My trip to Scotland began in Glasgow. I flew from Dublin to Glasgow, and only had time for a quick lunch before our tour of the city started. There were some really interesting murals by our hotel, then we went on a bus tour, and saw George Square, Tolbooth Tower, St. Andrews, and Glasgow Cathedral before stopping at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I enjoyed the Scottish exhibit which included Mary Queen of Scots, the history of tartans, and the importance of Robert Burns (which you must learn about if visiting Scotland).
There was some fashion from the centuries on display, along with many paintings of aristocrats. The museum is beautiful, especially the hallway. When I went there were while floating heads hanging from the ceiling, which created by artist Sophie Cave. You could spend hours wandering through the various rooms where you will discover works by Caravaggio, marble busts, or art created with stained glass.
The best part was the exhibit on Scottish comic book writers and artists like Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, and Mark Millar. If you read comics, you know that these are some talented gentlemen. There were original sketches and story boards on display, plus the background art on the walls was awesome (Quitely’s art was blown up)!
At the end of the exhibit you could draw your own comic book. The gift shops there were awesome, and I recommend getting some souvenirs if you go since the items are much more unique. This museum is amazing, and I’m thrilled that I got to go! The comic book was exhibit was one of my favorite things to see on the tour.
After returning to the hotel, we had a welcome drink, and got to meet the people on the tour. It was nice because it was group of sixteen. Our guide wore a kilt during the entire tour, and he was very friendly from the get go. We had a driver that also a great guy too. I also had the best beer on the tour at the hotel there: Innis & Gunn, which had a hint of vanilla, and was delicious.
We didn’t have much time in Glasgow and some people came a day earlier to explore. I couldn’t since my tour ended the same day this one started, plus our flight was delayed from Dublin. I would have liked more time there, but I’m glad we chose an extra day in Edinburgh instead.
The next day we set off for Loch Lomond National Park, and stopped at Tarbet for a cruise around the lake. The sun came out for a little then it rained, then it stopped. This was the pattern for our entire time in Scotland: it rained every day, but not continuously. The cruise was nice since we got to see some lovely landscape. After the cruise we stopped at some scenic look outs like the Rest and Be Thankful one. Then it was off to my favorite part: Inveraray Castle.
Inveraray is a small, charming town where we stopped for lunch, and I got to try a cappuccino royale (just has Cadbury chocolate in it). Shopping was fun there since the prices were pretty reasonable. I bought some handmade scarves there. After lunch, it was off to the castle. The tour of the castle was really great. The Duke of Argyll, from the Campbell clan, owns the castle and much of the land in the area. The guide explained who the people in the many painting were, along with a brief history. The weapons on display were fantastic. The clothes on display were beautiful.
Downton Abbey even filmed a Christmas Special at the castle; this is where Cousin Rose’s family lived. They allowed photography which was great. The view from the many windows was beautiful. We even heard some spooky tales like the one about the haunted bed. The gardens are also worth taking a look at, and you can get some great shots of the castle. Definitely a great place to visit and spend a couple hours in…
We ended the day driving to Glencoe which is also has some spectacular landscape. I couldn’t even sleep on the coach since the scenery was so beautiful; I didn’t want to miss anything. We spent the night at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel Ballachulish. The grounds were really pretty, and I went for a walk to take a look at the cemetery that was on one of the islands. I couldn’t go to the island, but I could see it since it was pretty close. There’s also some standing stones on the grounds were you can make a wish to travel back in time to find Jamie Fraser. Even though it was muddy and damp, it was a nice walk. So far my first two days in Scotland were everything and more than what I thought it would be!
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