Scotland, Part Two
When we left off, we were headed north. So before every trip, everyone in the family states one thing they really want to do. The Wolvog chose the Jacobite train. The ChickieNob chose the Castle of Mey, which is the Queen Mum’s castle featured in the first season of The Crown. “Sure,” we said, and then we Googled the castle’s location. It was an eight hour train ride from central Scotland. When we let the ChickieNob know, her lip started quivering and she told us she would choose something else while she blinked back tears. Which is how we ended up at the end of the world.
Like it’s literally the end of the world.
It took us eight hours to get to Thurso. Then another hour to get to Mey, including the mile walk from the bus drop-off point. It was totally worth it.
It is gorgeous.
And it was so light out up north that we could (and did) take photos at midnight. And since we were already so far north, we hopped on a ferry for a few hours and went to Orkney, passing the Old Man of Hoy along the way.
We LOVED Orkney. We got there without a plan and went to the local library, which is where we learned about a fantastic bus that would take us around Stromness and Kirkwall. We got to see the ruins at Skara Brae…
…and the Ring of Brogdar.
We wandered in and out of shops and learned about the Ogham alphabet. And I begged Josh about thirty times to let us move there. Finally it was time to head back to Edinburgh. We went on a puffin tour in North Berwick and also saw about three zillion gannets hanging out on Bass Rock.
We wrapped up our holiday with a tour of Holyrood, the Queen’s residence in Edinburgh.
It was hard to say goodbye. We left things undone — towns unvisited, statues unseen — so we’ll have to go back there one day. The ChickieNob started a Google form so we could choose our next location. It’s still a hard landing coming home, but thinking ahead to the next things we’ll see makes it a little easier. The twins have turned into awesome travelers, and there is no people we’d rather see the world with than the two of them.
10 comments
What an awesome trip! I’ve been to Scotland once…to the Hebrides. Just for a week, but it was a week that changed my life. I would like to back too.
Wow, so jealous and we live in a London, and haven’t seen half what you have in Scotland. Looks wonderful and what a lovely way of sharing decisions on what to see.
So gorgeous! Scotland is my ancestral home, but I’ve never been there. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
When you said you went way up North to the end of the world, you weren’t kidding! I had no idea anywhere in scotland would be an 8 hour train ride…!
I loved those shots in The Crown of that castle, I am so glad ChickieNob got to go see it IRL.
If that “sacrifice” of going to the literal ends of the earth for your kids doesn’t completely sum up parenting, then idk what does😀
I’ve loved this armchair tour so much that now Scotland is on my list of places to see.
Love the idea of the 4 of you planning your trip, making it happen, and finding all these delights.
I don’t know what reminded me — possibly the 8-hour trip and the daylight at midnight — but you have me thinking about one of my favourite movies, which happens to be set in Scotland. Have you seen “Local Hero” with Peter Riegert & Burt Lancaster? (Bonus: A young Peter Capaldi, later Doctor Who.)
I’m so glad you got to Orkney. Just your sorry of bleak, remote place! But no puffins on your puffin tour? Oh no!
Where next? NZ?
Speechless from those photos. Can I move there with you too?
OMG someone else who’s been to Orkney! Isn’t it the most magical place? I remember standing at those houses at Skara Brae and realising we were looking at the homes of people who lived 5000 years ago. And walking around the stone circle and pretending I could touch one and go back in time and say hi to Jamie Fraser. And visiting the Italian chapel that WW2 POWs made out of Nissen huts. I love Orkney so much!
Gaaah, can I just teleport through your photos? Gorgeous! And I’m so glad that you went to Chickie Nob’s castle at the end of the world! Were those pictures taken at midnight? Unreal! You had an amazing trip. I love that there’s still more to see, to, for another time.