When in Scotland: Chasing Castles and Dodging Sheep

I had a few plans this summer. Mongolia, New Zealand, but wanted to go to Iceland for its beauty, Ireland because my last name is Irish. I don’t consider myself Irish, but somewhere down the line I have blood from there and it's high time to go and see it for myself, and well Scotland, because why not? I don’t think you can do these places on a budget, unless you’re biking, hitchhiking, walking, and eating trail mix all day. I bought the cheapest hotels Air B&B’s I could find, looked for deals on all car rentals, most of the things I did were free, and had a diet of honey nut cheerios most of the time. That said, I still don’t think I did this on a budget, but I did it as cheap as possible with the comforts I desired.

If you’re American, driving is the opposite and can be a bit confusing at times. I tended to drive too close to the center divider and you’re on narrow roads. 

Round abouts get annoying especially when you do like 6 in a row.

Midges suck, but for some reason I didn’t use any of the bug spray I bought. They just didn’t bother me that much.

Lots of one way roads, especially in Skye. Take your time.

The temperature is fine, the weather kinda sucks. Lots of overcast days and rain. 

Scotland was an amazing place to visit. I remember going to London years ago and my English friends telling me the Scots would have an accent I wouldn’t be able to understand. I had no issues. It’s funny too, because when I first went to England I couldn’t understand anyone for two days and it scared me. Then it just snapped on the 3rd day and it was all good. 

Day 1 – “Broke & Brilliant in Edinburgh”

Almost zero-budget solo day in the capital with castle views, street vibes, and free exploration.

Edinburgh was my first stop. This was probably my favorite city visually of all the major cities I visited. While I didn’t explore far from downtown, the downtown area was just dope to me. I really liked the vibe. It was old school architecture with street performers, narrow alley ways, castles, churches and old school cemeteries. Scotland felt to me like it wanted to keep its old ways while still embracing the present. I liked that. No big skyscrapers, no crazy high-tech shit, but it worked. The only negative I can think of as a short visitor was the weather. Often overcast, showers, and could be warmer? I’m from San Francisco. The summers in Scotland didn’t bother me temperature wise, but the rain did.

This trip was already way too expensive for me. But I don’t care about fine dining, wine tasting, and dandy ass activities. I know without spending a ton, I can make it work. I am happy to say my first day in Edinburgh was completely free except for the bus from the airport, hostel, lunch, and dinner I bought, oh, and gluten free snacks (easy to get via Tesco’s and Tesco Expresses), among a couple other items like bug spray and such, for the coming journey. 

Getting the bus from the airport was easy and convenient. Did so without error. Upon arriving I had to drop off my stuff at a sister hostel, because my hostel wouldn’t let me check in until after 3pm. Dropped my things off and started on High St. Fitting name, though I wasn’t. 

First stop was the Baker’s close. I hit a lot of spots based on lighting and time of day, unfortunately this whole trip, good weather wasn’t on my side. The closes are alley ways along the main street and some are hit and miss. Some offer awesome views and secret locations, and others end quickly or lead to a bar or restaurant. I ended up exploring a lot of them. 

I wasn’t too impressed with Baker's close. It led to another street. It actually wound in a couple directions. I think there was a college, there was some graff, but other than that it was not too impressive.

Next I went to the Advocates close. This one I did like and spent quite some time on. It's a hill with narrow steps and also has a view of the Scott monument. You can play around with compositions with this in your view. 

St Giles cathedral was close by, I peeped it. This church was sick with it! I loved the architecture both inside and out. It was a bit crowded when I got there, but nothing too bad. The statues, the stone, the stained glass windows, the organ! Impressive. Free to go in, but they do ask for a donation. I didn’t have change when I first went, but went a 2nd time and gave a donation. If you’re in the area, this is a must visit especially if you’re Christians, into churches, or like old school architecture. 

After I made my way to Edinburgh Castle. On the way I stumbled upon what google maps called Historic site of Lawnmarket Weighhouse - Butter Tron. This structure just really blew my mind. While the doors were yellow in color the building was black and red. The clock, towers, windows, red, and black, it just stuck out to me and still was the most impressive structure in my opinion in the whole area. I thought it was a church. Not sure what it is and I couldn’t get inside, but aside from its dope ass appearance, the whole area is vibrant with shops, restaurants, and nooks to explore. I continued on to Edinburgh castle. There was a concert happening. It hadn’t started and I think it was free, because I just walked right in and went to the front. It was clear they were setting up for something and yes there was a concert later that day, that I didn’t check out but could hear. Clearly they were not going to start anytime soon, so I left and walked around the castle. 

