We left London for Scotland on the National Express bus and spent our first night in Glasgow. We stayed at a lovely Inn and, shared a great meal and joined in the entertainment.

The following morning we left Glasgow and headed for a visit to the Falkirk wheel. None of us actually knew why we were going to the Falkirk Wheel but had been tipped that it was close by and worth a visit. I still don’t know why we went there but it was just a short stop to take a look - take a photo or 4 and head out again.
We learnt that the The Falkirk Wheel was opened by the Queen in May 2002 and is a rotating boat lift and the only one of its kind in the world.
The Falkirk Wheel is the height of eight double-decker buses and each gondola contains 300 tonnes of water connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

Stirling was our next stop and the most gorgeous part of the countryside. The castle dominates the skyline of the city and sits upon a volcanic rock with Stirling laid out below it. We walked around the little town and then went up to the Castle and loved the views from the castle over the countryside. You can also see the William Wallace monument in the distance with the statue of Robert the Bruce in the foreground which stands 220ft high.

From Stirling we then continued through the countryside until we veared off at Loch Lomond. The Loch is 24miles long and 5 miles wide and the surrounding area is really beautiful and tranquil. The loch is located in both the western lowlands of Central Scotland and the southern Highlands. We stopped and took in the views across the water of the surrounding hills. We waved at hairy “koois” – chased ducks and geese and it was a lovely setting of boats, trees and rolling hills.

That night we slept in "teepees" in the heart of the rolling hills in Pitlochery. The farm had a shower room that had no light and dodgey cobwebs and cracks in the corner and it was absolutely freezing. We got the showering side of things done as quick as possible and then we all shared a bed and cuddled up to keep warm because it was going to be a long and very cold night. After an interesting nights sleep we stopped over for breakfast before heading over the moor and through the highlands of Scotland.

The highlands are truly amazingly beautiful and very pretty scenery surrounded our journey.
We stopped at Pitlochry, largely a Victorian Town.

The power station's dam is known for its 310-metre salmon ladder and fish can be viewed leaping from weir to weir within the ladder.

More pictures of the Scotland Countryside and Lakes

We stopped at Eilan Donan Castle, on Loch Duich, which is said to be one of the most famous views of Scotland and the most photographed castle too.

Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland.

It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge and lies about half a mile from the village of Dornie. The Eilean Donan castle is the famous castle situated on the island. In the distance you can see the Isle of Sky.

More photos of Eilean Donan castle

A couple of miles down the road we came to the crossing for the Isle of Skye which we crossed but didn’t stay too long as we were running out of time and still wanted to see the "Lochness monster”!

Isle of Sky Skye is linked to the mainland by the Skye Bridge and is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

Of the four lochs in the Great Glen, The Loch Ness is by far the most famous as it is home to "Nessie". It is 24miles long and a mile wide in places.

Built on the shores of the Loch Ness is one of Scotland's best known castles - The ruins of Urquhart Castle. The sun was setting and the views were stunning in the background.

Urquhart Castle is said to be the most romantic castle. I think it’s the fact that Nessie may or may not exist and the possibility keeps you alert and looking for her just in case. I really wanted to be the first to see the monster but it was not to be. The views across the lake are stunning and the ruins make you feel, well, that you’re almost part of the history.

After a lovely walk around the loch and not finding Nessie we drove onto Inverness which is a pretty place and well known for its floral displays but we were just there for MacDonald takeaways !

We stopped over at a B&B for the night in Elgin, which is just past Inverness.

The next morning was Mom's birthday and I'm sure we woke the entire B&B up singing Happy Birthday on the top of our voices. After a fab breakfast we left Elgin and drove along the coast towards Aberdeen.

We stopped on the beachfront and had a walk on the beach eating ice cream.

Aberdeen Beach is famous for its golden sand and its long curved length between the harbour and the River Don's mouth.
The beach is popular with walkers, surfers and windsurfers and has a popular amusement area along the famous Beach Esplanade.

From Aberdeen it was a drive along the coast and admiring the scenery along the way. We stopped at St Cyrus and Andys “thinking spot “ a seaside town, consisting of old character churches, hills and villages.

Pictures along the Coast

Crossed the Tay Bridge into Fife.

We visited friends for a short while and then went ahead to the coast of Anstruther where we had fish and chips at a famous café and where I had fish'n chips in '97 and had never forgotten.

Anstruther is a small town in Fife and lies 9miles south of St Andrewes.

The two Anstruthers are divided by a small stream called Dreel Burn.

We stopped in St Andrews which holds a special place in my heart from visiting it a couple of years ago. St Andrews is the home of golf having been played in St Andrews for some 600 years. The Old Course is one of the most famous golf courses in the world and this little medieval town is also meant for exploring and walking. We had a wander around and then it was off again - this time onto visiting a friend of moms in Glenroths.

We also took a drive down memory lane (literally) down in Kilcaldy where moms parents come from.

We drove onto Edinburgh rather late and slept that evening just outside the city centre of Edinburgh.

Photos of Edinburgh

Edinburgh just has to be one of my favourite places to visit, the heart of the Old Town is surrounded by steeply sloping streets and views of the castle. The Edinburgh Castle dominates the city of Edinburgh and can be seen from just about every angle.

Photos of Edinburgh Castle

The City of Edinburgh grew out from the Castle rock, and the first houses in Edinburgh were built on the area in front of Edinburgh Castle , which is now known as the Lawnmarket.

These streets collectively form a single street known as The Royal Mile. The Royal Mile acquired its name over the ages as Scottish and English kings, queens and royalty in general, have travelled to and fro between the Palace of Holyrood House and Edinburgh Castle.

We spent a good couple of hours exploring the Edinburgh castle and the magnificent views from all parts of the castle are spectacular in every direction.

No matter whether you are on the lowest levels of the Castle, or the highest points, when you look to the north, on a clear day, you can see the mountains of The Kingdom of Fife in the distance and immediately below you are the world famous Princes Street Gardens .

Edinburgh has superb sightseeing and historic buildings to explore, as well as serious shopping and a choice of excellent Restaurants and pubs.

We had the most amazing holiday in Scotland and the places we saw and the memories we have will be in our hearts and souls forever...