The Queen’ Diamond Jubilee was around the corner. 4 days to explore and
I chose wisely to tour Scotland. It was the perfect time of the year because it
was neither too cold nor warm… t’was just perfect. I guess nobody shared my
excitement over the choice of location. Or maybe it was because when I
travelled, I almost never rested and holidays for some are for chilling out and
relaxing.
But I was adamant; I was going to go even if I had to do it alone. Since
I was going to be alone anyway, I thought I should try some of the things that
I cannot do in the company of my friends –
- Stay in a hostel just to get a feel of how it is like to share your room (which includes the bathroom) with 11 other women (though most of them turned out to be like teens… definitely less than 20 years old)
- Get a jam-packed schedule where I could see almost all the Scottish attractions in the 4 days that I had (I still managed to miss quite a bit of experiences that I would have loved… next time maybe)
When my family and friends heard, they thought I had gone crazy. Did I
have doubts till that nth moment? Oh absolutely!!!
I still sat in that National Express bus bound for Scotland; the time
was around 11 p.m. on a Friday evening. Tip:
It is good to have the gumption to brave your travel alone but ensure that you have
planned taking into consideration your safety and if you are a foreigner like
me, ensure that your identification papers (passport, visa, driver’ license) are
with you at all times.
I reached Edinburgh in the wee hours of morning and was pleased to know
that the hostel was ready to keep my baggage till check-in (which I could do
late in the evening only courtesy my packed schedule). I could not have much of
the Scottish breakfast specialties but I heard fellow tourists rave about the
kipper, sausages and black pudding. I did try the porridge and some fluffy eggs
with buttered toast and yes the fried mushrooms which sadly did not leave much
space for the baked beans.
I did not want to miss any of the myriad attractions on The Royal Mile which starts from Edinburgh
castle right through to The Palace of Holyrood House, so I started right
away around 9:00 a.m.
Tips:
- Check for combo tickets online for these attractions and you could save a lot of money not to mention that these are fast track tickets so the time you would spend standing in long queues could be used for enjoying the beauty of the attraction.
- If you are not much into walking, then it would be better to buy up Lothian Buses Day Pass or take a combo pass which includes attractions and the travel on Hop On & Off buses.
- Most of the attractions especially the galleries and museums have free admission.
The walking tour started at the Edinburgh
Castle where I beat the long queues and spent my time listening to the
amazing history of the castle - from the constant sieges by the Scottish and
English armies, to the perilous lives of Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince
Charlie. I loved the view of Arthur’ Seat
in the form of what is believed to be a lion
couchant. I would have not wanted to miss The Royal Scots
Dragoon Guards Regimental Museum to experience the pride and ferocity of
the Scots. St. Margaret’ Chapel is a testimony to goodness because even Robert
the Bruce destroyed all Scottish buildings, he not only left the chapel alone
but proceeded to get it repaired; such was his deathbed wish.
The National Gallery beckoned to me but I knew I could not do
justice to it so to my regret, I had to skip this. Tip: If you have at least half a day in Edinburgh then do make it a
point to visit; admission is free.
The Scots love their Scotch and the Scotch
Whisky Heritage Centre provides insights to what the Scots call magical
craft of fine whisky making. Tip: Book the
tickets online
The Parliament Square with the equestrian statue of Charles II,
Supreme Courts and Edinburgh Mercat Cross looks formidable; St. Giles Cathedral looks quaint and
softer in comparison.
As you walk towards The Palace of Holyrood House, you see Scots in kilts
and shops selling cashmere. Of course, the aroma of Scottish food makes the
walk longer because, sometimes you have to stop and sample some of these
goodies at the local pubs.
We passed by John Knox’ House which is the seat of one of the most
turbulent times in Scottish history with the outbreak of the civil war and
abdication of Mary, Queen of Scots. The Scottish Parliament Building which
opened in 2004, has a very unique structure but the Spaniard who designed it,
Enric Miralles was not alive to see his completed work. Sad, because this
building went on to win awards for its quality and craft; a fact that I, a lay
person to architecture would endorse.
Finally we reached the end of the Royal Mile and there stood the iconic
Palace of Holyroodhouse where the Queen spends one week of summer. The tour of
the palace and the garden including the Queen’s Gallery had me quite
overwhelmed. I did not feel like leaving this beautiful and picturesque place.
I walked around for ages to soak in the feel of the place.
Unfortunately, my leg ached so much that I used Lothian Buses for my
return journey to my hostel. That night, there was an exchange of tips from the
best places to eat, the cheap places to buy good authentic Scottish stuff to
the easiest walking routes. It was an eclectic mix of races and religions all
looking towards a common goal – How to make most of your time in Scotland
without burning a hole in your pocket.
Listening to them, I felt I just missed reaching my goal because I had missed one of must-see attractions - The Royal Yacht Britannia. But there was simply no time. Notes that I learnt from my roommates: Do not miss this attraction and also if you are upto it, do a Ghost tour; apparently it is a very learning experience and guided by locals who are well-versed with the history.
As I was about to fall asleep, I realised that in my excitement on meeting
these girls and talking so much, I had forgotten to set the alarm. I needed to
be ready for Day 2 where I would be touring St. Andrews and the Villages of
Fife.
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