Monsters, Mountains, and Massacres.

During my trip to Edinburgh, I wanted to take advantage of being in Scotland and visit the Highlands while I had the chance. The Highlands are a sparsely populated, very historic, extremely beautiful region in the northern half of Scotland.

You could spend an entire 2-week holiday in the Highlands alone, adventuring and hiking through the many glens, lochs, and mountains. The tour I went on is not for the faint of heart, covering over 500 miles of road in 12 hours, but perfect if you don't have a lot of time and want to see some of the best bits. I've done separate posts on Glen Coe and Loch Ness, but here are a few of the highlights...

Druimuachdar Pass, our official welcome to the Highlands after departing Edinburgh.

Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain - although the summit is rarely seen without cloud cover.

Loch Lubnaig.

A very shy but adorable Highland Coo, easily noticeable with it's bright orange fluffy coat.

If you get the chance to visit Scotland, I highly recommend a trip up to the Highlands. You learn so much about Scottish history and you leave feeling inspired to wear some plaid and go on a hike.

You Go Glen Coe...Coe.

(I was really proud of myself for this title/Instagram caption.)

Glen Coe is one of the most iconic and beautiful spots in the Scottish Highlands. Additionally, it's been featured prominently as a backdrop in the Harry Potter movies, including Quidditch scenes, Hagrid's Hut, the Forbidden Forest, and many more. Hogwarts is located in Scotland, so I don't think it's terribly far away...

It's one of those places where photos do it very little justice. The mountains, of volcanic origins, are astounding to look at, the perspective of how big they are is really mind-numbing. Even the air feels different as you breathe it in - one of the girls I befriended on the tour remarked how "fresh" it felt, and I agree. It was so pure and quiet and incredible all at the same time.

While Glen Coe is beautiful and peaceful nowadays, it hasn't always been that way. Imbedded in its history is a terrible massacre of the clan MacDonald by the clan Campbell on orders of the King, burning homes and murdering dozens of men, women, and children during a blizzard at 5am. Apparently this massacre was George R. R. Martin's inspiration for the infamous "Red Wedding" scene from Game of Thrones. To this day, there remains a grudge against anyone with the last name of Campbell - even the local inn has a sign on their door banning anyone with the name to stay.

Can't you just picture broomsticks or a dragon popping around the corner?!

Cruisin' with Nessie.

During a 12 hour whirlwind tour of the Scottish Highlands, I had the opportunity to take a one-hour boat tour on Loch Ness, the legendary home of the mysterious monster who has gained the pet name "Nessie". Needless to say I braved the freezing winds coming off the loch and jumped at the chance!

We went with the Jacobite Tour Company - the boat had an upper, open air deck that I lasted for about 15 minutes on before taking my wild hair and streaming eyes downstairs into the warmth of the enclosed area, complete with cushy booths, large windows, and a bar. There was a deck to the front and back of the lower area, giving you the chance to pop outside for a better photo if you wanted to without putting yourself to the elements of the upper deck. 

Loch Ness is the second largest loch (aka "lake") in Scotland, weighing in at 22 square miles in surface area and 744 feet deep at it's deepest point. Our tour guide explained that all of the fresh water could be drained out of England and Wales combined, and this loch alone could fill the empty bodies of water and still have plenty left over. Nessie has a big playground. 

The cruise took us by the ruins of Urquhart Castle, dating back to the 13th century and also playing a role in the Scottish War of Independence.

Atop Calton Hill | Edinburgh.

East of Edinburgh's New Town, Calton Hill was my favourite spot to take in view of the city. Walking around the perimeter, you have a perfect panorama of Arthur's Seat, Holyroodhouse Palace, the sea, Edinburgh Castle, and all of the winding streets below. The hill hosts an art gallery and cafe, multiple monuments, plenty of green space to sit and relax and trails to explore.

Looking north towards the Firth of Forth (say that five times fast).

Working my way clockwise around the hill, I stumbled upon a perfect view of Holyroodhouse Palace from above with Holyrood Park and Arthur's Seat looming in the distance.

On the left is the Nelson Monument, commemorating Admiral Nelson's death and victory over the French and Spanish in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. To the right, the National Monument of Scotland, intended to celebrate the soldiers and sailors from the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s, but ran out of funding and became an incomplete parthenon. It's very odd looking juxtaposed against the rest of the city, ancient Greek-looking architecture planted high in the capital of Scotland.

Swedish Treats + Flying Golf Balls | Edinburgh.

Near the University of Edinburgh is the Meadows, a massive green space filled with happy dogs, cyclists, casual games of football/soccer, and picnicking students popping champagne to celebrate the end of their exams. 

I kicked my day off at Peter's Yard, a Swedish bakeshop with the minimalist interior to match. With the menu in Swedish, I pointed to a cinnamon-y, sugar-y looking pastry and was not disappointed. It was basically a thick cinnamon bun that was donned with hail-stone sized sugar crystals in lieu of icing. 

In an effort to walk off the undisclosed amount of calories I had for breakfast, I strolled through the Meadows and onward through George Square on campus and circling back west to Bruntsfield Links. 

The earliest recorded game of modern golf dates back to the 15th century in Scotland, making it the home of the sport. The country has over 578 courses including the famous Old Course in St. Andrews, one of the oldest courses in the world and host for the 2015 Open coming up in July.

Walking from the Meadows, I hadn't even realised that I had walked straight onto a park-golf-course hybrid until a ball rolled past the tree that I had parked my back on and I realised people were swinging clubs left and right. The recreation area is owned by the Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, founded in 1761. This specific park has 36 holes and seems like a perfect way to spend the afternoon or even a date, if golfs your thing. 

Only in Scotland, amirite?