer to wander in the daylight as almost everything was shut.

Wandering through the centre mall though, we came across several nice restaurants and had a really tough time actually choosing one. In the end though, we went to the 'Grog and Gruel'. This was a pig themed restaurant with a lovely bar downstairs and a seated area upstairs. After being asked to wait in the bar for 10 minutes until a table was ready, we had barely ordered drinks when our name was called. So back up we went with drinks in hand.

The food was amazing. I had boar and haggis burger, while Michael had a Highland Venison burger. Due to the seasoning, I had to ask for my chips to be changed so I was given onion rings with my meal but Michael enjoyed the Grog and Gruel's famous spicy fries.

Then when dessert time rolled around, we once again found ourselves unable to say no to the choc fudge brownie with ice cream (this time vanilla). As it was delivered, Michael handed me the camera to take our normal foodie photo, only this time, as I was focusing the lens, the brownie was yoinked from in front of Michael by a random hand! It was an older gentleman from the next table who thought it was funny that we took food photos! He stole our brownie! But I got him back, I got a photo of the thief! And we got our brownie back. It was still delicious, but not quite up to the standard of the brownie in Galway. 

We once again had to roll ourselves back to our hotel because dinner had been so filling. But we happily then tucked ourselves up in bed with the laptop and watched Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets in preparation for the following day.






The next day I was up bright eyed and bushy tailed, all ready to hit the road for a Harry Potter sight seeing day.... but was then somewhat slowed down by what can only be described as a HORRIBLE breakfast. The hotel where we stayed was great, except that the breakfast was horrendous. Honestly.

Aside from the usual buffet of fruits, yoghurts and cereals (of which there was barely any), you could also order from the list on your table. A very limited list. I chose scrambled eggs and a hashbrown. The soggiest cardboard hashbrown I have ever eaten, and grey tasteless eggs. And the coffee tasted like dirt.


Needless to say I was happy to get back to the room and then check out! But it was not long until we were making our way out to a place that was made famous by my favourite movies. Well, truth be told, it is the books of which I am a massive fan. The movies, well, lets just say that they're ok. But the chance to take it the bridge on which the Hogwarts Express travels, while Ron and Harry fly a Blue Ford Anglia above, well, I was pretty excited!
But before I got too carried away, we couldn't help but explore the area. No one tells you that opposite the viaduct is actually a monument erected to honour the cause of Prince Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) in the area of Glenfinnan. The statue itself is quite striking, but the lake and mountains surrounding it were just stunning.

We then took a wander to get a bit closer to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, on which the Jacobite Steam Train does actually do tours during the summer months. It was a pristine, untouched element of the landscape that was clearly there prior to its use in the movies, and while fans do flock to see it, still remains as a distant view point. It was really nice too, as there were no other people around. The best thing about travelling in winter and around Christmas/New Years!

The funny thing was though, as we got back to the car, there was but one other car in the carpark, and the owner was standing, leaning against his car with a remote control in hand, and some funny gadget attached to his head/eye. He was actually flying a drone and was watching the footage from the drone live as he flew it. But call it a coincidence or not, he looked just like Mad Eye Moody from the Harry Potter series.... and for this fan girl, it was perfect timing! Even Michael agreed, it was Mad Eye!

In the car, we returned to Fort William but only just as we then turned onto the road that would lead us to the top corner of Scotland. We were off to the Isle of Skye! We couldn't help but stop and laugh though when we noticed a strange road side sign. Everywhere we went, there were red and white triangular signs alerting drivers what to be aware of. Most of the time it related to animals but sometimes weather conditions or people were included. However we did find a sign that told us to look out for a very peculiar animal....


Once again, the drive to Skye was full of beautiful scenery, and we took a few stops along the way when it was possible. The views were stunning, with mountain meeting sky and solar flares making a beautiful image even more amazing.

The day was also full of ever changing weather, from sunny and somewhat warm to overcast and stormy within the space of minutes.









Just short of the Isle of Skye, we took one last stop at a castle. But not just any castle. This was the Castle of Eilean Donan. I know, sounds insignificant. But this castle is famous, not for who lived there, or who it was built for, but for its more modern uses. Playing backdrop to some fairly well known modern movies including Highlander & The World is Not Enough. And for a lighter touch, it was also used as a backdrop in the romantic comedy Made of Honour.

Five minutes down the road and we found ourselves at the bridge that would lead us directly onto the Isle of Skye. But we were hungry. So before we led ourselves too far off the beaten path for an afternoon of forest wandering, we stopped in the town of Kyle of Lochalsh for a spot of lunch. A haggis baked potato did me just fine.... ok by now I think you get the point, I was eating all the haggis and black pudding I could get my hands on!













Over the bridge we went and found ourselves driving through an area that looked, quite honestly, just like the rest of the highlands. Pretty, yes, but the same as the last 300km had been. We could see water, we could see mountains, we could see sky. After a huge build up and a grand hope for Skye being a magical place, I was somewhat disappointed. Having said that though, we possibly didn't give it enough time, and we didn't travel to the north due to time constraints. I am sure it is beautiful but I am happy I've been and wouldn't rush back.

