The Jet-lagged Journalist

As it is now a scorching hot summer in Texas, I am reminiscing about colder days. Last winter, I went on a trip to Scotland with my best friend, Ellie! This is what we did and how it went.

Day 1:

We started our trip in the lovely city of Edinburgh by taking an iconic double-decker bus from the airport to our hostel. We stayed at Castle Rock Hostel for our first two nights, and I couldn’t recommend staying here enough. This hostel is perfect for any traveler, whether you are solo traveling or with others. They have clean rooms with lockers, bathrooms, both female-only and mixed dorm options, a common area, a kitchen, a movie room, and group activities every day and night.

After checking in, we took a walk down The Royal Mile. We discovered a little restaurant called the Castle Arms, where we tried fish and chips and haggis, which we surprisingly loved! As we continued our stroll, we saw landmarks such as St Giles’ Cathedral, old-fashioned telephone booths, Princes Street, the Royal Botanic Garden, and the Scott Monument. We ended the night with some butterbeer at The Elephant House, where the first few Harry Potter books were written.

Day 2:

We got an early start to the day by getting coffee and cinnamon rolls at The Milkman. The atmosphere was amazing, the staff was great, the food and coffee were delicious; The Milkman is a must when visiting. We walked through Circus Lane on our way to Dean Village. I couldn’t get enough of the architecture; everywhere we turned was straight out of a fairytale. We strolled through Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery and ate at Greyfriars Bobby, a restaurant just outside the cemetery, which was inspired by a truly loyal companion: a Skye Terrier dog, Bobby, who guarded his owner’s grave for 14 years until his own passing. I highly recommend this restaurant for its heart-warming atmosphere and delicious food, although it is on the pricier side, I think it’s worth it for the experience. We explored the National Museum of Scotland before heading back to our hostel for the group activity of the night. We joined in on karaoke and Scottish swing dancing; we had a blast and didn’t want the night to end. I think meeting new people is an important key to fully experiencing a new culture.

Day 3:

Ellie and I rented a car and started our road trip! We stopped in Glencoe to do the Glen Etive drive, we saw the Wee White House and The Meeting of Three Waters. If you go in the winter like we did, don’t make the same mistake I did and run through the icy trail because you will fall, and it will hurt. I was in awe the entire time. I had never seen a winter so beautiful. Think the winter in Narnia, or the Winter Court in A Court of Thorns and Roses; absolutely magical. We took a sunset walk on the Glencoe Lochan trail. Ellie did a fantastic job driving on the opposite side of the road in the snow! We ended the night in Fort Williams by eating dinner at the Crofter and checking into our cozy Inn. We stayed at Lochailort Inn Hotel, where everything was lovely! If you stay here, I recommend getting the sticky toffee pudding. It was so good, Ellie and I made a song about it.

Day 4:

We had a jam-packed day of exploring! As we started the second day of our road trip, we passed by a herd of Highland cows! They were the most adorable, sweet creatures. Ellie and I stopped at the Steall Waterfall trail and walked along some icy waterfalls. The cold bit at us throughout the day, but we were too excited to really notice, although a friendly bird tried stealing some heat from our rental car when we parked at the West Highland Line. Seeing the railroad featured in the Harry Potter films was surreal. I thought, “Am I really here? Or have I entered a portal into one of my favorite series?” Speaking of Harry Potter, we took a detour to Locailort to see Dumbledore’s grave on our way to the Isle of Skye. We chased the sunset through Invergarry and made it to the Eilean Donnan Castle just in time to see the last of the sunlight wink out. No matter the season, if you travel to Scotland, I cannot recommend Kerrysdale Bed and Breakfast enough. The owners were the sweetest couple; Ellie and I were the only guests for the night, and they still made sure we were cozy for the night and made us a full breakfast the next morning. We saw the most beautiful sunrise before heading back on the road. Our last sight was the Sligachan Old Bridge, which was extra magical with the snow-covered mountains in the back.

This trip was not only special because it was a completely new area and filled with joyous memories, but also because I shared them with Ellie! I am so blessed to have a handful of amazing friends who want to share travels with me. If you are reading this and planning your trip to Scotland, just know it will be exponentially better with an Ellie of your own!