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This is Part 5 of my recap of my 2024 trip back to Scotland. For Part 1 of this series (Edinburgh) - visit here. For Part 2 (Culross) - visit here. For Part 3 (Bannockburn) - visit here. For Part 4 (Urquhart) - visit here. (May 2024) It was sadly the time to pack up and depart Inverness as I headed on my last leg of the trip. First, I needed breakfast. I found a darling spot at Househill Cafe in Nairne where I enjoyed a delicious breakfast plate while watching the cows walk t

This is Part 4 of my recap of my 2024 trip back to Scotland. For Part 1 of this series (Edinburgh) - visit here. For Part 2 (Culross) - visit here. For Part 3 (Bannockburn) - visit here. (May 2024) HIGHLANDS/FOLK MUSUEM For my next leg, I will work my way from Pitlochry up to Inverness. Along the way, I wanted to make a return visit to the Highland Folk Museum. I had visited on my very first trip to Scotland back in 2015. I discovered it while driving through the highlands an

(May 2024) - Part 3. For Part 1 of this series on Edinburgh, see this blog post. For Part 2 of this series on Culross, Falkirk, and Loch Lomond see this blog post. For my next leg, I depart the dreamy studio on Loch Lomond and head north to the highlands with a few stops along the way. Before I get too far along, I plan to stay a couple nights in Pitlochry while attending the highland games and visit some more must-see locations. A gorgous day looking up to Stirling Castle on

(May 2024) - Part 2. For Part 1 of this series, see this blog post. Continuing on my journey, I wanted to take some more time enjoying the sights of the Loch Lomond area. In my past visits I had only driven through the area. This time I had my eye set on visiting a few spots along the path from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond, as well as a few new places for me to venture around the lake. Culross About 30 minutes outside of Edinburgh in Fife, I visited Scotland's most complete and b

(May 2024) I was due to come back in the fall of 2020, but we all know why that was delayed. So, after Covid, it was a priority for me to find a way to make it back to my beloved Scotland. It wasn't until May 2024 that I could make that trip again. I was in a new relationship for a few months when it was time to travel and decided that continuing going solo, as per my past trips, still felt right. I was anticipating my mother's health to take a turn sometime in the near futur

Capturing the magic that Scotland has consumed of my heart these past 8 years has been difficult to describe with only words. While scrolling through socials, the algorithm delivered to me content from a photographer named Gabby Secomb Flegg featuring her curated "Main Character Moment" photoshoots and workshops located in Scotland. Check out her page and socials for Scotland Magic. And then the inspiration hit! If I could have photos captured of me being enveloped by the cit

I decided to give you my top 20 places to visit when I'm in Edinburgh. Initially, I was going to only do a top 10 list, but there are just too many gems to discover in this small city. This tiny-town packs a major punch for things to do. And if you are a Harry Potter or Outlander fan, there are some pretty cool sights to check out here, too. You can spend as little as 1-2 days in Edinburgh or stay as long as you want. The city has a wide variety of places to visit to satisfy

Here are just a few tips on planning your trip to this small but mighty city! I have a few quick notes for you on how long to stay, when to go, how to get there, and how to get around - of course from the POV of this Plus-Sized traveler. How Much Time Should I Spend in Edinburgh? Edinburgh is a small but robust city with a wide variety of activities to fill any length of itinerary and to satisfy all different interests. I have spent 3 full days and up to a full week in the ci

If you only spend a couple days in this beautiful capitol of Scotland, here is a list of my top 6 attractions to experience.

