Scotland

Quick Stop in Iceland

 

   Finally back from an awesome trip to Scotland! I went with my husband and sister in law & her husband. It was a fun couples trip. I’ve never been to Scotland and did a TON of research beforehand. My sister in law told me about this airline called WOW airlines. You can get SUPER cheap flights from LAX to basically anywhere in Europe for as low as $99 one way. I read some reviews, they were mixed. Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was! They do have fees for baggage & carry-on, they charge for all food and beverage on the flight, but at the end of the day, we saved hundreds! If you decided to do a WOW flight, here are a few tips.

   1. The seats do recline. People complain that they don’t, but they do. They actually recline way further than any airline I’ve ever been on. There’s a hidden red lever on the left bottom side of your seat. 2. Another complaint is that there aren’t any outlets for your electronics. There is, just hidden. It is also located bottom left-hand side of your seat. 3. Bring your own food & drink on to the plane. 4. If you want to save as much money as possible, pack light. So you don’t have to pay all the baggage fees. We spent $250RT per ticket. Worth it? I think so.

   We had a 16-hour layover in Revyakivik, Iceland. We decided to make the best out of the time and get a rental car and explore. We heard that the Blue Lagoon was one of the best places to go. It was about a 20 min drive from the airport. Make sure you book ahead of time, they do book up every day and ahead of time. I’ve also heard mix things on Blue Lagoon, but honestly, I LOVED it. I would pay to go back 100%. I think I loved it because it was the first thing we did getting off that long flight, which is probably why it was so enjoyable. They have different packages you can choose from, we just did the basic. We rented robes and slippers when we got there, it was actually cheaper that way rather than paying for the next package up. Bring a hair tie. Don’t get your hair wet. I repeat, don’t get your hair wet. It will dry the shizz out of your hair. They do have a conditioner you can put in your hair if you want to get it wet, but…I wouldn’t risk it. If you’re hungry they have a cafe with sandwiches, fruit, and salads. They also have a nicer restaurant that you would need to make reservations for. Go a few hours before sunset, it’s so beautiful when the sun sets. The colors are unbelievable and so magical.

 

Isle of Skye

 

  The next morning we flew into Edinburgh (pronounced ED-IN-BRUH). We got a rental car and headed to the Isle of Skye. It was about a four and half hour drive that turned into six towards the end of the drive. We were about 30 minutes away from our destination and there was a fatal car accident. Well, the road we were traveling on was the ONLY road to get to the Isle of Skye unless we backtracked about 2 hours to another road. So we just waited out until the car accident was cleared out. I had slight anxiety driving up to the Isle of Skye. You are in Europe, cars drive on the opposite side of the road and on the right side of the car. The roads are SO narrow. They look more like one-way roads for two way traffic. So be aware and careful! We ran into a lot of accidents while there.

  That evening we finally arrived at our first stop, Kinloch Lodge. A very stunning property in the Isle of Skye. It’s such a dreamy location and I would highly recommend staying there if you get the chance! They are known for their award-winning food, which you have to try! We immediately went to dinner after arriving. They sat us down in their sitting room and offered us drinks. I got a passion fruit mocktail that was so good! They typically have 2 menus to choose from, a 5-course dinner or a 7-course dinner. We wanted the full experience and went with the 7 courses, although we were quite jet-lagged and ready for bed. It was delicious but I must say the apple dessert was my favorite. They told us that it takes 3 days to make this dessert, so it’s a must try!

  Our room was in the lodge next to the main lodge up to the top of the stairs. When you walked in there was a cute sitting room, and the next room over was the bedroom and attached to the sitting room on the other side was the bathroom. It was decorated so cute, the wallpaper was my favorite in the bedroom. The bathtub was also one of my favorite features, I’m a sucker for bathtubs! It was incredibly dark when we arrived so we had no idea what the scenery around us looked like. The next morning when I woke up I was stunned by how beautiful the property was. Out the window, I saw a little fisherman boat and the sunrise rippling on the ocean. Everything was so green and beautiful! We went for a little walk before breakfast to see the property. We walked to the shorelines where we found a cute swing that you can swing on and gaze out on the ocean and shoreline. The property is quite big and you could explore for hours.

  We went to breakfast and I have to say…it was my favorite! We had the most AMAZING porridge. I’m not really a hot cereal kind of person, but this porridge was so delicious! Not to mention the scones and jam, can never go wrong there!

  If you decide to visit Isle of Skye you have to stay at Kinloch.

 

 

  The Isle of Skye, I would say it’s the most scenic part of Scotland. It was my FAVORITE part of Scotland. Our first full day in the Isle of Skye we mapped out what we wanted to do. We decided that day we would see the fairy pools, neist point, and coral beach. I feel like we timed it out pretty well and had enough time to do all three in one day. It was hard to time everything out since the sunset was at 5:30 and it didn’t get light outside until around 8, but I think we did a pretty good job! Fairy pools, I would plan on walking roughly 3.5 miles. Bring a raincoat and wear rain boots. The scenery is stunning and there are endless photo opportunities. The hike is kid friendly as well.

  We drove to neist point right after, again the roads are one-way roads with two way traffic. You have to figure out a new rhythm to driving. Neist point was my ALL time favorite spot in the Isle of Skye. The hike was roughly 2.5 miles total. It’s quite the climber hike, took me a minute to get back out because you have to climb a million stairs, but it was totally worth it. Also, kid-friendly, just watch your kiddos carefully!