Remember, this trip was already too expensive. I wasn’t going to spend money and hours walking into the castle. It was impressive from the outside anyway. Huge, on a large rock overlooking the land in 360 degrees. It was an ever present masterpiece visible from all directions. 

It began to rain and I met a couple from the States. Dude saw my warriors hat and we had a nice conversation. I’ve learned that it's very important to engage with people. I learn a lot and get a lot of information by talking with folks. Lately it's the 50+ club that are really interesting to engage in. Friendly, easy to talk to, with loads of game. The youngsters are on some lame ass shit. Don’t smile, aren’t friendly, into their own world, nothing interesting to say. I’m sure talking to interesting young people is still technically possible—like faxing someone or finding a Blockbuster.

I meandered around a bit and came upon Grass Market, which I heard is the club scene, but Asia sucked out my life of clubbing because the majority of clubbing in Asia is bad. Though, I will take a guess that clubbing in Scotland is pretty dope. I know they have some underground joints that be playing some dope ass electro. But, again, I lost interest in clubbing after living in Asia, so I no longer club, and most would say I am way too old anyway.

Victoria street was next. Colorful, vibrant, traffic, restaurants…a cool little spot. I went to this joint called Oink as I heard it has local Scottish food. I had to try some Scottish hog roast. It was legit and gluten free. Employees were aight too, and young. They actually had some banter. 

After getting my fill I walked to Greyfriars Kirkyard cemetery. This was a nice spot to shoot. It did start raining. There’s a famous dog here. Don’t remember too much, but there was a statue of the dog. Dope cemetery too. I guess I think anything old school is dope, but hey it was!

Nearby was the National Museum of Scotland. It’s free. I mainly went for the rooftop view which kinda sucked considering the weather, but it wasn’t foggy so you still got a good view. I did wander a bit in the museum, but had other places to go.

Through some closes, my next stop was Calton Hill, but first I found the Old Calton cemetery. Lots of cemeteries on this trip. Not as cool to me as the Greyfriars but still enough to allow me full exploration of the place. Calton Hill is a dope park, sweeping views of the city skyline, castle, with some monuments. 

Then made my way down Princes St. This area had more modern stores and buildings, but still true to the old school. Looks like another cracking spot with pubs and shops. I came across the Scott monument close up, and this was another structure that really caught my attention. It just clicked with me. Victorian spires just do it for me. I had to post for a minute.

My last spot of the day was Dean village, but I would take the scenic route. I went north of Princes St. to St. Bernards Well. This trail offered a quiet way to the village along a smooth flowing river. Super calm, not many people, and just some nice peace and quiet. Made my way under Dean bridge, and finally to the very picturesque Dean village. The houses, the river, the colors- fire! Peep it! Walked along the Water of Leith Weir trail. This was along the river, you can see a waterfall, lots of greenery and some cool people to talk to. 

When that was all said and done, it was about 7pm. Still super bright, the sun hiding behind the thick clouds. I was getting hungry and wanted a pub experience. I hit the Cambridge bar for some gluten free burgers. Scotland is a pretty easy place to eat gluten free, both in restaurants and getting food at the super markets. 

At around 9pm, I walked back to my hostel, taking my time.

Day 2 — Castles & Cliffs: Into the Highlands

Early morning shoot with golden light kicked off the day before I picked up my rental and tackled the wild roundabouts. First stop: Doune Castle, a Monty Python fan’s dream, complete with Terry Jones audio guide — nerd bliss! Rain cut the hike short, but Glencoe Pass and Three Sisters still delivered stunning views despite the drizzle. Ended the day in Fort William, a cozy little town with early-closing shops and hilltop views.

I got up early around 6am to shoot and this day there were elements of light from the sun. Wow! How this changed the mood of my photos today. Couldn’t shoot long, as I had to pick up my rental and begin my quest from God! First stop Doune CASTLE!