In April 2018, I set out for my return trip to my love, Scotland. It was going to be a shorter trip and more budget tight. So, I decided to only spend a week in Edinburgh. More to come in an upcoming post about the ins and outs of visiting Edinburgh. And all about my travel buddy, Green Ape. My journey to save a few bucks, nearly cost me my entire trip. THE PLAN First off, here is a tip. When booking your flights and looking for some short cuts to save yourself some $, really

To say that I'm highly interested in British culture would be a massive understatement. I have been raised by Anglophile parents who were equally obsessed with British culture and history. For the record, according to my DNA results, I am 70% English, 20% Irish and 10% German. So, it only made sense that our one-and-only big international trip as a family was to England when I was 5 years old (in April of 1989). Even at that age, I was already familiar with famed British come

Today I am visiting Floors Castle in Kelso near Melrose. It is currently home to the 10th Duke of Roxburghe. It was built in the 1720s for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe and then remodeled and enhanced in the 1830s to its current appearance. The castle still operates as a private home to the Duke and his family so I was not allowed to take photos inside the castle. Walking through the home, I was greeted by very friendly docents that took time to tell the stories of the family and

Today is my last day in Scotland before taking off for home early tomorrow morning. It is a bitter sweet moment. I can't believe that 2 weeks have flown by, but I am also eager to get home to my family and the love of my life, Barnaby Blue. I miss that lil muppet so much. The rental car was due back at noon, but I called to extend my rental for a few more hours so I could get in another sightseeing adventure. Falkland Castle and a visit to Dunfermline were on my list of place

My eye has been set on seeing Blair Castle. It was built starting in 1269. The owner of the land David Strathbogie (Earl of Atholl) was away on the Crusades while his neighbor John Comyn (Lord Badenoch) built a tower on his land. Upon returning from the Crusades, the Earl of Atholl reported Comyn to King Alexander III. The Earl won back his land but kept the tower and then built onto it his own castle. The castle then took on from there being added to and adapted for modern c

Today I say goodbye to the lovely city of Stirling. Let's take just a few more glances at the countryside and castle before driving off... I am driving up north to Pitlochry where the Atholl Palace Hotel is - my home for the next couple of nights. But first, we are stopping in the city of Perth which is home to the Black Watch Museum in the Balhousie Castle. My favorite town driving to Perth is Crieff - actually the hometown to actor Ewan McGregor. The Black Watch Museum at B

I found a small footnote in a brochure about an abbey in the middle of a lake and it intrigued me entirely. After doing some further research, I found that Inchmahome Priory is located only 25 minutes from my cottage apartment in Stirling. Today was the perfect day to go on this adventure. I took a small boat from the Port of Menteith to the island - about 7 minutes to travel. The lake is breathtakingly beautiful with thick forests butted up against the water, rolling hills i

Today I left the beautiful cottage at Arniston Estate and set onward to my next home in Stirling. My first stop is at Stirling Castle. It sits on top of a hill overlooking the town of Stirling with views of the National Wallace Monument across the valley. I was impressed with yet another perfect day of weather. The castle was fought over between the English and the Scots for many years. Even within a 50 year period during the Wars of Independence, the castle changed hands 8 t

Today I wanted a more relaxed day of sightseeing. So, I wanted to focus on just one key point of interest. I have been waiting all year to get to Rosslyn Chapel. As you may know by now, I am a lover of architecture and history. Built in the early part of the 1400s by the St Clair family, Rosslyn Chapel is a very unique building with intricate carvings of stone (hand carved with simple tools on local sandstone). Every inch of the interior of this chapel tells a story - biblica

I am setting out on an adventurous day of sightseeing before I start running out of time. It's amazing how quickly time flies by when you're having fun! So, today I planned to set out for Linlithgow Palace, Blackness Castle, Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies. First up, Linlithgow Palace. This palace was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. It was originally built in the 1100s. In the 1420s it was hit by a devastating fire, but at the request of James I, it was rebuilt. Much of

I departed Peebles this morning and headed for the quaint town of Jedburgh to visit the abbey. I was surprised to see that this little town is packed with great historical sights and attractions. Upon arriving to the town, I stopped by their information center. There I crossed paths with a fellow tourist from Canada who was backpacking her way (alone!) through Scotland and England for a month. You all thought I was brave for traveling by myself - I was beyond impressed with t