Sunday, March 23rd, 2025
This morning we boarded our bus to head toward Edinburgh. We had several stops along the way. Our first stop was at the Glengoyne Distillery. They opened at 10:00 AM and we were ready for our tour. By 11:00 AM we were tasting their single malt Scotch whisky!
The Glengoyne Distillery was located on the HIghland Line which was a division between the Highlands and the Lowlands of Scotland. It had been described as Scotland’s most beautiful distillery located at the foot of the Campsie Hills and next to a waterfall.
Glengoyne Distillery had legally been making whisky since 1833! Their stills were the slowest in Scotland. The casks take six years to prepare and they were known for their barley which was only dried by air. Our tour took us through all of the stages of the process.
After our tour was over we met in the tasting room to try 3 different aged whiskies. The first was aged 10 years, the second 12 years, and the third was aged 15 years. I was able to taste test because the distillation process ensured all gluten in the barley was removed. Our tour director was able to taste with us because she wasn’t driving. Scotland had a zero-tolerance to drinking and driving. If you were a driver you could only nose the whisky, but not taste. That would not be fun at all.
Our second stop was The Falkirk Wheel and lunch. The Falkirk Wheel was the world’s only rotating boat lift. It linked the Forth & Clyde canal to the Union Canal which was 114 feet above and in a half-turn that took five minutes. It opened in 2002 and replaced a flight of 11 staircased locks. It was a busy tourist site. We arrived as The Falkirk Wheel began its turn.
Below was a short video that showed the wheel moving.
The Kelpies Horse sculptures were also a must see! We stopped and had time to walk up close and around these two horse-head sculptures at the Helix Ecopark.
Each head was 98 feet high and they were designed by sculptor Andy Scott. The Kelpies were part of Scottish folklore. They depicted a beautiful horse that lured victims to their deaths in rivers or lochs.
Duke and Baron were named after two real Clydesdale horses. They stood 100 feet tall and weigh more than 300 tons each. They were the largest equine structures in the world.
Edinburgh was our final stop. As we approached our hotel we could see the Edinburgh Castle on Castle Rock.
We checked into our hotel which was located a block from the Royal Mile. Our hotel room looked out over the train station.
We left our luggage and went walking up the Royal Mile toward the Edinburgh Castle. As we were walking we passed by “Oor Tom” which was created by the Edinburgh artist, Chris Rutterford to honor the war veteran Tom Gilzean. For over 20 years Tom collected over one million pounds for the Edinburgh Childrens’ Hospital Charity and he was always dressed in his tartan trews. He was 99 years old when he died. What a wonderful way to continue his charitable legacy. We donated when we returned home.
The Royal Mile was located in Old Town of Edinburgh. Its origins date back to the medieval period. In 1995 it was designated an UNESCO World Heritage site and it also included Princes Street in New Town. The Royal Mile went from Edinburgh Castle (west end) to the Palace of Holyroodhouse (east end). Some sights as we walked up to the castle.
On our way back to our hotel we stopped for a drink at the No1 High Street pub. It was the original meeting place for the famous Edinburgh Cape Society that was founded in the 1700s. Some famous members were Robert Burns (famous Scottish poet) and Deacon William Brodie (he was Robert Louis Stephenson’s inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). The back of the bar had prints that depicted the Cape Society. The Cape Society still exists!
After our walk along the Royal Mile, we had a group dinner at Tolbooth Tavern. It was a traditional Scottish pub that was established in 1820.
The group had an appetizer of Haggis, a national dish of Scotland. It was a type of pudding made with minced sheep’s lungs, heart, and liver. It was then mixed with beef or suet, oatmeal, and then seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper and other spices. I had tomato soup because the haggis was not gluten free. I was happy with that.
After dinner we walked back to our hotel. The view from our room looking the other direction.
