a Bus Trip Around

Highlands

I decided to sign up for an organized tour rather than renting a car and go on a road trip to the Highlands. Lochness has always been part of my dream but after hearing a few unsatisfied feedbacks that the place is overrated, I decided to go for Loch Lomond and Stirling Castle instead. 

I was glad the bus stop was just along haymarket station, only a few blocks from the hostel. I quickly grabbed food for the morning and waited at the stop. Gray skies loomed over Edinburgh and the morning chill made me regret not taking a jacket.  The tour bus was packed, with only 1 free seat remaining. I've never been a fan of big groups but that time, I just couldn't be bothered to research further. I found a spot right at the end of the bus, where the noisy ones would usually sit. But the crowd was matured and the couples looked like retired citizens just enjoying their time exploring Scotland. 

I didn't get on the ferry cruise when we got at Loch Lomond. Instead, I chose to walk around the park that was situated right beside the port. There was a small castle, unnamed, on top of a hill and down along the river way was a small cafe. I bought myself coffee to keep me warm, and I just sat there staring at the Loch. 

So what is a Loch you may ask. It is both an Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or sea inlet. Loch Lomond is a freshwater loch that crosses the Highland Boundary Fault. It is considered to be the largest by surface area.

view from Stirling Castle

We then moved on to driving through the highlands, one of the places Scotland is known for. It was rather frustrating though not given the chance to walk nor hike up the hills. All I could do (as you can see in the photo), was to try and manage taking shots of the view from my window. Good thing the driver allowed me to seat right in front, where conductors would usually be seated. The landscapes were definitely amazing, but I could imagine how great it would have been if a hike was included. 

The last stop of the day was Stirling Castle, located in the town of Stirling. It is claimed to be one of the most important castles in Scotland's history. It was good that the tour allowed us 2 hours to explore the place. I tagged along with the lady I met on the bus. She was so quiet in the corner that I decided to chat her up. I found out she was a local, traveling around Scotland coz she knew she couldn't do that again. Her husband died and she didn't have kids. Very lovely and soft spoken lady. 

We walked through the castle doors and found our way to the workshop where there was a lady focused on a big tapestry. And that's when I found about the Unicorn Tapestries of the Queen. A guy in his black attire (going back in the days), explained to us the meaning behind the Unicorn story. A hidden code came out of the picture, which apparently was the story of the Passion of Christ. Due to the wars before against the Christians, the Queen had to hide it through the guise of a Unicorn story.

We passed through the King and Queens chambers, made me imagine back in the days when they'd be in their flowing robes and walking through the hallways. I bought some postcards from the souvenir shop and walked along with the lady I met on the bus. I then realized that we've never introduced ourselves. And that's when it sort of gave me goosebumps when I learned her name was Margaret. The name that Anne mentioned to me when she was reading my tarot cards. And I did tell Margaret about it. All she could say was "pure coincidence". We walked in silence, enjoying the afternoon sun. We finished right in time for an ice cream. She bought me a cone and we sat on the edge of the castle overlooking the town of Stirling. We were both smiling.