This morning we did a Hop-On-Hop-Off tour around Edinburgh. These types of tours had been highly recommended to me by a very well-travelled family friend, and we were not disappointed. The ticket allowed us to use the bus as much as we wanted for 24 hours. There were 15 stops on the route, and it was all live narrated. First, we decided to take in the whole route without hopping off. We were on the uncovered upper deck of the bus and it was a little chilly this morning, so when we completed the entire loop we hopped off and found some hot teas and a snack. Once we warmed up we hopped back on and hopped off at the Royal Mile.
We did a little shopping, and eventually made our way back to the start on foot. It was lunch time, so we found a pub. Since we still had about four hours to catch our train, and since the weather had gotten sunny and warm, we decided to enjoy the tour one more time. We had different tour guides each time so we learnt something new each trip. We saw the Palace of Hollyroodhouse , Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh Castle (again), the Scottish Parliament, museums, historic pubs, and much more. When we got back we sat in Princes Street Park and enjoyed the amazing scenery for an hour before we headed to the train station.
From the short time we were there, we both feel like Edinburgh is an amazing place. If we had the chance, I think we would both like to come back and spend a little more time someday.
So, I think our adventure has come to an end. It has been truly unforgettable for us. It was a great opportunity to spend some serious quality time with my son, and for us to experience a truly amazing country and culture together. I would highly recommend it to any outdoor lovers, as well as history enthusiasts.
Thanks again for all of the interest and support everybody has shown. I hope I did an acceptable job of telling our story, and that you enjoyed it.
Good night everybody!
Hey guys! I did a wee google of 'blog scottish national trail' and you popped up. Someone mentioned the trail to me the other week and I haven't been able to shake the idea of doing it next year in efforts to quell my itchy feet and walk across my home country. I've travelled and lived all over the world and feel its time I really explored the place I call home. This is early days of planning and I wondered what your top 5 tips would be? I am keen to spread the 6 weeks (full trail) from late spring into summer, or tail-end of summer into autumn and wondered any thoughts on this, I'm beginning to accept the midges will be an inevitability. Any tips in terms of training would also be excellent, how did you go about this? I really look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, Gill
ReplyDeleteHey Gill! Thanks for reading through our blog.
ReplyDeleteI am the same as you - the moment I heard about the trail I could not shake the idea of doing it. I was fortunate enough to do the first bit with my son, and would really love to come back and complete the rest.
I'm by no means an expert but here are some tips as requested:
Blisters and chaffing can make some of these days unbearable. As you probably know prevention is the best treatment. Pack enough blister pads, Leukotape, or whatever you use, and don't be afraid to stop and take care of your feet. I brought some Body Glide cream as my rear end tends to chaff and it worked very well. There is nothing worse than a long walk with a chaffed bum!
I copied and pasted all of the trail descriptions from the Walkhighlands website into a Word document, used the smallest font possible, made the widest margins, printed it double-sided and laminated the sheets. I was able to get the directions from Kirk Yetholm to Pitlochry on two sheets. We referred to them multiple times each day, along with our maps.
We used a mix of wild camp, campgrounds, and B&Bs. The B&Bs were a welcome treat - hot shower, good sleep. The day of, and day after were always a little easier feeling excited and/or refreshed. Recommend 3-4 days in tent followed by a B&B depending on how much you want to rough it and how much you want to spend.
We did a lot of research so we knew how long between shops and therefore how much food to carry. We bought apples or oranges, but made sure to eat them first so we didn't have to carry them for long. Cup of soups made for good lunches but when we happened to be walking through towns we would always stop at the pub and order. Rice packs were good as they only require a few tablespoons of water to cook. Tea or hot chocolate with some digestive cookies was a great bedtime snack.
I found blogging or keeping a journal was a great way to relax before bed, and I have really appreciated going back after the fact and remembering some of the details I might have forgotten otherwise.
We had some difficulties finding water at times. If you are getting low don't be afraid to knock on doors and ask. We found people very willing to help - we even ended up getting a few treats on top of the water sometimes! It was also very nice to have a short break and some interesting conversations.
Having my son with me made the days go by much easier. It was nice to have company on the long days whether we were talking, or just knowing I wasn't alone in how I was feeling. If you can find somebody to go with you, or to join you on parts I would recommend it.
We had midges only once when we wild camped between Drymen and Aberfoyle. They kept us inside our tent all evening and made set-up and packing challenging. You'll find lots of advice online on how to manage them but I heard Skin-so-Soft is very effective.
My son and I only ended up doing a few medium-length walks with full packs as training. I think much of the training comes in the first few days of walking. I've found that after three or four days of walking your body will become acclimatized and things will start to get easier. You will still be tired, but it will be easier, if that makes any sense.
I am sorry for rambling, and I hope this is the type of advice you were looking for. If not, please don't hesitate to write back. As you can tell I enjoy talking about this. If I don't hear back from you have an amazing time next year and I hope you enjoy your beautiful, friendly country as much as I did!
All the best!!
JM