After my final exam, I had three days left in Scotland. On the 20th, I went on my third and final trip to my beloved Scottish Highlands, this time with Chloe, who had never been to the Highlands before. We drove for about an hour and half before our first stop at a place to use the toilets and get a bite for breakfast. But it was at that stop that I got the BEST surprise.
SNOW ON THE MOUNTAINS! AHHHHH!!! I had looked at the weather previously and saw that it had been raining in the Highlands for a few days, so I figured all the snow on the ground would be melted. I never considered that snow would still be blanketing the mountains! I jumped around and giggled like giddy little kid. I was so ridiculously happy! I was getting to see snow in Scotland, and it happened to be in the Highlands. Perfection.
The first sighting of snow!!!
Beautiful much?!?!
This third trip to the Highlands was more about just being there. It wasn't about the history this time and I didn't even plan on taking any pictures (that was before I saw the snow of course). This time was about really being present in the Highlands, taking in the atmosphere and saying goodbye (for now!). And of course, we saw a rainbow on the trip, because what would a Highland trip be without a mixture of both sun and rain creating this beautiful sight!
My last Highland rainbow <3
Snow covered hills along a loch
Those mountains in the distance are completely covered in snow! Simply majestic.
My favorite spot in the Highlands (so far, until I get to see more of them someday) is Glencoe, and I knew my love for that place would just intensify with the snow. And I was so so right!
Entering Glencoe.
One of my favorite pictures. Do you see that tiny white house there?? That will give you some perspective of just how massive that mountain is!
Glencoe <3
Chloe and I in the Highlands!! :)
Me at Glencoe
Another one of my fav pics!
After Glencoe, we stopped for lunch at the Ben Nevis visitor center. "Ben" in Scottish Gaelic means "Mountain," so Ben Nevis is Nevis Mountain. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Great Britain (not very high in world standards, but still the tallest in the UK). We then drove to a spot where we could actually see the mountain from a distance which was, of course, all covered in snow :D
Me with Ben Nevis
We then made a picture stop at this loch lined with just the most beautiful, snow-covered mountains.
Beautiful, huh?
Chloe and I!
Me and my Highlands <3
Our last stop of the day was Urquhart Castle, the famous ruined castle on Loch Ness that I had visited when I was 18 and then again a few months ago on my second Highland trip. I went in again because I wanted to accompany Chloe on her first visit to Urquhart. And, because I wasn't alone, I was able to get some pics of myself there this time!
Me at the back side of Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness, aka my favorite spot at the ruined castle. All sounds of the other tourists are blocked out by the largest remaining portion of the ruin, which I am facing in this pic, so all you can hear when you stand at that fence is the soft rippling of the water over Loch Ness. Perfection.
This is one of my favorite pics!! On the left, is a picture my mom took of me at Urquhart Castle two and half years ago when we visited for my birthday/graduation in June 2012. The picture on the right was taken by Chloe this time. I couldn't remember which way I had crossed my legs or which hand I had a glove on in the original pictures, so I just guessed, and I think it is hilarious that I ended up doing the exact opposite resulting in these pics being mirrors of each other. So cool!! (and check out the tree: that's June versus December for ya! haha)
After Urquart Castle, we took the Jacobite Cruise ship over Loch Ness to get back to our bus. It was then a 4 hour drive down from Inverness back to Edinburgh. It had been an extremely successful day, particularly for 3 reasons: 1. Chloe was able to come with me! 2. THERE WAS SNOW!!! and 3. I was in the Highlands again, simple as that. Just being there. You don't need the boat cruises or castles. Those things are great, but all I need is me, the lochs, and the hills. My Highlands.
The next day (December 21st), I took Chloe to Holyrood Palace, the royal residence of Scottish (later British) royalty for nearly 500 years. I had visited first with Danielle back in September, then with Stef in October, and now I had to take Chloe, particularly because she loves Scottish history as much as I do! Afterwards, we both went back to our flats to change. At the beginning of the semester, after we had first gotten close, we had scheduled to have a Christmas lunch at Edinburgh Castle on December 22nd, Chloe's last day in Edinburgh. And the day had finally come! We took a taxi up to the Castle and then had a lovely four course lunch in the Jacobite dinning room. We then walked around the castle together, into Mary's rooms of course, to the Great Hall (where I was THRILLED to find a Christmas tree), and to the war memorial. It was a really nice way to end our time in Edinburgh together!
