By Jessica Gross
Sharing with readers my travel experiences so they can be inspired to realize their wanderlust is my primary goal in opening this Travel Blog, a new Lifestyle section of Pinoy Portal Europe.
Join me as I tour you to a side of Scotland which momentarily froze my mind but eternally captivated my heart.
My Scotland travel blog has a little bit of everything to help you plan a completely unique and memorable sojourn to this historic destination.
Let´s begin the trek in rainy Edinburgh.
Wearing this funny raincoat my daughter bought in Berlin years ago, I have to accept the fact that summer in Scotland also known as Caledonia, or "The Land of Cakes", is always like this - rainy and sunny.
Sporting a raincoat on a rainy-cum-sunny day triggers weird feelings.
For the next eight days, I will be hitting the road in this enchanting country and take off in the capital famous for its best-preserved medieval architecture.
As I walk through the fancy streets above the Royal Mile, rains tried to dampen my excitement to see the stunning structures and cobbled streets of this old city and the imposing fortress perched upon Castle Rock overlooking the city.
Well yes, I didn't mind the precipitation.
If you cannot afford the luxury of time, at best capture the vast castle grounds and enjoy the feels of its ambient past.
For the past 27 years, Edinburgh Castle is home to the Symbol of Scottish Monarchy - the Stone of Cone - a block of red sandstone used in the coronation of monarchs.
Despite the shady day, the views are alluring, so I thought of coming back on clear days and discover more.
Best to book earlier for castle tickets because they are often sold out during summertime.
And it is still raining, what to do – I remember Jim Barker´s cartoon asking for a special Scottish word when it is gloomy, cold, grey and raining – it´s SUMMER!
Edinburgh is a charming city and positively, very crowded.
A girl friend who visited Edinburgh before takes the lead because she is familiar with scenic places.
I feel like Gene Kelly with my new Scottish umbrella coupled with Berlin raincoat belting out "I am singing in the rain“.
The sun appears to fight its summer supremacy but the mist continues to darken the day until strong rains faded its glory.
Twenty minutes later, am bound to accept that I'll be dripping wet for the rest of the day, hell yes, I don´t curse.
But can't help my mind spit vile thoughts, that´s true! Why? Because this beautiful view lies on top of a large hill.
Sweat and raindrops mix and mess up my entirety. Calton Hill is a hundred-meter high in the centre of Edinburgh.
There are several monuments, such as a half-finished pantheon, a building that looks like a telescope (Nelson’s monument) and a city observatory.
From here you find a delightful panorama of the city, had it not been that gloomy, I would have seen a fantastic view of the old metropolis.
After half an hour of photography, we walk down to the Royal Mile to catch our booked city tour.
But as we stroll around the vintage village and underground, I begin to love it.
Of course, the best thing I see is the Greyfriars Bobby Statue.
Bobby was a Skye Terrier, who became famous in the 19th Century.
The story of Greyfriars Bobby is truly heart warming and inspiring.
For fourteen long years Bobby refused to leave his master´s tombstone, whatever the weather conditions were, and this touched the hearts of local residents.
He warms my heart, too, despite the cold feeling the rains bring.
It´s really a pity that the Elephant House remains closed until now after a fire gutted it in 2021.
It was a regular stop for Harry Potter fans and long bore a sign declaring itself as the “birthplace” of the fictional young wizard.
It was said that author J.K. Rowling wrote her first Potter book while overlooking Edinburgh Castle.
Now, the most exciting part today is none other than the PUB CRAWL tour with Ozzy!
Seven pubs and seven shots!
And I love its slogan – “Because some bars wanna make you buy a drink before they give you something for free … which is fair enough tbh (to be honest) don´t be a ‘effing’ K…. about it!“ *
Well, you can imagine, how terrible I will look like later, so better not to talk about it.
One thing stays in my mind though while crawling down the seven pubs: I get to see a sign inside the Ladies' room saying if someone needs help during your date, you can #askforangela!
See the sign here and decide for yourself if such things work out or not!
Unfortunately, the downpour continues as we leave Edinburgh – really cold for an Asian girl so I need to double my clothing to keep myself warm.
Heading towards a legendary lake for an eerie creature is quite exciting.
Regardless of the truth, finding Nessi is the first task to solve.
At this point, the weather is cooperating.
The suggestion of the monster’s existence makes Loch Ness one of Scotland's compelling destinations.
Whether anything is in the loch or not, the monster has some significance for the local economy.
To date, the existence of a monster has not been proven.
For skeptics, could it be that the so-called existence of this monster is merely a ploy to attract tourists?
I don’t know, but I can tell you that Loch Ness and the countryside surrounding it are worth marking a trail.
Whether you believe in the monster or not, at the end of the tour, you will be asked: is it a possibility, is it a myth, or is it Nessi?
I´m not a swimmer so I can´t dive in Loch Ness and scour it for Nessi. And no, I wouldn´t do it anyways.
END.
* [Editor’s note: word changed to avoid vulgarity.]
Comentários