Some of Edinburgh’s history, which dates back well over a thousand years, is quite obvious. Edinburgh Castle dominates the city center, itself dating to the eleventh century. (Click here to read more about Edinburgh Castle.) From here, the Royal Mile stretches past historic St. Giles Cathedral and onto the royal palace at Hollyrood, lined with…
Editor’s note: if you’ve been a regular follower of The Royal Tour, you’d recognize this as the second in Morgan’s series on the Azores. Her first, on Sao Miguel, can be found here. One thing is immediately apparent: these islands are all distinct and differ greatly from each other! For more of Morgan’s writing, click…
I love Edinburgh. I adore the history, the architecture, the excitement. But sometimes the central part of the city gets a bit crowded, and heading a little further afield makes for a nice getaway, even if only for a few hours. And when that getaway has some good food and drinks, an interesting history, and…
If you ever want to be truly despised in Scotland, call it England. You could be excused for saying the United Kingdom (though most Scots think of themselves as Scottish first and British second) and you’d be even forgiven - or laughed at - for calling it France by mistake. But England? Not a chance.…
If you could sum up what the Scottish Highlands means in a single day, this might just be it. Craggy peaks, pristine waters. Blue skies, dark rain clouds. Castles and villages, shaggy cows and friendly people. Winding, meandering roads all seeming to lead somewhere beautiful and magical. I set out from Inverness, at 50,000 the…
An early morning on the shore of Loch Ness feels magical. I am standing near the ruins of Urquhart Castle, overlooking a shallow bay in the lake that gives way to a deep trench. It is misty, the perfect weather for the most famous denizen of the deep to feel safe coming to the surface.…
Sometimes, I can be quite difficult. It is my first day in Edinburgh, a lovely sunny (though with brief drizzles as this is Scotland, after all) summer Sunday, and I find myself in the magnificent Balmoral, a stunning five star hotel on Princes Street just down from the central train station. The hotel’s lobby is…
It stands as the most visible and dominant portion of the city’s skyline, and has for roughly 1,000 years. Top tourist attraction, most recognizable landmark, and the first thing visitors notice when arriving, Edinburgh Castle looks magical. It sits at the top of the Royal Mile, a mix of pedestrian zone and not that contains…
“He who holds Stirling holds Scotland.” Attributed to Robert the Bruce, although without any direct evidence he actually said it, this quotation fairly accurately sums up the importance of this place. Repeatedly fought over and conquered, Stirling has been at the center of Scottish intrigue and independence for centuries. And as it sits less than…
It is insane to think that I began the day in a city with buildings dating back to the eleventh century, and that by the afternoon, these would seem downright modern. And yet, that is just what happened when I left Edinburgh for a day trip south. My destination: Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman fort…