Chloe and I at lunch
Chloe and I in the Great Hall
That evening, I said goodbye to Chloe. It was definitely sad! We had gotten so so close over the semester and shared such a passion for Scottish History that no one else would really understand. We definitely formed a special relationship, and we will be seeing each other in the future (NYC and Quebec here I come!!). She is actually planning on visiting me in Richmond in April so she can see me in Funny Girl. I'm SO pumped!
Catherine and I then headed down to the Christmas Market to go ice skating. We had bought the tickets earlier in the day without looking at the evening weather. It was raining. Sort of a lot. But we were troopers! We didn't care. We skated while being rained on! And now I get to say that I went ice skating in Edinburgh. I was a happy camper :)
Is that a pool or an ice rink??
Catherine pointing out that there may be some water on the ice due to weather.
Me pointing out that there is more than some water on the ice due to weather.
That brings me to December 22nd. My last day abroad. At that point, I was ready to go home. In NO WAY was sick of Scotland. I repeat, in NOOO WAY!! But you know how it is when you've been away from your home and your family and your friends for so long. It was time to go home. But first, I had a long checklist of things to accomplish in those remaining 24 hours. So bright and early, I set off on "Mission: Last Day in Edinburgh."
First, I had my favorite breakfast at the Elephant House (a ham and cheese croissant) and couldn't resist getting an elephant shortbread cookie to go. Then, I headed down the street to the National Museum of Scotland. I had literally lived a block from the museum the entire semester and had never gone in on my own time. I had gone in twice before on specific missions for classes, but had never explored on my own. I spent two hours in the Scottish History section, moving through the centuries of history that, after three and half months in Scotland, I knew pretty well. I realized that it was actually good of me to come to the museum so late in my abroad experience because with my newly accumulated knowledge of Scottish History, I could really understand and appreciate what I was seeing. It meant a lot more to me that way.
At the end of my time in the museum, I reached the top floor of the Scottish History exhibition, which contain artifacts and information about the past 40 years or so. There was this video playing on a loop that I sat down to watch in its entirety. The video showed a bunch of Scots, young and old, male and female, from all over Scotland, answering questions about their lives as Scots, such as "Do you identify as British, Scottish, or Both?" "What is the best part of living in Scotland?" "What do you dislike most about Scotland?" "What are your favorite Scottish foods?" "How are your perceived by non-Scots?" etc. It was a fascinating video, and when it restarted after about 15 minutes, I was so bummed! I could have easily sat there for another hour listening to Scottish people talk about life in Scotland. It was sort of a beautifully appropriate thing for me to experience on my last day.
After the museum, I met Catherine at the Festival Theatre to get our cheap student tickets to that night's performance of the Scottish Ballet's The Nutcracker. I was so excited to not only see this wonderful ballet again, but I was excited to see it done by the Scottish Ballet.
Then, I headed to the National Library of Scotland where there was an exhibit called "Game of Crowns" (a play on "Game of Thrones") on display detailing the history and significance of the Jacobite Rising of 1715 (the Jacobite Rising I have talked about most, the one with Bonnie Prince Charlie, was the 1745 Rising, fyi). First of all, the advertisement with its "Game of Thrones"-type name and design style drew me in immediately, and then when I read the fine print that the exhibit was about Jacobite history, I was all in! I explored the exhibit for about 45 minutes, learning a great deal about the lesser known Jacobite Rising.
Upon exiting the museum, I knew I was heading to the Castle next, but I decided to go straight down Victoria Street instead of turn right onto the Royal Mile. I wanted to take a roundabout way through the Grassmarket. The Grassmarket was where my parents and I stayed when we visited Edinburgh in 2012, it was where I first ate with Katie when we first arrived in Scotland back in September, it was where I had gone for my vocal lessons almost every week, and it was where I could get one of my favorite views of the Castle. I felt that I needed to walk down there just one more time. I then took the many, many stairs up from the Grassmarket to the Castle, taking this beautifully erie picture along the way.
