Scotland & Northern England Highlights Day 7

Tuesday, March 25th, 2025

Today we were traveling to St. Andrews, Scotland. It was sunny but quite windy. We made a stop at The Forth Bridges. There were three famous bridges that we saw. The bridges crossed the River Forth which was a major river in central Scotland. The river drained into the North Sea.

The oldest bridge was The Forth Bridge which became an UNESCO World Heritage site in July of 2015. It opened in 1890 and was only open to trains. It was the world’s first major steel structure. It under went a complete restoration that was completed in 2012. It was constructed of 53,000 tons of steel, 6.5 million rivets and 73 lives were lost during its construction.

Memorial to those workers who lost their lives during the construction of The Forth Bridge.

The Queensferry Crossing (the bridge in the back in the photo below) opened in 2017. It was the longest 3-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world. It spanned 1.7 miles. Its bridge towers were the highest in the United Kingdom.

**Queensferry Bridge in the back and the Forth Road Bridge was in the front.**

The Forth Road Bridge (the bridge in the front in the photo below) was a long span suspension bridge. It was the 4th longest bridge in the world and the largest outside the United States when it opened in 1964. It was 1 1/2 miles in length and was built using 39,000 tons of steel!

When we arrived at the historic town of St. Andrews we had a self-guided tour of the R&A Golf Museum. It was located opposite The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse.

The museum explored the past, present and future of golf. There was a large collection of golf memorabilia from around the world. We were able to explore over 400 years of golf history in the museum.

When we finished the museum, we walked beside the 18th hole of the Old Course. It was created in 1754 and the Royal and Ancient Club headquarters of golf ever since. Our purpose was to take pictures on the famous Swilcan Bridge. It was located on the 18th hole and the bridge was originally built 700 years ago. The Swilcan Bridge was 8 feet wide and 30 feet long and spans the Swilcan Burn (stream). It was one of the most photographed bridges in the world.

We waited until the foursome on the 18th hole passed and we walked out quickly for our pictures.

More shots from around the course are below. Please click through. It was such a gorgeous day.

The clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Course
Be aware!
The course was by the North Sea
Statue of Old Tom Morris by sculptor David Annand.
Martyrs’ Monument- commemorates protestants that were executed.
The Old Course filled with golfers
It was a great day if you were a golfer.
The 18th hole was behind us!

The 2027 British Open will be played at the Old Course at St. Andrews. What a beautiful setting for the tournament. The beach and the bay by the course!

What a great way to forecast the weather at St. Andrews. Make sure you read the sign below.

Along the sidewalk across from the course were plaques of the British Open. Jack Nicklaus who was from our area won in 1970 and 1978!

Besides St. Andrews being known as the birthplace of golf, it had a university which was the oldest in Scotland. The University of St. Andrews was founded in 1412. Prince William was the most recent and famous alumnus. We could also see the ruins of the St. Andrews castle. When we visited here in 2003 we visited the castle and walked through the university. Today we had time to eat lunch and then meet our group. We asked a couple of University students where would be a good place to eat and they gave a few suggestions. We found a pub, Central Bar, that had been around for over 100 years! Many of us had their Grilled Cheese Toastie which was a grilled cheese sandwich.

As we headed back toward Edinburgh, we followed along the scenic coastline of Fife. We had a quick stop at Cellardyke, a village in Scotland. The Cellardyke Harbour had stunning views of the fishing village. Our next stop was the coastal town of Anstruther. It was another fishing village.

Along the road we saw farmland and we all commented on how fertile the soil looked. The soil didn’t have clay like our gardens at home.

This evening we were tired and went to dinner a block from our hotel. We had dinner at the No1 High Street on the Royal Mile. They were able to accomodate our group and our food was tasty. Another great day!

Scotland & Northern England Highlights Day 6

Monday, March 24th, 2025

Our day began with a drive through the “New Town” of Edinburgh and by new town, it was constructed between 1767 and 1890! It had stylish boutiques, classical Georgian architecture, many excellent restaurants, and large green spaces.

As we rode along, we looked back at the “Old Town” of Edinburgh and Castle Rock with the castle.

We passed Charlotte Square which had a statue of Prince Albert (consort of Queen Victoria). It was a private garden that was only for the owners of the surrounding properties.

West Register House- National Records of Scotland along Charlotte Square. It was constructed from 1811-1814 as St. George’s Church and was converted to the Register House in 1964-1970.

We passed the historic local pub, Greyfriar’s Bobby Pub. It had been around for at least 150 years and occupied the ground floor of a row of Georgian houses. In front of the pub was the statue of Bobby, a Skye Terrier. He was a famous dog in Scotland. Legend said that in the 19th century Bobby spent fourteen years guarding the grave of his owner until the dog died in 1872. Many stop and rub the dog’s nose on the statue for good luck.

