Scotland Trip

In the summer of 2019, I was lucky enough to go on a two-week ancestry vacation to Scotland with my family. While there, I was able to explore places like Edinburgh, Dufftown, Inverness, Isle of Skye, and so much more. One of the most significant stops was Armadale Castle, where my ancestors once lived. Beyond that, I was able to see an incredible amount of Scotland thanks to its Right to Roam law.

Flying into Edinburgh, my family planned several days to explore the capital. We visited Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, the Holyroodhouse, the John Knox House, Arthurs Seat, and other various shops and restaurants.

Above is the view of Edinburgh from Arthurs seat. On the left side of the image, you can see Edinburgh Castle and the famous Forth Bridges of Scotland in the distance on the right. The view of the city from this vantage point is breathtaking, and one everyone should see while visiting the capital city. The first place my family explored was Edinburgh Castle, and the second was St. Giles Cathedral. Initially built in 1124, the cathedral has become a popular tourist destination.

The photos below offer just a glimpse of the beauty St. Giles has to offer.

On the left is the Robert Burns memorial window, installed in 1985. Regarded as the national poet of Scotland, the city of Edinburgh wanted a proper tribute to Robert Burns and created the stained glass art in honor of all his work.

Finally, on the right is a stained glass image of St. Giles himself. If you look closely, you will notice a deer to the right of St. Giles, and the story goes the deer was being hunted, and as the hunter shot their arrow St. Giles put his hand in front of the arrow, saving the deer.

After St. Giles Cathedral, we visited one of my mom’s favorite stops, Holyroodhouse Palace, the home of Mary Queen of Scots. While not allowed to take pictures indoors, there are plenty of photo opportunities throughout the palace grounds.

One of the most noticeable things is all the unicorns (see left) around Holyroodhouse, and this is when I learned that the unicorn is the national animal of Scotland. Other noteworthy visits were the John Knox House, Knox was a Scottish minister, leader of the country’s Reformation, and The Elephant House Café, where Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling confirmed the location of writing the first of the seven-book series.

After a few days exploring Edinburgh and before our next big adventure of the Dufftown games, we stopped in Lauder, where we were able to visit some family friends. The hosts were gracious enough to show us around their land, their gardens, chickens, and highland cows.

To the right, you can see one of their highland cows and notice the longhorns paired with the long hair. This unique look makes them highly photogenic. The Highland cow is the oldest registered breed of cattle globally, and their thick coat of fur is how they brave the harsh Scottish Highland conditions. These beautiful animals can weigh anywhere from 1,000 pounds to over 1,700 pounds.

Once we said goodbye to our friends, it was off to our next destination, Dufftown. While in Dufftown, we attended the 127th Annual Dufftown and District Highland Games. There were food vendors, drink vendors, people selling clothes, or any other sort of thing.

The games themselves consisted of many different sports. It started with various age groups performing traditional Scottish dances, and once the dancers finished, the first of many marching bands would take the spotlight. After the marching band finished, the Highland Games began.

These Scottish strongmen competed in the hammer throw, shot put (see right), and caber toss. On the other side of the field was the Scottish Tug of War association, where two teams went head-to-head trying to pull the other to their side.

Throughout the games, there were pauses to allow other marching bands (see below) to perform. Although the official games started in 1892, the athletes' events can be traced back to the 11th century. Then, the clan chiefs would come together and show off their strongest and fastest warriors. After the games, it was back to sightseeing.

The following few places we visited were Elgin Cathedral, Duffus Castle, and Fort George.

Being the first actual ruins of the trip (the original Holyroodhouse had some ruins), I was excited to explore the grounds. The view from the highest point (see right) is gorgeous.

Elgin was established in 1124 and has been a tourist attraction since the early 1800s. While there, you can access much of the area and get to see the fantastic architecture up close.

Thinking back to 1124, I have no idea how some of the things were built—damaged by several severe fires, the ruins that remain fight crumbling like the walls that once surrounded them.

After looking at some of the oldest gravestones I have ever seen, it was off to the next destination, Duffus Castle.

Duffus Castle is also a ruin that has stood the test of time. When the castle was completed, it was one of the most secure areas in all of Scotland. The mound that the castle sits on is man-made and was built in 1140. Before the 1300’s reconstruction to a brick castle, Duffus was made entirely out of wood.