On the way up to the Castle from the Grassmarket
I headed into the Castle to get lunch. Unfortunately, because it was 1:00 (the busiest time at the Castle cafe because of the daily 1:00-Gun shooting) and because half of the cafe was closed with the daily Christmas lunches being held there (that I had attended the day before), the cafe was PACKED. I grabbed something and ate pretty quickly. Sadly they didn't have any of their delicious chicken caesar salads that I had ate there so many times over the semester, but that wasn't important to me. What was important was that I was at my favorite place in my favorite city in the world for what would be the last time in who knows how long, so I wasn't going to let anything spoil it! After eating, I walked around for a while. I went through the Crown Jewels & Stone of Destiny exhibit for the 4th time, visited the Great Hall, the War Memorial, St. Margaret's Chapel, and, of course, Mary's room where she gave birth to her son. I stayed there for a while, despite the many tourists milling in and out of that teeny tiny room. I just didn't want to leave.
Before arriving in Scotland in September, Mary was a figure whose story fascinated me. As a student and lover of history, she was someone I wanted to learn more about. But ever since my third week in Edinburgh when I visited her birthplace, Linlithgow Palace, my curiosity turned into an obsession… okay "obsession" makes me sound crazy…
okay, maybe I am a little crazy…
But, it's true! Something came over me, very quickly for that matter, and suddenly I was no longer just a student in search of historical facts about this interesting woman. I was a girl who suddenly felt like her already-very-full-heart had grown larger in order to make room for this new, self-consuming passion. Suddenly, Mary, Queen of Scots became part of my identity.
Who is Nikki Davis? Performer, Harry Potter Freak, Academic, History Buff, Traveler, and Mary, Queen of Scots Fanatic
And so there I stood, in that little room. I know it sounds crazy, but it was like I could feel her there with me, I could feel he energy. No, not her ghost, not her spirit, but rather this very strong presence she had left behind in that space the day gave birth to her only child, a child whose father was a crazed, abusive husband, a child she would never get to see or hold or raise past his first year of life. I just felt so sad for Mary, like I often do. As I stood there, leaning against the corner window, I spoke to Mary (in my head of course. I swear, I'm not that crazy). I told her I'd be back. I told her I'd never forget her or the trials life put her went through. I told her I would share her story. I would set it straight. No one is ever going to tell me Mary was a villainous queen deserving of her beheading without getting a full history lesson from me!
Me in Mary's Room
Then it was time to go. It was time to leave the Castle. Before I descended from the Upper Ward, I took one last look over New Town and out towards the Firth of Forth, another one of my favorite views in of Scotland. I am pretty certain it was that particular view that did it for me, that made me fall head over heels for Edinburgh way back when I was 13 and visited the city for only 5 hours. Again, all I could think to myself (because I'd break down if I thought anything else) was I will be back.
View from the Upper Ward
As I walked away across the Castle Esplande, I stopped and turned around. I stood there looking at the Castle for quite some time. Three minutes? Five minutes? Eight minutes? I'm really not sure. But I stood there letting the memories flood in. First seeing it when I was 13; visiting it again 5 years later with my parents; the first time I visited the Castle while abroad back in September; all those reunions me and my beloved Edinburgh Castle had. We were like two people in a transatlantic romance, only able to reunite every couple years. Then I thought of the Military Tattoo, the magnificent Scottish celebration that Mum and I were beyond fortunate enough to attend back in August where the Castle served as the most stunning backdrop to the festivities. And finally, I thought of all the times I went to eat and read and study inside the Castle over the past three and half months. That had been a dream of mine since applying to Edinburgh back in December 2013. I said to my parents multiple times that I was determined to find a way to just hang out at the Castle. My Historic Scotland Membership gave me that ability and made the Castle a second place of comfort, a second home for me within Edinburgh.
It was off to the Christmas Market next. I had visited twice already, but who gets sick of any European Christmas Market?! On my way down from the Castle and towards New Town, I came across the Scottish Writers Museum. Outside of the museum were a ton of stones which bore quotes by famous Scottish writers. Of course, the ones that had to do with Scotland ("Alba" in Gaelic) and history struck me the most.
Yup, my roots, my soul, my heart are all certainly in the roots of Scotland!
"Where are the links of the chain joining us to the past?"
"This is my own, my native land"
I eventually got down to the Christmas Market on Princes Street and just walked around for a while as the sun was setting (at 3:30… yeah, sucky). I then headed into the National Gallery of Scotland which sits on the Mound right next to the Christmas Market. I have always appreciated art, but after having just taken History of Art at Uni, I felt more prepared to view art works critically. But what I found most fun was not my ability to use my newly gained Art History knowledge but instead my ability to use both the travel knowledge and the historical knowledge I had gained while abroad. Check out the artworks below. I knew what they depicted before reading their plagues because I had either physically been there or had learned about the events taking place in the piece over the past few months.