Content with the early morning shoot and my ride, I struggled to drive since it’s all backwards from what I know. Nothing like relearning basic survival in a rental car. Oh!  Let’s not forget the endless roundabouts, each one a spinning reminder that I have no idea where I’m going or why I’m turning. 

Over time I got a lot better. Anyways, my first stop was a quest from God to visit Doune castle. As a fan of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, it was non-negotiable. While it wasn’t the most impressive looking castle, because of its Monty Python history it was one of the best stops. 

Google Maps took me to the Doune elementary school parking lot. A man and his daughter were walking by and I asked him about parking. He told me the lot was full, but it was Saturday and no one would be at school today, so it would be ok to park here and walk a short ways to the castle. We began talking for quite a bit about the castle and Monty Python. Good convo. Even his young daughter got involved.

The walk to the castle was short and sweet. The travel theme music of Monty Python was playing in my head. As a matter of fact, I’m playing it on YouTube as I write this. Doune Castle came into view, and I lit up like a nerd at a Renaissance fair. It’s not every day you spot a fortress where grown men galloped on imaginary horses. 

Paid the 11 pound entrance fee as I excitedly talked to the employee. She mentioned that an audio guide was included narrated by Terry Jones himself. So this made it 100 times more special as I was getting amazing audio, songs, and scenes from the movie! Again, the castle itself wasn’t the best castle I saw during my trip, but it stood out the most. Even if you’re not into Monty Python, it's worth a visit. Outlander also had this castle. I don’t know Outlander, but if you’re into that, then a bonus for you. Unfortunately it started raining before we left. We were safe in the castle, but eventually you got to go.

Next stop was the Glencoe Pass area. We planned to visit Rannoch Moor, Loch Tulla viewpoint, and the Three Sisters view point. With a hike to Hidden Valley ... .Well, it was raining and I don’t have protective rain gear for my camera and such and I honestly don’t like hiking in the rain. We passed all the view points to head to Three Sisters, and while impressive, it wasn’t that impressive compared to some of the previous stops. So after Three Sisters we back tracked and hit some turn offs and small parking lots to take photos and videos as best we could despite the rain. Green hills, waterfalls, ponds, lochs, it's all beautiful. Worth stopping even in the rain, but Hidden Valley was a hard pass.

Fort William was our homebase for the night. We walked the small strip. It was nice, but stores close early, like 5pm. At least the hiking/clothing stores. A nice little town right next to the water, Our B & B was up on a hill that offered a nice view. Nothing stood out, but it was a nice looking town in general. 

Day 3 — Skye or Die: Chasing Legends & Light

A rainy start with a no-entry but epic wander around Eilean Donan Castle set the tone. The Fairy Pools delivered lush waterfalls and greenery, despite not quite matching my hype, and Sligachan Bridge was crowded but cool. Discovered the ancient Dun Beag Broch, a chill hidden gem, then cruised Coral Beach with its surprisingly clear water after a long walk. Wrapped up at the windswept ruins of Duntulm Castle, cliffside and dramatic. Skye’s one-lane roads kept me on my toes all day, but the views made it worth every slow mile.

The Isle of Skye. Heard of it, but knew little about it, but first a long drive to the Skye bridge, but before that a rainy stop to  Eilean Donan castle. This castle was dope! I didn’t want to pay because it would require killing time and I wanted to hit other spots before the masses arrived. We didn’t pay to go in, but the castle itself was one of the coolest looking ones in my opinion. On a small island with a bridge connecting it to the mainland it had it all plus amazing scenery even in the rain. No one was there, so I just walked up to the castle. Not sure if it was ok. I even walked all around it. I could have even illegally walked in as in the back there was a way to enter, but they got cameras and I’m not trying to catch a case on vacation. I did manage to go all the way around and it got way too slippery, so I had to hop a wall to get over and out. A car came in at that time and didn’t see me. I wasn’t sure if what I was doing was allowed or not. Either way, it worked out. Even if you don’t pay to go in, stop here! I spent close to an hour in light rain wandering and taking photos.

We eventually reached the Skye bridge, imagining something epic... but it turned out to be just a polite way to get from point A to point B over water. We made our way to the Fairy Pools and got there pretty early. Not crowded yet, but most def people were there. 

