We arrived in Scotland July fifth bright and early. We stayed at a Central hotel called St.Enoch. For every backpacker it is a dream because of its central location. Right behind us was the River Clyde and right next to us was an amazing pub called, The Hootenanny"consisting of amazing beer deals, live music on the weekend and a menu to die for! We will have to admit, we didn't do our research on Glasgow, not knowing it was mostly a quiet city. Great shopping, not enough sight seeing attractions. We stayed in Scotland for one week! After London, arriving in a quieter city, we realized this was a blessing in disguise. Culturally, Scotland has plenty to offer. Stores dedicated to kilts and clan clothing! Frequent bagpiper's, kilts, friendly, accommodating Scottish accents and the constant smiling faces in the streets of Glasgow, made for a more than pleasant stay. We mostly explored Glasgow north of the river Clyde- Kelvingrove Park and museum is an attraction for Glasgow. we got to see Dali's infamous painting of Christ on the cross of St.John, and we also visited their mall called Xscape ! Which has an indoor ski slope, movie theatre, arcade, bowling, multiple restaurants and a sky park! So much fun!
For Ben arriving in Scotland was a dream come true, considering his family history is Wallace. That's right William Wallace is in his bloodline! So, naturally we went on exploring certain parts of Scotland, our first stop being the capital - Edinburgh. We were blessed with beautiful weather all day. We took the train from Glasgow into Edinburgh, and started on our Journey to the Edinburgh castle, a short half hour walk from the train station. Along the way, your eyes are overwhelmed with awe-inspiring infrastructure! The Scott's Monument is one of the first things you notice! Tall, black stone, and a mass amount of detail. You have to see it for yourself. This city was our top pick for a home base if you are going to explore Scotland for a week, find a bed in Edinburgh! There are many enormous monuments and historical buildings making the beautiful skyline a clash of mid evil castles and cathedrals and modern centres. With the coast a short drive from the city centre, you have the ocean, and the scenic highlands at your disposal. Seeing the castle is a must, but BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE! Not only will this save you 10%, you will get to skate by the enormous line and straight into the castle. The highlight by far is the very well done history exhibit on your way to viewing the Scottish Crown Jewels. Other amazing sights include the one o'clock gun and a very well done military museum.
Our other day trip was to Sterling. This is a quaint town, with a beautiful scenery and the legendary Wallace monument. Rich history surrounds the town as the battle of sterling bridge where William Wallace lead the Scottish rebels to their first victory over the English to win there independence. The monument is a must, and has a great history lesson about Wallace and the constant struggle the scots had against the English. We fell in love with sterling and thoroughly enjoyed the monument, including an amazing exhibit of William Wallace's incredible 5 and a half foot sword.
Scotland is definitely worth the visit and exploration!
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