Anywho, let's backtrack to almost a month ago: October 31st, Halloween! But on October 31st this year I didn't celebrate Halloween. I celebrated Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and welcoming in winter. Let me make something clear. Halloween is HUGE in Edinburgh. Being such a 'medieval' city at heart, it is dark (and often eerie) on a daily basis with a plethora of murderous and haunting history to exploit on Halloween. But, instead of going on one of the many ghost tours or attending a costume party or haunted house, I sprang at the opportunity to witness a Celtic, pagan festival, something so uniquely Scottish (and Irish and Manx, but since I am in Scotland, I'm going to say Scottish haha). Plus, anyone who knows me well knows I've always been super fascinated by pagan religions, like Wiccan for instance, so this was sooo right up my alley!
Thousands of people attended the night's festivities and hundreds of people actually participated in the performance. First, the performers paraded down the Royal Mile, the main street in Old Town Edinburgh. They then circled down the steep, narrow roads and finally onto the Mound in Princes Street Gardens. And the massive crowd followed. There was fire and fighting and 'canoodling' and animal headdresses and tons and tons of body paint. Once the procession reached the Mound, the real performance began during which the Winter King won in a battle against the Summer King, thus initiating the start of winter. Sadly, me being very short and not liking crowds rather negatively effected my experience. By the time we got to the mound, I was super squished in the crowd and couldn't see much. Then it started to rain. My friend, Chloe, and I watched from afar for a while before eventually heading back to the flat. It was super cool while it lasted though! And I am really glad I went! That evening, Chloe, Catherine, and I watched Hocus Pocus while finishing off the last of the candy corn stash my mom had sent me from the States. It was a very appropriate way to rap up Halloween/Samhain.
The Reds
The Blues
Chloe and I squished in the crowd
A few days later, I made the much needed voyage to Lancaster, England to be reunited with my roomie, the wonderful Danielle DiPretoro! When I arrived, Danielle picked me up from the train station and showed me the town of Lancaster, which reminded me quite a bit of Oxford. We then had lunch at a nice pub/restaurant called The White Cross, which sat right on the canal that runs through the city. We then walked to Williamson Park, a really lovely park which had a monument from which we got great views of the city and of the water and of the hills beyond. Then we made the multi-mile trek from the park to Lancaster University, where she has been living and studying this semester. The school could not be more different from Edinburgh Uni. It was surrounded by an adorable, very rural area, with big open grass fields and grazing sheep. Then, once you reach the campus, it is as if you enter a little city of sorts with bars and shops and restaurants and condos etc. that are all part of the University. Since Danielle and I have lived together in the same room on the same campus for the past two years, it was really neat getting to see how she has been living this semester. It was special that she got to share her abroad school and town with me. For dinner, we headed back into town and ate at Danielle's favorite restaurant, Merchants 1688. Sarah, Danielle's friend from Lancaster who had come with her to visit me way back in September, ate with us too, and I really enjoyed getting to see her again. We had a really great meal before I had to board my train and head back to Edinburgh. Obviously, the best part of the day was just getting to see and be with Danielle again and catching up. We had SO much to talk about, and it was bittersweet knowing we had just a few hours to spend together.
From the monument in the park
NIKELLE REUNITED <3
The monument in the park
Right outside of Lancaster University
Two days after my trip to Lancaster, I went to the Castle for lunch and to do work. I do that often. Get lunch in the cafe at Edinburgh Castle and then sit there for hours doing work. So much better than the library! Anyway, after I was done with my work, I took a lap around the Castle grounds. I stood outside on the Upper Ward looking out over New Town and out to the Firth of Forth and to the Scottish lands beyond. It was a beautiful, clear, sunny day. I could actually see St. Andrews in the distance. As I stood there, I realized that my previous plans to stay in town and work that weekend were just not going to work for me. Nope. I could not stay cooped up doing work all weekend even if I was swamped. I am in Scotland. I am only in Scotland for a few more weeks. I had to get away. That evening, on a whim, I booked a 12 and half hour day trip for the following day back to the Highlands. I considered going to St. Andrews or to Rosslyn Chapel, but I realized all I really wanted to do was go back to my beloved Highlands, my favorite place on earth.
So, bright and early Saturday morning, I headed off on my own to catch the tour bus. This one day tour of the Highlands was a trip offered by the same company from which I had taken the three day Highlands and Skye trip a few weeks prior. This tour went to a lot of the same places that my other tour had gone to, but that was the point: you can see the same parts of the Highlands over and over and they will always look different, depending on time of year and weather, but will feel the same, to me at least: daunting but welcoming, mysterious but comforting, majestic but quaint all at the same time.
Our bus left Edinburgh and took a different route to the Highlands. It was a great route. For me, it was route down memory lane! We first passed by Linlithgow Palace, my favorite royal residence in Scotland (well, tied with Edinburgh Castle). Then we passed Stirling Castle and soon after we passed Doune Castle. These were all places I had visited (Linlithgow and Stirling twice, Doune once) back in September and October! Seeing them again without knowing I would get to see them on this trip to the Highlands was a real ironic treat!
That day in the Highlands were so very different from the days I had spend there three weeks prior. It was a beautiful day with sunlight bouncing off the hills and blue skies blanketed with pillowy white clouds. Like I said before, very different look, all the same feels.
