Day Seven: The Road Back to Edinburgh

Today was a perfect end to the Highlands tour. I am leaving feeling satisfied. We were going to start with a hike by the three sisters, which we stopped at on our way up. But Scottish weather took over. It was winding like yesterday but so much colder. So, instead, we ended up finding a little waterfall right below the highway. There were 3 falls merging to one, and it was a cool find with the mountain backdrop. It even started hailing out of nowhere for only about 2 minutes. It was so unexpected yet an exciting and random moment to lighten the mood and make the drive so much easier. On the way back, since we didn't hike, we had time to go to a castle ruins as well as the Stirling castle museum. We started with the ruins, which was really our hidden gem of the trip. It was in a picturesque town with classic architecture surrounded by mountains and a massive river with cascades. Then, walking up to the ruins, you could instantly feel the history and memories stored there. It felt so strange seeing a place that stored generations of memories. Turns out that this castle has a dark past. When walking around it, I passed a stone lined hole, and at first, I believed it was just a cellar or something. Turns out it was the execution pit where they decapitated people... There was even a hanging tree. But it did honestly make the experience even better. It was one of the best stops for me. On our way back through the town, we found a burial site that was on an island and just decided to check it out. It was for the McNabbs. Which seemed so familiar, and it was driving me insane where I knew that name from. By the craziest of coincidences, I am related to the McNabbs! What are the odds of that? And we weren't even supposed to go to this town in the first place. It is hard to comprehend how things work out sometimes. Moreover, as soon as we entered the burial site, the clouds cleared, and it stopped rain, to start raining as soon as we left! Then, to finish the drive, I got to tour a castle museum. A chance to hear all the long forgotten stories of the past. It was so interesting to see why things were built and how many times the ownership of the castle changed. Within a span of just under 50 years, the castle was under seige 8 times, which from 1296 to 1299, the castle was retaken each year by the other side. The poor common people! Even crazier there was no water in the castle, so everyone was given one free Scottish ale pint (which is equivalent to 4.5 pints today). It was a great finish to the Highlands for sure. Getting to see all the views, especially from the castle, was mindblowing. Honestly, I won't change a thing about this leg of the trip. It was a great chance to get comfortable with traveling. Thanks, Amanda. While also getting to see everything I would ever want from Scotland. Cheers to this, and I can't wait for portugal!Read more