Scotland (Outside of Edinburgh)

Scotland is not a large country, by size or population.  Roughly the size of South Carolina, Scotland is home to more than five million people, but only two of those cities have half a million people or more.  Once you get outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh, the towns become much smaller or are suburbs of those two cities.  That being said, much of Scotland is, even in the 21st Century, a largely underpopulated place with plenty of wild wonders for an adventurous traveler to explore.  From the famous churches of the region, to the amazing views of the Highlands to the north, Scotland is a perfect place to get out and do some active sightseeing.

Since we based our trip to Scotland out of Edinburgh, the first site we visited outside of the wonderful city was to a site all of you The Da Vinci Code fans will have to go see, Rosslyn Chapel.  Located less than ten miles outside of  Edinburgh in the small town of Roslin, the 15th Century former Catholic, now Episcopal, church was made famous as the location of the hidden secrets of the Holy Grail in Dan Brown's novel.  I will tell you this, if you are going expecting to see a giant subterranean vault with parchments and relics, you will be disappointed.  While there is a vault, there is nothing below ground that holds any hidden treasures.  The church itself is worth a visit though.  The architecture used is so elaborate for such a small village church it is no wonder people began believing there must be a mystery to it.  From the unbelievably ornate Apprentice Pillar, supposedly carved by a master mason's apprentice, the master was supposedly so mad his apprentice had carved such a magnificent piece he became enraged and killed the apprentice.   Around the sanctuary you will also see multiple carvings of faces called the Green Men.  These faces, which look like men's faces growing out of trees are all unique, and are difficult to explain in a Christian church since they often represent some form of pagan deity.  There is one drawback to the visit, you cannot take pictures on the inside.  While the internet is full of people who did it anyway, we were the only people in the church that day and had no way to hide, and we didn't want to get kicked out when we were asked not too.  You could easily spend a day in this room marveling at the hand crafted work, and when you are done take a walk around the outside to look at that design as well. Sadly when we were there they were renovating the exterior, so we didn't get to view it without quite a bit of scaffolding.  When you are done take an easy hike through the countryside to the ruin of Rosslyn Castle, a ruin of a 16th Century castle that now stands like a hidden relic of times past.  From there spend some time hiking through the beautiful Roslin Glen Park that surrounds the area.  You will find streams cutting through green forests, and abandoned ruins of long forgotten chapels.

The next day we set out for the area of Scotland that is most iconic, but not as often visited.  To head out to the Scottish highlands we decided to take a chance on a travel opportunity like we had never tried before.  We booked a day tour with The Hairy Coo, an all-day highlands tour that provides transportation that is 100% free.  How do they make your money you ask?  Well that's easy, they put on such a great tour that you are more than happy to tip graciously when the tour is done.  They pick you up in the heart of Edinburgh, then take you on nice shuttle bus to the highlands where you will visit sites like the National Wallace Monument, a 220 tall tower that pays tribute to the martyr William Wallace who died fighting for the Scottish cause of independence in the 13th Century.  From the top you will be able to see for miles in any direction along the edge of the highlands.  Be warned, you have to walk the hundreds of steps to the top, so get your cardio up before you make the climb.  You will also visit the scenic lochs of Queen Elizabeth Park, and the 14th Century ruin of Doune Castle outside of the town of Stirling.  When all of that is done comes the best part of the tour, your chance to feed some very cute Scottish cows (or coos).  The tour will take the entire day, and will include a lunch break along the way.  The entire time you will have a guide that will explain the history of the region, and tell some great stories to make the day long trip pass quickly.  I can't stress enough this is the only way to get a glimpse of the region in a day, but if you want to you can spend days visiting the region and hiking over hills that look like they haven't been touched for centuries.

While we only got outside of Edinburgh for two days, there are many other activities you can take on, and we hope to in the future.  There are the Hebrides Islands, some of the most remote islands in Europe, where many people still speak the Scottish form of Gaelic.  You can also spend the day over in Glasgow, which has been one of the leading cities in Scotland for more than a thousand years.  No matter where you go in the country you will find kind people who are eager to be helpful.  I promise you will enjoy every second and be excited to plan another trip back.

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