Scotland the Brave

Beauty at its best, something out of this world about this place, where there is beauty in every turn of the road, in the colours, in the lakes, in the castles, in the distilleries, in the hills, in the islands. A place I may never get bored of...(Yes yes, as per feedback I have got about my blog, I end up liking all places, but I still do:) )

Scotland is actually a separate country, which many of us never realize. They consider themselves different from the English, have a different history and culture, and have been fighting for independence for quite sometime. They have fought the English for years, though now their demand for separation seems to have lost steam. In fact, another fact which many of us dont know is that the current royal family is actually Scottish ( Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth etc).

The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, located next to the sea. Its a stunning city in brown. The striking structure of the city is the Edinburgh Castle, perched on an extinct volcano. The Royal Mile which extends from the castle, for a mile, is a nice walk and interesting shopping too. There are a couple of museums in the city which hold some interesting pieces of art. What I love about the city though is (yet again) walking around! There is a lot history in this place, the numerous wars that the Scots have had with the English, their great kings, art...is interesting to explore. There are a couple of places in Edinburg itself to spend time, explore its history etc. Here are some photos of the Scottish Museums, and the Scottish Monument (they are all located near the centre of the city). Then there is the Britannia, the ship which was the royal mode of travel for years. Its has been kept as a museum in the city. The Arthur hill, which gives a good view of the city, and a good climb. There is a festival which happens annually in December in the city, worthwhile going to. Apparently, lot of Scot music and dance, and whisky and snow!

The highlands are surely the high point of this 'country'. You can drive through the Scottish highlands, its the best way to explore this appealing land. There are hills interspersed with lakes. Loch Ness is one of the largest lakes here, you can try to spot the Nessie monster if you are lucky! Distilleries to visit, and see the pride the Scots have in their 'whisky'. Here is one we visited, the proud owners of the smallest distillery in Scotland. There are hajaar lakes, and castles you may encounter on the way, the sky changes from overcast to crystal blue.. I dont really have words to capture the beauty of the places, yet again the pictures speak louder. The islands in the north are supposed to be nice too, not been there, but someday:).

Stay at a bed and breakfast while in Scotland. If there for a longer vacation, you can rent one of the big old houses in a remote part of the country, am sure they would be fun! This is where we stayed in! A mile inside the woods, looked after by an old lady!! Perfect setting for a horror movie (My mom actually refused to stay at this isolated place). Experiences like these would abound in this place, is surely a place where you want to stay for a week at least.

The Scots are nice friendly people, very different from the English. You need to meet them, to realise this. In fact, even their English is different in its accent, much easier to understand for us too.And the kilts and the bagpipes are their standout features. They look quite cute actually, though increasingly you will see very few people wearing the traditional Scot dress except on formal occasions.