Road tripping with Jane and Big Bertha

The Kelpies

Falkirk Wheel

Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle, amazing tapestries

Stirling Castle, new friend

Stirling Castle, I missed the dress up room,
but eagle eyed Jane found it

Old GA headquarters

If you see this car, move over

The day has arrived to be daring, hop in a car and head north. Our car is ready and its time to load up and go. Press start / stop, turn handbrake off, car rolls, hmm, try again, and again, ask the nice man to help me and not laugh, he tells me to do, what I have been doing. A few more times and viola we are off onto the streets of Scotland. Watch out world. The GPS is built in, nice, leather seats, nice. But the car is so big we ordered a small Hyundai and ended up with a beast, now dubbed Big Bertha. Maybe they saw all our luggage and decided we needed the extra space.

Jane is in charge of GPS, postcode does not work, location does not work, lets go the closest suburb and guess from there. Make it onto the main road and through a roundabout, phew, at least the car is easy to drive. 

The first stop on today's tour is the Kelpies, a beautiful sculpture of two 30m high horse heads. Impressive and gorgeous against the deep blue sky, snap, snap. Say hello to some dogs and moving on. Second stop is Falkirk Wheel, quite an engineering marvel, the wheel replaces 11 locks and moves boats between two canals 35 meters in the air. Even more impressive.

Ok, Big Bertha, that was two easy bits of navigation, let's try to get into the city of Sterling and capture the castle. Right to the top, the car park full sign is out, but there is nowhere to turn around so we end up at the gate and get directed by 4 separate attendants to our parking space and I even reverse in. Right now time for some fun, up the ramp and in we go, first glance is a garden how beautiful against the stone of the castle I like this place. Now we keep going, Grand Hall fully refurbished and can fit 500 people they must have had some big parties back here once upon a time. Onto the palace rooms and these are even nicer, with fully restored or new tapestries. I really like this castle, gives me a real sense of how it must have been in the past. The surrounding town is really well laid out and the houses look so well cared for, an all-round nice place,

There’s time for one more tourist attraction, National Wallace Monument to pay homage to William Wallace (think Mel Gibson in Braveheart) and see his actual sword. Thankfully there is a shuttle bus to the top of the mountain and then we ‘just’ have to do the 246 steps in the narrow staircase to the top. The most interesting bit has to be the story of the 72 robbery.

Now its time to head for our base for the night, Perth. We have one more pilgrimage to make back in the dim dark recesses of time we had a great band of people who all worked together at NZI. Then along came an organisation called General Accident and their headquarters were in Perth, Scotland. Well, they broke up our happy band of workers and so I am here to throw a rock at the window. Well not really. But I could never understand why they had a headquarters in the back blocks of Scotland on top of a hill that looked like a nuclear fallout bunker, so armed with some insider information (thanks, Mark) we made it. Nowadays it is an Aviva management training centre and not the grandiose head office of the past.

A quick pizza, a walk around Perth and there are people enjoying this hot weather and even jet skiing on the River Tay. Now its time for some zzzzzzzz.

Impressions of Edinburgh

Strike a pose 

The number one painting I wanted to see

Jane discovered an old fashioned
version of pinterest board

My fav, even had a seal at bottom,
wish it had a puffin

Checking out views of the castle from Princes St Park

We think we found heather?

Floral Clock

It wouldn’t be a big city without bubble blowers 

Scottish Parliament

Today is our final day in Edinburgh so we have narrowed down the options and head out onto the Royal Mile. What! Its cold! This first time so far, actually its a pleasant relief after the heat. Our first mission is to find J.K. Rowlings hand prints to celebrate her Edinburgh award. Tick. Now onto find an elusive invader. Have been looking all week and not found one, so its time to give in and use a map from the web. Edinburgh is riddled with closes, narrow lane ways all with ancient names, steps and the vibe of yesteryear we go up and down, round and round, but its not to be. Cross.

Edinburgh is a UNESCO city of literature and riddled with famous authors like Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stephenson, so a quick stop at the Writers Museum and then its onto the Scottish National Gallery. Jane has already cased out the layout so she is in charge and does an excellent highlights tour. Some great Scottish painters that I have never heard of and the one painting I knew to look out for, Reverend Robert skating on Duddingston Loch.

