Throughout the 8 days, we stayed in London, Stirling (North of Glasgow), Edinburgh, Isle of Skye (just lovely!) and Glasgow.
Days 1,2 in London
Upon arrival to Gatwick London Airport from a very short 6 hr. plane ride, we touched ground at around 8 am in the morning. It feels great having to land in a totally foreign place. For me and Chris, this was going to be a new and different adventure. Our previous trips involved being more outdoors, so this was a great change and fun experience for the both of us to explore a different city away from Toronto. We picked up our luggage and looked for the Hertz car rental booth. By the time we were done with that, it was about 12 noon and we plugged into our Navi System (they call GPS's, Navi) the address to our first Bed and Breakfast, which was conveniently a few minutes walk to the Rails at Winchmore Hill Station--which instantly connects to the London Underground tubes (they call their subways, tubes :D haha!). We were greeted kindly by a very hospitable and elderly couple that is so full of English tradition in their blood. Their home was filled with all sorts of things that screamed English, from their patterned wallpapers to their picture frames and all sorts of trinkets sitting on tables. It was very foreign to us since we are Asian and their home decor was very traditional to their heritage, but I loved it all! The room was just elegantly decorated and very warm-welcoming. Their en-suite washroom was tiny but just perfect (it was disguised in the room as a big wardrobe). One thing we shouldnt' do is walk around barefoot or with socks, we wear our shoes in their homes (eventually we took them off once we settled to our beds for a rest). One thing that Chris will not forget and will forever hate is driving through London (it was terrible and scary for both of us).
We got out after settling our stuff into the room and walked to Winchmore Hill station. Sooo close to our home, it was literally 3 minutes walk. After receiving some great tips from our Hosts about getting around London with 2 for 1 coupons and using a Traveller's Card (off season cards are cheap!), we didn't have a hard time budgeting ourselves.
Things we saw in London:
London Eye, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, River Thames, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, Monument Tower, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Oxford Street, Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Soho, Chinatown, more streets that we walked around and stumbled upon (every thing is walk-able once you reach the core of London).
Memorable times in London:
What I find most memorable about London was hopping around to pubs on our first night and getting to know some of the locals. Two great pubs that we hit up that night and enjoyed the most was "The Opera House" and "The Lord of the Moon." Since dark fall hits just before 4pm, the locals start filling up the pubs on every street. The night life is great here to do pub hopping since one great bar is not far from another and the beers on tap are so tasty (especially the Guinness). We got to know two friendly locals at The Opera House that lives in the area and are creative business people (since he was carrying around a framed canvas). It was nice to just ask for a seat and get to know Londoners. They are fun to talk to and very kind.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the 18 Station Rd. Bed and Breakfast. The elderly couple was so kind and welcoming to us and their breakfast was so great (fresh bread included). It was one of those memorable stays with great hosts whom you will never forget. So caring and loving to each other and telling us stories and giving us some knowledge about their heritage.
Exploring the city by foot. We reached all the greatest spots in London by foot and didn't have to use the tube as much as we thought we should. This was great since it can get pretty busy underground.
Day 3, Stirling:
After spending two days in London, we started our journey towards Stirling (which was the only Bed and Breakfast I could find near Glasgow) bright and early in the morning at about 5 am. On the way, we explored a bit of Peak District town. The drive in total was about 7-8 hrs and it was crucial to take breaks in between. This stay was our mid-point stopover/rest towards Isle of Skye. This place is "Pannell Farm" and it is a charming farm home with okay hosts accompanied by an awesome pet dog and a cute and playful kitten. We arrived at about 3pm and it was rainy with wind! Brrrr, Off-Season that's for sure. It was a terrible and windy and rainy night, and we encouraged ourselves to get out and do some exploring. We eventually hit up a local pub since there was not much we can do in this weather and after trying to get into Glasgow--it was a fail since it was so dark and stormy out and hard to navigate to the city. That night was the least interesting night of our trip.
Day 4,5 arrival to Isle of Skye
Off to Isle of Skye! We worked our way up towards our place of interest. After passing the Skye Bridge, we drove our way more north towards our next Bed and Breakfast which was located a bit further up the Cuillin Hills. All I can say is that the drive to Isle of Skye was so Scenic. It was bright and sunny for the most part and you can see the endless rolling hills in the vast distance. The scenery is no where to be found except here. The Scottish Highlands is a magical place filled with wonder and unimaginable views. If you like endless green grasslands, this place is magical during peak season.
The Bed and Breakfast was not listed in our itinerary, so we booked it by email and paid extra for the stay. Foxwood Bed and Breakfast in Isle of Skye is a lovely home located off the Central-West coast of the island. The hostess lady lives there with her black n white cat :)
Eilean Donan Castle, Fairy Glen, Fairy Pools (entrance), Talisker Distillery, Neist point (view only), Cuith Raing, many magnificent views of the island itself.
Breakfast at Ceol-Na-Mara :)))
Our next Bed and Breakfast was at the Ceol-Na-Mara home. The Ceol Na Mara home is a very welcoming place and the room was comfortable :). Again, I really love their breakfasts. If you don't like fried eggs, don't even bother trying to live here and become British ;P.
Day 6 Isle of Skye to Edinburgh
We woke up early at around 8am to explore the rest of the island and head out to Edinburgh at late noon to our next Bed and Breakfast in Edinburgh (Sea Breezes - which was not that great). The days are much shorter in Britain, it gets dark at 4pm and the sun rises at 8am. We did feel upset that the weather was a bit harsh but the Island is a very beautiful place to be during high seasons. We checked out Urquhart Castle by the Loch Ness. We got to Edinburgh at about 7:30pm that day.
Day 7 A full day in Edinburgh
Our morning at Sea Breezes was not so great. Since I did not see the hostess the night of arrival and my breakfast was not filling. There were no sausages or ham, just an egg and two slices of toast with sides of coissants and rolls. Not much! But their home was very pretty and I love their breakfast table set up with the pretty china and views of the lake.
Our day started out great, taking the bus into downtown Edinburgh. (at a cost of 1.25 pounds per person) Our first stop was to Edinburgh Castle.
Afterwards we head out for a late lunch at the clam shell where we had the tastiest deep fried burger and sausage with chips (sooo yummy). There was a strike going on as well, but we got around the streets normally. We checked out Giles Cathedral too. The cathedral had such stunning architecture.
Our last night, we went to a local pub to have dinner and hang out with some locals. According to Chris, this night was the best night he has ever had during our trip.
Day 8 Leave to Toronto from Glasgow :(((
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and will definitely come back to see more of Scotland during the warmer seasons.
Things I enjoy and find most memorable on our trip?
- The awesome old-fashioned keys and locks
- CASTLES! I luvvv castles
- Yummmy Breakfastsss
- The cute Sheeps roaming everywhere on the Isle of Skye
- Isle of Skye itself is great!
- The Pubss! and their tasty beeeers and yummy Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas
- People here are awesome and so kind
- Architecture is very nice
I heart Britain :)
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