Seeing Scotland
My trip to the UK, to begin the next chapter of my teaching career, had become tumultuous. I was so excited to be seeing new countries and traveling solo, that I booked into a tour with TopDeck. Unfortunately, I had issues with receiving my visa on time and had to pull out. This is the moment when you are glad you paid that extra bit for your travel insurance!
So, now, I was arriving in the UK 9 days before Christmas, knew nobody AND nothing would be open Christmas day. Argh! Stuck!
By fate (or search ad suggestions), an ad selling tickets on a tour bus through Scotland for Christmas popped up on my laptop. Done! Of course, being the sensible, mature, solo traveler that I am (…..), I did a quick search using TripAdvisor and found the tour was reputable. I was booked in! Yay, no lonely Christmas day for me!
This holiday was the best! We met in Edinburgh and drove to Inverness where we stayed for the two nights over Christmas.
It wasn’t my only visit to Scotland – what can I say?! I was captivated! I returned for New Years the following year – the Scots certainly know how to party!
The following blog outlines what to do in Scotland, how to get there and the travel groups I used.
How to get to Scotland:
I traveled from London by train to Edinburgh. The trip took about 5.5hours but it was a fraction of the price of plane tickets. I made sure I had my iPad charged, with some movies and a book to read and the time went by quickly.
Try using Rome2Rio to compare the best methods of transport, prices and the total time they will take.
What to expect:
Cold Weather! Rain! And beautiful scenery.
Both times I traveled there, it was winter, so I was lucky enough to see snow capped mountains and hills.
Traveling through Scotland:
A well-known tour company in Scotland is Haggis Adventures. I used them on both trips and was very happy.
The first trip, Royal Highland Christmas, took me from Edinburgh to Inverness, a gorgeous little town, perfect for spending a cosy Christmas day!
The second trip was a New Year’s Eve Hogmanay tour. We spent the days discovering Edinburgh and the nights were spent discovering local pubs with live music.
The tour groups tend to attract mostly Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians. Expect to have a full bus load of passengers generally aging from 17 to 40.
Why use Haggis Adventures?
Highlights from ‘Royal Highland Christmas’:
- Traditional Scottish Ceilidh dance on Christmas night
- Hearing the wealth of knowledge the tour guides share including stories of eerie Glencoe and the lonely Culloden Battlefield
- Attempt to spot Nessie on the banks of Loch Ness
- ALL transport and traditional Scottish breakfasts included
- Accommodation in the Royal highland hotel
Spending a Christmas in cold weather was a first for me. I made sure I got full use out of a recently purchased Christmas sweater. Lights and all!
Highlights from ‘Edinburgh Hogmanay’:
- Ticket to an amazing Hogmanay Street Party for New Years Eve
- Winter festival
- If you’re from ‘down under’, pubs hold Aussie and Kiwi New Year celebration parties
- Hike up Arthur’s Seat, the extinct volcano
- Nice accommodation
- Includes transport
Queensferry Loony Dook was one of the highlights of the tour. For those brave (or silly) few of us who decided to join the Loony Dook plunge, New Years Eve was calling. What would a successful New Year’s morning be without taking a plunge in the sea during winter!? This is a charity event held annually and made for some interesting discussions. One thing to note:- ensure your roommates are aware that you will be requiring the showers first!
I love joining travel tours around the world. The things I’ve seen and the connections made with amazing people will last a lifetime.
I would recommend doing your research before going. I know many people who found it easier to hire a car to get around in Scotland. This would be fantastic if you are confident enough! And means you would get to see the exact sites you want to without the bus load of other travelers.
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