The very last weekend of summer we took the ferry from Belfast to Scotland. It was a whirlwind 48-hour adventure but we managed to take in a very small chunk of the country.
First off, I love ferries so the trip itself was a joy. Brings back good memories of the Portland, ME to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia trips of my youth. We had lovely views of Ailsa Craig (which loosely translates to “fairy rock” as we headed from Cairn Ryan towards Glasgow.
After just a short walk around the city we randomly ate a delicious Italian meal then headed to the origin of our trip - Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service concert at the Ovo Hydro. David and I adore them and with lots of emotional attachment to the albums they performed so it was a really fun night to share as a family. The concert was excellent, and yet an interesting contrast to concerts in Ireland…the crowd was happy, but pretty quiet. Here in Ireland, everyone sings their heart out the ENTIRE time.
The following morning I went for a delightful (though very wet) run along the River Kelvin, through the Botanic Gardens and University, and past the beautiful Kelvingrove Art Museum. Riley and I were greeted in a very friendly manner by every runner/walker/and even the people at the coffee shop where we stopped to bring home breakfast.
That day we drove up to glimpse the Scottish Highlands. We made it to about Glencoe. The views are as stunning as advertised. We stopped for lunch at a tiny adorable restaurant in a refinished church…we just spotted the sign off the main road and I can no longer find it on the map which leads me to believe it was in an alternate universe.
That evening we stayed in Edinburgh, in the Leith neighborhood. The airbnb house was very cool and nicely appointed, although also the loudest home I’ve ever been in. Literally everything made noise (even, terrifyingly, the spiral staircase). We popped across the street to the gorgeous Nobles Victorian cafe/bar for a casual dinner and all in all had a quiet night.
Another run the following morning wasn’t as charming, but our tour of Edinburgh castle more than made up for it. Bag-pipers on street corners welcomed us to the bustling part of town near the castle. We meandered adorable nearby Cockburn St., had a snack, and then had to hit the road.
From there we headed back in the increasing rain and wind towards the ferry terminal. We all enjoyed a brief stop/walk at the Kelpies. These are a couple of 30-m high metal horse heads on the banks of the River Carron. Coincidentally, Sally had just learned the tale of the kelpies - dangerous shape-shifting water creatures that appear on land to their human victims as white or grey horses. The kelpie entices victims to ride on their back, then carries them down to a watery grave. Charming, right? But the statues were really cool. This time we skipped the Falkirk Wheel (time, weather), but next time we’ll make a day of it.
All in all, people were super nice and welcoming and Scotland felt a bit like a slightly wilder Ireland (hopefully I’m allowed to say that). Would love to go back for some real hikes and time to explore the cities a bit more.
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