I asked the guy working there if I could fly my drone, he said he didn’t care. YES! I had a completely different thought of what the Fairy Pools were. In my head it was a lush green place with many different clear pools and small waterfalls. Actually, my imagination wasn’t that far off, but it was more like a river with a lot of waterfalls with some pools and a lot of lush greenery and sheep! 

There was a place in Iceland we will get to later that actually matched what I thought the Fairy Pools would be and it was absolutely amazing. Anyways, with the sun peeking out of the overcast sky, we were getting some good plays with light and no rain. It looked really impressive. We walked pretty far, basically to the last waterfall maybe, and then some. The trail continued and we were even told it was a loop trail. I didn’t want to find out as I still wanted to fly my drone. 

The Fairy Pools were legit, not as cool as in my head, but still cool, though this woman from New York wasn’t feeling it. I tried to share with her why I liked it, but it just didn’t hit her the right way. Regardless, it's an easy hike and worth going to.

I think being flexible in travel is very important. I make loose plans, rarely are things set in stone. This trip I booked hotels and B & B’s early so I was stuck that way. Prices are way high, so I had to do it early. I don’t like traveling like this as it limits what I can do. But be as flexible as possible. You never know how the weather is or you might find a place that's cooler than places you planned, or meet someone who gives you some serious game where you need to cancel your own plans. This happens often with me because I explore hard and I talk to people and always try to pick up and share information. The Old Man of Stor was planned for today, but the weather wasn’t great and we had one more full day here, so I decided to save it for the next day.

Back tracking, and I did Fairy Pools first because it was out of the way of everything, so we made a quick stop at Sligachan bridge. It was fairly crowded by this time, late morning. I met a newlywed couple and took some pics for them. They were nice and I wandered a bit, cool, but crowds hurt the area for me.

Our next stop was Coral beach, but I felt we were good on time and we found a non-touristy spot called Dun Beag Broch. I had no idea what this was or even how to pronounce it, but apparently it was built around 2000 years ago. Not sure its function, perhaps a stronghold from the Iron Age. Regardless it was a nice find as the hike was easy, more sheep, and amazing views. I wouldn’t go out of my way for this, but if you’re around, it would be a pity to pass and I don’t think it's popular, making it even better.

Content with the previous find, we made our way to Coral beach. Now Coral beach sounded attractive because it was supposed to have Caribbean waters, and that's probably very rare in an area like Scotland. The problem was the road was one way with pull outs making it an annoying and slow drive. The parking lot was filled with puddles and pot holes, and the walk to the beach was about a mile long. I was actually hoping the parking lot would be near the beach, but it was a mission to get to. 

With that said, a small section of the beach is in fact quite beautiful, with very clear water. If you’re from the tropics and used to these types of beaches it's Meh, but if you come from a place that doesn’t have beaches like this, it's pretty impressive. It's got a hill you can climb. I flew my drone around here and relaxed. There were people there but it was large enough that it didn’t feel crowded. Dope beach, but want to warn ya’ll of the commitment before you go.

Now Scotland, or maybe mainly Isle of Skye has LOTS of one lane roads that go both ways, with pull outs. Most of the time it works great, I barely had any issues, but you got to drive slow or at least safely. There were a couple of times there was some traffic and it got irritating, especially with buses. I found it very rare when I had to drive backwards because it just worked out most of the time, but driving here takes time. 

By early evening, say 7pm (still felt like 3pm), we arrived at Duntulm castle. This castle was a shadow of its former self. Mostly destroyed, some walls remain, but it's right on this cliff overlooking the ocean. I loved this castle despite its dilapidated look. It wasn’t crowded, and the location was ill. It is very out of the way, but if you’re in the area make a stop! I flew my drone here and there are also sheep about. 

Our B & B was fairly close to this location. Cool little spot with a nice view of the sun setting. We passed out for our big hiking day.

Day 4 — Isle of Skye: Earth Before Time

An epic start at the Quiraing hike turned into a foggy, rainy struggle that nearly lost us—but the stunning early views were worth it. Staffin Beach held a fun but fruitless dinosaur print hunt, and the Fairy Glen charmed despite some gear troubles. After a chance meet with Mexicans at a local spot, the day ended strong with an easy, crowd-avoiding hike to the iconic Old Man of Storr—easily the highlight of the trip so far.

