Scotland is a beautiful country. We decided on Scotland because of her beautiful landscape and of course, the famous Loch Ness that we think we should visit before we die. We wanted to drive around the country and see all the castles. So we planned on castle tour and once again, Mr Potter said that he wanted to see all the whisky distilleries since we already made it so far. Bleah... once again, his hidden agenda.
So we took a flight to Manchester City and then took a train to Edinburgh. It was not a fast train so it took us nearly 4 hours to Edinburgh. We arrived at Manchester City in the wee hours on a cold November morning. Tired, we were still very excited because it was our HOLIDAY!! A 3 weeks holiday and a good break from work.
 |
| Manchester Airport |
The airport is simple and nothing much to browse around unlike our airport. So we did nothing much and went to find our train to Edinburgh. We bought tickets online before we reach so that we wouldn't end up without seat reservations. You can purchase your tickets on the First TransPennine website which gives you a lot of information. It is really convenient!
 |
| Train station at Manchester to Edinburgh |
Edinburgh & The Lothians
Our first destination is to Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. We booked a 4 night stay at the B&B at Hart Street, walking distance to the heart of the city and in a quiet and safe neighbourhood. The owners at 14 Hart Street (name of the B&B) are extremely hospitable and friendly. As it is rated the top on Tripadvisor ("TA"), you bet that the room was comfortable and you really can feel at home.
14 Hart Street Edinburgh B&B
City Centre Edinburgh
(0044) 07795203414
14hartst.com
 |
| Outside 14 Hart Street |
 |
| Outside our room corridor. Nice and warm! |
 |
| Our comfortable room |
 |
| Complimentary Whiskey and Wine |
As you can see, we had complimentary wine and whiskey, but I did not touch it because I am not a big fan of alcohol. But the Scottish love Whiskies and drinks. The room also have complimentary bottled water and the usual coffee and tea. Our host, Angela and James, gave us direction to the city and also on the good dining places.
We went out that very afternoon without much rest to see the city. The sun sets really early in Scotland during year end so we got to make full use of the sunlight to see the city. The capital is a beauty. With all the english architecture, it makes you feel that you are really very far away from Singapore, where all around us are modern buildings.
Seriously I have forgotten the name of this historical building. And I am lazy to search on the internet. I do not know who is that sitting in the middle but we all can guess that he must be someone significant to Edinburgh. :)
Now I also do not know what statue this is.. so I just took the picture with it because it looks historical and nice. :)
Dinner @ Urban Angel
We had dinner near 14 Hart Street that evening. Recommended by our B&B host, Angela and James, it was fine Italian restaurant where it serves main courses and pastas. You might not notice the menu I was holding and yes, I was seated in front of the toilet sign. But that's ok with us because the rest room was quite a bit of distance away. :)
Urban Angel was a quiet and cosy place for dinner and service was warm and felt like home. In Scotland, they have this special pre-theatre dinner and is often cheaper than dinner menus. We ordered the ala carte menu and here goes our food...
 |
| Mr Potter's dish |
Haha.. Mr Potter could not remember what he had and I think we should really write down next time the food name we had. If I clearly remember, there was grilled pork and pasta in it. It tasted so good that Mr Potter gobbled down everything within 10 minutes..
 |
| My dinner!! |
Now I always love Risotto and I tend to order that whenever I visit an Italian restaurant. I love the creamy mushroom taste of a Risotto and so, when I saw that Urban Angel has a special dish that day, I didn't think twice.
My dinner - Risotto of lemon roasted courgette, toasted pine nut & baby spinach.
Looked nice and it was delicious. I gobbled mine down in 10 minutes too. I got a feeling that the staff in Urban Angel might have thought that we didn't have our dinner for 2 days.
Urban Angel
121 Hanover Street
eh2 1dj
Tel: 0131 225 6215
We were rather tired that night and the weather was so cold. So we went back at about 6pm for a good night rest and can't wait to jump into this inviting bed!! Our itinerary for the next day to head on to the famous Royal Mile to visit the castle as well as the streets for a little shopping!!
