Family Visit in Scotland and London

My day started at 4:30am. I headed to Gatwick Airport to catch my flight to Glasgow. Everything ran smoothly; Gatwick is trialling putting your bags through security without having to take out any electronics or liquids, which was super nice. I had a delicious gin & tonic sample duty-free at 6:30 am, then grabbed a coffee and a bite to eat. The flight went super quick; I just read the whole time. After landing, I made my way out of the airport and found Dad! It was so so lovely to see him! Dad, Uncle Ian, and Jimmy picked me up, and we made the beautiful drive back to Turnberry. Jimmy and Celia's house is gorgeous, and they are the friendliest people I've ever met. They have a charming patio/yard area, so we sat in the sun and had some sandwiches. After some visiting, Dad, Aunty Lorraine, Uncle Ian, and I headed out to Culzean Castle. Dad and I wandered around the stunning castle and grounds, then drove to Girvan. We then visited Downhill, which was cool to see since I grew up hearing about it. Seeing everything and meeting Jay, Carol and the kids was great. Charlotte was so lovely; we played tennis, football, and rugby together. It was also really cool to learn about farming. Afterward, we returned to their house and had some snacks and drinks on the patio in the sun; it was such a vibe. Then I ended up going 'wild swimming' - which is really just swimming in the freezing cold sea - with 5 random strangers. Celia introduced me to her neighbours, and I had a glass of wine with them; then we went for a swim in the cold, cold water; it was very refreshing. I saw the most enormous dead jellyfish on the beach and a starfish. The ladies I went with were so lovely. There is a cool rock called Aisla Craig that is halfway between Ireland and Scotland, and apparently, curling stones are made from it. I returned to the house, and we had a lovely dinner and enjoyed some drinks while visiting and watching rugby. It was a beautiful day. 

Dad and I started the day with a lovely walk along the beach. We saw crabs, starfish and lots of cool shells, it was so nice! We headed back for a lovely breakfast, and then we headed out. We drove along the Electric Brae, a hill in South Ayrshire where an object appears to move uphill. It is the most incredible optical illusion. We tried to use a Pepsi can, but it was too windy, so Uncle Ian ended up putting the car in neutral, and it looked as if we were being pulled uphill by some mysterious force. Scotland has the most stunning views, rolling hills, beautiful yellow flowers, and lots of sheep! As Dad pointed out, the way the different crops/ fields are separated by hedges rather than ugly fences is so cool. We stopped at Seafields - the family store in Ayr. After, we drove around and found some addresses that Aunty Lorraine tracked down. We are pretty sure we could trace where my great-grandma lived and got an idea of where my grandpa - dad's dad -lived. Dad bought a super Scottish hat, and then we drove through some cute villages in very narrow lanes. We went to Souters Inn for a lovely lunch. We made the stunning drive to Barr, which I found hilarious. I couldn't contain my laughter as Uncle Ian enjoyed his drive on the windy roads, Aunty Lorraine covered her eyes, and Dad napped in the back seat. We went back to Jimmy and Celia's for snacks, drinks, dinner and dessert. After dinner, Dad and I went for an evening stroll and saw the sunset by the lights house over the sea; it was absolutely stunning!! We also saw Trump Turnberry, the golf course and a fancy hotel. 

The next day, I woke up and sat in the kitchen in the sun, enjoying a coffee while reading my book. We had a lovely breakfast of soft rolls, bacon, and a potato. I tried black pudding for the first time. It was tasty but hard to eat, knowing what it was. We sat on the deck in the sun and then headed out for the day. We drove back to Ayr and saw Brig O' Doon on the way. We went to The Ship in Irvine to meet cousin Amy for lunch. It is the oldest pub in Irvine. I had a tasty steak pie, some pints and a lovely visit. It was so nice finally getting to meet Amy! We drove back to Turnberry and had some drinks and crisps on the patio. I read my book for a bit, and then we had dinner. I learned what a midge is. We had this haggis/turnip/potato thing that was actually quite tasty then we had some curry and potatoes. I tried some scotch, and we visited some more. 

After a lovely breakfast, we drove to Glasgow and spent some time there. Dad had his first Wetherspoon's experience at The Counting House and loved it! We had lunch and a pint and then hopped on the hop-on/off the bus. It was a great way to see and learn about the city quickly, and the weather was gorgeous! We headed back to Turnberry and sat on the deck in the sun with a glass of wine and some crisps. I read for a bit, then got ready for dinner. We went to Wildings, which was nice; you had to order two courses. To start, I had a leek and potato gnocchi topped with goat's cheese and a white wine cream sauce and tomato concasse, and for my main, I had the roast breast of a duck with a pink peppercorn and brandy cream sauce. It was served with some potatoes and veggies and chips. It was quite good. We returned to Celia and Jimmy's, and their lovely neighbour Hazel (who I went wild swimming with) joined us for a drink.

