Posted on Thursday, 10 April 2014

Experiencing the End of Britain at Dunnet Head perhaps had more of an impact on me, being the only Briton in an otherwise Spanish road trip gang, but the Iberians were still impressed by the wild, barren landscapes of Scotland's extreme north.

However, it was historical rather than geographical features that would be the focus of our trip towards Aberdeen. We first returned to Inverness, but this time taking the North Sea coast road.

Culloden Moor

We stopped near the capital of the Highlands to see the site of one of Britain's bloodiest battles: Culloden. The confrontation took place in 1746 between the British Army under the Duke of Cumberland and the Jacobites supported by France – and headed by Charles Edward Stuart who wished to restore the House of Stuart to the British throne. The battle was quick and bloody; in just an hour between 1,500 and 2,000 Jacobites would be killed or wounded by the British Army, which would sustain 50 deaths and 259 wounded.

Battle Of Culloden Monument, Scotland

Grey clouds boiled overhead and a cool wind whipped us as we picked our way over the heather of Culloden Moor, where some dead still lay buried.

Ancient croft on the site of the battlefield of Culloden, Scotland

Clava Cairns

The weather brightened later as we drove to a set of nearby Standing Stones called Clava Cairns. We spent well over an hour exploring these intriguing burial markers, which were placed here in around 2000BC. The setting here is very beautiful, with mature trees surrounding the stones and creating a tranquil, pleasant atmosphere – despite the fact there were scores of Stone Age skeletons buried beneath our feet!

Chambered cairn and standing stones at Balnuran of Clava, Scotland

Aberdeen

After our long day of history, we were glad to arrive in Aberdeen for some food and rest. We checked into our large guest house and headed out to explore the Granite City.

Streets of Abardeen, Scotland

We enjoyed some of the many good bars in Aberdeen – having been limited to good-but-old-fashioned rural drinking holes for most of the previous week.

One of Us Falls Ill

We had fun, but it wasn't to last: My girlfriend's sister suddenly became pale and weak. Then after taking her to a walk-in centre, she was checked into Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.

She had some kind of infection that would require her to stay in hospital for a few days.

The treatment she received was swift and professional – and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride that the NHS had performed so well in our hour of need; not withstanding being told to leave the hospital car park by security guards when they discovered us dozing in our battered Vauxhall Corsa at 3am; we had stayed there because we couldn't find a hotel that wasn't extortionately priced.

But after that unpleasant night we said 'be damned' to our budget, then checked into a guest house.

Edinburgh

Two days later L recovered well enough to travel with us to our final destination, Edinburgh.

Even though I had been to the Scottish capital many times, I was excited about this next visit: I would be able offer the Spaniards a guided tour of the city...a city which never failed to impress visitors.

Edinburgh is surely the most fabulously laid-out of all British cities, with the famous Castle overlooking the long green expanse of Princes Street Gardens, which carves the city's historic centre in two.

Edinburgh Castle From Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland

There was much to see: After a visit to the Castle, we dined in a restaurant offering views of the Grassmarket, then meandered down the Royal Mile, gawped at the strange Scottish Parliament building and Holyrood Palace, then divided into two teams: The two Spanish ladies went off to explore the shopping heaven that is Princes Street and Waverley Shopping Centre, while myself and the driver, M, disappeared into one of Edinburgh's many fine public houses, settling down to sample the few Scottish ales that we hadn't yet found during our epic 11 day trip.

Boer War Monument in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland

Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Goodbye to Scotland

We discussed the preceding days, agreeing that we had needed more time to fully appreciate this fine country. But our route had taken us past a lot of the Scotland's finest landmarks and attractions. Friendly locals, good company, unforgettable landscapes and a range of delicious (but slightly unhealthy) foods had made this one of the best holidays I had ever taken.

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