Scotland Diaries

This is the final part of the Travel Series where I visited the Braveheart's country.

I saw a cloud making factory while I was traversing through the English countryside on my way to Scotland. Yeah you read that right- a cloud factory. There was smoke coming out of a factory which was the same colour as clouds above. As the two met with each other, it looked like clouds were made here!

I reached the city of Edinburgh only to find a cow parade happening there. The only difference being these weren’t real cows like India. The parade has traveled across many countries and the cows are sold for charity proposes.

And what is Scotland without men in tartan and Scottish pipe music. What I learnt was that there are different Scottish clans and all have distinctly woven different tartans. A Douglas would wear a different kilt from a McIntyre.

As I visited the Edinburgh castle, members of the royal family were gathered there because it was birthday of someone royal. A twenty one canon salute was sounded while all the tourists stood and watched.

Other places I visited included a small Scottish village tucked away in Southern Scotland and Leith to see the Firth of Forth.

What I didn’t expect was to find all kinds of cuisines from India to North Africa in this culturally vibrant city of Edinburgh. I couldn’t visit all the museums but I did walk down the Royal Mile, trekked up the Arthur’s Seat and shop at Princes street and did all the touristy things. And if anyone is going to this city please visit ‘The Pie Shop’ at Nicolson Street. The smell of freshly baked pie will be irresistible and while you are at it please get some for me.

On my list of places to visit in Scotland and I couldn’t this time around were Inverness, Aberdeen and Glasgow. As I always say – there will be a next time!

Originally posted on Thursday, August 03, 2006 2:45 PM