Now I got to give my thumbs up to our B&B host Mr James for being such a fantastic cook. We have stayed in a lot of B&Bs and this is the best we ever had. Breakfast was even better than any 5 star hotels that we had come across. It was like a buffet spread and the hot breakfast that James prepared for us can fill your stomach through dinner. I am not kidding. You can hardly walk after breakfast and it was simply delicious!
It was still quite early that morning, about 9-ish, that we headed our to the Edinburgh Castle via the Royal Mile. It was a breeze slow walk after our huge spread of breakfast. Not much people on the road as you can see, and as usual, Scotland does rain quite a bit everyday. But we had a nice walk soaking in the serene scenery around us..
The Royal Mile of Edinburgh is one of the most historical and scenic walks around in Edinburgh. When I walk through the streets in Royal Mile, I felt like I was transported back to the olden days and felt like walking through the movie in "Snow White & The Huntsman".
Everywhere surrounding The Royal Mile was scenic. There are a lot of shops around it and most of it sells souvenirs. Basically, they have preserve this area for tourists and the shops are all targeting tourists, therefore, the prices are so expensive!
 |
| The Scotch Whisky Experience |
Along the Royal Mile, we walked past a tour for Whisky fans. The tour, called the Scotch Whisky experience, was something new to us. It did not come cheap. They come in several different tour packages, namely The Silver Tour, The Gold Tour, Platinum Tour, Taste of Scotland Tour, Masterclass and Education Tour. Of course for first timer like us, we took the cheapest tour: The Silver tour which cost like $12.50GBP for each person.
Now the silver tour includes:-
1. Whisky Barrel ride through the production of whisky. Both of us sat in a moving barrel and took a 5 minutes tour of how whisky is made.
2. An introduction to Scotch Whisky
3. A drum of Whisky to taste
4. A glass each to keep
I shall show you a picture of the tour where they taught us how to differentiate the different whisky that were produced from the different areas in Scotland.
 |
| To the Barrel Ride. The pictures on the wall can move like in Harry Potter's movie! |
The Aroma class where they teach you how to differentiate distinct whisky taste from the different regions of scotland namely; Islay, Highlands, lowlands and of course my all time favourite Speyside.
Actually there is a fifth region known as Campeltown.
Obviously, we had 4 glasses. Quite a good bargain and get to keep the glass.
 |
| The Whisky Chamber |
After the tasting "lesson", we were lead on to the Whisky room. It was a room full of whiskies all the way from dunno a few hundred years ago. Impressive! There are so many different type of whiskies in the world. Mr Potter's picture with the whisky glass cupboard is only 1 side of it. There are like 7-8 full ceiling height full of them!
This is another view of me and the world whiskies. :) And yes, I am holding a glass of my favourite Speyside whisky! Weather is cold, and the whisky warm me up! What an excuse!!
The Scotch Whisky Experience
354 Castlehill
Royal Mile Edinburgh
Scotland
EH1 2NE
www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk
After the whisky tour, we went on to the Edinburgh Castle which is just really close by. It is a big castle with tunnels everywhere. Nice but I think there of course nicer castles in Scotland.
 |
| Front view of the Edinburgh Castle |
We were told that it is a must to visit the Edinburgh Castle when we were in Edinburgh. As it was the winter season when we visited, the sky was not as blue and therefore the castle didn't look as intriguing as it is. We didn't do a lot of research on the castle before we arrive, so we just bought the tickets and head in.
 |
| View from the Castle |
As the castle is perched on an extinct volcano, it is quite high up when we climbed up. We could see almost the entire Edinburgh city. It was an impressive view. We read that the castle is one of Scotland's most powerful fortress and a national symbol.
