Scotland in Summer: Exploring Cities, Castles & Nature

We arrived at Glasgow airport in the afternoon and took taxis to our hotel, the Glasgow Marriott, situated downtown. The hotel has been recently refurbished. We visited the executive lounge for Happy Hour and hors d'oeuvres. Later, we walked a short distance to explore two charming pubs nearby. Our "crawl" began at the Drum & Monkey, a venue with 150 years of history, and concluded at the Pot Still, which offers over 800 whiskies from around the world. We thoroughly enjoyed our first night in Scotland.

After enjoying the breakfast buffet at our hotel, we took a taxi to the bus station where our tour began. We had prebooked a day trip to the West Highlands on Viator, traveling in a Mercedes minivan with a maximum capacity of 16 people. This was a wise decision given the narrow and winding roads. Our first stop was the charming village of Inveraray, situated on the western shore of Loch Fyne. We strolled through the town and visited Inveraray Castle to take photos. The castle is still owned by the Duke & Duchess of Argyll. Our next photo opportunity was at Kilchurn Castle, a ruined structure on a rocky peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe. After a 30-minute drive, we reached Oban, a delightful resort town known as the seafood capital of Scotland. We enjoyed fish and chips for lunch and shopped until it was time to return to our van. We passed by Castle Stalker, a picturesque castle surrounded by water. Being ahead of schedule, we had time to stop at the Glencoe Visitor Center, which closes quite early at 5:00 pm for the Center and 4:00 pm for the Cafe during summertime. Glencoe, located in the heart of the Highlands, is known for the “Massacre of Glencoe,” where the Scottish army massacred 38 members of the McDonald clan. A few miles beyond the city, on our way back to Glasgow, we took photos of the Pass of Glencoe. It was a spectacular way to end our day.

The following afternoon, we traveled by train to Edinburgh. The journey took less than an hour, but the train was quite crowded due to ongoing strikes, which reduced the usual number of trains. We stayed at the Courtyard Edinburgh, conveniently situated near the Playhouse Theatre and Calton Hill. This was an ideal spot for exploring the city. Our room was at the back of the hotel, ensuring it was very quiet. The hotel also offered a good breakfast buffet. We were fortunate to secure a reservation at an excellent Italian restaurant, Mamma Roma, located just across from the hotel. It was very busy, yet the service and food were outstanding.

We bought 48-hour Hop-on, Hop-off bus tickets. One of their routes goes to the Royal Yacht Britannia, located north of Edinburgh at the Ocean Terminal shopping center, about 20 minutes from the city center. The ship visit is a self-guided audio tour, allowing you to explore at your own pace. There are five decks to discover, including the State Apartments, the Royal Bedrooms, the Crew’s Quarters, the Sun Lounge, and the Engine Room. It was a fantastic experience.

We took the bus back to town, passing through various neighborhoods, and then visited the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the King's official residence in Edinburgh.  We explored the State Apartments, the Throne Room & Great Gallery, and Mary, Queen of Scots’ Chambers, which was our favorite part of the visit. On our way out, we stopped by the Abbey. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at Mackays. The restaurant is situated on the Royal Mile, a series of streets in the city's Old Town. Between Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace, there are excellent shops and numerous pubs.

We enjoyed fantastic weather on our final day in Edinburgh. We caught the bus near our hotel and headed first to Edinburgh Castle, one of Scotland’s most renowned landmarks. Having prebooked our tickets online, we arrived at the castle just before our scheduled entry time. It was quite crowded, and tickets were sold out for most of the day, so we were glad to have purchased ours in advance. Our tour of the castle lasted a little over two hours. We explored the National War Museum, the Prisons of War, and the Mons Meg, a colossal medieval cannon from 1449, gifted to King James II, capable of firing cannonballs over two miles. It's among the largest cannons globally. A highlight of our visit was seeing the Crown Jewels of Scotland, which include the crown, sword, and scepter used in coronations. We then visited the Great Hall and concluded with a tour of the Royal Apartments, a section of the castle that served as royal residences. Here, Mary, Queen of Scots, gave birth to her son James VI, who would eventually become King of both Scotland and England. We had lunch on the Royal Mile at Deacon Brodies, a tavern established in 1806, featuring a lovely dining room on the second floor.

Before returning to our hotel, we stopped by St. Giles Cathedral, established in 1124 by King David I. Originally a Catholic church, it became a Protestant place of worship following the Protestant Reformation. The interior underwent significant changes to reflect Reformed worship practices, which focus on simplicity and lack the religious imagery typical of Catholic churches.

We spent our final evening in Edinburgh at the Theater Royal Bar, an elegant pub just a short walk from our hotel. It had recently undergone refurbishment. The service was exceptionally friendly, and the gastro pub-style food was outstanding.

We enjoyed our few days in Scotland and would like to come back for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo music festival and to visit St. Andrews, Balmoral and the Isle of Skye, a six-hour drive from Edinburgh.

We had a great time during our short stay in Scotland and are eager to return for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo music festival. We also want to explore St. Andrews, Balmoral, and the Isle of Skye, which is a six-hour drive from Edinburgh.