Rufford Railway Station

We were off the boat and on the bus to Preston by 10 am. The bus dropped us off at the bus station in Preston, and it was a ten minute walk to the train station. We were able to get tickets on the fast train to Edinburgh. I used my navionics app on my phone to figure out we were traveling 98 miles an hour. The scenery, especially in the southern Lakes District, was very dramatic. The train was moving so quickly we couldn't get any good pictures. It took around two and a half hours to get to Haymarket Station in Edinburgh. Our hotel was a 20-minute bus ride from the train station. Public transportation is very accessible here, which is a good thing since the hotel I booked is a lot further from the city center than I thought. After we checked in, we took a bus to Princess Street to start exploring. Edinburgh is such a beautiful city, and there are so many sites to take in. Earlier this year, I met a family from Edinburgh while I was in Barbados. One of the sons told me I should check out the pub he worked at, the Pipers Rest, so that was our first destination. We loved the pub and ended up spending a few hours there. Laughlin was very surprised to see me. Everyone was so friendly and they had great live music. We booked a walking tour on Sunday, and we had a wonderful tour guide. For 2 and a half hours, we wandered around Old Town while she shared history, stories, and fun facts. After that, we wandered around on our own until the rain and sore feet had us looking for a spot for dinner. Loved this city, and our pictures don't do it justice, but two days in a city is more than enough for us. We pick up the camper van on Monday and start on our Highland adventures.Read more