The stone castle (see left) has proven too heavy for the artificial mound and has slowly sunk since construction.

After the death of Sir James Sutherland, 2nd Lord Duffus, in 1705, the place was abandoned. After exploring the ruins, it was back in the van and off to our next stop, Fort George.

This 42-acre fort was initially built to stop the Jacobite Rising in 1746. Taking 22 years to complete, Fort George is still home to several battalions, but there is word of the fort shutting down in 2032. One of the most impressive features is the enormous wall that circles the entire fortress, a mile in length. There are many things you can visit, like the infirmary, the barracks, the chapel, and the mess hall. Already having a museum, the fort looks to turn the entire thing into a museum once it is officially finished with military operations.

You must cross the drawbridge and enter through the gate (see right). While here, make sure to take advantage of the views; dolphins have been known to hang out around where Moray Firth and the North Sea meet.

The day after we visited Fort George, we started to head towards Armadale Castle, home of clan Donald. Along the way, we stopped at one of the most famous mythical destinations in the world, Loch Ness.

Most famous for the sightings on Nessie, the Loch Ness monster; there are other impressive things about this loch. It is the second-largest by surface area but first by volume. Loch Ness overtakes the first place in the surface area, Loch Lomond, because of its incredible depth. At its deepest, Loch Ness is over 750 feet deep. If Loch Ness were to be completely drained, it would be able to fit all have England’s and Wales lakes and still have room to spare. After a quick stop at Fort Augusts, home to the southern-most canal on Loch Ness, it was off to Armadale.

Built in the 1650s, Armadale would go on to home Clan Donald for 275 years. While Clan Donald was quite large, only the most distinguished of the group would get to stay at the castle. Having had two upgrades, one in 1790 and another in 1815. The 1815 upgrade consisted of the central castle building and was designed for looks rather than defense. In 1925 the last family moved out of Armadale, and the land was sold to the Clan Donald Lands Trust in 1971. After ten years, the trust decided it was best to demolish parts of the castle that were deemed unsafe while preserving what they could for future generations. Seeing where my relatives lived over 350 years ago was truly an unforgettable moment. However, our trip was not over yet. After Armadale, we were off to Dunvegan Castle and Gardens.

Initially built in the early 1200s, Dunvegan Castle (see below) and Gardens have been home to Clan Macleod for over 800 years. The family still lives in Dunvegan, and Hugh Magnus Macleod is the current Chief. Being the 30th chief, Hugh inherited the position and castle in 2007 when his father, John MacLeod, passed away.

Not only is the exterior of the castle gorgeous, but when you enter the front doors, you see even more beauty.

The decorations inside Dunvegan Castle are stunning and historical. To the left, you can see a device designed to tell you the weather. Famous for its gardens, it was not always a lush floral area.

In 1773, the Chief’s mother wanted to build a garden but said, “there was not and never could be a good garden at Dunvegan.”

This all changed just 30 years later when the 24th chief, John Norman, came into power. In 1811, Norman and his team were dedicated to planting various trees and plants, and this is when the gardens you see now really started.

After visiting Dunvegan, we were off to the Fairy Pools (see right) but had limited time while there.

The next day was one of the busiest days of the trip but also one of the most stunning. We visited the Fairy Glen, the Falls of Rha, and the Quiraing Car Park in one day.

The Fairy Glens is a lesser-known tourist attraction, although I am not sure why. The incredible landscape of this area makes it a must-see, in my opinion.

Along with all the fun climbing and exploring you can do, the Fairy Glen is open to the neighboring farmer's animals, like sheep (see left) and goats. Being able to capture these animals in a somewhat wild environment was amazing. Seeing how the little ones would stick to their parents and the parents would make sure no one got too close to their babies.

After exploring a bit more of the glen, we thought we were off to the Quiraing Car Park, but our driver said he had a little pit stop he wanted to show us.

The Falls of Rha, or Rha Waterfalls, is a fantastic two-tier waterfall (see right) that is a rare destination for any tourist. Taking a trail that cuts around someone’s backyard, you come across one of the most impressive waterfalls I have ever seen. There was no one at the falls; my family had someplace all to us for the first time.

