Trip to Scotland!

So next weekend, I'm going off to Scotland with my IES program. Here's what I'll be doing:

Thursday: We're taking a train to Edinburgh, visiting Edinburgh castle, and spending the rest of the day exploring the city. I've been to Edinburgh before, and it's one of my favorite places in Europe because nothing has been restored yet, so all of the cathedral facades are still black with pollution and soot. It perfecting matches the gloomy atmosphere of the city's weather.

Friday: We're going to see the William Wallace monument in Stirling! I've also done this before, but it'll be fun to do it again. It's a tall tower that you can climb and at the top, you get this gorgeous view of the Scottish country side. I was there in the summer, so it'll be interesting to see it in the winter. Then in the afternoon, we're going to Glen (Scottish word for valley) Coe for a nice hike. It's going to be cold, but I've been hiking in the winter in New Mexico, and it actually felt refreshing. I need to go buy some hiking boots! That night, we'll stay at Morag's Lodge where we will enjoy a traditional Scottish meal (Haggis stuffed chicken), followed by Celidh (traditional Scottish dancing).

Saturday: In the morning, we're going on a Loch (Lake) Ness boat trip!! I hope I see Nessie! Then we'll visit Urquart Castle. In the afternoon, we're going to Aviemore, the only ski lodge in the United Kingdom! After we've settled, we're going on another hike and a train ride on the Cairngorm Mountain Railway to Funicular railway to the plateau of Cairngorm Mountain. Cairngorm Mountain is a National Park in Scotland. This reminds me a lot of the kind of activities my dad would take us on in Colorado. Dad, you'd absolutely love this trip!

Sunday: The next morning, we're going hike to Cairngorm Reindeer Centre where the only reindeer in the United Kingdom roam free! If we're lucky we can hand feed them and live out our childhood dreams! After that, we'll go to a town called Inverness and have some free time before our flight back to London.

I'm so excited to go back to Scotland. It's one of the friendliest countries I've ever been to, despite the gloomy weather. I'm also glad this trip will be more of a nature trip. I love the city, but it'll be nice to get away from all of the noise and bustle. I'll post pictures as soon as I get back!