Greyfriar’s Bobby Pub and statue of Bobby

Queen Elizabeth II’s yacht, the Britannia, was our next stop.

It was her Royal Yacht from 1954 to 1997. The ship was built in Scotland and it was appropriate for it to become a tourist attraction near Edinburgh, the capital. It opened as a visitor attraction in 1998. As of 2016 Britannia had over five million visitors. We had an audio self-guided tour as we toured the ship. We toured at our own pace.

The HMY (Her majesty’s yacht), Britannia traveled more than one million nautical miles. It had 250 crew members and it also served as Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal residence. She held state visits, official receptions, Royal honeymoons, and had relaxing family holidays on board the ship.

The double bed was added to this bedroom for Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s Honeymoon.

The Sun Lounge was the Queen’s favorite room.

The Drawing Room was a place where the Royal family would relax or sometimes it was a reception room and could hold up to 250 guests.

The State Dining room was the largest room on the yacht. The Queen entertained some very important Heads of State in this dining room.

We took a break during our tour and visited the Royal Deck Tea Room. This deck was previously used by the Royal Family for deck games. They also enjoyed drinks or buffets. One can only visit the Tea Room if you were touring the Britannia. We enjoyed our tea and scones.

All the clocks on board the Britannia stopped at 15:01 or 3:01 PM. This was the time that Queen Elizabeth II went ashore for the last time!

The officers and sailors on board also had their own places to relax. One of the places was a bar where you could pretend to enjoy a cold brew!

One could also be the “Admiral” during your tour!

The engine room was so shiny and pristine!

We visited five decks and saw so much! We just highlighted some of the rooms of the yacht. If you are in Edinburgh and have the time, we would recommend taking the tour.

When we left Britannia, our next stop was lunch before meeting at the entrance to the Edinburgh Castle. We walked up the Royal Mile to find a place for a quick bite. The Amber Restaurant and Whisky Bar was able to seat 11 of us and serve us quickly. The restaurant and bar first opened up in 1988. Its main focus was the scotch whisky experience but the restaurant was very good.

The rest of our afternoon was visiting the Edinburgh Castle. It was built from the 11th century to the 21st century. The castle was a military fortress, royal residence, and a military prison. It sat on an extinct volcanic plug. It currently served as an active military base. The highlight was the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo that happened every August on the castle esplanade.

Our Hilliard Area Chamber of Commerce Group in front of the Edinburgh Castle

Everyday at 1:00 PM a gun is fired! They had signs warning of the loud noise! Mons Meg was a giant, late-medieval cannon.

St. Margaret’s Chapel was the oldest building in Edinburgh. It still hosted weddings and christenings.

Another building within the castle was the Scottish National War Memorial. It had a “Roll of Honour” where visitors with help could look up fallen soldiers from WWI to the present. It was run by a small charitable trust.

In the Royal Palace we saw one of the fireplaces that had the Royal Arms of James VI, King of Scots.

We walked all around the Half Moon Battery that was located on the eastern side of the castle grounds. The cannons were 18 pounds and built in 1810 for the Napoleonic Wars.

The sun was shining but it was very windy as we walked.

The panoramic views of Edinburgh from the caste were amazing. One could see for miles!

We could also see the Soldiers’ Dog Cemetery which dated back to 1837. Visitors can’t enter the cemetery but it can be viewed from above.

When we left the Edinburgh Castle we stopped at another traditional Scottish pub along the Royal Mile called the World’s End Bar. It was located in a 16th century building and its exterior wall formed part of Edinburgh’s ancient wall.

Some of us had a beverage while part of our group was shopping on the Royal Mile.

This evening we had reservations at a speakeasy in the New Town of Edinburgh. Some of our group took a cab to the location because it was about a mile walk and we had already walked over four miles and a lot of stairs.

**We left our hotel to walk to the speakeasy.**

Panda and Sons was the name of the speakeasy. It opened in 2013 by Panda and his family. It was located in a vintage style barbershop.

It was a classic style Prohibition speakeasy. The bar entrance was hidden behind a bookcase.

We enjoyed a drink in Panda & Sons and then we were in search of a restaurant for dinner. One of the waitresses suggested a restaurant and even called for us to see if they could seat the nine of us. She made a reservation for us at Old Pal and we walked there. It was almost a mile away. Our group decided as we walked to the restaurant that we would take a cab back to our hotel. We were all tired. As we walked we passed by Charlotte’s Square and saw West Register House illuminated.

Old Pal was a new restaurant that opened in 2024. The restaurant wasn’t busy but our food was delicious!

A block away from the restaurant there was a taxi stand! We took a taxi back to our hotel. Another busy day completed.

Scotland & Northern England Highlights Day 5

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.

Most of our group in the Glengoyne Distillery

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.

Tom Gilzean sculpture established to continue his legacy.

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.

Tag: Edinburgh

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