Just as an aside, I realized after the fact that it's an interesting time to be in Scotland right now. Formally it's at the moment a part of the United Kingdom but - and this was news to me - they are facing an independence referendum this September. I've heard a lot of interesting perspectives from Scots and from others about the issue, and it's something I'll continue to follow in the fall; there are many ramifications of Scottish independence that are simply mind-boggling to think about.
My two destinations were Edinburgh and Inverness. I have a couple of friends who have visited or studied in Edinburgh and loved their experience, and they gave me plenty of suggestions for things to do, see, and eat. Inverness was my getaway from the city to the Highlands.
The first thing I did in Edinburgh was climb Arthur's Seat. My friend Lorraine said she took a shot of whiskey before doing the climb and in hindsight, I might do that too next time. It is a ridiculously windy hike, but the views are quite breathtaking. When I was there, I only climbed the side with the cliffs (see second photo below). I got pretty close to the edge a few times, something that would make my acrophobic father shudder, but generally I kept my distance. Just in case ;)
A visit to Edinburgh is also incomplete without going to the castle. Unfortunately admission is ridiculously expensive at £16 at a time when 1 GBP was almost 1.70 USD!!! I have to be honest and say it wasn't worth it, even though it was a great look at Scottish history, particularly its military history. I think it's a I-did-it-once-and-will-never-pay-that-kind-of-money-to-do-it-again type of deal. And also since it's built on a hill, it is very chilly up there so dress warmly if you plan to visit!
Two things that were free and way more worthwhile, in my opinion, are the National Museum of Scotland and National Gallery. The National Gallery might not be everyone's cup of tea but if you like art, their collection is not shabby! They even have one of Rembrandt's self-portraits and a Vermeer! The National Museum is one of the best I went to during the whole month. It's well curated and organized, plus there's something for everyone. I actually ended up going twice because I liked it that much!
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| Christ in the House of Martha and Mary - totes had an artgasm when I saw this |
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| one of several well-assembled collections showing the evolution of technology |
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| an exhibit on F1 cars |
Now moving on to my two days in Inverness...
Inverness is kind of in the middle of nowhere. I used Megabus roundtrip and somehow managed to get there on 2/7 and back on 2/9 when my tickets were for 2/5 and 2/7. I'm actually quite proud of this feat even though it almost made me have a heart attack. Ask me about it in person sometime and I can give you the full rundown with dramatic twists and all.
I thought I would love Inverness, but it turns out I hated it. In fact, I don't think I will ever go back to the town and I would only visit the Highlands by camping or staying in another town. A lot of it stems from the fact that I didn't like the people I met there. Generally speaking, the Scottish are also very kind, and an old man helped me buy an international post card stamp when I was too dumb to use the machine by myself. Unfortunately at my hostel, I met some of the worst people I have encountered in my life and even though they weren't Scottish, I associated this dislike with the town. (Also there are local youths always loitering on the high street and up to questionable things which made me feel pretty uncomfortable.)
One man in particular, an older Italian, told me that Italians and Spaniards are far better lovers than the British and Germans and that many European men want a good Oriental wife who will be good to him.
Woahhhhhhh dude... you did not just say that to me.
And he went on to ask me to hook it up with an Asian woman near his age as well as asking me for a drink.
Now up until this point, I thought our conversation was quite okay. Clearly, it suddenly took a turn for the offensive. Sadly, this wasn't the last time people thought it was okay to say something like this to me.
I'm actually not going to dwell on this because it irritates me even now, but I will definitely touch on some things I liked about the area.
I was able to rent a bike (which was really expensive, mind you) and spent a morning biking to Culloden Battlefield. There is a visitor information center there with exhibits, but I didn't go inside. I think anyone of Scottish ancestry may really appreciate it though, and there is a lot of information there about the tribes involved in the Battle of Culloden. The battlefield itself is predictably just a flat piece of terrain, but there are flags and markers to give you a sense of where you are. I primarily enjoyed the views of Loch Ness on the ride there.
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| Culloden Battlefield |
In the afternoon, I biked between the River Ness and the Caledonian Canal and attempted to make it all the way out to Loch Ness but unfortunately the path I took had me eventually biking right next to high speed traffic and ultimately I gave up and went home. The first part between the river and the canal, on the other hand, is a beautiful, relaxing ride along a path with very few people.
And finally, I enjoyed one of my best meals all month from The Joy of Taste. This restaurant is a co-op where employees volunteer a number of hours each week and at the end of the year, they split the profits - something that reminded me of good ol' Berkeley! I stopped by for dinner to treat myself after biking around all day and ordered the cheese souffle and pork loin. Oh my goodness. I have no words.
And that wraps it up for Scotland! To be honest, I wasn't a huge fan, especially compared to my high expectations after Ireland. I did promise someone in Edinburgh that I'd go back during August sometime so I could properly enjoy everything with good weather though, so we shall see :)
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