I lived in the UK for several years and always wanted to visit Scotland but never travelled that far north.

This trip one of our goals was to visit Scotland, not the least reason was  because Robert's heritage is Scottish,  He's a Seton from East Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland.  So while visiting the UK we rented a car and travelled to Edinburgh, 

What a great trip it was!

As you may know Scotland is a country in the north of the United Kingdom, known for its dramatic landscapes, historic cities and strong cultural traditions.  Since Robert is a Scot with his historical home near Edinburgh in our exploration of the area we set out to find his families traditional home Seton Castle.  

Seton Castle had recently been sold so was not at all accessible but we had a peek through the gates,  What we were able to see looked pretty stunning. Just to the North was a street called Seton Place with darling stone cottages.  We assumed they had traditionally been workers cottages with big stone fire places to keep of the bone chilling cold in winter.  I still check to see if any are for sale.  They back onto the bay and look wonderful.  It looks like my kind of home. I imagine walking my wee West Highland Terrier along the quiet streets in the cold of a brisk Scottish autumn.

From Seton Castle we continued north to the Highlands.  We stopped near Loch Loman and stayed in a darling pub. Every village has a pub and loads of pubs have accomodation. 

The town was very small and very cute.  It was winter so there were no boats on the loch but I imagine in summer it would be covered with holiday makers sailing or rowing their way across the loch beers or a bottle of scotch in hand.  

The Scottish Highlands, covering much of the north and west, are famed for rugged mountains, deep glens, lochs and a sparsely populated wilderness. Visitors can explore places such as Loch Ness as well as other lochs, the Isle of Skye and other islands, Cairngorms National Park and the historic battlefield of Culloden (where the Jocobite uprising came to a tragic end).

The region’s history is closely linked to Highland clans, Gaelic language, culture, and events such as the Jacobite uprisings all seem very present even today.

Scotland’s weather can change quickly, particularly in the Highlands, so warm layers and waterproof clothing are useful throughout the year.

Whether travelling for a great hiking experience, wildlife, beautiful castles or whisky distilleries, Scotland and the Highlands offer a memorable mix of natural beauty and living heritage.

We can't wait to go back.