Two extraordinary weeks in Scotland, left us wanting more for 2025!

We were just in Scotland! How is it June already?

Seems like yesterday it was late April and Derek and I were getting ready to take our holiday in Scotland. So much has happened since I last wrote. But let’s dive into Scotland! I’m at a loss for words as to how it is June already, 2025 is going so fast.

Scotland was a Blast! Let’s catch you up…

On April 24th Derek and I flew to Scotland. We spent just over two weeks there, visiting family and seeing the sights. Derek lined up a pretty amazing 7-day tour for us that included a ride on the Jacobite Steam Train over the Glenfinnan Viaduct (the Harry Potter bridge for those who don’t know it by it’s real name).

Jacobite Steam Train and Harry Potter Bridge!

Derek and I throughly enjoyed seeing and riding the Jacobite Steam Train. Our entire tour group really enjoyed the ride from Fort William up to Mallaig and back. We even met a young chap who actually worked on the steam train as his job.

At one point, during our tour, we weren’t sure if the steam train would actually be running, as Scotland is having the driest spring in about 70 years, and they already had some wild fires destroy a fair amount of land in the area.

So Many People Waiting to See Harry Potter Train!

It was so much fun and I couldn’t believe how many people were on the ground waiting to see the train go by over their heads! We were told it’s like this every day during tourist season.

Visiting Family & Royal Botanic Gardens

We spent a few days before our scheduled 7-day tour visiting family in Edinburgh and Galashiels. We had lovely visits with Derek’s cousins, Steve, Eleanor and her husband Glynn, and Derek’s Aunt Margaret.

After our week long tour, we also got to spend a day in Edinburgh with another cousin, Morag. This was my first time meeting all of this side of Derek’s family!! They are spectacular people.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Derek and I toured the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh with Derek’s cousin’s Eleanor and her husband Glynn.

Calton Hill and Old Calton Burial Ground

Later in the afternoon Derek and I walked up to the top of Calton Hill, Edinburgh’s first public park and highest point in the city. That was a hike, but the views were amazing. We even took a walk through Old Calton Burial Ground. So many interesting grave stones and memorials.

‘Fun Fact’ we learned at the cemetery

While we were touring a couple of the cemeteries in Edinburgh, we saw where some bars were over a couple of the burial sites and I wondered “what on earth?” to myself. I found a plaque that talked about what those were and why they were implemented.

Evidently grave robbing was quite commonplace for medical study in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the tour, we were told about some men from Ireland who came over and actually started killing people and selling their bodies for money to the medical school. Now that is scary!

So much walking with lots of hills and steps!

We averaged 15,000 steps a day walking during our trip to Scotland. So many hills, steps, and stairs!! We even had to stop halfway up one set of stairs because they were so steep. We got also got to walk the Royal Mile, and visit the National Gallery of Art.

The Writer’s Museum

One of the most amazing buildings we got to see while in Edinburgh, was the Writer’s Museum. The area where this building is located, in a small alcove just off the Royal Mile, made it seem magical to me.

The first evening we saw it, there weren’t any people around, maybe because the museum was actually closed for a few days. The next time we saw it, during our tour on May 2nd, the area was packed with people and there was no way we could have gotten a decent photo.

I felt blessed to get some great photos of this building the first time we saw it at the end of April!! One of my favorite quotes I found on the sidewalk outside of the museum was by writer Nan Shepard: “It’s a grand thing to get leave to live.” Words to live by in my humble opinion.

Harris Tweed: Passion or Obsession?!

When Derek and I lived in Nova Scotia, I learned about Harris Tweed when we visited a local Scottish shop in Cape Breton. I fell in love with the beautiful Harris Tweed bags in this store.

Derek bought me a fabulous Harris Tweed purse with the most beautiful purple and turquoise tartan! I just love it!! And now, well, it’s become a passion of mine; or maybe sort of an obsession?

While we were in Scotland, I found two more Harris Tweed bags with the same color tartan! I’m in heaven.

When Derek and I went to the Highland Games at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, last summer, I found a vendor who happened to be selling Harris Tweed bags! I managed to twist Derek’s arm and he bought me another awesome bag! It was a different color this time, but still amazing tartan with purple and navy blue.

AND… get this, when my friend Michelle and her lovely daughter Daryn came down from Virginia to visit me during the New Bern Artists Open Studio Tour last fall, they both loved my Harris Tweed purse so much they had to have one, well, maybe two, or three even!! I think I’ve started something here!!

