over the sea to skye
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.
~ Robert Burns, 1789
Edinburgh, Scotland
Our first stop when we landed in Scotland was Clarinda’s Tearoom. It was pouring rain, we couldn’t figure out the lockbox for our Airbnb, had all of our baggage, and were dead tired from a long day of travel (after missing our connecting flight from London) – but I don’t know that I’ve ever been as happy as I was when we sat down to tea at Clarinda’s.
Some of the highlights in Edinburgh (in no particular order):
Greyfriars Kirkyard in the rain, with the sound of crows
a stroll down Circus Lane, then shopping in Southbridge (favorite shop: Edinburgh Mercantile)
reenacting the reunion scene at Bakehouse Close (Jamie’s print shop)
wandering through Museum of Edinburgh (loveliest little museum)
seeing Victoria Street for the first time, and finding tweed waistcoats at Walker Slater
dinner at The Outsider Restaurant (twice), with a view of Edinburgh castle through the mist
finding the sweetest collection of greeting cards and wee gifts at Lackdhu
adding to my crystals & potions collection at Black Moon Botanica
happening upon the grave of David Rizzio (secretary and friend to Mary, Queen of Scots) in Canongate Kirkyard
first tea and last tea in Edinburgh at Clarinda’s Tearoom
When we left Edinburgh, we rented a car and drove to the tiny village of Pebbles and stayed in Neidpath Castle. It felt as though we had stepped back in time. If ever there was a place that I didn’t want to leave, it was this castle.
Neidpath is beautifully situated, overlooking the River Tweed, and surrounded by the tree-covered landscape of the Scottish Borders. It also has a rich history. It was visited by Mary, Queen of Scots in 1563, and by Sir Walter Scott in 1803. Scott wrote his poem "The Maid of Neidpath" about Jean Douglas, who is said to haunt the castle to this day. She has been seen walking the castle ramparts clad in a long brown dress with white collar.
Sadly, we didn’t see any ghosts, but we did enjoy whisky by a roaring fire, a walk along the River Tweed, exploring the castle after dark, and pretending we were Lord and Lady of the castle. I wrote in my journal “the most perfect stay.”
A few other highlights of our time in Peebles:
tartan shopping at Lochcarron of Scotland in nearby Selkirk
a visit to Traquair House - the oldest inhabited house in Scotland (complete with a hedge maze and brewery)
a glass of wine in the quaint town of Melrose, and then a stop at Martin Baird Butcher to pick up dinner (meat pie for Zoe and a mac & cheese pie for me)
Our drive from Peebles to Inverness, by way of The Kelpies and Midhope Castle (Lallybroch). With a stop for takeaway chippy at McKays Fish & Chip Shop in Pitlochry.
Take me home to Lallybroch. What an experience! If you’re an Outlander fan, this is a must-visit destination. We happened to arrive exactly at the right time (in between tour buses) and felt like we had this incredible house all to ourselves, for just a little while. There is an entrance fee and some small gifts to purchase at the ticket kiosk (we purchased one of everything they had :)
Our next home was Inverness. And while I wouldn’t have to return and stay in the town itself, it turned out to be a perfect landing spot for all the things we wanted to do nearby. Plus we rented the sweetest little apartment with scenic wallpaper that I completely fell in love with. And there was a Tesco right out of our back gate that I visited at least twice a day. I love going to supermarkets in foreign countries.
Some of the highlights of our time in Inverness:
birthday lunch on the shores of Loch Ness at The Dores Inn
Clava Cairns (our Claire & Jamie moment)
the MOST gorgeous drive through the Highlands along roads A82 & A87 (easily my favorite memory from the entire trip)
shopping in Portree at ÒR Skye
seafood birthday dinner at River House (chance meeting Outlander fans at the table next to us)
an impromptu stop at Chocolates of Glenshiel for the best shortbread ever
Our drive from Inverness to our next home in Culross took us by way of Kinloch Rannoch (the site of Craigh na Dun). It was pretty far out of our way – up the narrowest of winding roads, passing huge logging trucks, and getting lost a couple of times – but once we got there, it was so worth it. Take note (so you’re not disappointed) that there are no standing stones on the site. I honestly don’t think that it matters though. Standing on that hill is so spectacular, you can almost see 1700s Inverness in the distance.
*If you’re planning a visit, this Google Map pin was the only way we were able to find it.
I highly recommend renting a car during your stay in Scotland, if you’re comfortable driving. We were able to change plans at the spur of the moment, take pretty smaller roads instead of the highway, and explore places off the beaten path. This freedom led to one of our favorite stops – and discovering our favorite whisky. A wrong turn took us unexpectedly right through the charming town of Aberfeldy. It was just about lunchtime so we stopped at The Fountain (the only open pub in town) for vegetable curry and a wee dram of Aberfeldy 12. I realized that I don’t have a single photo from that visit, but sometimes the memories are truer without photos.
There were many things we did on this trip that were inspired by our love of Outlander. I’m grateful for being a part of the huge fandom because it took us to places we would otherwise have never added to our itinerary. Culross was one of those places. Having said that, you certainly don’t need to be an Outlander fan to appreciate this historic village. Culross is Scotland’s most complete example of a burgh of the 17th and 18th centuries. Peaceful cobblestone streets are lined with stucco (“harled”) houses in the most gorgeous colors, all toped with red-tiled roofs, and looking just as you imagined they looked 300 years ago.
Some highlights of our stay in Culross:
a visit to Culross Palace and its gardens (beautifully restored by National Trust for Scotland)
dinner at Red Lion Inn (the only pub in the village)
Culross West Kirk - built in the 1500s and the official place of worship in Culross until 1633 (it’s also the filming location of the “Black Kirk” where Tammas Baxter became ill from eating Lily of the Valley in Outlander S1E3)
Just a 45 minute drive from Culross is Falkland. Another spot that was on our radar because of Outlander - it’s the filming location for 1940s Inverness, where Claire admires the blue vase in the window of the very first scene of the series. And yes, you can visit that same shop - it’s called Fayre Earth, and its owned by the lovely Elizabeth, who spent a good deal of time chatting with us about Scotland. We left with SO many treasures that we cherish.
A few highlights from Falkland:
chippy tea at Covenanter Hotel - this is the exterior of Mrs. Baird’s B&B (Zoe surprised me with a wee blue vase from Fayre Earth as we sipped wine, and pretended that our trip to Scotland wasn’t ending)
shopping at Balgonie Kilts and meeting mother/daughter owners Helen & Sandie, who were completely delightful. (finally found my Fraser tartan here - on the last day!)
I cried on the plane home. I loved Scotland so much more than I ever imagined I would. Those who have visited, know what I mean. There is a specialness about it that runs deep. To quote one of my least favorite characters in Outlander, Frank Randall, “Oh, my dear, there's no place on earth with more magic and superstition mixed into its daily life than the Scottish Highlands.”
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(many photos in this post were taken by my amazing sister, and travel companion, Zoe)