We got up early to go to the Quiraing. It was a loop hike and supposed to be amazing. We parked and again, we were one of the first ones there. It was really windy, I knew immediately that I wouldn’t be able to fly my drone and it was unfortunate because while it was overcast, the sun was peaking out and oh man was it absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to check out my photos. It started uphill and it took me about an hour to get up to the grassy plain because I couldn’t stop taking pictures…

 ...then it all fell apart. It started to rain and it got super foggy. I’ve said this many times. I am not a hiker. I hike fast, I have endurance, I can hike for hours and keep going, but I don’t like hiking for the sake of hiking and I often get lost. It started raining and the fog was rolling in. My partner and I couldn’t find the trail, it was just grassy. So we headed back to the gate that led downhill. I talked to some guys coming down as I was going up and they were like “wait till you see the other side.” 

I didn’t want to quit. We decided to wander, and we did make it to the other side, and well, we saw bits and pieces, we couldn’t figure out really where to go and we decided to head back. We got lost. Its a fucking scary feeling when its super foggy, raining, windy and cold and you don’t know where to go. I wasn’t the map person, my friend was and she had her off line map but for whatever reason she couldn’t figure it out. I don’t blame her, I would have been worse. I just started walking the way I thought was right and boy did I fuck up, kinda. I was going the right way, in terms of the other side of the grassy field, but I was heading in the opposite direction of the gate. We found the fence and figured we could use the fence to get us on the right track, nope. We kept going the wrong way, until the sun peeked out and that's when I knew we were going the opposite way. Once I saw the sun for a second I turned back around and had a horrible time getting back to the gate because it was a funky hill with tons of holes. Tall grass, mud, pools of water and it was all bad. 

When we got back to the gate I was kinda pissed because there were people there now and I really wanted to do this hike, but I was done with it. It was time to go. The weather was shit anyway. At least the beginning was amazing.

After that brutal ordeal, it was time to hit the beach and it was still foggy and raining. I wasn’t happy about my choice as the Old Man was what I was excited about most and I realized I probably should have did it the day before. We went to Staffin beach to look for dinosaur prints. There are supposed to be dinosaur prints there. We couldn’t find any. I started talking to random people and searching for clues, I may have found a baby print, but also, maybe not. I have nothing to compare it to. It was a fun thing to do for 20-30 minutes, explore the tide pools and look for the prints. The weather continued to suck.

Next was the Fairy Glen and by this time, early afternoon, the rain stopped and the weather was getting better. The Fairy Glen was pretty. A nice green covered glen with small hills and waterfalls off in the distance.

I would have enjoyed it more if my Osmo pocket didn’t start geeking out. It got wet at the Quiraing and the gimbal was on crack and doing all sorts of weird shit. Couldn’t get it to function most of the time, but sometimes it did. I turned it off for two days and it started working again. I guess it got wet inside somewhere and needed to dry out.

 I ended up flying my drone. I was bummed out about my Osmo because I can't afford a new one and it's my main video device. My phone is a backup but no gimbal. 

The Fairy Glen was easy and well worth the stop, though a bit crowded.

I wanted to do the Old Man later because I didn’t want the crowds. We stopped by at Bakur restaurant. We walked in and the host looked Mexican to me. So I straight up said, “Yo, are you Mexican?” he said, “yeah.” We spoke in Spanish and talked for a hot minute and it turned out there were 3 Mexicans working there. I know Mexicans are everywhere, but I would have never imagined meeting 3 in a small village at some random restaurant in the Isle of Skye. It was surreal.

Now with decent weather and the sun in and out, it was time for the Old Man of Storr. I really wanted to go here, not because I knew what it was, but because there's a couple of characters in some books I really like with a character called “the old man.” So anything with “the old man” catches my attention. 

The Old Man delivered. When we got there it was a bit crowded. We arrived around 6 and hiked soon after. The landscape was amazing, and it was an easy hike. What I liked about it was the fact that there were many trails that kinda crisscrossed and ran into each other so no fear of getting lost. Most people were doing the generic path until I stopped two women and asked them if they did the left path. They told me they did and it was empty and it led right up to the Old Man. That was enough for me, alone with the old man? I'm there. 

