Edinburgh, Stirling Castle (and driving!)

OUR FIRST DAY
After much traveling - which we all agree wasn't that bad but sleeping on the plane was not easy to accomplish - we arrived yesterday around noon. Transferring planes in Heathrow was also not easy - we were running behind (Stacey forgot her camera on the plane and had to dash back to get it! It was waiting peacefully where she left it...so that is good news.). Three separate people at three separate stations wanted to check our passports and then there was quite a line at the security checkpoint. (Sigh). We made it 7 minutes before the plane was scheduled to take off! I think others were also delayed because the guy that swiped our boarding passes said "Yeah, we were expecting you. We've got a few others that are also running behind." Whatever...whew...we made it...

Once we landed in Edinburgh, we picked up our cars and drove to our B&B. We were looking for a place to eat, but the streets are tight and we were learning to drive the roads (there were a few close calls!) and there really isn't any parking...so we headed to our B&B: Brig O'Doon. After checking in and relaxing for a bit, we headed out for an early dinner at Loch Fyne (a great seafood restaurant on the water). It was nice to sit down, relax and eat some nice food (and decompress after no sleep, no food and very stressful driving).

After dinner, we went back to our B&B and bundled up before heading down to the Christmas Festival in downtown Edinburgh. What a beautiful and sparkling evening! The bus dropped us off right below Edinburgh Castle and in the promenade below us were Christmas lights, people milling about the warm-lit booths and a Ferris wheel set-up in front of some medieval tower. We spent most of our time and received the most enjoyment from the German section of the festival. Which, by the way, everyone else seemed to feel the same way...because it was the busiest and liveliest! We ate fried doughnut balls dipped in hot, melted dark chocolate, drank mulled wine and hot mead and looked at all the yummy German treats and imports.

STIRLING CASTLE
After a good nights sleep, we started our day with a hearty breakfast at Brig O'doon (which consisted of poached eggs, sliced ham, baked beans (!), a link sausage(which tasted like hot liverwurst) and fresh tomato. We left Edinburgh for Stirling (the Falkirk Wheel was closed...bummer). Stirling Castle was AMAZING! If you have ever fantasized about living in medieval times...this is the place where you could envision that life. Built in layers from the 1300s through the 1800s, this castle and palace is a tribute to a way of life long gone. We spent 2.5 hours wandering the grounds and imagining all the fascinating people who lived and worked in this magnificent place. We were also able to listen to a lecture from a weaver who is currently weaving a replica of one of the famous 'Hunt of the Unicorn' tapestries.

After lunch in a local pub below the castle, we went grocery shopping and headed out of town toward the west coast. It was already dark when we left Stirling, and we knew we had a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us in the dark on windy streets. EEK! There were hairpin turns and surprises: tight bridges, fog, lanes the size of our car and no shoulder. There was also amazing beauty: snow on the evergreens, millions of stars, cute little sleepy villages.

Port Appin is a magical, tiny township...and our cottage (Bothan Darach) is exactly what we hoped it would be. Dennis Bell (the owner) was waiting for us when we arrived and couldn't have been more genuine and kind. What a lovely person. This will be our home for the next week.

So...we've unpacked, made our first dinner in Scotland, drank a bottle of wine (and I am now sipping on a Scottish delicacy: Mrs. Walker's Drumgray Highland Cream liqueur) and we are quite content indeed!

Oh yeah...meant to mention: It's really cold here!