Things are much easier when you put the scarf on last!

Having said that though, we were both desperate to see one thing in particular - the Fairy Pools. These were a series of rock pools that are so naturally beautiful, and in the setting afternoon sun, we could see why they were so talked about. We enjoyed our long wander alongside the stream, even it we did get stuck in a few muddy patches. I did however get rather stuck inside my own jumper as we arrived at the pools, trying to layer up for the walk in the cold afternoon air.

 

The drive back to the hotel (over the bridge in Kyle) was uneventful except that we enjoyed watching the moon rise over the beautiful mountains as we drove.

After a little bit of time to unwind in the hotel, we set back out, once again over the bridge into Skye, in search of a dinner venue. We had a place in mind but at the last minute, took a different turn and found a little pub called Saucy Mary's. It was here that Michael tried another local beer, and we both enjoyed another seafood meal. Living in Munich we don't often get the chance to enjoy really good fresh seafood, a luxury we were rather blessed by in Australia. So when on holiday, I tend to overeat on Seafood. Tonight was no different with my choice of Scampi, and Michael's choice of fish and chips.

We were rather exhausted after a long day, but it was rather early in the evening. So we made the executive choice to go back to the hotel and watch... Skyfall (Bond). However, no movie evening is complete without snacks. So we found the local supermarket on our way back and grabbed some yummy cookies which we devoured in front of the movie.

Now, I know I complained about the disgusting breakfast in the morning. But it seemed that our good luck had come to an end, as the hotel this evening was just terrible. Michael and I could hear everything happening in the other rooms and the hallway, our exhaust fan in our bathroom would not work at all and yet we could hear next doors working perfectly fine at 3am in the morning. And I was woken with a horrible fright in the middle of the night with slamming doors and shouting in corridor. Thank goodness breakfast the following morning was somewhat of a redemption for this hotel!

After said breakfast, we quickly exited the hotel, jumping back in our car, and once more made our way over the bridge into Skye. This time we went for a drive out towards a view point known as Elgol. It was quite a drive, along single lane roadway, with many locals using the road for alternate purposes. Mostly sheep, however, rounding one bend near the end of the journey we had to slow down for locals of a different kind. Finally we got to see some Hairy Coo in person! And what a sight they were. Massive too. And not at all keen on moving for cars. So we slowly crept our way through the large herd.

Finally out at Elgol, while it was a nice view, that was pretty much all it was. Boat trips do run from there during the warmer months, but on the day we were there, it was clear why the boats don't run in Winter. The winds were fierce, to the point I didn't want to get out of the car for long, and the water was crashing quite hard up against the dock. And there was not a soul in sight. So we turned the car around, headed back, through the herd of Coo, and the million sheep, all the way back through Kyle and then turned onto the road that would take us to..... Loch Ness!

We both agreed that we could stay and see more of Skye, but Nessie was calling! The drive to Fort Augustus was once more beautiful and full of grand scenery, rolling hills, green/grey pastures, snowy peaks and some purple trees. Once in Fort Augustus, we drove past our hotel and went straight into town for a spot of lunch.

Sitting by a large open fire, we both tucked into a yummy meal, having to swap seats half way through as to rotate and share the heat with the other side of our bodies.













Lunch now out of the way, we wandered around the small town of Fort Augustus. We had heard many people tell us that Loch Ness was a tourist trap, that many of the other Lochs were just as beautiful, but we really loved it. Coming down the centre of the town was a lock system, where boats could be floated up or down between lochs.

There was a charming Loch Ness Monster statue, and we even wandered out to the viewing point at the edge of Loch Ness itself. Michael and I both looked for Nessie, but couldn't spot her.

We did find her shortly after, in the gift shop near where we parked the car. And she travelled with us for the rest of the afternoon.
















We drove out of Fort Augustus, back past our hotel, and kept driving, all the way to Urquhart Castle. The original foundations of Urquhart Castle date back to the 13th century, however what was interesting was the opportunity to view some of the additional work conducted in later centuries. All of the buildings were in partial or almost complete ruin, which allowed a glimpse into the structure, what materials were used for each stage, and where original walls were formed then renovated or built upon.






Inside the visitor centre, many artefacts found within the castle grounds were on show, including early work tools, currency and weapons. It was a proper excavation site, and a really nice place to visit. Even if it was extremely windy and cold.

All the while, Nessie was content, just hanging out with me in my scarf. She enjoyed the ride and had a great view!










Finally we knew it was time to go to the hotel. The sun was setting, the Castle was closing, and we were cold. The hotel this night turned out to be an old hunting lodge, that was over 100 years old. It had a wonderful view of Loch Ness from our bedroom window, with a massive king sized bed, ornate old furniture and beautiful big bathroom. We were happy little duckies after our previous night's accommodation!

After a warming shower, a cup of tea and a change of clothes, we made our way into town again where we had dinner. Tonight I chose Balmoral Chicken, which I have had before, as cooked by Shauna. It is chicken that has been stuffed with haggis, then served with a whiskey cream sauce. Unbelievably yummy.



















