Scotland

Day 1
Well I arrived and was able to get here the time I planned. I have to say it was a close call when I got to Dublin. I did not plan well since I didn’t really realize what I had to get done, but in the two hour window I left myself I was able to get my one bag to the baggage hold, get to my tour desk and pick up everything there and still get back to check into my flight with about an hour to spare. The whole time I was thinking to myself I am so glad that this airport isn’t as big as O’Hare, got to Scotland at about 11:00 am and to the Hotel at about half hour later. I spent most the day sleeping since I had been up most the night before in the airport. I have to say I am glad I decided to come in a day early just to be able to regroup and catch up on my sleep. Didn’t do anything else really exciting had dinner in the hotel. I did come to find out that my phone does not work over here, which stinks, but oh well. I also am trying to find internet connection that I don’t have to pay for. I will see if that happens, I can hope.

Day 2
Well I was up at 4:30am wide awake, I looked at my clock from back home and realized why back in AD it would have been 7:30 just is sleeping in for me. Anyways tour starts today at 1:00 pm then I will be on the go for the next 11 days. I was going to go and walk the city this morning, but I woke up sore and tired so I am just going to hang out until the tour is ready to leave. It will give me a chance to get a little more sleep since I am excepting it to be a late night since there is a welcome party tonight.

Just getting back from the first tour in Glasgow, it took us around to see the main hot spots of the town and then to the Glasgow Museum of Art. It was really a neat thing to see, the town reminds me a lot of Chicago the way its streets are set up. I have made a group of friends already, which I figured I would. Funny thing is that I am the youngest person on the tour by 20 years. Oh well means more time to explore and to relax on the bus. Off to welcome drinks and dinner.

Welcome drinks were great there is about 24 of us on the tour, which makes it a small group, but still enough to meet and chat. After drinks we all headed into the dining room. It was a great dinner, tomorrow we are off to Loch Ness, I can’t wait.

Day 3So today I left Glasgow and headed for Loch Ness, it was a long drive but I had a great time on the way. The first stop was to stretch and take a photo op. I choose not to get out since it was raining and foggy. Once back on the road the weather started to get better. It started to clear up and improve with just a little cloud cover and then finally some sun. The next top was at the waterfall and then Three Sisters Mountains. They were amazing to see, I don’t think my picture did justice for the sight of them. After that we headed on we passed through a small town where Harry Potter was filmed. I was lucky enough to see the Hogwarts Express and see some of the place the movie was filmed. Finally arrived at Loch Ness where I took a tour of the Loch.  I took some great pictures, some with Nessy, but sadly not the real one. Now I am at my hotel and heading to the traditional dinner and then get to enjoy some Scottish music and dancing.

Day 4 Another long day of traveling, luckily it is really our last for traveling. We headed out of the Highlands and back to the city of Edinburgh. The first stop on the way down from the Highlands was the Blair Castle. I was taken on a guided tour through the castle. I wish I would have been able to take pictures inside the castle it was so interesting to see the different types of architecture that was in the one building. After leaving the class the bus headed to a small town called Pitlochry where it stopped for lunch. I decided to save money and just got a bag of chips and a pop. Then headed to the Blair Athol Distillery, where they took us on a complete tour of how they made their whiskey (I however did not try any).

Just got back from the Night walk in Edinburgh, it was so neat to learn the history of the place and some of the haunts. The tour guide told so many stories about the town that it is hard to believe. He told us the story about the man who invited the gallows and showed us where he live, he also informed us that he was the first person to use his invention and that from his real life story Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde was created. I wish I could remember all of the stories that he told us there were so many and it was just so interesting to hear. I also got to see the coffee shop where JK Rowling sat and wrote her first Harry Potter Book.

Day 5

Well today was an actually quite day, it started with a tour of Edinburgh, just the basic stories of how the town came to be and where famous people came from. After that there was a tour of the Edinburgh Castle. I was amazed at how big the place was. It was like being in a town onto itself. After the tour of the castle it was free time in Edinburgh. I ended up just walking around with a few others that are on the tour with me. It was great fun; I also was able to get me a Celtic Puzzle Ring.