Spectacular Scotland stole our hearts

I spent the whole of summer mulling over visiting Scotland. First I waited for the hotel prices to fall because summer prices were crazy. Then I waited for the weather to settle but we have had 10 named storms since September. Living in the midlands also gives us very good access to most places in England and Wales. Naturally, we chose the 1-2 hour drives over an almost 6 hour one. But Scotland never left my mind. In fact, I continued looking up hotel prices and weather so often that Debra got a little annoyed.  Before we knew it, it was 2024. 

​Last week, we had a clear break in the weather when most of the UK was dry. I thought it was an amazing time to make the 676 mile (1088km) round trip. It was after lunch and I got a little distracted from writing. I scoured the internet for reasonably price family rooms in Scotland. This time the stars all aligned. 

KIDS!!! COME UPSTAIRS FOR A FAMILY MEETING! Our parliamentary vote went 3 against 1. The kids were totally on board with heading to Scotland. Within 30 minutes, a tiny luggage was packed and we got into François (our tiny car is lovingly named that because it is a French make haha!) for our super impromptu trip to Edinburgh, Scotland! 

ENGLAND ENGLAND ENGLAND......SCOTLANDDDDDD!!!!
We got into Scotland a little past bed time and immediately settled into our hotel room. To be very honest, the night didn't go as planned. You see, since the kids were born, we've NEVER shared a bed or room with them. In all our travels, we've always given them separate connecting rooms/rooms next door. Believe it or not, it was the first time in almost 10 years we shared the room with them. You combine that with the "first night syndrome" when you get used to sleeping in another bed, we barely got any sleep. I salute all the parents who co-sleep with their children. HOW DO YOU GET ANY SLEEP?!

The next morning, we enjoyed our own gluten free PB&J and each got a nice soak in the bath before heading into Edinburgh.

Edinburgh is absolutely GORGEOUS! It feels so much more intact than London. The old buildings seem to go on forever, seemingly unaffected by modernity. The charm of the cobbled stones and sand coloured stone buildings instantly stole our hearts. Not surprisingly, the person who voted against the trip had her heart stolen as well. 

Now against this backdrop, imagine hearing the sound of bagpipes. We all spontaneously just gravitated towards the bagpipe sound and started looking for the piper...it didn't take long to find them...We stood mesmerised by the bagpipe tunes like "Scotland the brave" and "Sleep dearie sleep". I was a little surprised I felt a lump in my throat. The vibe in Edinburgh was just tremendous. If you've followed us for some time, you'd know we cannot spend too much time in cities. They absolutely drain us. Edinburgh felt different, we absolutely enjoyed it. 

I must add that I have nothing but respect for these men in kilts because it was absolutely freezing cold. If you ever visit Scotland dress EXTRA WARM. We had the same temperature in the Midlands but it felt WAY colder in Scotland. I think COLD is always spelt with bold letters in Scotland. Just to give you an idea how cold it always is....they simply leave ice cube deliveries outside. 

It wasn't long before we needed some warm food in our bellies to keep us going. We managed to  find a restaurant with gluten-free options and some character. The City Cafe (EH1 1QR) had a really cool American diner vibe (yes we didn't have the courage to try Scottish Haggis). The kids were bobbing their heads all through their lunch while guitars were shredded over the stereo. 80s beats, rock and roll, Elvis, Sinatra, Bon Jovi and Clapton aren't the kind of music you'd expect kids these days to love. 

All warmed up, we were back admiring the stunning streets, buildings and views from the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle. 

It is quite expensive to visit the insides of the castle so we decided to spend our time at the National Museum of Scotland instead. Completely free of charge and so much to see you'll need an entire day to see everything. On our way to the Museum, we saw many souvenir shops along the Royal Mile. They are mostly chain tourist traps owned by the same people selling the same cheap factory made souvenirs. The prices were tempting but as craftspeople who ran a handcraft business, it didn't sit right with us. It is the local people, businesses and crafts people that need the most support. In fact, they are the custodians of the local culture and traditions. In the end, we shopped at the National Museum of Scotland's museum shop on items made by Scottish craftspeople (and wool from Scottish sheep). The profits also go towards the upkeep of the museum. 

Apart from the shop, we had a pretty fun time learning about magnificent animals, space, transport and fashion before calling it a day. That was as far as our feet could take us. 

Fun fact: Do you know Dolly the sheep was the first successfully cloned animal and it was all done in Scotland?

We really didn't manage to do very much for this short trip. We are longing to return to Scotland again because there is just so much of the country that we've not seen. This was a very short and brief introduction but it was an impactful one. So impactful that on the way back south, Gwyn asked us if there were churches and ballet classes in Scotland. (her current priorities in life haha!) We told her there is and her immediate response was "WE CAN MOVE TO SCOTLAND THEN!" + a big smile on her face. 

P.S...dont' worry we are not considering that! We are fine where it's a little less rainy and cold in the Midlands.