Bonnie Lassies in Scotland 2025 - Hostess Round up - Shani Vander-Young

Failte gu Alba! Welcome to Scotland!

Oh! how Scotland embraced us with its intriguing Gaelic language, unique culture, fascinating history and dramatic scenery!  After four exciting days in Edinburgh taking in the celebratory vibe of the Edinburgh Tattoo and Fringe festival we ventured forth in our little touring bus full of enthusiasm to discover Scotland's many charms. Little did we know how much this would exceed our expectations.

Even as we left Edinburgh behind, there was always a stunning castle to further ignite our interest in not only the local history but that of the whole UK. We followed Mary Queen of Scots history through many a location. Another particular highlight was our visit to Glamis Castle where the Queen Mother lived and Queen Elizabeth spent many childhood holidays. Truly a postcard castle. From the Seaboard Villages along the coast where we happened across remnants of the ancient Pict culture in the form of inscribed standing stones to bagpipers performing at the local market, we travelled through beautiful Cairngorms National Park where fields of heather began to make our Scottish dreams come true!  Add into the mix a day for golfing fans at picturesque St. Andrews. Many photos were taken on the famous Swilcan bridge between the first and eighteenth fairways of the Old Course and where the champions of golf are photographed. Just to vary our day here, we all participated in a handbag workshop and made our own unique Scottish handbag with a personalised touch of tartan. What a treat!

The 'wow' factor grew and grew as we travelled into the stunning highlands to discover still more palaces and castles, purple heather covered hills and waterfalls and best of all "Hairy Coos". Spotting the hairy coo was always on the agenda. Another special focus for some of us were the 'Outlander' destinations of which there were quite a few. With interesting history in their own right,  Lallybroch (Midhope Castle) and Blackness Castle simply delighted us as well as Culloden Battlefield, the site of the last civil war in Britain. Significant for so many reasons, the outcome of this battle determined the course of the Royal Line and resulted in the banning of clans and kilts for some time. Those amongst us who had not yet watched the Outlander series were returning home to do so following these experiences.

The most dramatic scenery of all was to be discovered on the Isle of Skye. The craggy mountainous landscape, waterfalls and coastline were breathtaking, enhanced further by the misty day, so moody and mysterious. It's no wonder that Outlander, Game of Thrones, Highlander and many a fantasy movie have been filmed here. In fact, our local guide for the day has appeared in many of these. He was a big, Viking Scot with many interesting stories to tell! We were never quite sure if they were actually true but somehow it didn't seem to matter. Our gondola trip up Ben Nevis and accompanying walk to a spectacular view point was not on our itinerary but an unexpected bonus. Being the flexible little group that we were, on waking to a magnificent weather day, we decided to go for it!! We rode the UK's only gondola and what a view it was over Fort William and the surrounding area.

On our final day in Scotland, we drove toward Glasgow and we were rewarded with the beautiful Glencoe Valley which also contained its own sad clan history. 

This tour had begun with a bang in Edinburgh and so we ended with a bang, four days in London! Straight to the West End to see Tina then a full day exploration of London highlights the next day, plus a visit to Windsor on the same day as Prince Harry! After three very full weeks of travelling Scotland together this group of eight women, who met as strangers, had formed a strong bond united by the experiences, the meals and the camaraderie they had shared. Wonderful to see!

We would all agree - Long live Scotland! Alba gu braith!