DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22

April – July 2022

A 85-day adventure by Amy, Polka, Eo and 3 others Read more

List of countries

Switzerland
Germany
Denmark
Sweden
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Croatia
Hungary
Romania
Greece
Italy
Spain
France
England
Scotland
United States
Show all (15)

Categories

Around the world, Culture, Family, Tours, Train

21.1kmiles traveled

Means of transport

Flight15.8kkilometers
Walking-kilometers
Hiking-kilometers
Bicycle-kilometers
Motorbike-kilometers
Tuk Tuk-kilometers
Car-kilometers
Train-kilometers
Bus-kilometers
Camper-kilometers
Caravan-kilometers
4x4-kilometers
Swimming-kilometers
Paddling/Rowing-kilometers
Motorboat-kilometers
Sailing-kilometers
Houseboat-kilometers
Ferry-kilometers
Cruise ship-kilometers
Horse-kilometers
Skiing-kilometers
Hitchhiking-kilometers
Cable car-kilometers
Helicopter-kilometers
Barefoot-kilometers

Newest first

Footprints
Photos

DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 11:00 AM
- 🌧 54 °F
- Altitude: 85 ft
- Scotland Inverness Railway Station 57.47901, -4.2257457°28’44” N 4°13’33” W
1
Inverness Tour
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F
Inverness is a cute little town up in the Highlands near Loch Ness. I wanted to come see it because of the ties to Outlander and the Battle of Culloden.

We took a tour this morning to find out what else is here!

Legend has it that this is where the legend of a monster in Loch Ness began. In 575 AD St. Columba came to bring the gospel to the local tribes along the river Ness. A family had just lost a son to a monster from the river. As Columba went to cross the river to offer comfort to the family, the monster attacked again. He raised his cross and forced the monster out of the river all the way to the loch, where it still lives today.

The city hall has wolves out front...and someone googly-eyed the skull under its paw. The mercat (market) column was moved in front of it, as was the "gossip stone" from the river where women used to gather to wash clothes.

Leakey's used book store looked like something right out of Harry Potter - our guide called it the most Instagrammable spot in Inverness.

Victoria Market is an indoor mall dating back to Victorian times - and there was a chocolate store with chocolate coos (cows), a rooster and little Nessies.

We finished up with the first (I'm sure not the last) gelato.Read more
Traveler She helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape
4/30/22Reply
TravelerSo much history! It's fascinating.
5/2/22Reply
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DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 11:30 AM
- 🌧 54 °F
- Altitude: 85 ft
- Scotland Inverness Railway Station 57.47901, -4.2257457°28’44” N 4°13’33” W
1
Outlander in Inverness
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F
Feel free to skip this post if you don't want to nerd out with me over Outlander references.
Traveler They would be sat on the short tombstone-looking stone. The soldiers would use another stone as a sight.
4/30/22Reply
4 likes
DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 12:00 PM
- 🌧 52 °F
- Altitude: 85 ft
- Scotland Inverness Railway Station 57.47901, -4.2257457°28’44” N 4°13’33” W
Rohan
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F
Éowyn was confused when I told her she had to stop so I could take a picture here.
4 likes
DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 3:00 PM
- 🌧 48 °F
- Altitude: 66 ft
- Scotland River Enrick 57.32411, -4.4419957°19’27” N 4°26’31” W
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Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 48 °F
The only Loch Ness monster we spotted was a swan. Urquhart Castle was very neat! Although in ruins, that just made it more picturesque.

Looks like we missed Nessie by just a few days - this is exactly where we were this afternoon!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.u…Read more
Traveler A replica of a 'knight's jug' with a fragment of the original decorated medieval tableware that was discarded here.
4/30/22Reply
TravelerNice!
5/2/22Reply
Traveler Wow!!!
4/30/22Reply
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DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 3:07 PM
- 🌧 50 °F
- Altitude: 26 ft
- Scotland River Ness 57.47867, -4.2281557°28’43” N 4°13’41” W
Firsts
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 50 °F
In the last few days, this girl has gone to a new continent for the first time, ridden on a train for the first time, and is now super excited to ride on a bus for the first time (we're on the way to Loch Ness to look for Nessie).Read more
TravelerWonderful to see her so excited.
5/2/22Reply
3 likes
DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 7:10 PM
- 🌧 52 °F
- Altitude: 66 ft
- Scotland River Ness 57.47588, -4.2307457°28’33” N 4°13’51” W
1
Éowyn and the Coos
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 52 °F
There are these painted Highland cows all over Inverness (known as coos in the local dialect), we tried to get pics with as many as we found.
TravelerI thought you had made a type - lol!
5/2/22Reply
Traveler This is my favorite coo picture.
5/2/22Reply
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DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 5
- Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 7:42 PM
- 🌧 50 °F
- Altitude: 66 ft
- Scotland River Ness 57.47629, -4.2300657°28’35” N 4°13’48” W
1
Inverness AirBnB
April 30, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ 🌧 50 °F
This one made us a little nervous. The doors are super sketch and the stairs inside even more so. Thankfully, the actual apartment is tiny, but clean, cozy, and adorable. We're also about 3 minutes from the main town square, and across the street from a Tesco grocery.

However, the toilet makes a noise upon flushing that the girls have described as "summoning Cthulhu". So I've added it here for the memories.Read more
TravelerGood job on picking the location:) Our lodging in Russia was very similar with heavy doors with multiple locks and dark concrete stairwells before you finally find the door to your apartment.
5/2/22Reply
Traveler hahahaha! That will bring back memories someday.
5/2/22Reply
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DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 6
- Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 11:00 AM
- ⛅ 54 °F
- Altitude: 509 ft
- Scotland Culloden Muir 57.47715, -4.0925757°28’38” N 4°5’33” W
Culloden Visitor's Center
May 1, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
I found out halfway through I wasn't allowed to take pics inside, oops!

There are a lot of swords, guns, bullets, letters, books and more on display. There was even Charlie's death mask. The right walls tell the story from the Jacobites point of view, while the left tells the government's.

I hadn't really thought of it as a civil war before, but that's really what it was. Our guide mentioned that more Scots were fighting on the government side than on Bonnie Prince Charlie's.

Entrance included a battlefield tour, and the docent was fantastic.Read more
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DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 6
- Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 11:10 AM
- ⛅ 54 °F
- Altitude: 489 ft
- Scotland Strath Nairn 57.47655, -4.1052857°28’36” N 4°6’19” W
Culloden Battlefield
May 1, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F
"On 16 April 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head in one of the most harrowing battles in British history.

Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British thrones, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,600 men were slain – 1,500 of them Jacobites."

This was the last hand-to-hand battle on British soil.

The clan stones and memorials were very moving, and it's a beautiful place.

Leanach Cottage was used as a field hospital. The door was so small even Anya would have needed to duck!Read more
TravelerIt's thought provoking to be actually standing in the place where historical event occurred.
5/2/22Reply
3 likes
DB Family Europe Grand Tour 22
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- Day 6
- Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 2:00 PM
- ⛅ 55 °F
- Altitude: 492 ft
- Scotland Strath Nairn 57.47645, -4.1002157°28’35” N 4°6’1” W
Éowyn's Coo from Culloden
May 1, 2022 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F
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