The only time it rained all day was for about 20 minutes while we were in the coach. And during that tinniest of rain showers, two beautiful rainbows appeared. I'm really racking up the Scottish rainbows! <3
After passing through or visiting Rannock Moor, Glencoe, Fort William, and Speen Bridge, all places I had visited on my previous trip to the Highlands, we arrived at Urquhart Castle, sitting beautifully ruined on the banks of Loch Ness. I had visited Urquhart two years ago when I first went to the Highlands with my parents. But, similar to all the places I had visited back then and then again over the past few months, I got it more, I understood more, I was able to grasp more. Urquhart was never a castle of the royals; it was a home to highland clans and the lords of the Isles. Before going down to the castle, visitors watch a short film in the Visitor Center that tells you the history of the castle. I had watched this short video, which packs in centuries upon centuries of history in 8 minutes, when I was there with my parents, but the names of the clans, the lords, the time periods, everything was sort of lost on me then. It was just a really cool ruined castle that had been fought over many times and eventually burned so that nobody could have it. But, watching the video this time, I got every single historical event. I totally knew exactly who they were talking about and why they were doing what they were doing at those exact periods of history. I had learned about it in my Medieval Scottish History class here at Uni. Suddenly, I had a whole new appreciation for the Castle and its rather lack-luster remains. God, it feels so good when you just get it! I just love knowledge! (Yep, I'm a nerd. Take it or leave it :P )
We then boarded a boat from a dock next to the Castle and sailed along for the next half hour as the sun was setting over Loch Ness. To say the least, it was magical.
We then returned to Edinburgh, after passing through Inverness and then down through Pitlochry. It now gets dark between 4 and 4:30 so there wasn't much to see on the way home. But that was fine by me. I had set out to see the Highlands again and that's what I got to do! Going with friends last time was so much fun! Lots of laughter, a lot of sharing in the moments of awe at the beauty of the Highlands, and a lot of memories made that we will always share. But going alone this time, much like my first trip to Linlithgow, was… quite spiritual actually. The Highlands give me the most serene, content, joyous feeling, like how a sailor must feel alone on the open seas or how a rider might feel soaring across the earth on horseback. Complete serenity mixed with excitement. They are one with the sea or one with the horse. I am one with Highlands.
Well there it is! The last post in the trilogy that I was supposed to complete before leaving for Paris. But, hey, the only good thing is that you shouldn't have to wait too long for my next post all about Paris that will be out before the Friday! Get pumped! :)
Edinburgh Castle
View from Edinburgh Castle that day
So, bright and early Saturday morning, I headed off on my own to catch the tour bus. This one day tour of the Highlands was a trip offered by the same company from which I had taken the three day Highlands and Skye trip a few weeks prior. This tour went to a lot of the same places that my other tour had gone to, but that was the point: you can see the same parts of the Highlands over and over and they will always look different, depending on time of year and weather, but will feel the same, to me at least: daunting but welcoming, mysterious but comforting, majestic but quaint all at the same time.
Our bus left Edinburgh and took a different route to the Highlands. It was a great route. For me, it was route down memory lane! We first passed by Linlithgow Palace, my favorite royal residence in Scotland (well, tied with Edinburgh Castle). Then we passed Stirling Castle and soon after we passed Doune Castle. These were all places I had visited (Linlithgow and Stirling twice, Doune once) back in September and October! Seeing them again without knowing I would get to see them on this trip to the Highlands was a real ironic treat!
That day in the Highlands were so very different from the days I had spend there three weeks prior. It was a beautiful day with sunlight bouncing off the hills and blue skies blanketed with pillowy white clouds. Like I said before, very different look, all the same feels.
Glencoe
This is Ben Nevis from a far. It is the tallest mountain in all of Great Britain. You can't see it because of the sun but there was snow covering the top of it that day, aka, Perfection.
After passing through or visiting Rannock Moor, Glencoe, Fort William, and Speen Bridge, all places I had visited on my previous trip to the Highlands, we arrived at Urquhart Castle, sitting beautifully ruined on the banks of Loch Ness. I had visited Urquhart two years ago when I first went to the Highlands with my parents. But, similar to all the places I had visited back then and then again over the past few months, I got it more, I understood more, I was able to grasp more. Urquhart was never a castle of the royals; it was a home to highland clans and the lords of the Isles. Before going down to the castle, visitors watch a short film in the Visitor Center that tells you the history of the castle. I had watched this short video, which packs in centuries upon centuries of history in 8 minutes, when I was there with my parents, but the names of the clans, the lords, the time periods, everything was sort of lost on me then. It was just a really cool ruined castle that had been fought over many times and eventually burned so that nobody could have it. But, watching the video this time, I got every single historical event. I totally knew exactly who they were talking about and why they were doing what they were doing at those exact periods of history. I had learned about it in my Medieval Scottish History class here at Uni. Suddenly, I had a whole new appreciation for the Castle and its rather lack-luster remains. God, it feels so good when you just get it! I just love knowledge! (Yep, I'm a nerd. Take it or leave it :P )
Urquhart Castle along Loch Ness
We then boarded a boat from a dock next to the Castle and sailed along for the next half hour as the sun was setting over Loch Ness. To say the least, it was magical.
Urquhart Castle from the boat
We then returned to Edinburgh, after passing through Inverness and then down through Pitlochry. It now gets dark between 4 and 4:30 so there wasn't much to see on the way home. But that was fine by me. I had set out to see the Highlands again and that's what I got to do! Going with friends last time was so much fun! Lots of laughter, a lot of sharing in the moments of awe at the beauty of the Highlands, and a lot of memories made that we will always share. But going alone this time, much like my first trip to Linlithgow, was… quite spiritual actually. The Highlands give me the most serene, content, joyous feeling, like how a sailor must feel alone on the open seas or how a rider might feel soaring across the earth on horseback. Complete serenity mixed with excitement. They are one with the sea or one with the horse. I am one with Highlands.
Well there it is! The last post in the trilogy that I was supposed to complete before leaving for Paris. But, hey, the only good thing is that you shouldn't have to wait too long for my next post all about Paris that will be out before the Friday! Get pumped! :)
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