So much to post!
Day 7 (3/28)
We spent the day in St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf. It was about an hour and a half drive, but completely worth it. We had perfect weather, and the countryside along the way was gorgeous as well.
We actually got to golf while we were there. There was a little 18 hole putting course with a perfect view of the 18th hole. It was a bit windy, but I did quite well.
On the way back we stopped in Anstruther for "the best fish and chips in Britain." Definitely the best fish and chips I've ever had. So light and crispy...my mouth is watering as we speak.
The famous stone bridge on the 18th hole.
The course is right along the coast.
The line for fish and chips.
Ice cream!
The best fish and chips.
Day 8 (3/29)
A magical day at the castle!
We started the day at Greyfriar's Kirkyard. J. K. Rowling would walk around the graveyard for inspiration. We saw the Potter's graves, as well as Tom Riddell. You can also see the school from the graveyard that was her inspiration for Hogwarts. Needless to say, I was in Harry Potter heaven.
After a quick stop at The Elephant House for some toasties (it seemed to be a Harry Potter sort of day), and the patisserie for some truffles (mmm, I was craving some dark chocolate), we headed up the road to Edinburgh Castle. I will never get lost in Edinburgh. You can see the castle from anywhere in the city. Also, apparently the main road is called the high road because it leads up to the castle. It's a very Edinburgh type term, but they use it for any main street in any city.
It was a little overcast, but overall the weather hasn't been too bad, and we lucked out again this day.
On our way back down The Royal Mile we found some pretty fun hats to try on, and I ended up buying mine. I couldn't resist.
We went downtown on the new to a Spanish place and had tapas. Then home for relaxing, where I promptly fell asleep.
Apparently you can drink beer on the bus here.
The inspiration for Hogwarts.
This is what the bathroom looks like. Harry Potter quotes for days.
We popped in here for a quick dram of whisky. And no, I am not misspelling it. The Scottish drop the "e."
Hogwarts from the castle.
See that hill? That's Arthur's Seat. We're going to climb that.
For all of my Game of Thrones friends: apparently the Red Wedding is based off of this story.
Day 9 (3/30)
Gavin's boss called to tell him work is slow this week and to take the day off, so he decided to come with me into town. We climbed this amazing hill called Arthur's Seat and got some really great views.
Once we made it back to the bottom we stopped in to Scottish Parliament to see where the big decisions are made.
Then, since it was such a beautiful and sunny day, we drove over to the botanical gardens. There was a really beautiful Magnolia starting to bloom, but I couldn't get any good pictures. They also have 10 glasshouses (what we'd call a greenhouse) kept at different temperatures and points of humidity. There were some pretty cool plants to check out in those.
After that it was my favorite time of day, pizza and sweatpants time.
Today I leave for the magical Isle of Skye! That place is a big reason why I chose Scotland, so I'm super pumped! I'll let you know how it is when I get back. Expect a lot of pictures in my next post!