A nice lunch in Jenners overlooking Princes Street and the Scott Memorial and now it is onto Mary Kings Close. A guided tour in a warren of hidden streets, our guide is a 400 year old wine merchant who takes us through the centuries and share stories of common people, rather than the kings and queens. It is fascinating to stand in each room and learn how 12 people lived here or where the cattle were penned. He makes the point that has become very obvious this week, Scotland like to put a claim to fame to anything and everything. (No photos allowed so it feels like it did not happen)

Back to base to put my feet up and have a cup of tea. Am finding it hard to put all the different bits of Scottish history together, so its time to read The Story of Scotland, an illustrated kids book and see if I can get things straight. Ok, that book was funny, factual and useful. Now I get it, they fight lots with everyone and amongst themselves but at least I have the timeline right in my mind.

On day one I was obsessed with all the people in kilts and Arthur’s Seat looming large behind the city now I have settled down and love the look and feel of this great city, my overall thoughts:

• It is a very friendly city, locals will go out of their way for a wee chat :)
• tourist guides think everything was invented in Scotland and like to tell you so, even skyscrapers in the 1600’s
• the area is compact and very walkable but there are a lot of stairs!

Adventure to Puffin Island

Walking track

Puffins!

Fog horn is massive

Idyllic

Puffin

Puffin

Our boat

Gannets at Bass Rock

Excitement is at fever pitch in room 150 this morning, I am organising my backpack for Puffin Island and Jane is getting her change sorted for the bus to Roslyn Chapel. Hop, skip and jump and I am at the train station trying to figure out where to buy a ticket and which platform for the train to North Berwick. Its all pretty logical and before I know it I am on my way along with lots and lots of other people, seems like with the hot weather everyone has decided to go to the beach today. 

North Berwick station is a lot smaller than I expected, glad I brought some lunch with me. From the map it looks like I go down the main road to walk to Seabird Centre but there is a beach just over there, its so sunny, detour. How idyllic is this little town. Islands are dotted around, later I learn the littlest one with the lighthouse is Fidra Island, Robert Louis Stevenson’s inspiration for Treasure Island.

My objective today is to see one puffin, fingers and toes all crossed. Safety briefing done, lifejacket on and we are on our way. ‘Puffin’ goes the shout and everyone looks to the side of the boat. We have not even gone 50 metres and there is a puffin swimming along by the breakwater. They are not even meant to be this close to the coast.

Whizzing along a high speed we are on way to the Isle of May, a reserve for birds managed by Natural Heritage Scotland. Its 10 miles out in the North Sea but the time goes by in a flash and we are ready to land. Only a limited number of people are able to land each year so I am lucky to be able to visit

Our knowledgeable guide James takes us on a walking tour of the island, I don’t know which way to turn first Arctic terns (from Antartica) are dive bombing, Herring and Great black-backed gulls are squawking and best of all 100’s of puffins are zooming by with fish in their mouths to feed the pufflings (baby puffins) in their burrows. 

We head up the track and around the cliffs, over dale and under bridges, up to the lighthouse, around the dam, by the research stations and even see a fog horn, its big! All the while the puffins and lots of birds surround us. Its an immersive experience and quite overwhelming with camera and go pro I go beyond frenzy level.

Eventually, James leaves us and we are free to continue exploring I know exactly the spot I want to go back to and spend ages watching the puffins launch mid flight straight into their burrows to avoid the gulls trying to steal their fish. They fly so fast they make a whooshing noise when they go over my head. Finally, I calm down enough to stop jumping around and sit and fully take in this amazing spectacle of nature. 

All too quickly its time to head back to the boat. All aboard and the first thing we see is a grey seal waving to us as we leave the shore. James has another spectacle in store for us. On the way back we visit Bass Rock, the largest gannet colony in the world. Its impossible to describe the noise, smell and sheer energy of 250,000 gannets swirling around your head. Fantastic!

Finally back to base, time for a quick pizza washed down with Elderflower drink and a long over-excitable catch up on our days.

Britannia rules the waves

Royal Yacht Brittania

Pulling a Fosters on
Royal Yacht Brittania

Great Gallery at
 National Museum of Scotland

My favourite, the Fettercain Jewel

Lewis Chessman, much easier
to see here than the scrum at British Museu,

National Museum of Scotland 

Looking down the Royal Mile

Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura, I nearly fell over here
it felt like the floor moved
but it may have been the lights!