  After neist point, we darted to the coral beach. There’s a castle on the way there that you will see from the road. It’s hard to miss! The coral beach was a 4-mile hike total. You walk 2 miles there and 2 miles back. The scenery is beautiful and the beach is fun, especially if you have kids! Take a plastic bags and collect some seashells and coral. It’s a fun time!

  That night we went to the Old Schoolhouse Restaurant. Which is quite literally in an old schoolhouse, which was pretty fun! Make sure to make reservations for most of these places. Eating is a social thing in Scotland and people tend to stay there all night eating and talking. I would highly recommend the beef cheeks and the chicken!

  The next day was a little bit windier and rainier. We decided to do head to Kilt Rock first. You can do that stop in 15 minutes. You just park, get out, walk a really short distance and look at the waterfall. It is really pretty! After that, we bolted to the Quairing. It was SO windy we couldn’t hike around anywhere because we were afraid of being blown off the mountain, but you can really hang out there for as long or little as you want. They have a few hiking paths. The scenery and mountains are breathtaking. Same story with Old Man of Storr bit of a hike, and you can stay for as long or as little as you want.

  After that, we headed to the cutest town called Portree. They have a beautiful harbor with colorful buildings. Must take a photo there! They have a grocery store if you need any food or snacks, they also have a health food store across the street from the regular grocery store. I would recommend just walking around. There’s a lot of cute shops for souvenirs as well. If you are in the mood for ice cream, Isle of Sky ice cream is delicious and has a cute candy counter also! Nearby there’s a fish & chips place and they have quite the variety of quick food that’s pretty tasty!

  On our way out of Isle of Skye, we stopped at the Eileen Donar Castle and did the tour there. It was quite interesting and I would highly recommend doing it! The castle is beautiful and so is the surrounding scenery. After the castle, we headed to Glasglow. Any Harry Potter fans? We had to see Hogwarts! The University of Glasgow was stunning. I could spend a whole day there walking around and staring at the architecture. I recommend stopping by. They also have the Huntsman Museum inside which we spend a few hours in. There were a lot of interesting exhibits!

 

Gleneagles

 

  Next day we headed to Gleneagles where we were spending the next few days. It’s about an hour outside of Edinburgh. Gleneagles is 850 acres of nothing but the best time. It is the most stunning establishment, very castle-like. When we arrived everyone was so friendly and took our luggage and got us all checked in. We were shown our suite and Jordan and I were both stunned! It was more than we imagined! Our suite was quite big. The bathroom was my favorite. The details were stunning. The clawfoot bathtub with the gold faucet, the shower had amazing gold details as well. Everything was so beautiful! In the common area, there was a dining room table and chairs, a few couches and a desk. The whole suite made me want to stay forever. Jordan decided we should check out the activities. Unfortunately, we weren’t very prepared. It was school vacation and everything was quite booked. They have horseback riding, shooting, archery, golf, fishing, land rover adventures, and so much more! We were bummed about that but there were still plenty of things to participate in on the property. They have an amazing spa and pool area. They have an adult pool, an indoor pool, and a hot tub that you can swim out to from the indoor pool. We spent a few hours there relaxing. On the front lawn they have a croquet set up, so we played a few rounds of that of course!

For food, they have a lot of options on the property! We went a few times at the Garden Cafe. They have a beautiful display of pastries and have amazing hot chocolate, coffee, and tees. For dinner, we made reservations at The Birnam Brasserie which was across the way from the Garden Cafe. You HAVE to go for a meal here. It’s beautiful! The flooring is stunning, and you ambiance is so relaxing. The whole room has vine everywhere, and they sat us more on a couch than chairs. It was comfy and relaxing and the food was amazing! My favorite dish was the onion soup. I went back the next day for lunch and had it again.

They have a full gym as well. Which Jordan was very excited about. They even offer full gym classes that you can go to! I will definitely be going back to Gleneagles in the near future. Spend time just walking around the grounds, it’s so beautiful and relaxing.

Edinburgh

 

 

  For the last 2 days, we went to Edinburgh. The last two days are kind of a blur because at this point I’m pretty exhausted from traveling so much. Edinburgh is very cozy and cute. For food I would recommend hitting up:

 

• Costina for breakfast or dinner.
• The Witchery for dinner.
• Elephant House for lunch. (Where JK Rowling wrote HP)
• Mary’s Milk Bar for dessert.

  These were the places that stood out the most to me where I thought the food was really great! There are so many cafes and gelato places. Take advantage of the gelato!

  While In Edinburgh we stayed at Eden Locke. I was impressed with the photos online and that it looked like such a cute place! I was blown away by our room. The design and layout was incredible. It had a small kitchen that had a fridge, a dishwasher, a stove, and a washer. The layout was really making use out of every space. It was a very cozy room that made you feel like you were at home. Downstairs at the entrance, they have pastries and drinks, I would recommend starting your morning down there! The staff is very friendly and helpful. Ask them for recommendations for food places nearby, they always gave us helpful suggestions.

Next day we really explored Edinburgh. We started at Edinburgh Old Town which is a street below the Royal Mile. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, that’s what diagon alley is inspired from. There’s a lot of cute and fun shops, so take a minute and explore. After that, we went up to the Royal Mile and walked around the shops up there. We checked out the castle at the same time. We did the tour of the Edinburgh castle as well, but I was not impressed that the whole thing was renovated on the interior. So if you are going, expect it to be more like a museum. Go and look at some of the many old cathedrals. The graveyards are very cool. We also did an underground tour of the underground city. Know that each tour company owns a part of the underground city, so you are only seeing a very small portion of it.

I would recommend driving out and seeing The Kelpies horse structures. It was quite the site! If you have any Scotland questions, just comment here, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. XO