So many bagpipes: the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo

EdinburghMilitaryTattoo 1

Edinburgh is a frenzy of activity during August. One of the biggest draws during this time is the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a daily performance held inside a temporary stadium that is erected in front of the castle each summer. Military bands from around the world are invited to perform, and the whole thing ends up being a lot more interesting than the words “military bands” might lead you to expect.

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A day in Scotland: Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, and Glengoyne Distillery

The view from Stirling Castle
The view from Stirling Castle

Most of our recent exploration of the Highlands have been by car (have I mentioned that we now own a car, after 8 years without one?), which has its advantages and disadvantages. One distinct disadvantage is that the driver has to pay attention to the road rather than enjoying the abundant scenery; another is that we have to put in the time and effort to plan our route ourselves. 

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Speyside: Glenfiddich Distillery tour

Glenfiddich Distillery Tour, Speyside, Scottish Highlands

We hadn’t specifically set out to visit any distilleries on this last trip to the Highlands, but somehow we managed to find ourselves driving the Malt Whisky Trail through Speyside one afternoon. Clearly we were meant to tour a distillery right then. We were spoiled for choice with such a large cluster of distilleries at our feet; not knowing which to choose, we trusted our guidebook’s recommendation of Glenfiddich

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