Every passing hour of the train journey took us away from the hustle-bustle of London and it seemed as though we had entered a blast freezer as we reached Edinburgh! Just a glimpse of the city as we made our way to the hostel was enough to convince me that it was going to be a weekend well-spent. We snuggled under the warm blankets, looking forward to touring the famous Scottish highlands the coming morning.
Sunny skies, a slight breeze and an entertaining tour guide in the traditional Scottish kilt set the tone for a wonderful day in the highlands. As we hit the road and ventured into the Highlands, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the country side. Gurgling brooks, mountains lined with conifers and dew drops trickling down from the bus window was a perfect setup and I was half expecting the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to materialize in front of us!The air is thick with mystery on the Highlands. The woods, sun peeking through the tall trees, the autumn foliage, buzzing bees, ruins of castles transport you to an entirely different world. A world where you may see Rapunzel with her golden tresses gazing at you through a castle window, goblins prancing around the bushes, knights in shiny armors riding by or even catch a glimpse of the magnificent Aslan as he fiercely guards his kingdom of Narnia. Scotland is truly the land where legends and fairy-tales come alive!
Continuing with legends, our highlands experience also took us by Loch Ness. After a hearty lunch we went down to the loch, gingerly testing the waters, to see if the legendary monster rises from the depths of the lake. But ol' Nessie was resting peacefully and did not seem to be bothered by our antics! The last lap of the highland tour took us via Glencoe, most popularly known as the place where a few of the Harry Potter movie scenes were filmed. Looking at the views in front of us, we all agreed that there was not much to do for the film crew to make it look magical!
After touring the sparsely populated highlands, we set off to explore the vibrant city of Edinburgh. The capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is a tourist hotspot. Beautiful medieval architecture, the cobbled stone pathways, cathedrals, streets lined with tearooms, pubs, souvenir shops, colorful buntings and the castle brings about the contrast in old and new times. To get a good view of the city, we decided to hike up to Arthur Seat. After a steep climb up the wrong mountain and a hike again to Arthur Seat, we marveled at the breath-taking view of the city. The new town with latest fashion stores, parks, eateries merged in seamlessly with the heritage buildings. We settled down enjoying the view munching on sandwiches, the wonderful scene in front of us, etched in our minds forever.
