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…
Is it not strange that at a time when we have lost our Princes, our Parliament, our independent Government… that we shou’d really be the People most distinguish’d for Literature in Europe? In 1757, the Scottish philosopher David Hume wrote of a rather peculiar phenomenon. Scotland, despite losing most trappings of its independence between 1603,…
The portrayal of Scotland as a country of wild kilt-wearing sword-wielding savagery is nothing but English propaganda, sadly perpetuated to this day. In reality, Scotland is - and has been for centuries - a place of highly educated, incredibly literate, poets, artists, philosophers, and scientists. Its institutions of higher learning are as storied as those…
I can’t imagine a more perfect experience than this. A pot of tea, specially blended for this single place. A warm scone bursting with raisins and red currants, along with proper clotted cream and strawberry jam. A tea room straight out of its 1903 opening, bright and airy, warm and inviting. And the genius of…
With my guided tour of Sicily coming to an end, it is time to head to part two of my 2024 Europe trip. I’m flying from Sicily up to Manchester, England to spend several days before moving on to a month in Scotland. I’ve never been to Scotland at all, and even within England I’ve…