Over spring break, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Scotland! I had seen pictures of Scotland on television shows, in magazines, and online, but nothing prepared me for the raw beauty that is Scotland. Everything is lush and green, and, in my opinion, one of the best wee countries in the world! My friend and I explored three different cities (Stirling, Edinburgh, and Glasgow) and found ourselves on many adventures. Below are some of my favorite things we did (which was hard to narrow down), so if you ever find yourself in Scotland, you should definitely check these out!
1. A Slice of Italy in Glasgow
Surprisingly, Scotland has a ton of Italian restaurants! However, the one we visited was by far superior. We stumbled upon Paesano’s after hours of walking around Glasgow in the rain and we were immediately pulled in by the delicious smell and the warm, inviting atmosphere. I highly recommend this pizza place! The food is amazing and the staff is very friendly. Something I noticed was that everyone ate their pizza with a fork and knife rather than holding it in their hands, which I found very interesting!
2. Stirling Castle
One of my favorite places we visited was Stirling Castle located in Stirling, Scotland. It is so beautiful! In my opinion, it is better than Edinburgh Castle. I took the picture above in the chapel on the castle grounds. This chapel is where Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned Queen of Scots at just nine months old. She resided in this castle for a period of time and gave birth to her only child here. I love history, so to stand in a place where royals once walked, in a chapel nonetheless, was absolutely surreal.
3. The Birthplace of Harry Potter
If you are a lover of the Harry Potter series, this little cafe is definitely a place you want to check out! It’s called The Elephant House cafe and this is where J.K. Rowling wrote the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The table we are sitting at is (supposedly) the exact table where she sat when writing the book! Through the window, you can see the graveyard, Greyfriar’s Kirk, where she picked out a lot of the names for her characters. The cafe was cozy and warm, and their hot chocolate and chocolate cake were fantastic!
These are just a few places that we visited during our time in Scotland, but I highly recommend going there. Whether you are a history buff, foody, or you just like to travel, Scotland has some beautiful and unique places for you!