On Tuesday, Dad and I got up early and went for another gorgeous walk by the sea. We had breakfast and then hit the road. We drove to Creagan Inn, where our family used to live; Aunty Lorraine taught Dad and me a lot of really interesting about the area and our family connections to it. The place had a great vibe; we had a lovely lunch with stunning views in the beautiful sunshine. After, we drove to Fort William and checked into the Premier Inn. Dad and I walked down the high street and stopped at Spoons for a drink. I dragged Dad on a walk with me up to the Blarmachfoldach Viewpoint. We saw tons of sheep and many stunning views of rolling hills, the loch, and the sheep. We ate dinner at a pub called Grog and Gruel and then saw a group of students playing the bagpipes. We ended the night with a drink and some crib at the hotel pub with Aunty Lorraine and Uncle Ian. 

On Wednesday, we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel; it was quite good. Dad and I walked down a pier by the water and saw some seagull eggs. We drove to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and Uncle Ian, Dad, and I walked up to a viewpoint. It had a decent view, but I wanted to get closer, so I dragged Dad down a hillside and another hill to a different spot. We sat on the hill with many others sweating our butts off, and waited for the Jacobite Steam Train (Harry Potter Train) to come over the viaduct. It was so cool, despite being eaten alive by Midges... poor Uncle Ian. We grabbed some sandwiches, drove to Loch Ness, and had a picnic. Finally, we drove to the Culloden Battlefield and wandered around it. Dad and I walked around the museum and entered a room set up to simulate a battle. It was crazy intense. You stand in the middle of a room as if in the middle of a battle, and an intense video showing various sides of the battle plays on each of the four walls surrounding you. We checked into the Holiday Inn Express in Inverness when we were done. Since we were staying a little way out of the town centre, there were only a few places to eat. We had dinner at Frankie & Benny's, which was quite nice. The food was good, and the prices were great. I had some chicken wings and pasta, and Aunty Lorraine shared some delicious cheesy garlic bread with me; yum! We played some more crib at the hotel before heading to bed. 

After breakfast on Thursday, we drove to Edinburgh. This was the first day that was a bit cooler and cloudy. Until now, the weather had been unusually sunny and hot! Have you ever heard of someone getting sunburnt in Scotland?! After dropping off the rental car and checking in to the Travelodge on Rose Street, we went for lunch. We went to a pub called The Black Rose next to the hotel, and it was great. I had the tastiest nachos and a pint before heading back to the hotel for an Interview. After, Dad and I met Angie since she happened to be in Edinburgh at the same time for some drinks. We went to The Abbotsford Bar & Restaurant, where I discovered that Guinness with Blackcurrant cordial is fantastic! We lost track of time during our visit, and many restaurants weren't serving food anymore since it was after 9. We had dinner at Spoons and then said our goodbyes. Seeing so many friendly and familiar faces on this trip was great.

I decided to take a little hike on our last morning in Scotland. I woke up early and walked to Holyrood Park to climb Arthur's Seat. Arthur's Seat is the main peak in the group of hills in Edinburgh and is made up of the remains of an extinct volcano. It is sometimes said that its name derives from legends pertaining to King Arthur; people claim it was a possible location for Camelot, King Arthur's legendary castle. There are many myths about how it got its name, so no one knows. It took about half an hour to walk to Holyrood Park from the hotel and then another half hour up to the top. It took about two hours in total. The views were stunning; it was a delightful start to the day! 

 After returning, I met up with Dad, Aunty Lorraine, and Uncle Ian. We got on the hop-on/hop-off bus and toured around Edinburgh. I learned lots of good information and enjoyed the gorgeous old buildings. We had lunch at The White Hart Inn. Located in the heart of the busy Grassmarket, it is said that The White Hart Inn is Edinburgh's oldest and most haunted pub. People such as Oliver Cromwell, William Wordsworth, and Robert Burns have "enjoyed a tankard of fine ale or one of our world-famous whiskies" there. After lunch, Dad and I visited Victoria Street (aka Diagon Alley) and wandered the Royal Mile, grabbed our stuff, and headed to the airport to fly back to London. 

London

Dad was basically only in London for one day, so of course, we had to pack it full! We began the day with breakfast at The Giggling Sausage Café. Next, we wandered along the river to see Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, and the HMS Belfast ship - a Town-class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy in 1938, now permanently moored on the River Thames as a museum. We headed in opposite directions and walked past Shakespeare's Globe and Tate Modern along Southbank. We stopped at Between the Bridges for a drink I'm the sun and then continued past the London Eye. We saw Big Ben and the Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace - blocked off from the Trooping the Colour (King's Birthday Parade) that had happened that morning. 

After, we wandered around Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square and stopped at Brewdog for a snack and a pint. Next, we walked around Covent Garden and Covent Garden Market. We headed to one of my favourite pubs, the Faltering Fullback in Finsbury Park. It was super busy because it was the Emirates FA Final between Manchester City and Manchester United. Dad made friends with some random guys, so we sat with them and watched the end of the game. It was great for Dad to experience some UK pub/football culture. We went to the outdoor roof terrace and hung out briefly. Finally, we made our way over to the area I work in so Dad could get a sense of it. We stopped by our local work drinks pub, Hare & Hounds, had dinner and drinks, and played crib. It was an excellent, chill way to end a jam-packed day. We headed home, and Dad even got an adventurous Saturday night tube ride. We saw all sorts of wild things and people on our journey. On Sunday morning, we packed him up, ready to go, and headed to the airport to say our goodbyes. What a great week!