Summer is heating up and not everyone enjoys the sun, sand and surf. If you're looking to beat the heat and trade in your swimsuit for castles and cathedrals then I highly recommend adding Scotland to your bucket list. This is exactly what Ryan and I decided to do last year. We switched up our usual tropical vacay and took a road trip to the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
Known for its rugged landscapes, medieval castles and Whiskey distilleries we knew we had to go check out Scotland!
Here are a few of our favorite spots that we discovered along our way.
Edinburgh Castle - We flew into Edinburgh. Our first pit stop was a pub meal in old town follwed by touring the Edinburgh Castle.
Atholl Hotel - What I loved most about the hotel was the ambience. When you entered the hotel it felt like you were stepping back in time. The hotel staff treated all of their guests like royalty and have been greeting guests for 140 years.
Mountain biking- I love doing outdoor activites while away. It's a great way to see a new city and it felt so good to stretch our legs on our road trip. We stopped in Fort Williams and hit the trails.
The Isle of Skye is connected to Scotland's northwest coast by bridge. We decided that we were going to take the ferry one way and the bridge on the way back.
We caught the ferry to the Isle of Skye from Mallaig. Mallaig is a seaside fishing village with the best fish and chips!
Dunvegan Castle and Gardens - we saw many castles along the way but Duvegan Castle was my favorite. We toured the beautful gardens and even got to go inside. This Castle is one the greatest Hebridean castles and the only one which has been continuously occupied by the same family for 800 years.
Old Man Storr - I may have lied to Ryan to get him to go on this hike. I told him it was a quick 45mins round trip to the top and back. lol. It was cold, rainy and extremely windy that day but we decided to go for it anyways. And boy, were we happy that we did. The views from the top were absoulutly breathtaking and the pictures dont do it justice. A MUST see if you go to Skye and it only takes 1.5 to 2 hours for real : )
The Portree Village - is the largest town in Skye. This charming town had lots of cute cafes and shops. We stopped and enjoyed some hot soup after our hiking adventure.
Unfortunately all vacations have to come to an end. Goodbye to the land of fairies, castles, and whiskey!
