About a week into the trip, we had our first free day without any scheduled activities. So, I bought tickets to go on a bus tour through the Highlands from Edinburgh. Another student, Katelyn, joined me on the excursion, helping us to get to know each other better. The tour was operated by Highland Experience Tours and the tour guide was so upbeat and always kept me engaged in the stories she told while on the bus. The entire experience was ideal and ran smoothly, making one of my ultimate dreams come true.
After a very early wake up time of five a.m., we traveled into the city to meet the tour bus right behind St. Giles’ Cathedral. At eight a.m. sharp, we were off. The bus driver maneuvered us through New Town on the way out of the city, while the tour guide taught us about the historical significance of the area. Our first stop was one of my favorite parts of the whole day. We made a visit to the Heilan Coos, and there was even an adorable five week old Coo. Below is the mom of the baby Coo!
Through the bus windows, we saw endless mountains and valleys with the occasional pine tree forest. It was breathtaking and I’m still trying to process the insane views. The bus did a quick photo stop at Rannoch Moor, where the rugged terrain meets the snowy slopes of the mountains. This was the moment that the feeling of awe hit me. I couldn’t believe I was standing right in front of some of the most beautiful mountains of Scotland. With my camera, I was crazily trying to get the perfect shots during the fifteen minutes we had. I wish we could have stayed there longer.
For the next two hours, we drove through the northwestern highlands up to Inverness and Loch Ness. With an additional cost of about thirty pounds, the group was given the option of a lake cruise on Loch Ness. All I can say is that the extra cost was worth it. On the cruise, there was a front deck that was open for passengers to take pictures and soak in the view. Camera in hand, I braved the bitter cold and forty mile an hour winds, and captured some of best pictures from this trip. Here is one of them!
After the thirty minute boat cruise, I was quite frozen solid from standing on the front deck the entire time. It was worth it when the boat reached the docks to Urquhart Castle. This medieval structure sits on the coast of Loch Ness, and was used as a fortress during the Wars of Independence between the Scots and English for five hundred years. As a result of the Jacobite Uprising, the castle was blown to pieces, leaving a stark reminder of the great conflict within Scottish history.
There is even a full size trebuchet that rests off to the side of the castle. It was used to launch heavy projectiles in medieval times.
The final stretch of the site seeing was of the most famous mountain regions in Scotland: Ben Nevis and Glencoe. The weather was on point during this part of the Highland tour. The perfect trio of weather (cold, rainy, and foggy) caused the best effect. The clouds covering the summits were so ominous that they almost look animated, like they were about to roll down the slopes. I felt as if I was walking into a James Bond movie. Especially in Glencoe, I felt so tiny due to our closeness to the mountains. We drove through the Three Sisters, an area of Glencoe with three mountain ridges located close together. I was in complete awe in how the setting was real. After these photo stops, we were on our two hour trip back to Edinburgh. It will be a day that I reminisce on forever.
