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Scotland was our very first introduction to Great Britain and Europe and I loved it instantly. We had the privilege of visiting both Scotland and Ireland on the same trip (about 8 days in each) and often are asked if we prefer one over the other. For us, Scotland won our hearts. Here are a few reasons why…
1. Edinburgh – We LOVE this city! We stayed at a B&B in the city and walked everywhere. We spent days with this as our base, exploring Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, Holyrood Palace, and Arthur’s Seat. We definitely got a lot of walking miles in, but it was fantastic being able to meander at our own pace and visit all of the sites that brought us to Scotland in the first place.
2. The Border Abbeys – Self-proclaimed Anglophile, architecture, and history buff here, but the Border Abbeys were absolute perfection. We rented a car and did a little exploring outside of the city while we were there. About an hour away, you will find Melrose, Dryburgh, and Jedburgh Abbeys, all gorgeous ruins.
3. The Castles – There is little better in life for me than to explore architectural marvels that contain so much history. From the very complete Edinburgh and Stirling Castles to the roofless beauty of Linlithgow to the picturesque Eileen Donan in all of her glory set on a lake in the mountains… standing in rooms where Kings and Queens once stood, where rulers were born and lived and died, touching stones that were crafted to stand there a thousand years earlier – it’s my favorite.
4. Natural Beauty – Oh my goodness, Scotland is beautiful. Once we got out of the city, we spent a few days exploring the Highlands hiking mountains, lakes, and waterfalls. It’s absolutely stunning. One of the highlights was driving through the Glencoe Valley on winding roads surrounded by snowcapped peaks. Aaron tends to enjoy natural beauty more than I do, but even I had to admit this was breathtaking. We also became slightly obsessed with sheep on this trip.
5. The People – This is one of the things that made Scotland absolutely perfect for us. The people we met on our travels were so friendly and had accents that varied from totally understandable to I’m-not-so-sure-you’re-still-speaking-English. We LOVE that. Our hosts at B&B’s were wonderful and the people we met along the way were helpful and kind. That being said, on most of our day trips, it was totally normal for us to not run into a single soul or to just see a few people here and there. This is a magical thing for us – we love exploring at our own pace without the pressure of tour groups pushing us along, so to have the gift of walking into a ruined abbey and having it all to ourselves… absolutely priceless. To have the time to sit and soak and enjoy and photograph minus crowds… incredible. This could have been the time of year (we traveled in early Spring), but pairing great architecture with the ability to photograph without any people is a best case scenario for us.
There are so many reasons that we love Scotland and I feel like there could be a hundred more posts on the individual things that made us fall in love with her. For us, Scotland wins.
