The Highlands, Scotland

"O ye'll take the High Road,

And I'll take the Low Road,

And I'll be in Scotland afore ye.

But me and me true love

Will ne'er meet again

On the bonnie, bonnie banks O Loch Lomond."

We didn't actually go to Loch Lomond, but this song was stuck in my head all day and the driver even played it. We did see a bunch of other great sights in the Highlands though!

All those white dots = sheep! Baaaah!

One of the most popular day trips from Edinburgh is an all day Highlands tour. Tons of companies run them (only one allows kids under 5, however, so that's why we went with Highland Experience) and they all basically cover the same itinerary in varying orders: Rannoch Moor, Glencoe, Ben Nevis, and Loch Ness.

Panorama shot as we first entered the Highlands.

Evanses in Scotland!

Another panoramic shot, this time of the highest mountain in Great Britain, Ben Nevis.

This area of the Highlands was the training ground for British Commandos beginning in 1942 during the Second World War. A monument honoring the brave men who gave their lives during the war was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1952.

It was a beautiful location so we took advantage and took a family selfie in front of Ben Nevis.

One of our final stops in the Highlands was Glencoe. This valley is the essence of the wild, powerful, and stark beauty of the Highlands.

Along with its beauty, Glencoe offers a good dose of bloody clan history. In 1692, British Redcoats came to the valley and were sheltered and fed for 12 days by the McDonalds clan. Then, the morning of February 13, the soldiers were ordered to rise up early and kill their sleeping hosts, violating the rules of Highland hospitality and earning the valley the name "The Weeping Glen."

Fox in Glencoe Valley.



Majestic.

Me and my kiddos in the beautiful and enchanting Highlands.

As we came out of Glencoe we entered the vast and brutal Rannoch Moor. If this foreboding area looks familiar, that is because it was featured in the James Bond movie Skyfall.

On the motorway back to Edinburgh we passed The Kelpies sculptures that were completed in 2013 by Scottish sculptor Andy Scott. They are over thirty meters tall!

The rest of the drive back we listened to our guide fill us in on the truth about legends such as Rob Roy and William Wallace. Twas a fun day.

Next time I hope we see a hairy coo (this one is from the interwebs). Apparently they're a big thing, there's tons of merch everywhere in Scotland, but I only spotted two from a distance during the day!

The next morning we woke up at 3:30am to make our way back home, do laundry, re-pack, and head to Venice at 5:00am the next day for our cruise to Greece. Are we crazy for trying to do so much is such little time?! Eh, now that we're home, it was all worth it!

Our family at Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands on Saturday August 20th 2016.

The recaps will continue on with our cruise through Greece!