So the old man is a vertical pinnacle of rock standing 50 meters. It's just this long thin tower that sticks out from its surroundings. The good thing is I got to fly my drone, but my gimbal was still geeking and not functioning well. I spent a lot of time taking photos and just hiking these empty trails getting different perspectives of the Old Man and surrounding area. This was the best hike I did in Scotland and one of the coolest, if not coolest places I visited. MUST VISIT!

Day 5 — Ghosts, Glens & Golden Hour

A long drive from Skye to Aviemore included the touristy but iconic Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, a quick stop in Drumnadrochit, and my first-ever visit to Ruthven Barracks—a D&D fan’s dream. After settling into a hostel with an amazing shower, local tips led me to two serene, drone-friendly lochs—Loch Vaa and Loch an Eilein—where castles and solitude made up for the rainy weather and light crowds.

This would be my longest drive in Scotland. From the top of Isle of Skye to Aviemore. First stop would be Loch Ness. Yes, that Loch Ness, like Nessie the Loch Ness monster. We went here to go to castle Urquhart which resides along Loch Ness. 16 pounds to enter. You can’t see the castle unless you pay the fee unless you’re on a boat or perhaps the other side of the loch. This place was touristy fashow. Aside from the crowds, it had a shop and a short film going over the history of the castle. It was good and the castle went through a lot. It’s still in good condition. It is one of the most visited castles in Scotland for good reason, dope ruin, Nessie, and selfie magnet. 

Afterwards we made a detour to Drumnadrochit, because my friend wanted to buy some Nessie gear. It was a beautiful little town. We ate lunch here, wandered a bit, but we also had a plan and nothing was happening that made me want to spend too much time here.

Our next stop was the Ruthven Barracks and this place I was very excited about, not because of anything other than I never been to a barracks before and I use them a lot as a DM in Dungeons and Dragons and finally, I would see one for the first time! The barracks were not crowded at all and well intact. It was built in the early 1700s, though there were other fortifications built prior, hence the good condition. I was slightly disappointed that they were not very old. I was hoping for a more medieval barracks, but this was still one of my favorite spots. The weather was good, barracks well intact, few visitors, drone friendly, and free! If you’re in the area, a must visit.

We arrived at our hostel which had the best shower during the whole trip. Spacious, hot, powerful. Just perfect! I had plans here, but the front desk employees gave me some local attractions to check out and I decided to take their advice.

First stop was Loch Vaa. Google Maps will not take you to the location, you need to park at a cemetery before the Google Maps location, if you are coming from Aviemore. This was a nice little loch. I think it was all locals there, though there weren't many. Drone friendly, I walked around the whole lake which got a bit confusing because there were nice little hidden gems to explore but it made things complicated as I had to hop a fence to get back to my car. You won’t get lost really, but you might make some mistakes. It is worth it though finding these beautiful little views with no people around the lake.

We visited another Loch after that called an Eilein. This one had a castle on an island. You can’t reach it, but a drone can. Another beautiful loch. I didn’t explore much as it started to rain, but the castle was a short easy walk to reach. Met a couple camping there. Good move! The castle was dope. Another good spot with little crowds, maybe due to the weather and time as it was around 7pm.

Day 5 – “Back to the Burgh: Kings & Cobblestones”

Stirling’s royal history, Royal Mile energy, and one last walk through Edinburgh

Now if you’re doing this itinerary, I would spend the morning exploring more of the Aviemore area. We left because my friend didn’t arrive on day 1 and wanted to see Edinburgh. So I bit the bullet and left, but before arriving in Edinburgh, we went to Sterling castle. It's an amazing castle that is well maintained and lots to explore, it's also super popular and crowded. Ruined it a bit for me, still don’t regret going, but yeah, keep that in mind.

Then we went to Edinburgh and I kinda let her dictate direction, and we didn’t do anything that wasn’t presented on day 1. 

Final Thoughts — Edinburgh & Scotland Recap

Final verdict, Scotland is a beautiful place. In some ways it reminded me a bit of northern California: Rolling green hills, beautiful, minus the waterfalls, worse weather, way cooler and longer history and ruins. It's gluten free friendly, people are generally nice, it's small so you can see a lot in a short amount of time. The only negatives are driving can be a bit rough, it's expensive, and the weather kinda sucks. It rained most of the time there and was almost always overcast. It’s definitely worth checking out if you can afford it, a plus if you like history, castles, and nature. I’m sure it has a pretty cracking night life too, at least in the major cities.