Walking towards the various vaults and tunnels in the castle can be challenging. There are reports that claimed that this castle is one of the most haunted castle in Scotland due to the numerous wars they had and they kept prisoners in the cells until they were dead.
Now does this edited picture looks haunted to you? Imagine when night falls... hmmm...
This is one of the King's chamber. It's really huge with high ceilings. As it is reconstructed before, it doesn't look so haunted and look really comfy. Thanks but no thanks, I would not want to sleep a night in it even if you offer me a million bucks.
 |
| One of the castle halls |
There are too many rooms to remember. So the above hall is one of them.
This is a prison cell where the prisoners slept. It was not a pleasant place to sleep in and the table where I was seated is where they had their meals I guess.
I think Mr Potter is enjoying himself in the cell. So I secretly wished that I can lock him up inside. Bleah~~ :)
Magnificent views. If I am the princess, I would sit by the window, have a cup of hot English tea and biscuit, sit back, relax and watch snow falling down on the rooftops.
 |
| Just like this.. haha.. |
Edinburgh Castle
Castlehill, Edinburgh
Admission : $16 GBP per adult
After the castle tour, we walked around the streets surrounding the Royal Mile and old town, we came across nice streets and little shops. The souvenir shops are expensive, so we did not buy anything, just window shopping around.
We walked from Edinburgh Castle and up to Carlton Hill, to see the National Monument of Edinburgh. As usual, Mr Potter "tortured" me to climb up the hill, citing to me great views of the Edinburgh. I was nearly out of breath and legs almost broke into pieces when I reached the top of the hill. And the first thing I saw on the top of the hill is this thing behind me in the picture - THE NATIONAL MONUMENT!! Damn, my legs!!
Don't you dare to think that the National Monument is small. It's actually huge and I had a hard time climbing it up. But Mr Potter made it. But he got his jeans and hands dirty. It's not easy.
 |
| Quite a view of the city indeed... :) |
Doesn't this look like it is made of gold?? Nah..it's actually the sun shining on the building.. Hmm.. I think it's a museum.
 |
| The Elephant House, Edinburgh |
Now this is an interesting cafe to me. This IS the cafe that JK Rowling wrote her Harry Potter books!! I didn't have coffee in there because it's full. What a waste.. but the author is not there. I read that she is still staying in Edinburgh with her family currently. Perhaps I can also write a better blog in the cafe if I extend my stay longer.. haha..
 |
| Greyfriars Bobby's Bar |
You may wonder why I am taking a picture of this bar. There's a famous story behind this Greyfriars Bobby. Let me brief you what happened to this Bobby doggie.
When Bobby's owner, Greyfriar Kirkyard died in 1858, Bobby the scruffy Skye terrier faithfully watched over his grave until he was also buried alongside with him in 1872. Sad huh... I think all pets are all so loyal to their owners, because in their hearts they know who love them the most.. *weep*
On my left is the statue of Bobby, the loyal doggie.
The path leading to the cemetery where Bobby and his owner's grave are. A very peaceful cemetery and a small little park inside. I can also foresee that it can be very haunted and scary when dark falls.
I find this chapel quite unique because of the red door. So I took a picture of it but forgot the name of the chapel. It is situated near the Greyfriars Bobby bar. You will definitely pass by it when you are heading to the Bar.
The above picture is not so sharp.. but it's worth mentioning because I feel that the buskers in Europe are far more creative than ours because I really thought it was an ape playing drums. Haha.. but then again, how can one wear an ape costume to play drums in hot and humid Singapore???
Whisky shops are everywhere in Scotland. This is one of them. Just thought it's nice to show to you that alcohol are easily accessible. So for those who love to have a drink, why not Scotland? :)
 |
| Night scene of Royal Mile |
I was already extremely tired at the end of the day. But Mr Potter insisted to have a night picture of the Royal Mile. I was reluctant at first, but agreed in the end. And looking at this picture now, I know that Mr Potter was right. This was taken in the evening, about 7pm. The sky was not really that dark, but I find it beautiful.