People standing on the Upper Ward of Edinburgh Castle looking out over the esplanade. You can see both the Royal Mile with St. Giles Cathedral and Arthur's Seat in the distance.
Inverlochy Castle with Ben Nevis in the background. I had visited this location with my parents in 2012 and then again on my first trip to the Highlands back in October.
This one was a little harder to recognize super quickly, but I still figured it out before looking at the plague. To the far left you can see the Duomo and on the other side of the tree closer to center you can see the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio. This is Florence!
My beloved Glencoe in the Highlands
Princes Street in the New Town of Edinburgh. You can see Calton Hill, Arthur's Seat, and the top of St. Giles Cathedral in the distance
And last but certainly not least, this is the Murder of Rizzio. I wrote about this event way back in one of my first blogs about Holyrood Palace. This is a piece depicting when a group of conspirators led by Mary's husband, Lord Darnely, burst into Holyrood Palace and stabbed David Rizzio, Mary's secretary, to death in front her. She was 8 months pregnant at the time. It was her, in that shimmery white gown, that caught my eye first, and I instantly knew it was her.
It was 5:00 when I left the National Gallery (I was actually kicked out because they were closing). I had been out and about since 9:00 and was exhausted. But still had many more hours of duties, both fun and not so fun, ahead of me. After saying a mental goodbye to the Christmas Market and to New Town, I headed back towards my flat where my lovely flatmate, Catherine, was making us her famous risotto one last time. As always, it was delicious! Then it was time for the ballet!
The Nutcracker was spectacular! I just love ballets and don't get to see them nearly enough! Catherine loved it too, and it was a really nice final thing for us to experience together.
And that was the end of the fun.
We returned to the flat at 9:30. It was time to pack. I stayed up packing until 2:30 and then finally got some sleep. But not nearly enough. I was up again three hours later, 5:30, in order to get ready, do last minute packing, take out the trash, and get a cab with Catherine to the airport. It was time to leave.
After a truly exhausting, successful, emotional last day, I was ready to head home.
It has now been 6 weeks and 2 days since I left Scotland. For the first 3 of those weeks I was fine! I loved talking about my experiences abroad, sharing pictures and stories, and just being home with my family for the holidays. But after those first 3 weeks, after about 1 week back at UR, the nostalgia already started to kick in. And now? How I am, you may ask?
I miss Scotland more than I can put into words. I wish I could pick up the University of Richmond bubble and drop it down in Old Town Edinburgh. I love my college and my friends and my department and my professors, but now having lived in Edinburgh and learned and grown so much there, it sometime feels as if… I don't know… like my lungs don't work properly. Simply thinking about Scotland makes it hard to breath. Sometimes I even feel like being here at UR is the temporary experience and that I am going back to Scotland in the near future. I mean, Edinburgh Uni does not come close in anyway to UR for me personally, but Scotland compared to the States…. my heart belongs to Scotland.
My abroad experience changed me. I know it's cliche. I know that is what's "supposed to happen." But, it seriously did happen for me!! I grew up. I became this incredibly independent woman and learned so much about what I am capable of and how I want "future me" to be. With everything I saw, everywhere I went, everything I learned, the places I explored, the cultures I experienced… I'll just never be the same after all that. The world is bigger now. I will never stop traveling. Never stop learning. Never stop finding things that make my heart swell with newfound passions.
This LASS is unstoppable!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has read/glanced over/skimmed/just looked at the pics on my blog. It's been a pleasure sharing my experiences with you and recording the memories so that I will have them forever.
My abroad experience changed me. I know it's cliche. I know that is what's "supposed to happen." But, it seriously did happen for me!! I grew up. I became this incredibly independent woman and learned so much about what I am capable of and how I want "future me" to be. With everything I saw, everywhere I went, everything I learned, the places I explored, the cultures I experienced… I'll just never be the same after all that. The world is bigger now. I will never stop traveling. Never stop learning. Never stop finding things that make my heart swell with newfound passions.
This LASS is unstoppable!
THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has read/glanced over/skimmed/just looked at the pics on my blog. It's been a pleasure sharing my experiences with you and recording the memories so that I will have them forever.
Much love, laughter, and learning to you all!
Nikki
I'm just going to put this here. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbb9aRSQpsY
