Edinburgh was the best way to end our trip through Scotland.  We stayed at a very European boutique hotel that was filled with amazing artwork. We also experienced a whisky tasting that included whisky from all the regions in Scotland. Now we can say we did it, so no need to do it again, lol!

We had a full day of sightseeing which included Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Carlton Hill, and several pubs.  Fun fact - you can order chips (French fries) any time of day and they are always perfect!  The weather could not have been better.  It was mostly sunny and in the 50s...and no rain.  We have lucked out again!!

The city of Edinburgh can be traced back to 1100 and the Edinburgh Castle was originally built in the 1300s.  The amazing architecture and the stories surrounding the castle are unbelievable - very Game of Thrones! 

We say goodbye to Scotland and are off to Ireland now!  

Love

, Sean and Lori

Where to begin with a day that was so much more than we asked for!  

We played 9 holes of golf at the Strathtyrum Course at St. Andrews.  We expected that it would be miles from the Old Course where The Open is played.  It was truly right next to it on a couple of holes!  We had a blast and I played well enough to not embarrass myself.  Sean killed it with 3 pars and he hit the ball a mile!  We are still pinching ourselves that we were there!

Next, we drove to Kilconquhar Castle where we stayed the night.  It is a 16th-century castle along the eastern coast of Scotland. We were snooping around the castle and ran into the owner.  He gave us a bit of history and could not have been nicer. We then wandered into the town of Kilconqhuar and fell in love with this quintessential, small Scottish town.  We walked all around which took about 30 minutes, lol!.  There was a path to a beautiful lake (or loch) and sat there taking it all in. We stumbled onto an amazing pub and restaurant, the Kinneuchar Inn.  We had steak and pints and were able to talk to some of the locals who were so friendly and helpful. Truly a magical day!!

On to Edinburgh! Everyone we met has raved about the beauty and the history of the Scottish city.  We have 2 days here so we have our walking shoes ready to go!  We can't wait!!

A few pictures from the day

Love, love you all!

Sean and Lori

Today was a lovely drive to St. Andrews.  It was another beautiful day sunny and mild.  We have hit the jackpot of weather!!  We left Aviemore and drove through Aberdeen, down through Dundee, and arrived in St. Andrews.

We are staying in a very quaint boutique hotel in the city.  The city is amazing and centers around St. Andrews University overlooking the north sea.

Then.....St. Andrews golf courses.  We cannot believe we are actually here - the home of golf. The eighteenth hole of the old course runs along the edge of town and we were able to sit there and watch the people come in.  We had a drink at The Jigger Inn which is located along the 17th hole or the "Road Hole".  We were able to take our picture on the famous Swilcan Bridge.  That picture might be frameable, lol!  

We walked around town, picked up a few souvenirs, and had dinner at one of the oldest restaurants in St. Andrews - The Central Bar.  I had traditional Scottish Steak pie and it was delicious!

Tomorrow we are playing golf at The Strathtyrum course in St Andrews so tonight it will be an early night.  I need my rest to lose as many balls as I plan to!

Love you all!  Sean and Lori

Hello!  We are now in the Scottish Highlands in the quaint town of Aviemore.  It is beautiful! Very lush, green, and picturesque. We walked around the town and had lunch at a charming old inn.  Sean had haggis which was pretty good!  Doesn't taste like chicken :)   

For dinner, we went to the Old Bridge Inn which is a 1600s house that was converted into a restaurant. It sits along the river and is a local favorite. What a night!

Visiting this area was a dream come true!  I can imagine the Haldanes (my ancestors) working in the fields.  I wonder if they would have ever comprehended that a descendant of theirs would come back to this beautiful place many years later and feel connected.  An amazing adventure!

 

On to St. Andrews!

We love you all!  Sean and Lori

 Made it to Glasgow! The people have been amazing and the weather is much better than we expected. Partly sunny and about 50 degrees.

We enjoyed a day of sightseeing. The City Center, Cathedral of Glasgow, The Transportation Museum, The Tall Ship, Clyde Distillery, and now MacSorleys Pub for fish and chips.

Here are a few pics of the day.  This took about 26,000 steps which is about 25,950 more than we usually take!  Steps. Are Hard.!

Tomorrow is a drive up to Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands. 

A few pictures of the day,  Try to guess which ones I took and which ones Sean took, lol!

Love you all!

Sean and Lori

 Hello!

We made it to London/Heathrow!  As you can imagine, the airport is a mix of craziness with all the people and a bit somber with the passing of Queen Elizabeth.  We feel fortunate to only have a 9-hour layover as many flights have been canceled.  Our travel agent said that the airspace around London is limiting traffic and that many streets are closed to allow thousands of people to line up in a 14-hour queue to pay tribute.

We had hoped to head into London for a couple of hours but decided against it.  The Tube has limited stops due to street closures and there are long waits to get out of the airport.  Also, security is a bit heightened, so we decided a pint and a glass of wine was the next best idea...so nothing new really!

We head to Glasgow tonight and look forward to stepping foot in Scotland!

Our love to you all!  Sean and Lori