The smell of salt air hits us and we know we are getting close, monster sized sea gulls are flying around and there it is, the Royal Yacht Britannia. Get the tickets out, take the fast track lane please ladies and in we go to start at the top on the bridge. Photos in the captains chair, steady as she goes, we have created a mini roadblock as now everyone wants photos in the chair. Onwards and down a level we go, Captains quarters, Queens bedroom with beautiful silk bed head, Phillips bedroom, galleys, the state dining room (my fav) I feel like I am in an episode of The Crown. Everything is just as it was designed in 50’s right down to the silk embroiled bedhead in the Queens room.

Whats this on the side deck a Rolls Royce, right that is just too much, it was not used in later years as it was easier to get a car at the destination. All the walls are filled with lovely family photos of everyone enjoying cruises it looks like a holiday boat. Now we get to the officers mess, whats that on the fan? A stuffed wombat. Apparently, a favourite game of the officers was Wombat tennis, turn on the fan and the wombat flys, chaos ensues. The officers also have a bar with Fosters on tap, there is dress up clothes. Will we do it, of course we will, Jane goes first, hat on, jacket on, corgi under arm pull a beer or two. Now its my turn, this pose, that, now we have created a mini-frenzy and everyone wants to do it. Outside to see the Bloodhound the yacht that Charles and Anne learnt to sail on and then lets just go up to the Royal Tea Deck for some pampering and lunch. Egg sandwiches, Lemon drizzle cake, Dundee cake, Which tea will I have, hmm, Scotch Earl Grey sounds interesting, earl grey with a touch of heather. Verdict, delicious. Time to exit via the gift shop.

The Hop on hop off bus delivers us back to the Royal Mile and its time to split up I am off to the National Museum of Scotland to meet Dolly the sheep. Will I use google maps, or will I guess? Lets just keep walking and see how we go the sunshine is delightful on all the old buildings and tourists are thronging the streets moving from one attraction to the next.

I make it here easily and have a plan for the museum.  Glad I do as it is way bigger than I expected. Lets get lift to the top and make my way down, the rooftop terrace has magic views of the castle, then is on to explore, Arthurs seat coffins, a whisky still as big as the steam train next to it - they really do like their whisky, Bonnie Prince Charles picnic set, Queen Mary’s jewels and on and on. But my favourite has to be the Fettercain Jewel a pendant with intricate design with the god of Mercury, flowers and butterflies it has a mystery code that experts are still trying to puzzle out.

The days never see to end in Scotland, onto Camera Obscura which they describe as fairground fun meets 21st-century tech, its a lot of fun and they even have a ladder that goes to Australia. I enjoy getting my head chopped off and nearly falling over on the final ride.

Now its time to meet Jane and we finally get into the Worlds End pub to enjoy their famous fish and chips. Served by an Irish guy who no one can understand as his accent is too thick. Too funny.

Weather update: Today was the hottest recorded day in 20 years in Scotland, Scallywag set the record with 31 degrees.

Cannons and HP

Would Rosco like one of these?

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Victoria St

There is a Scots version
of Harry Potter
could barely work out the words

Thomas Riddle grave
I wonder what his family think
of this modern day obsession

At The Elephant House cafe
French mother and daughter
I had fun with as we did our
Harry Potter graffiti photos in the tiny toilet

Angels playing bagpies in
Thistle Chapel at St Giles

St Giles

The morning weather reports are going on and on and on about the heat. Apparently yesterday it was hotter in the UK than Bali and that is a big deal. But we cant be worried about the weather as one of the brochures says we run tours in rain, sleet and even sunshine.

Out the door, we go turn left and straight up the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. The castle is heaving, tour groups from every nation all converge at the top of the Royal Mile to storm the castle. In we go and up, and up to check out the royal jewels, then onto the Royal Hall. There is even a whisky experience to dabble in a few tastings at the top of the castle. The cannon is massive and a ball can be shot for 2km, it is affectionally known as Mons Meg.

