Scotland Part 1: our two-week road trip
A Journey of Castles, Coastlines, and Friendship.
There’s something magical about Scotland, with its rugged landscapes, ancient castles, and misty lochs. We—Candace, Caylin, Matt, and Ricci—embarked on a two-week road trip across this beautiful country, exploring the best it has to offer. Here’s a snapshot of our unforgettable journey through the land of whiskey, myths, and breathtaking landscapes.
Glasgow
The Adventure Begins Our journey kicked off in Glasgow, where we stayed two nights in Merchant City, close to everything we wanted to see. Famished from our long flights, we walked a few city blocks before finding the Smoking Fox (love the name!). We ate meat pies, mac n’ cheese, and nachos with handmade tortilla chips and knew we found a great spot. Although, Scotland has a lot to learn about nachos! Really enjoyed our meal, the friendly staff, and atmosphere.
The next morning, after enjoying a hearty breakfast at Wilson Street Pantry (our favorite for its Eggs Benedict and njou sausage pate), we took a deep dive into history with a visit to the Necropolis and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
The Necropolis is a sprawling Victorian cemetery overlooking the city and adjacent to the Glasgow Cathedral. The crisp morning air mixed with radiant rays of light was the perfect way to start a mystical Scottish morning .
Kelvingrove is a gorgeous baroque style building that opened as a museum in 1901. You can explore 22 galleries of artwork, taxidermy animals and artifacts. The free attraction includes an Ancient Egyptian sarcophagus, Salvador Dali’s Christ of Saint John on the Cross and the famous Floating Heads by Sophie Cave.
Then the REAL adventure began….driving on the left side of the road for the first time and doing it in the city. It took each of us about a day to get the hang of it. We alternated between three drivers so we wouldn’t get too tired gripping the wheel on the small country roads. Driving in Scotland is not for the faint of heart, but it’s the only way I’d want to get around. Having the ability to pull over at a moment’s notice is the way to go. This is how we discovered merlin carved into a tree across from a gas station and a gorgeous bridge that looked like it was straight outta Fern Gully.
However, if money weren’t an object, I’d hire a driver and save myself a few gray hairs.
The haunting grandeur of Stirling Castle and the giant Kelpies left lasting impressions on us. Before leaving Falkirk, we marveled at the innovative Falkirk Wheel, a testament to Scotland’s engineering prowess.