This reminds me of Dracula suddenly appeared at no where to capture someone to fill his stomach..
Dinner @ The Olive Branch
 |
| Dinner! |
We cannot remember the name of this restaurant because we wanted to go to one of the restaurant that James had recommended but it was close on that day. So when Mr Potter is hungry, he is an angry man. We therefore popped into any restaurant that looks good and he just ordered whatever that can satisfy his grumbling stomach.
Mr Potter had pork again. I think his stomach just love meat. Looked delicious and I think it tasted good. I didn't taste his because I want to save my stomach space for my dish!
Yes!! Pasta again!! Haha!! I am sooo into pasta.. I know you might think it's so boring.. but i do not like sandwiches or that pork dish that Mr Potter had. So this is the best bet. Yummy!!!!!
The restaurant is directly opposite some bars and it's quite happening. However, we were too tired to drink so we had our dinner quietly. The place has free wifi, so we were surfing most of the time instead of having a nice dinner and "talking" to each other. The restaurant is small but cosy. So we got no complains. Food is not exceptionally outstanding but it's nice and warm to fill our empty stomach.
The Olive Branch
91 Broughton Street
EH1 3RX
www.theolivebranchscotland.co.uk
The next day we woke up pretty early to prepare to take a bus out to somewhere quite far away from the city. We decided to visit the Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh. Now can you remember Rosslyn Chapel? It's famous you know.. because if you have watched the movie that starred Tom Hanks, The Da Vinci Code, you will definitely remember the chapel.
The bus was relatively easy to take. It was quite a pleasant 30 mins bus ride and we saw a lot of of the city which we can't see by foot. So it was a good experience!
It was extremely cold that morning. So I was quite wrapped up. Behind me is "The Original Rosslyn Hotel". I do not quite understand why they named it "Original".. probably there are other "fakes" around..
The chapel has got a rich history. It has survived 500 years, went through multiple wars and finally a queen thought that the chapel is too beautiful to be left in ruins. She then decided that it shall be conserve and reconstruct.
We reached the entrance of the visitor centre. And it was newly renovated. Warm inside, we read about the history of the chapel. There's admission fee but hey, that is to help raise funds to conserve the chapel.
 |
| Inside the Visitor Centre |
 |
| Front view of the Chapel |
They were seriously doing some major construction and preservation. Therefore, it may not look as nice as it was. You can always see my link below to visit their website for more information and pictures.
All the cravings inside the chapel remains original. The are beautifully craved and there's even a story behind it. Well, the Rosslyn Chapel became even more famous after The Da Vinci Code, and flocks of tourists still visit the place no matter the distance.
As photography is not allowed in the chapel, we only got pictures outside the chapel. But it's true that there's really a crypt in there, where Tom Hanks ran down in the movie. But the tunnel to the crypt does not lead to anywhere. It's just an underground space.
There's also a lot of information on the chapel on Wikipedia. You should really google and read it because they show the pictures inside the chapel as well which I do not have. :)
The Rosslyn Chapel
Roslin, Midlothian
Scotland, UK
Eh25 9PU
www.rosslynchapel.org.uk
Admission fee: $9.00 GBP for Adults, Under 18 Free with Family
We went to the famous St Andrew's Golf club the next day. Mr Potter said that this gold course is difficult to play and you can hardly get a chance to play on it unless you book it years in advance. To me it was not really spectacular. But due to the exclusivity and history, it's just another green and flat land.. hahaha.. Maybe I am not the hard core golfer like them.. :)
I think it is Mr Potter's dream to play on this golf course because so many big players have had their feet on it like Tiger Woods. So he made me walk an entire round of the golf course. Then when no one was watching, he ran in and asked me to take a picture. So illegal!! But we already came all the way, so please excuse us tourists. :p To read more about the history of St Andrew's, just click on the link that I have provided.
St Andrews
www.standrewsgolf.org
