The roaring waves of the Atlantic rage against the rugged shoreline of Scotland and the lush green mountains stand guard in the highlands to protect the glistening lochs and legends of the mystic moors. We can faintly hear echos across the glens of the battle cries and rapturous bagpipes of a gone by era.

Our ladies travel group once again ventured off on an exciting tour!! 10 days in Scotland. We started our journey in Edinburgh, we took in the sights, tastes and sounds of this beautiful city and stayed in the “old City” area at the Apex hotel. We seen the World’s only rotating boat lift, the statues of the legendary Kelpies, walked the Royal Mile, toured the Edinburgh Castle and explored the Roslyn Chapel.

Our days that followed took us up the east coast to the north and back around the west coast to Glasgow and back to Edinburgh.

Along the way we visited Wick, we walked the sacred grounds of St. Andrews golf coarse and strolled the streets where Kate Middleton and Prince William met! We had afternoon tea and scones in the Ballindalloch Castle, searched for the infamous Loch ness monster and stopped for a “wee dram” of whiskey at the Pulteney Distillery and clapped our hands and sang along to Scottish folk tunes in the Old Smiddy Pub.

We then traveled the East coast to the northern tip of mainland Scotland to John O’Groats to take the ferry across the North Sea to the port of Burwick. We traveled across the causeways or “barriers” as they refer to them, that were built by WWII Italian prisoners of war.

Once back to mainland and overnight in Wick we started fresh with a visit to the Queen mom’s summer home, the Castle of Mey. I must see, the guides in the castle were assistants to the Queen mom and all the Royal family who stay there. Their stories of the family were humorous and heartfelt and show how much they are loved. We continued down the west coast stopping in Ullapool and wandering through the Glencoe area with a scenic boat ride on the Loch Lomand. Our tour ended in Glasgow. I’ll leave you with this Scottish blessing:

May the best you have ever seen
Be the worst you will ever see
May a mouse never leave your girnal
With a tear drop in his eye
May you always keep hale and hearty
Till you are old enough to die
May you always be just as happy
As we wish you always to be