Michael had a chicken dish too, but his had cheese on top. Finished off nicely with a rhubarb apple crumble, we rolled back to the car. It was finally time to admit that the holiday was nearing its end for multiple reasons, but in that precise moment, it was because our stomachs could not handle much more of the rich food.








The next day was indeed our last day of holiday in reality. We weren't flying home until the day after but it was a very early morning flight, so it didn't count.

First stop that morning was the breakfast room of the hunting lodge hotel. And what a feast we were treated to. Thinking it was like every other continental breakfast we had eaten during the trip, Michael immediately had his bowl of cereal with yoghurt, and a glass of oj. I didn't want to over eat like I had the night before so I just waited for the hot food to arrive.

When it did I was scared. It contained scrambled eggs, haggis, black pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms, sausages and baked beans. Neither of us could finish our plate!

Room with a view. 

We went to check out of the hotel and get on the road, but couldn't help but get caught in conversation with the lovely hotel owners. They were so friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our chat. If we ever head back to Scottish Highlands area again, we would stay with them once more.

Nessie and me! Ready for the drive...

We had a rather long drive ahead of us, and quite a few planned stops along the way. The first of which was a little not well marked waterfall and rainforest walk. We only did a small walk from the car to the edge of the waterfall but it was beautiful none the less. Especially the sounds, just pure nature, rushing water, and only twice interrupted by the sound of a car/truck passing by.

Not too much further down the road, we made another stop, this time at a massive shop. It was for a major Scottish clothing and such company, with several smaller shops all attached, for the different sections. However, this information is useless, because we weren't there for the shop. Matt had told us to park in the carpark and walk behind the big complex, to find a small walking trail. This took us up into a mountainous range leading up one side of a big waterfall, and we crossed a bridge at the top before coming back down the other side. It was beautiful, and the walk was quite intense, so despite the cold weather, I had to remove some layers.

Michael and I had two last planned stops but by now it was getting much later than we had intended, and we were still well over an hour from Edinburgh. By this stage it was after 2pm, and I had pretty much given up hope of seeing any more of Edinburgh in the daylight. Pulling into a township for our next stop, we were rather saddened to be caught in a massive traffic jam. We were halfway up through a town on a road that would lead us to a castle that had been used in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (think French and animal flinging). But it was here that we got stuck and could not move. After more than 10 minutes, eventually a car ahead of us pulled a manoeuvre, turning their car around and driving back out the way they came, which gave us room to complete the same manoeuvre. So sadly, no Monty Python castle, but we just didn't have the time or patience to sit in that queue, especially not knowing how long we would sit there or what the hold up was.

One last stop now on the way, and Michael was determined to pull off the highway and drive right up to it, even though it could be seen from the highway. This was in fact two large sculptures made of patchwork metal. They are in the shape of two horses from the neck up, and in the evening, become illuminated with blue light from within. Known as 'The Kelpies', they are incredible sculptures, and absolutely massive in size and concept. It was such a shame that it was such a dreary day because I think in the sun, the horses would have looked much prettier.

Putting the Kelpies behind us, we got into the car for the last time and drove the last hour into Edinburgh. We dropped the car off at the hire company as the dark settled in, and then it was a cold dark walk to our hotel.








But we were not going to give in to the night. Our hotel was in the new town district, facing the old town and Edinburgh Castle. This was the side we did not see the week previous, and so we wanted to at least poke around a little, even if it was dark. And we were hungry. Having just driven all day, and only muesli bars for sustenance, we needed one last good pub grub feed. After wandering the streets, we came across a quite little pub, with a mean sounding menu. Disregarding our feeling of holiday overeating from the morning and the previous night, we ordered an entree of grilled stuffed potato skins to share, and tucked in  our first round of drinks. Michael his last local beer, and I had a cider.

The food itself was absolutely divine and we were both almost disappointed with how quickly we demolished the entree. Until our mains came. By the end of the mains, we were both stuffed.

 Michael had a cottage pie full of rich gravy and huge chunks of succulent meat. I had fish, but not one I have had before. It was a different taste and texture to what I am used to, but still yummy. It was served on a bed of mashed veggies and covered in a hollandaise sauce.








We used the walk back to the hotel to sober up a bit, from the food and bloated bellies, not the alcohol! A repack of the suitcase, and a collapse on the bed (complete with Hairy Coo pillow cases) looking out the window to our view of the eerily lit Edinburgh Castle brought our holiday to a close. We had indeed had a most wonderful time, and it was hard to believe that we had enjoyed a whole two weeks of travel, and 2 whole weeks in each others company (work had kept us busy and separate for several months).

Very early the next morning we were on a bus and out at the airport. Only minor clutz damage this trip, including scratches and such, and one very big bruise on my behind from a run in with a metal bar in a pub in Glasgow. Heading to bed on our last night, I did something to my back, which saw me in agony the whole plane ride home and well into the following days back at work, but I came right in the end. It just wasn't the nicest way to travel home. All in all though, a wonderful Christmas and New Years break!