Designing & Making My Own Harris Tweed Bag!!

While we were in Scotland, the day before our big tour, I participated in this awesome Islander Workshop Experience at one of the local shops in Edinburgh. Here I got to design (pick out the parts/colors/tartan) and put together my own Harris Tweed bag!! It was so much fun!! And now I own a “One-of-a-Kind” Harris Tweed purse!

It’s hard not to love these bags!! There are so many colors and styles available to choose from and basically a shop on every corner in Scotland sells them!!

Derek and I took well over 3,000 photos (not including his 4+ hours of video) during our holiday! Way too many photos to share here!! But I’ll put a few more in from our favorite stops during our tour.

The Hollytree Hotel & Lodges

One of the super amazing, small-town, off the beaten paths, most beautiful places on earth, we were lucky to stay at, was the Hollytree Hotel in Kentallen, Scotland. We found out that this hotel was formerly a train station in the 1930s. The setting was absolutely beautiful and we really enjoyed our stay. The food was great too.

The Kelpies! What on Earth?!

This was my absolute most favorite stop we made on our train trip from Edinburgh to Glasgow, hauling our backpacks, and catching a taxi from the train station, all to see the Kelpies!! We were not disappointed!! They are absolutely spectacular!

Man oh man, these are two of the most amazing modern sculptures I have ever seen. If you make it to Scotland, these should be on your bucket list!

While in Edinburgh…

We found a super cute, very tiny, antique bookstore (one of many) in Edinburgh. Maybe 10 people max could fit into this shop. Even though the shop was small, we went in and looked around; basically because it was calling me to go in. The bookshop was called “The Gently Mad Bookshop” — who knows why this shop called to me (see me smile) — maybe the name gives it away?!

Anyway, as we were looking around, I found a 1927 copy of Alice in Wonderland! Well, the original title was “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” of course. This was my favorite book and movie growing up. My Mom took me to see the movie years ago. The book was in great shape. The images inside were amazing, so I had to buy it and add it to my book collection. Derek rolled his eyes, but he didn’t say no! Thanks Derek!

Scotland’s Most Iconic Castle

Next stop, Eilean Donan Castle! Wow! This was a beautiful castle. Unfortunately we didn’t get to go into the castle, but we at least got to stop and take photos from a rest area near by. Next time we’ll have to go in for a visit.

Isle of Skye

As part of our tour, we got to take a boat trip with Misty Isle Boat Trips, leaving from Elgol, Isle of Skye, to see a hidden loch called Loch Coruisk and also see the Coruisk Memorial Hut. This hut was built by the grandfather of the young lad who was our tour guide.

His grandfather built the hut in memory of a couple of hikers who lost their lives during some bad weather on the island due to not having any shelter. So, the hut was built so all future hikers would always have shelter from the weather and no more lives would be lost. That was a super amazing story.

We also got to see some beautiful seals sunning themselves on a small island in Loch na Cuilce during the tour.

BEST Chocolate Cake Ever!

While in Elgol, we stopped at this adorable cafe, Cafe Elgol, ran by the cutest couple. She was from Argentina and he was from England. They decided they’d had enough of city living and moved to the Isle of Skye to start their cafe. Let me just say, I’ve never had a better piece of chocolate cake anywhere!!

We really enjoyed being able to see, and cross over, the fairly new bridge that takes people from mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye. Previously, people had to take a fairy across to Skye. I think I would have enjoyed a fairy ride just as well, if not more than crossing this huge bridge.

There has been some controversy about the bridge, as the locals don’t particularly care for the easier access for tourists. From what we understand, the amount of cars that access Skye in the summer is really challenging the infrastructure. The narrow roads really aren’t built to handle an excessive amount of cars during the tourist season.

Next Post…

In my next post, since this one became all about our trip to Scotland, I’ll update you on Derek’s trip to Madrid, Spain; my trip to Green Bay, Wisconsin (totally unplanned); my graduation from Bonnie Christine’s Immersion class of 2025; and my current class I’m taking as an alumni, Licensing for Artists with Juliet Meeks.

Wishing everyone a wonderful summer! Thank you for continuing to follow me on my artistic journey. If you are interested in reading my future topics, please subscribe below and share my blog with your friends.

Sending love and positive energy your way. I’ll write again soon.