Now we are off on a tour of Old Town, down a hill, oh that looks pretty, snap, snap. Warning Harry Potter shop, warning another Harry Potter shop, what fun. More views of the castle, up another steep hill and better views. Around the old school and onto explore the Greyfriars area.

Edinburgh is a dog lovers paradise, and here is a memorial to Bobby, a dog who guarded the grave of his owner for 14 years. All the tourists take his photo and then touch his nose, must be for good luck? If you think I am sharing germs with all those tourists you are sadly mistaken.

Into Kirk (graveyard) on an important mission, Jane does not have a clue why we are here, it's quite an old cemetery with big trees and a happy mix of tourists and a sketching class. But I have a secret mission we are here to find where J.K. Rowling got the inspiration for names of some of the characters in the Harry Potter books. With help from 10-year-old Jessica and her Nan, we find Thomas Riddle at the end of the path and then onto McGongall, Moody and Cruickshanks.

Its time for a cup of tea and I know the perfect spot nearby. The Elephant House is one of the many cafes J.K. Rowling is rumoured to have spent time writing the first Harry Potter book, it seems to have cornered the market and is a really nice place to enjoy an elephant shortbread.

The final stop for the day is St Giles Cathedral, 2 pounds for a photo permission sticker and we are in. Its worth it for the stained glass windows alone. But what I am really here to do is find some room out the back with angels playing the bagpipes. We find it, its called Thistle Chapel and people of Scots ancestry, who have given distinguished service the guide shows us Robert Menzies (Australian Prime Minister) and his crest has the Southern Cross on it. Now that was unexpected.

The Outlander Odyssey begins

The first guy we meet
and he winked at me

¸Palace of Holyroodhouse abbey ruins 

The lovely staff wear kilts

Arthurs Seat

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Climbing Nelsons Monument

National Memorial from top of Nelsons Monument

Looking down Princes Street to Waverley Station and castle

Scotts Monument with everyone
collapsing in shade from the heat

Exhausted but happy

BA8704 ready for take off, ack, balh, be, bob, what did they say? We haven’t even left the ground and I don’t understand the Scottish accent. One hour later we are circling our destination straining to check out where is the castle, all the houses are in very straight rows and what is that big mountain in the background. Everything is bathed in sunshine and green.

Our taxi driver knows we are tourists, how did he figure that out? And gives a great running commentary of all the sites along the way, what a great way to be introduced to a new country. Time to dump the bags and get out into sunny Edinburgh.

Off down the Royal Mile with a plan to keep Jane on track, our destination is only open today as then it shuts for the royal garden parties. Someone keeps getting distracted by shops and photo opportunities and its not Jane! We arrive, where are the unicorns, distracted by Arthurs Seat and finally tickets exchanged and we are in. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the Queen in Scotland and has a long history including Mary, Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Audio guide in hand we explore all the rooms and get generally confused by all the Charles' and James' in history. The bits I like most are the embroidered chairs with fancy ladies and the room where Sean Connery was knighted. No photos allowed throughout the palace so it's a very sedate experience for us.

Ejected out into the ruins of the abbey now the photo frenzy starts, then onto the garden. It's beautiful and so glorious in the sunshine. All the staff wear kilts and are so friendly.

100’s of people look like little ants walking up to Arthurs Seat, they must be hot. Onwards and upwards we go in the other direction towards the top of Carlton Hill. Cutting up through the burial ground Jane jokes that we will end up with sunstroke and the headlines will read, ‘two Aussies admitted to hospital with sunstroke on their first day in Scotland’.

Arthur’s seat and all of Edinburgh laid out below us looks just amazing in the sunshine. There is lots to explore where do we go first. As usual I am drawn to the highest point and you can enter, will we go? Of course we will, its so cool inside Nelsons Monument and we slowly climb the 132 steps to the top for a photo frenzy.

Now onto National Monument, I cant get up the wall, most people get pushed up, Jane gives me a good shove but its not to be, too high. A rest in the shade and then a gradual walk down to explore more of this beautiful city.

The Balmoral Hotel, very fancy, Scotts Monument, the largest monument to a writer in the world, Jenners a famous old department store and gradually make our way back to base to collapse.

Note: London City Airport is the chosen departure point, its a business airport much closer to the city that I want to try out. Well, that was a mistake its an overcrowded, disorganised throwback from the 70’s.