Post by jdmcowan on Sept 29, 2005 20:25:36 GMT -6
I had mentioned that I was going to Scotland, but I'm finally getting ready to submit a report. The short version is that it was great and we saw a lot of beautiful country and did a lot of fun things, but Scotland is not for everyone. If you are suffering from insomnia, read on for the details.
Due to its northern position (it extends as far north as Juneau, Alaska), it has pretty mild summers and high temps were about 75F while we were there in August. Due to being surrounded by water, it seems that it doesn't usually get much below freezing in the winter. If you like hot weather, Scotland is not for you, but if you like mild weather all year, then Scotland will give it to you.
If you have children I feel that you may need a special warning before traveling to Scotland (and the rest of Great Britain?). Finding a place to eat is a completely different experience than in the US. Any restaurant that has a bar is a BAR! In the US, almost every restaurant has a bar, but it's still a restaurant. In Scotland, almost every restaurant has a bar, but if it has a bar in it, bar rules apply - this means no minors (16 to enter a bar in Scotland I believe). Now, the exception to the rule is that some bars/restaurants do have a special license that allows minors in up to 8pm. Chain fast food (McDonalds, etc.) and store front "lunch" type places have no bar and allow any one in any time they are open. Finding dinner for our 8 year old son usually consisted of walking for half an hour popping into every restaurant/bar we passed asking if our son was allowed in. Since we prefer to eat in "real" restaurants for dinner, by the time we would finally find one, it would usually be about 7pm and they would be rushing us through dinner to get us out by 8pm.
We saw the Tattoo while in Edinburgh (pronounced Edinboro and never Edinberg). Every August, the city of Edinburgh hosts a number of large festivals and a very large "unofficial" festival has grown up around them (called the fringe). These festivals all feed each other and it's a great (but very crowded and expensive) time to visit the city. The military was not going to miss out on the opportunity and hosts a music, dance, and spectacle show every night in the esplenade of the castle. It's hard to describe it well, but it is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.
By the time I was planning my trip (early March) the festival was sold out. So I called my travel agent and we figured out a way for me to go. We found a tour that included tickets. So we went on our first bus tour. I was a little worried about our son being stuck in a bus with a bunch of elderly folks for hours on end, but it didn't wind up that bad. There were a couple of other children on board. They were a few years older than David, but got along great. I was amazed at the lack of knowledge about Scotland from the travelers, but I guess people who know a lot about Scotland don't usually take a bus tour. Since I knew so much, I became a star of the tour and was treated as if I knew as much as our tour guide (which wasn't even close to true, but since I wouldn't shut up, the other pasengers couldn't tell).
I wasn't really disappointed with the tour, but I think I would have been happier visiting the sights on my own time-table. The only real dissapointment of the tour was our "Scottish Dinner Night". The show that came with dinner reminded me of a cheap Vegas production, the after dinner scotch was a blend, and the haggis was way over-peppered, to the point where I couldn't even enjoy it - and I like both haggis and pepper.
While there, I visited many castles, but there was something special about visiting Doune, the castle and grounds used in so many scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Well, that seems like the basics. I'd love to tell you more, though. So feel free to ask me questions.
Jeremy
Due to its northern position (it extends as far north as Juneau, Alaska), it has pretty mild summers and high temps were about 75F while we were there in August. Due to being surrounded by water, it seems that it doesn't usually get much below freezing in the winter. If you like hot weather, Scotland is not for you, but if you like mild weather all year, then Scotland will give it to you.
If you have children I feel that you may need a special warning before traveling to Scotland (and the rest of Great Britain?). Finding a place to eat is a completely different experience than in the US. Any restaurant that has a bar is a BAR! In the US, almost every restaurant has a bar, but it's still a restaurant. In Scotland, almost every restaurant has a bar, but if it has a bar in it, bar rules apply - this means no minors (16 to enter a bar in Scotland I believe). Now, the exception to the rule is that some bars/restaurants do have a special license that allows minors in up to 8pm. Chain fast food (McDonalds, etc.) and store front "lunch" type places have no bar and allow any one in any time they are open. Finding dinner for our 8 year old son usually consisted of walking for half an hour popping into every restaurant/bar we passed asking if our son was allowed in. Since we prefer to eat in "real" restaurants for dinner, by the time we would finally find one, it would usually be about 7pm and they would be rushing us through dinner to get us out by 8pm.
We saw the Tattoo while in Edinburgh (pronounced Edinboro and never Edinberg). Every August, the city of Edinburgh hosts a number of large festivals and a very large "unofficial" festival has grown up around them (called the fringe). These festivals all feed each other and it's a great (but very crowded and expensive) time to visit the city. The military was not going to miss out on the opportunity and hosts a music, dance, and spectacle show every night in the esplenade of the castle. It's hard to describe it well, but it is a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.
By the time I was planning my trip (early March) the festival was sold out. So I called my travel agent and we figured out a way for me to go. We found a tour that included tickets. So we went on our first bus tour. I was a little worried about our son being stuck in a bus with a bunch of elderly folks for hours on end, but it didn't wind up that bad. There were a couple of other children on board. They were a few years older than David, but got along great. I was amazed at the lack of knowledge about Scotland from the travelers, but I guess people who know a lot about Scotland don't usually take a bus tour. Since I knew so much, I became a star of the tour and was treated as if I knew as much as our tour guide (which wasn't even close to true, but since I wouldn't shut up, the other pasengers couldn't tell).
I wasn't really disappointed with the tour, but I think I would have been happier visiting the sights on my own time-table. The only real dissapointment of the tour was our "Scottish Dinner Night". The show that came with dinner reminded me of a cheap Vegas production, the after dinner scotch was a blend, and the haggis was way over-peppered, to the point where I couldn't even enjoy it - and I like both haggis and pepper.
While there, I visited many castles, but there was something special about visiting Doune, the castle and grounds used in so many scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Well, that seems like the basics. I'd love to tell you more, though. So feel free to ask me questions.
Jeremy