Day 9: Loch Lomond
Our final full day of the tour turned out to be a very gray day. We were heading back to Edinburgh with a few planned stops along the way.
Our first stop was the town of Inverary for a little restroom break. We did drive past Inverary Castle, which was featured in Dowton Abbey. Next we stopped near Loch Lomond to say Farewell to our Driver, Alan. He was leaving us after our return to Edinburgh and would not be joining us for our last dinner together. We said Slainte Mhath with some whisky for us and Irn Bru for Alan (he was driving after all), before heading off to our next stop. |
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Day 9: Stirling Castle
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Our major visit of the day was Stirling Castle.
The current version of Stirling Castle was mostly built during the 16th century under the Stuart family. It has been home to the most prominent of Stuart kings and Queens - including James IV, James V, Mary Queen of Scots, and James VI. During the 18th century, the British Military took over the castle. Today, the castle has been restored - including the paint job on the outside of the Great Hall. I really enjoyed the Royal Apartments. These were styled as for James V and Mary of Guise (mother of Mary, Queen of Scots). When we were there, there was even a Mary of Guise reenactor. The detail was amazing in these rooms. The lovely recreations of the Unicorn tapestries were stunning as well. |
After a lunch at the castle, we hopped back on the bus to return to Edinburgh. We passed by the Kelpies on the way. You can tell by the bus windows it was a wee bit wet outside.
Day 9: Farewell Dinner
At last, our trip had reached it final conclusion. Technically, tours always end the next morning with breakfast, but due to departure flights and whatnot, the Farewell Dinner really feels like the end of the trip.
We all said our farewells at the Harvey Nichols Department Store. No, we didn't do any shopping, but we did have a very nice dinner at their top-notch restaurant. There was a lovely view of the city as well. |
The tour officially ended after breakfast, but Sean and I added an extra night in Edinburgh. You can see what we did in our Post-Tour Activities page. If you wish to skip ahead, there are also pages for the places we stayed and the food we ate linked below.