As I write, looking out the window of our rented flat towards Arthur’s Seat, here or there a pioneering tree shouts its last of the season in yellow ochre. The dormant volcano’s rump is going from green to purple, the outcome of that colour wash the inevitable dull brown of deep winter. I wonder how many other residents of this iconic city are reaching for … Continue reading Finding fairytales at Preston Mill, East Lothian
Even before Outlander first hit our screens back in 2014, one thing was crystal clear: Scotland is magical. Okay, the likelihood of travelling back in time through standing stones or meeting an entrantress in the pub is slim, but you just have to look at our country to be enthralled by its landscapes, history, castles and culture. Outlander has simply helped spread the word! During … Continue reading A guide to the ultimate Outlander road trip!
Autumn is, without a doubt, my favourite time of the year. With the nights drawing in, the crisper mornings and — most importantly — the kaleidoscope of colours appearing everywhere, it truly is the most beautiful season (especially in Scotland). Despite not having had much of a summer (where exactly was the sun?!) I can’t help but be wishing the days away until the leaves … Continue reading Getting ready for autumn in Scotland
The Scotlanders from left to right: Me (@laretour, if you didn’t already know!), Neil (@travelswithakilt), David (@TheCastleHunter) & Patricia (@madaboutravel). Exciting news, folks! I can finally share that next weekend (26-27 August) myself and a group of Scotland travel bloggers will be hitting the roads to bag filming locations from the iconic TV series Outlander! This will see us rack up about 700 miles collectively as … Continue reading The Scotlanders take on Outlander!
It’s August in Edinburgh and that can mean only one thing: the Festivals. I wrote recently about how, during summer in the Scottish capital, it feels like there is a party around every corner. In August, it’s that feeling on steroids. The city centre shakes with music, narrow streets shrink further with the crowds, tipsy tourists walk purposefully towards their next engagement, and artists of … Continue reading #EdinBloom: Welcome back, festival season!
The sea holds something special for me. Growing up a stone’s throw from the River Clyde and holidaying on Highland shores meant that the tide and its creatures were backdrops to my childhood. Since moving to Scotland’s capital Edinburgh in my mid-twenties, the sea — although close — has seemed just out my reach… Until last weekend. It’s an easy jaunt out to one of … Continue reading Away with the birds: A trip to Bass Rock
It’s quiet here. All I can hear are the melodies of the songbirds and the slightly more discordant squawks of the gulls; the distant sound of traffic (rather like a long exhale) and the cold tap of something, somewhere, in the skeleton of our tenement flat near the city centre. Life has felt a bit lonely recently. My other half is working in Europe for … Continue reading Short & sweet: Solo walks in the city