Not expecting anything too crazy, I had left my tripod back in the van and was able to get the image you see by placing my camera on two rocks about five inches above the water. It was risky but well worth it as this is one of my favorite photos I have ever taken. We passed two people heading towards the falls on our way out, but other than that, we were all alone.

Back in the van, we were now off to our third and final spot of the day, the Quiraing Car Park. The Quiraing Car Park (see three below) was another delightful surprise as I did not know what to expect, if anything, of this stop. However, once there, I can see why there are so many positive reviews about this place. Below are just a few of the photos I took while exploring this area. Getting to go out and explore on these steep cliffs with stunning views makes me feel at home. I will always strive to be able to see all the beauty the world has to offer. 

I would go back to Scotland and spend a week or more in this area if I could. The number of things to see here is endless. Every way you turn, there is something photo-worthy. Unfortunately, being the end of the day, I could only see so much before having to head back after one unforgettable day. 

The following would be another jam-packed day: the Eilean Donan castle, Invermoriston Falls, and Victoria Viewpoint in the Nevis Mountain range.

Built in the early 1200’s Eilean Donan castle is a must-see if you are ever in this area of Scotland. It is arguably one of the most picturesque castles in Scotland, and it is easy to see why up to 2,000 people a day visit. Although the castle is not the original, the current is a beautiful display of architecture.

Having been abandoned from 1719 until 1911, John Macrae-Gilstrap decided to purchase the island and restore the building. Over the next 20 years, he and Farquar Macrae would spend their days bringing back this iconic site. Completed in 1932 (see left), John would get to see his creation until his death in 1937. A few years later, in 1955, the castle was opened to the public by John MacRae, grandson of MacRae-Gilstrap.

Similar to the Rha waterfalls, the Invermoriston falls are a little-known tourist destination and one my family had to ourselves.

A short walk from the parking lot is a series of small waterfalls to explore along the Moriston River (see right). Another place all to ourselves, my family, and I spent a reasonable amount of time here sitting by the river or walking along looking for more waterfalls.

After exploring for a bit, it was off to Victoria Viewpoint in the Nevis Mountain range, home to the tallest mountain in Scotland.

At 2,132 feet high, the viewpoint is about half as high as the tallest mountain just three miles away. However, the peak of Ben Nevis Mountain at 4,413 feet is over 100 feet taller than any of its competitors. Fortunately, there is a gondola ride up to the viewpoint, as hiking up to the top would be very difficult. After yet another non-stop day, our trip was coming to an end, and while I could not mention every single detail of the trip, there are a couple more things to talk about, the Scottish Right to Roam law, but first our last tourist stop of the trip, the Falkirk Wheel.  

Starting construction in 1998, this incredible design would connect two canals separated by 80 feet vertically. Officially opening in May of 2002, the ceremony was attended by Her Majesty the Queen and other Royal Family members. Since opening, the wheel has lifted over 1 million people and continues to be a popular spot.

The final thing I wanted to talk about was how open Scotland is to explorers. In 2005 Scotland passed an act most commonly referred to as the “Right to Roam.”

What this did was essentially what it sounds like; it gave people the right to explore most lands and waters in Scotland, with obvious exceptions. Things like residential yards, or crop fields, or anywhere with a no trespassing sign are all places you cannot just freely walk, but besides that, as long as you are respectful, you get to explore where you choose. This means no hunting, no fishing, no ruining the land, just exploration. Thanks to this law, I was able to see more of Scotland than I could have imagined (see below and right). Most early mornings and late nights would consist of grabbing my camera gear and just heading out for a walk, seeing what I could get myself into.

I came across herds of goats and sheep, countless beautiful birds, and views that would not have been possible without being able to walk wherever I wanted. Scotland is a backpacker’s dream; you are free to explore the country, and the citizens allow you to do just that. I never once came across anyone angry about where I was or what I was doing.

Not only was I fortunate enough to go to Scotland, but also getting to see so much of it while there. Edinburgh, Dufftown, Inverness, Isle of Skye, Loch Ness, and so much more I was able to see on this trip, none more memorable than Armadale Castle. It was indeed a trip I will never forget.