I can not even begin to describe how excited I was for Sarah to come over for our Scottish road trip! We've travelled through Poland, Germany and Tasmania and I finally got to show her this awesome country I now call home. Day one was travelling through my favourite spots in Scotland - Stirling and Glencoe! We started the day with battle games at the Battle of Bannockburn. The first part of the battle involves watching an animated history of Scotland and England in the 1300s before heading inside for the next part. I LOVE a confrontation so I spent the time watching this annoying and impatient couple who had no basic listening skills or ability to take direction be scolded on multiple occasions by the staff. The entire idea of the battle games is to move to each part with your group, you can't move ahead otherwise you have no idea what the hell is going on and they just didn't get it. They ended up walking out as they didn't like being told NO. Bye Felicia.

We had a full crowd for the battle game and I wasn't given the role of Queen of Scotland (bad start) and instead I was given ownership of an army that ended up DYING FIRST. I am the sorest loser that ever was, so to be out of the game before anyone else was not ok. So I had to stand there with my faded out, crossed out army and watch as the player who was playing King (little kid, so I really shouldn't be so hard on him) moved the Scottish King out from the protection of his army which allowed the English King and his calvary to take the castle and win. Are you kidding? Protect your King!! Oh I hate losing. It's just a game, it's just a game........

Next up we headed to Stirling Castle, caught some Pokemon, posed with suits of armour, dodged the rain, played medieval dress ups before heading up to Glencoe! Glencoe is my favourite spot in all of Scotland. Heck, all of the UK. Maybe Europe? You know how some people ask if you prefer the mountains, desert or oceans? I'm a mountains girl, so the valleys and hills and rugged epic scenery is right up my alley.

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Glencoe was so beautiful I decided to go back. I started the morning at breakfast trying to work out my driving route through Glencoe when I was joined by another guest who’s name I have forgotten. Let’s call him Robert as he reminded me of Robert Langdon from Da Vinci’s Code. He wore a vest, he carried a leather satchel and he talked like his opinion was the only one worth listening to. He started chatting to me and I hate talking to strangers most of the time, but at 7.30am you have to be joking. Robert, can you shut the hell up. One thing I did get out of the conversation was about the Glencoe massacre and how I should look up while driving through to see the “Weeping Tears of the Glencoe Valley”. He was telling me this to promote his brother’s book on the matter, but I did find it interesting. After excusing myself from Robert and his spectacles, I researched it from the quiet of my room.

In 1692 King William offered the Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite rising. The Chief of Glencoe pledged allegiance to the King, but 7 days after the pledge was required to be given. 120 of the kings troops arrived in Glencoe and given hospitality by the MacDonalds, who fed and housed them for 10 days. On the eleventh day the order came through to “put all to the sword” and so began the Glencoe Massacre. 38 men, women and children were killed and many more died of exposure as they tried to escape across the mountains. This is so messed up that it inspired the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones (this massacre as well as the Black Dinner of Edinburgh Castle which I also did not know!)

After doing an hour trek to see a waterfall, I drove past the Glencoe Mountain resort that had its ski lift running. I really wanted to see some mountain views from above so I headed on up, unaware that there was a full on ski field at the very top. Skiers and snowboarders everywhere, and there’s me in jeans, handbag and non waterproof shoes looking decidedly lost and unsure what to do with myself. The ski lift operator looked me up and down and asked if I was getting off to which I replied with a defiant YES. Unsure where to go, I just walked and skidded up and away from Mr. Judgement of the Ski Lifts and decided now would be the perfect time to make good on my snowman promise to Ro and Lauren. We had been given the task of making a snowman ice-cream (long story) which I had not been able to fulfil due to lack of freezer space, so now was the perfect chance! A real snowman made out of real snow! He was small as I didn’t have gloves, my feet were wet and soaking and I was very aware of how much of a weirdo I looked like sitting by myself in the snow. Quest success!

The Weeping Valley of Glencoe

It’s road trip time! I had a week off from work but not enough funds for a flight overseas so decided to instead see some of the amazing country that I live in. I organised 2 nights accommodation in Oban and knew I wanted to see Glen Coe and the Isle of Mull. Everything around and in between was just luck. I left home at 7 to pick up my car to begin my trip. It took nearly half an hour to get out of Edinburgh. Half of the roads around the city were closed for a marathon and my GPS continued to attempt to take me down said roads. I only ever travel by bus in the city so had no idea where to go, so I just drove north towards home and found my way out. EFFORT. Anyway, a few hours later I spot my first snow capped mountains and I am freaking out like a chihuahua getting treats. Mountains! Snow!! Lochs!!! I’ve read that the A82 is one of the UK’s most beautiful drives and I’m finally on it. And it does not disappoint. Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. The colours were so strange which is a weird thing to remember, but that’s what appealed to me t`he most. I think it was also the weird light from the sunshine trying to get through the clouds/rain but everything looked like it had an Instagram filter applied. Contrast and saturation on maximum.
I took the road towards Glen Etive, one of the few places I had previously researched. I’m not a huge fan of James Bond films, but the shots of Bond in the Scottish countryside in Skyfall made me desperate to recreate the scenes! So I knew where to go. Unfortunately I had forgotten that as I was travelling alone, by myself, with no companions, it meant that I couldn’t actually recreate the scene so had to settle with a simple photo of the spot. Back to the main road and I spot the little cottage that I’ve seen so many times on Instagram. Look at it right there in front of the mountain!
My first actual stop was Glencoe Lochan for a walk around the loch. The trees around the loch were shipped in from Northern America for the owner’s Canadian wife to help deal with her homesickness. It didn’t work as she made them return to Canada, but it certainly makes for a beautiful spot to walk around. After the walk I headed towards Oban, but was detoured by my favourite sign in Scotland “CASTLE TURN LEFT”. YEEEESSSS.

James Bond was here.

Told you.