Scotland

Newgrange Warrior

Heading to Scotland in September, I have 3 nights in Edinburgh and I am planning 3 nights in the highlands.

Does any recommendations for things to do?

yenom

Newgrange Warrior wrote: »

Heading to Scotland in September, I have 3 nights in Edinburgh and I am planning 3 nights in the highlands.

Does any recommendations for things to do?

Go up Arthur's seat in Edinburgh, camera obsura next to the castle is good. The Castle isn't really worh going into. If you're into Soccer there's two clubs there. Also go up this thing on Princes Street called the Scott Momunment, really good view of the city.

LondonR

I'm new to boards and I have no idea how to start a thread or where my post should go but it's in reference to Scotland so....

I'm moving to Dumfries for a hospital work placement. My placement will last anywhere between 4 week to 12 weeks. I'd love to live with Irish people, or a family who have a spare room as it's such a short time I think it will be easier to settle in. Does anyone know anyone in Dumfries that would take a paying lodger in Oct, Nov, Dec? I'm a good cook, I'm tidy, I'll even babysit or play bingo or muck in with whatever is needed.

Le_Dieux

Newgrange Warrior wrote: »

Heading to Scotland in September, I have 3 nights in Edinburgh and I am planning 3 nights in the highlands.

Does any recommendations for things to do?

We were there for the August bank holiday weekend. Did the Loch Ness day tour on the Saturday, fabulous scenery. Sunday toured the city ( Edinburgh). Weather was simply brutal, castle as mentioned elsewhere not great, but I would suggest the Hollyrood Palace, stunning! Also a tour of the Royal yacht Britannia. another gem ( for me, who is 56yo ) was the ancient toy shop...some of the dinky's, corgi's matchbox cars from my kiddy era. It was an exhibition, and was FREE!.

We stayed in the Carlton, and can recommend it. If You want any more tips, don't hesitate to shout. You will enjoy Scotland, not a lot unlike Ireland. Even the language isn't dissimilar:-)

LondonR

Also regarding your Edinburgh trip...true the castle is cooler from the outside than the inside but there's a great story about the Stone of Scone which is housed within the castle that might make the visit more interesting:

In the 14th century, the English cleric and historian Walter Hemingford described the Scottish coronation stone as residing in the monastery of Scone, a few miles north of Perth:

Legends hold that this stone was the coronation stone of the early Dál Riata Gaels, which they brought with them from Ireland when settling Scotland.[citation needed]
The more historically supported story is of Fergus, son of Ferchard. As the first King of the Scots in Scotland, he is recorded to have brought the stone (and some claim the coronation chair as well, though this is unlikely) from Ireland to Argyll, and was crowned in it.[citation needed]
In either case, these legends present a transport from Ireland and connection to the stone Lia Fáil, the coronation stone of the kings of Tara. As referenced above, the Scottish Gaelic, clach-na-cinneamhain, clach Sgàin, and Lia(th) Fàil[1] lends strong etymological support

Removal and damage
On Christmas Day 1950, a group of four Scottish students (Ian Hamilton, Gavin Vernon, Kay Matheson, and Alan Stuart) took the Stone from Westminster Abbey for return to Scotland.[9] In the process of removing it from the Abbey the stone broke into two pieces.[10][11] After hiding the greater part of the stone with travellers in Kent for a few days, they risked the road blocks on the border and returned to Scotland with this piece, which they had hidden in the back of a borrowed car, along with a new accomplice John Josselyn. Although an Englishman, Josselyn, then a student at Glasgow University, was a Scottish Nationalist. And rather ironically and probably unknown to him at the time, Edward I (who captured the Stone in 1296 and took it to Westminster Abbey) was his 21st great grandfather [12]. The smaller piece was similarly brought north a little while later. This journey involved a break in Leeds, where a group of sympathetic students and graduates took the fragment to Ilkley Moor for an overnight stay, accompanied by renditions of "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at". The Stone was then passed to a senior Glasgow politician who arranged for it to be professionally repaired by Glasgow stonemason Robert Gray.
A major search for the stone had been ordered by the British Government, but this proved unsuccessful. Perhaps assuming that the Church would not return it to England, the stone's custodians left it on the altar of Arbroath Abbey, on 11 April 1951, in the safekeeping of the Church of Scotland. Once the London police were informed of its whereabouts, the Stone was returned to Westminster. Afterwards, rumours circulated that copies had been made of the Stone, and that the returned Stone was not in fact the original.[13]
Ian Hamilton spoke of the removal and damage of the stone as recently as 26 July 2009 at The Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh.

Return to Scotland
In 1996, in a symbolic response to growing dissatisfaction among Scots at the prevailing constitutional settlement, the British Conservative Government decided that the Stone should be kept in Scotland when not in use at coronations. On 3 July 1996 it was announced in the House of Commons that the Stone would be returned to Scotland, and on 15 November 1996, after a handover ceremony at the border between representatives of the Home Office and of the Scottish Office, it was transported to Edinburgh Castle, arriving on 30 November 1996, where it remains along with the crown jewels of Scotland (the Honours of Scotland) in the Crown Room. The handover was done on St. Andrew's Day (patron Saint of Scotland); the Queen sent as her representative Prince Andrew. Provision has been made to transport the stone to Westminster Abbey when it is required there for future coronation ceremonies.[14]

Kathleen McInnes sings a great song called Oran na Cloiche about the incident which is where I first became interested in the story.

Edinburgh is also full of gigs and culture so check out 'what's on Edinburgh' online or just enjoy the beautiful architecture and the good vibe.