EXPLORING SCOTLAND
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Travel advisor Cheryl Ogle discusses her April 2023 trip to Scotland. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on Acast and see the six highlights from her recent experience.
The Kelpies! About an hour out of Edinburgh, you can visit the Kelpies. These massive sculptures were made to represent the mythical shapeshifter creature that takes the shape of a horse on land.
Sir Walter Scott Monument, Edinburgh! The largest monument dedicated to a writer, it dates back almost 200 years. The detail is phenomenal. You may climb to the top if you like. Notice the black on the monument. Many buildings in UK cities have black from soot. Washing them is not an option, as it destroys the shale exterior.
Loch Ness! One of some 30,000 lochs (lakes), no visit to Scotland would be complete without a visit to Loch Ness! There have been no Nessie sightings…yet. What do you think? Is she real? The loch is over 700 feet deep, so who knows what lurks out there! There are stunning views from every angle.
Castles! At one point, there were over 3,000 castles that were home to royalty in Scotland. The most famous, of course, is Edinburgh Castle. Sitting at the top of the Royal Mile, this 11th Century castle houses the Crown Jewels of Scotland, as well as the Stone of Destiny. You may have noticed a large, gray stone under the Coronation Chair recently. I had the privilege of seeing the Stone itself at Edinburgh Castle, and the chair at Westminster Abbey.
Edinburgh Castle
Whisky! Although I am not much of a drinker when in Scotland, one must take a tour of one of Scotland’s 140 distilleries! We visited The Clydeside Distillery on this last visit, and I found it to be smoother than others I have tried. (My favorite way to drink whisky is in Irish Coffee!) I haven’t found a whisky I like yet, but maybe when Rod Stewart’s new Wolfies Whisky comes out I’ll give it a taste!
Spring is Lambing Season! After seeing hundreds of mamas and babies in the fields, we finally had our chance to visit a sheep farm and learn about the process of sheep herding. This included helping shear a sheep! Then they let out the baby lambs and handed us baby bottles. Once the lambs were settled, the Border Collie puppies were let out and we got to play with puppies! The farm owner showed how the dogs are trained – puppies are trained to their own whistle by the time they are 2-3 weeks old. It’s a day I’ll never forget!
For this trip, I took an escorted coach tour which simplifies travel a lot. You are told what time to be ready to depart; breakfasts and a few other meals are included; additional activities/excursions are available at a very fair price; someone else handles all the details. Although I escort clients from time to time, I must admit it’s a treat to sit back and let someone else do the thinking and hard work!
On Big Blend Radio every third Wednesday, Cheryl is a world traveler, accredited travel advisor, and owner of Hey Wanna Go which specializes in travel to Europe and the UK, as well as river and ocean cruises. More: https://heywannago.com/
