As we laid our heads on our pillows on Thursday night, I said to Greg - I don’t think I have it in me to do the Edinburgh Castle tour in the morning. I’m 100% spent, and need a casual, low-key, no plans day. Unless they were seriously motivated, I was thinking this was going to be another time ‘plans changed’. In the morning, when I mentioned this to Cody, he whooped in excitement, stating, Thank Goodness - I was going to tell you I was going to pass. Now, there was a small part inside that was disappointed, I’ve heard Edinburgh Castle is by far one of the best to see - but it sits on top of this ginormous hill of rock - that you have to climb a bazillion steps to get to. Just couldn’t do it! So we decided we’d wander the streets, do some final shopping, have a simple lunch and end our day with our final pub reservation.
We started out, heading to Bakehouse Close, the spot where Jamie’s print shop was located in Outlander. This would be the final Outlander site we would see. Once again, totally worth it. The city of Edinburgh is truly a beautiful place. Everything is old, ornate, and glorious. It’s a place that definitely needs to be explored to its fullest, and done so with full energy. I knew this was not going to happen, so we took it in as best we could and saw what we could. We explored the Royal Mile, went back to Victoria Street, had lunch and margarita’s at a lovely Mexican restaurant. Then explored the church and graveyard where ‘Thomas Riddle’ (he who shall not be named) is located - along with many other Harry Potter fans. Cody went to the Harry Potter store and got a wand, and we stopped in to pay our respects to the Scottish Terrier ‘Greyfriar’s Bobby’. After these explorations through hills and cobble stone streets, we decided to go back to the flat to have an afternoon siesta before dinner.
Our final dinner was at the Greyfriar’s Bobby pub - and was the perfect end to our trip. Scottish feasts were had by us all and a final toast was given to the end of a grand adventure. This trip was everything we dreamed of, and more. We were thoroughly exhausted, and definitely ready to head home, but the experiences we had were totally worth it. I am thrilled to say the two weeks did not fly by too fast as I had feared, but we felt fully immersed in the experience. But we were definitely ready to head home. And I think that is a sign of a truly wonderful trip.
As we drove to the airport, with a genuine Scot at the wheel, I might add, there were a few tears wanting to come out. This is a beautiful country that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and left so much unexplored. Someday, I hope to come back with a new plan, one that is a bit more relaxed and allows for longer time in the areas we enjoyed most. But even if I don’t ever make it back again, it’s been a dream come true.
For now, it’s back to regular life - but with a new appreciation for the world, and a new perspective from the things I have I learned. Now it’s home to my puppy, my own bed, and some much needed rest!!
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