Brad and I recently returned from a trip to Scotland and Amsterdam. We took this trip “over the pond” to visit some of Brad’s family who live in Scotland and added a stop in Amsterdam on the way home. This was my first time traveling to Europe and I was very excited to visit!
While in Scotland we spent a lot of time in Edinburgh where we visited the the Queen’s Palace, Edinburgh castle and a few other great places. We started our first day in Edinburgh in Old Town at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen and is best known as the home of Mary, Queen of Scots.
The palace tour was really interesting and pointed out the varying styles of each monarch and how the rooms have been used throughout history. The ornate tapestries and furniture were amazing. There were rooms filled with royal collections and various items from the Order of the Thistle. We also toured the Holyrood Abbey, a ruin of the once majestic church.
After leaving the palace we walked up the Royal Mile heading toward Edinburgh Castle. The Royal Mile is really a mile-long tourist’s haven that includes many eateries and shops selling whiskey, cashmere, and other Scottish goods. At the other end of the mile was our final stop for the day, Edinburgh castle.
We also took a tour at the castle where we learned the history and progression of the castle. We walked through the castle and saw St. Margaret’s Chapel built in the 12th-century, Mons Meg, the Stone of Scone and the Scottish Crown Jewels. The castle is massive and has a number of buildings that have been destroyed and build through out centuries. I think it would take an entire day just to go through all of the buildings on the castle grounds.
Visiting Edinburgh Castle
Our second day in Edinburgh was spent enjoying a great meal and tea at Loopy Lorna’s (OMG banoffee pie!) and in New Town at Princes Street where Brittany and I were excited to do shopping! Not only is Princes Street great for shopping, but there are also some great views of Edinburgh castle and Old Town. We also came across what Brad and I decided was our favorite building in Edinburgh, the Scott Monument.
View from Princes Street
In between these outings we got to spend time at home with Brad’s sister, her family and his dad in the small hamlet of Carlops. We spent this time playing with Indiana and celebrating Austin’s first birthday with a trip to the horse races. It was a great vacation and it was wonderful to get to spend some time with Brad’s family!
More pictures from our trip:
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