Penny pincher holiday (part 2) - Scotland

How I wish I could relive this holiday 

 With York wrapped up, we prepared to head to Scotland for a few days of exploration.  The thing is, Scotland is massive so how do you choose where to start?  We settled this easily with the discovery of the Central Rover train pass.

Three days of unlimited train and tube travel around central Scotland for a fair price sounded like a bargain.  After looking at the stations covered by the pass we realised we could see the important tourist highlights and that settled that.

We also discovered that Scotland has a Heritage Explorer pass that includes entry into some of their most famous castles and sights for 5 days, but also so much more.  Buying two passes was an easy decision once we worked out that entry fees for just two of the castles we wanted to see would cost the same.  Armed with this knowledge, we headed to Scotland.

What can I say about this country? It is one of the most magical and special places to visit.  It’s not the kind of place you blitz in a scheduled itinerary, you should just get there and go where the wind blows you.  The rich history of Scotland is evident everywhere and there is no shortage of places to see and explore, and history to learn.

As we entered our Scottish adventure, we had two scheduled events, both of which had been gifts and were not part of our holiday budget.  Both of which couldn’t be missed.  These were a vow renewal ceremony in Gretna Green and tickets to the Royal Edinburgh Tattoo but everything else was fair game.

As I did in part 1 of my budget holiday blog, I’ll share the highlights and must-sees.

Gretna Green and Dumfries

Gretna Green is affectionately referred to as the vegas of the UK and it is a town that seems to solely exist on wedding ceremonies.  Being the very first town across the border, once upon a time this was the place that loved up English couples, who couldn’t get permission to marry, fled to and were married by a Scottish blacksmith.  It’s a tradition that stands today and a lovely little tourist centre has popped up to honour this – be warned though, it is an expensive stop. 

"Tying the knot" on the famous marriage anvil

Freshly vowed, we headed into Dumfries for lunch (thanks to the smithy who did our vows and suggested we go there for our post-ceremony lunch).  Dumfries has one really famous resident to brag about, Robert Burns spent his final years here and actually wrote his best work in this town, including the famous “Auld Lang Syne”.  He visited the Globe Inn frequently, a quaint little pub and inn, which can be found down a crooked alleyway and serving the best pies and chips we’d had in this country yet.

Glasgow

Glasgow is a striking city, built mostly on the wealth of tobacco merchants, with impressive architecture and a contemporary feel.  It also has a tube to get around so if you take the train in, you can still easily get around the city.

A simple walk around is well worth it but there are places in particular that you absolutely have to see. 

Ashton Lane – the well-hidden and quirky street in the West End that is crammed with pubs and eateries.  It’s difficult to find, we had a local with us (an old school friend) but he assures us that if you stopped anyone and asked, they would direct you.  It was here that we found delightfully interesting décor and spaces to explore, it’s an Insta-worthy stop on your itinerary.

Go down the rabbit hole at Waxy's

Waxy O’Connors – the most unique bar I’ve ever been to – in fact it’s 3 floors, 6 bars and several quirky spaces – this is literally the rabbit hole that Alice went down, or the Magic Faraway Tree with the slide in the centre.  Alice would have found herself soaked in alcohol and chatting to complete strangers, albeit friendly ones instead of being chased by a mad queen. You can easily go in one entrance and out another without quite realising where you are but being well located, right at the train station, this is a have to see!

Edinburgh

Black cabs and old architecture...
the city awaits you

The capital city will leave a big impression on you.  Proudly showing off old architecture with it’s castle dominating the skyline, Edinburgh is also a festival city and home to not only the International Art Festival but the more interesting and arguably as famous, Fringe Festival.  We arrived right in the middle of the Festival activity and the city was absolutely rammed.  From the moment we stepped off the train, we loved this place and couldn’t get enough of the old structures, the culture, the vibes, the noise, the events.  Edinburgh really feels like the cool older brother to London (sorry Londoners).

Harry Potter fans – More Harry Potter inspiration can be found here, specifically in Greyfriar’sKirkyard and the Flodden wall, where JK Rowling found the names of many of her characters.  Also found here is Victoria Street, more inspiration for Diagon Alley.  There’s even a free walking tour for the true fans!

Edinburgh Castle – you cannot miss this one and if you have a Heritage pass, entry is included.  With well over 1,000 years of history and also home to the tattoo that we were there to see, the castle is a surreal experience.  There is more history and famous names to be discovered here than in any castle I’ve been to yet.  And it’s perched on a dormant volcano, so there’s that.

When in Rome...

With only one day, we missed out on a load of opportunities to see quirky places such as the writer’s museum, but we will be back.  Oh and there’s a delightful café that serves amazing haggis pie – you should check it out when you’re visiting.

Central Scotland Highlights

Armed with our Heritage and Central Rover passes, we managed to get a whole load of sights in.  We discovered that parking at the stations between Glasgow and Edinburgh, is free with no time limit (always check this locally as details like this can easily change).  Happy days!  We drove to the station each day, parked and got on our merry way, not returning until the wee hours.  There’s so much to see, it’s hard to choose!

Stirling – this city is more like a town and has a really big history.  Things to see here include Stirling Castle and, if you have time and means of transport, the Wallace Monument which has been built on the very sight of William Wallace’s first resounding victory.  You can see the monument from the castle so we skipped actually visiting and chose to poke around the independent little shops instead. It's worth checking out some of the free attractions though, if you have more time.

The Kelpies and gorgeous
Scottish Sky

Falkirk – Falkirk is another lovely town, also with a bit of Wallace history which you can discovered on the town's heritage trail.  But for me, Falkirk will forever be special because of the Kelpies.  These equine sculptures tower over the canal, rising to 30m and proudly celebrating the creativity and engineering genius it took to build them.  Take a tour inside the Kelpies, take some spontaneous photos and most of all enjoy the Kelpies in their home setting. (Side note – we found that the Kelpies were quite far from the train station so we caught a cab and walked back through town).

Heritage sights – on our drive out we decided to squeeze in a few more Heritage pass sights to maximise our passes.  We stopped at Cairnpapple Hill to see an ancient burial chamber and ceremonial complex, we also stopped at Sweet Heart Abbey and Caerlaverock Castle, all which were worth the time taken, even if it was for the magnificent and breathtaking beauty of the Scottish landscape.  Again, we just ran out of time!

All in all, with the clever use of groupon meal vouchers, smart planning and multi-use passes – our entire week’s holiday, including petrol, accommodation, food and sightseeing cost us just...

 £729

That’s just over £100 per day for two people…not bad, not bad at all.  Who said holidays in the UK were expensive????