SCOTLAND – Melanie and I have been in Scotland for just about two weeks now. We’ve (mostly) adjusted to the 8-hour time difference from back in Stanwood, Washington; figured out how the buses and trains work; can make proper change when we pay for something; and we’re getting used to some of the differences in language (yes, they speak English, too, but it often sounds quite different from the American English we’re used to).
In our past travels, this would have been the point in the trip when we had to head back home (and back to work) after a much-too-short vacation, with way too many places still on our “we should go there” list.
But not this time. We’re just getting started…
A while back one of our friends was talking about an acquaintance:
“He and his wife had gone on a 10-day multiple country tour. They visited seven countries in 10 days. Onto the bus, off the bus. Into the hotel, onto the train. If it’s Wednesday it must be Belgium; if it’s Thursday we’re in France…”
“He showed me lots of beautiful photos he had taken during the trip, but when I asked where some of the photos were taken, he couldn’t say. He wasn’t even sure which country they were from.”
We’re ‘slow’ travelers
Melanie and I don’t travel like that. We’re ‘slow’ travelers. We like to stay in one place for several days, get to know the area. Maybe take a day trip or two, but return ‘home’ at the end of the day. Then we’ll move on to another location for several days, and establish a new ‘home’ for a time.
Last Wednesday we took the train from Kirkcaldy, where we’ve rented a flat for 10 days, to Stirling to visit Stirling Castle, which is, according to Wikipedia, “one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally.”
The castle sits on a lofty stone crag, high above the river Forth at the meeting point between Scotland’s Lowlands and Highlands. It’s a beautiful location with incredible views of the surrounding countryside. We found the castle architecture fascinating, with a variety of different styles. The earliest part dates from the fourteenth century; most of it was constructed before 1600.
We spent the better part of the day at the castle, exploring the grounds on a free guided tour, walking through beautifully restored spaces, enjoying a delicious lunch (including dessert – all at a reasonable price), and generally taking it all in as we learned a bit of Scottish history.
I took a ton of photos while we were at the castle, and during our journey to Stirling. And I’m happy to say I can tell you where every one of them was taken.
Check out our Stirling Castle video on YouTube.
We’ll be seeing you… farther down the road. Follow us on FaceBook