The Great Highland Itinerary
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Arrival in Glasgow
Since we arrived a full day before the tour began, we had extra time to wander Glasgow’s streets, ride the subway, and visit the Riverside Museum. The self-guided ship tour cost a little extra but was well worth it - especially the rat hunt game! It was easy to see why the Botanic Gardens were so popular on a sunny May day. That evening, we met our tour-mates and our lovely guide, Jamie, and got ready for day two.
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A Retreat From the City
The countryside was calming and quiet after a few days in the bustling city. Stirling Castle had an optional guided tour explaining what life in the castle was really like. Then, we made our way to Oban, our favorite town on the tour, with a few charming stops on the way. I immediately found a few seaside treasures!
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Vacation-Within-a-Vacation
I'll always remember this day as my favorite day on the tour. We were free to explore Oban all day at our own pace. We did some shopping and picnicking, and Megan even jumped into the sea! Later that night, we went to a ceilidh at a local bar, which was an absolute blast!
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Inviting Inverness
The Culloden Battlefield tour and museum were extremely well done and give you insight into this important period of Scotland's history. We spent the afternoon exploring Inverness on our own, which was a lovely treat, with fun surprises around every corner!
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A True Taste of Scotland
This day on the tour felt the most authentically Scottish to me. Megan got a chance to help sheer a sheep, then we visited a living museum, a distillery, and a castle. We ended the day with a peaceful walk along the River Tay.
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A Quick Hello to Hamish
On this day, we made our way back south to Edinburgh, making several stops, including a long lunch in St. Andrews. There, we met Hamish, a former resident of the town who used to regularly visit the shopkeepers. After arriving in Edinburgh, Meg and I braved the high winds to conquer Arthur's Seat (a much harder hike than I remember!).
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Saying Goodbye
Since they closed Edinburgh Castle on day 12 due to high winds, we decided to explore it on our own after our final tour breakfast. Then we took the tram all the way to the last stop to get one last glimpse of the sea, and of course, a last dinner of fish and chips! Until we meet again, Scotland!
(2)
Walking Through History
Glasgow is such a perfect blend of old and new, and everything in between. It was wonderful to see the city's charms around every corner! After our group walking tour, we explored the city more on our own, including doing the city's hop-on-hop-off bus route to rest our legs as we recovered from jet lag.
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Island-Hopping
Not going to lie, the sea is a bit blustery, but the scenery islands of Mull and Iona are well worth a visit! Our bus driver on Mull gave a colorful history of the island, which helped pass the time. Back in Oban, we watched the local students' pipe band practice!
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High Spirits in the Highlands
It's impossible not to feel inspired by Scotland's famous highlands scenery! After a fun gondola ride to the rugged mountainside, we traveled to Loch Ness for more castles, but no monsters. This pizza place and brewery in Inverness for dinner was fantastic, highly recommend!
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Befriending the Hairy Coos
This gallery has the most photos, because it was just such a fun day, it was hard to narrow them down! Feeding cows and deer was a first for all of us I think, and it was so fun! This was my favorite meal of the tour, it was especially fun because it took place in a tent (that thankfully held up to the winds). We went for a hike with our stylish raincoats and then watched a really nifty raptor presentation.
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Stepping Back in Time
We started this day off with a walking tour of Dunkeld, then headed to see a living example of what life was like thousands of years ago in Scotland. Later that night we met Tilly, an inspirational and hilarious woman, the first in the pipe band in Perthshire. She was a hoot!
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My Heart Belongs to Edinburgh
I love Edinburgh's old town, the craig-and-tail geological features make this city so unique. There are many museums to explore and cute ice cream shops (even if the rain is blowing right into your face at the moment). This was our last dinner as a group, we made sure to get a picture with Jamie, who taught us so much!