#(we tried similar in our cafe in Scotland but it didn’t go over well with the clientele - wanted simpler than that - fair enough)
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UK Road Trip Week 5
Day 29:
Had a really easy morning and took our time leaving because we really wanted to savour having a bed and a room a bit longer before hitting the road again. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t dreading getting back onto the road to continue our adventure, we just wanted to make sure we were fully charged up and ready to go. Before setting off we made sure to play with the host’s dogs some more. We stopped at Lidl for some snacks…that we really shouldn’t have bought in retrospect, we’ve been eating a lot of junk on this trip. We set off to Stirling from there. During the drive I noticed that I had a mosquito bite on my face, I had been so successful so far in avoiding those damn things but somehow it got my face and now I have a horribly itchy spot that looks like a pimple, it’s pretty annoying but oh well. We only really just quickly drove through Stirling which I thought wasn’t so bad, it was really crowded and raining, after all, we were able to get a good look at Stirling castle which was interesting. It was a very odd old looking castle. The walls were that of a regular castle but the actual building looks like an old manor of some sort. We drove straight to Loch Lomond after Stirling as per what we had originally planned but when we got there we realized that was kind of senseless and that it would make more sense to drive straight up to in Inverness so as to do the North Coast 500 road tour for the next 7 days and then just explore Loch Lomond on our way back down through Scotland. We drove through a pretty spectacular motorway on the A9 road to get up to Inverness which I recommend to anyone that wants to do a road tour of Scotland; such glorious sights, it was a stunning mountain and was very reminiscent of my home province of British Columbia, Canada. We were even lucky enough to see a rainbow going over the mountains. It made me wish that we could live in Scotland so that we could do this sort of drive on the regular. We chose to stop in a retail business park just outside of Inverness to relax and stretch our legs after having just done a 3.5-hour drive straight. Scotland really does seem much more laid back about things in general in comparison to England. For instance, if you’re in literally any place other than a big city in Scotland then pretty much every car park is free which is amazing when you want to just leave the car and go explore. We thought for sure that the car park at Loch Lomond National Park would cost money but nope, free. Another awesome thing about Scotland is that you can pitch up your tent almost anywhere in the wilderness as long as there are no cows or sheep around and not have to pay a thing. It can only be for a period of 2 or 3 days but that works just great for us since we won’t be in any one place for too long. There was a cinema in the retail business park showing any movie for £4.99 so since it was still only 8 and the movies were so cheap, we thought why not. We saw Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, which I recommend. Afterward, we drove to a lay by out near Loch Ness and parked up and pitched up with the rain coming down horribly.
Day 30:
Woke up to the bf wiping the windows, when you sleep in a car, a lot of condensation forms on the windows if you’ve had them closed all night. I had actually slept in till 9 which is unusual for having slept in the car. We had breakfast and organized the car and I decided to read the last couple of chapters of Harry Potter book 5 when suddenly the car made an alarming beeeeeep! The car battery had gone flat. We tried to flag a few cars down to help us jump-start the battery but then resigned to calling AA. The bf has a membership with them anyway but we figured it would take them a while to get there. While we waited for them to come we went down to the lakeside/lochside of Loch Ness to explore for a bit. It’s quite sad that Scotland has opened its country for people to camp anywhere they like and yet people still litter everywhere. On the lakeside/lochside we saw several littered disposable barbecues, a shopping bag, and a bucket. Well, we didn’t finish with the AA until about 1:30. From Loch Ness, we drove into Inverness to the tourist info centre to see if we could get a map of some sort. Once that was dealt with we began the drive of the North coast 500 but counter-clockwise, just because we felt that suited us more. There are so many small-town/villages along the route, it’s quite funny how small they are - we were able to drive-through some, in and out, in under a minute. We stopped at Dingwall and had some instant noodles for a late lunch. Through the course of this trip, I’ve gotten the bf to actually enjoy and crave instant noodles and afternoon tea (of course he still doesn’t like to drink tea). He used to always avoid noodles in a soup because he’s not much of a soup person but will now eat them with me so I feel quite happy about that. From Dingwall, we drove through Loch Fleet National nature reserve, past the gorgeous, tropical-looking beach of Embo by Carn Laith, a remnant of the iron age, and finally arrived in Helmsdale where we would pitch up at a high off lay by with a beautiful view of the sea for the night. We didn’t cover as much road as I thought we would but I feel pretty content with our 1st day of route 500 ….
Day 31:
Have you ever woken up randomly, early in the morning but then realized you were still really tired so you went back to sleep and told yourself that whatever you want to do can wait until later? That’s me every day recently but what’s unfortunate this time was when I woke up randomly I saw the sunrise peeking out through the window. I thought “Oh how pretty…I’m just gonna sleep in a bit more and watch it later”. Well, when I woke up later I realized what I had done and felt like crap especially since it was the last time we were going to be on the east coast and in such an opportune spot for a little while. That’s fine, I’ll make it my mission to wake up in a good spot for the sunrise soon enough, mark my words. Anyway, today we managed to cover a lot of ground although I didn’t feel like we did. That’s because although it’s a beautiful drive there are not many points of interest for us to stop at on the east side of the NC500. We left Helmsdale and drove to just outside of Lybster to a place called “Hill O’Many Stanes”, which is a historical landmark. Many hundreds or thousands of years ago, it is not for certain why but maybe 30 to 50 stones the size of footballs were planted on a Hill and dotted around in a circle. There are a few theories why like they were possibly put there as memorials of the dead. I don’t know what it is about the UK and their historical landmarks surrounding stones. First, there was Stonehenge in England, and now this and I’m sure there’s another landmark coming up on this trip to do with stones being erected on the ground. Actually, now that I think about it, there is a place similar to Stonehenge on the Isle of Portland, but it certainly isn’t as heavily regarded and I’m not sure if it has a name. After admiring these stones for a bit, we then parked up down the hill and made some coffee. We then drove to the Castle of Old Wick just outside of Wick, where we saw the spectacular view of a cliffside and a horrifyingly scary view of how far the sea was below and then we walked around and imagined what it would have been like back then for people to have built a castle on the edge of a cliff. From there, we drove to Duncansby Head and John O’Groats, the most northern tip of mainland UK. This is also a very small town but because of what it is known as it was very crowded with tourists from all over. It was pretty cool though because we could see some of the Orkney islands from there and to be honest, it looked mostly like it is farmland, barely inhabited. After a few obligatory photos, we set off to somewhere in between John O’Groats and Dunnet Bay, where we parked up at a nearby Tesco and had instant noodles for lunch while listening to the Abroad in Japan podcast. We then checked out Dunnet Bay, we fooled around a bit there, skipped stones in the water and just had a good time. I love beaches, especially deserted ones, they’re relaxing and even better when there is the view of mountains in the background. This was probably 1 of 3 beaches that we stopped throughout the day just to explore and walk around. I found a really pretty shell at one of them too. I think the other beaches we stopped at were Strathy Bay and Torrisdale Bay. From there we drove without stopping too long to Durness, where we parked up and made a sort of spaghetti soup for dinner. The drive there was - you know I’ve been saying it a lot, so from now on when I talk about something, you just gotta assume it’s pretty freakin awesome! We drove around lush valleys and lochs, it felt more like we were somewhere in Iceland or something. I honestly thoroughly recommend this drive to anyone and everyone to do in the future. This part of Scotland actually reminded me a lot of Canada as well,l which makes sense because an info sign along the route said that Scotland was its own island for a while and joined up with Wales and England about 430 million years ago but before then it is thought to have been a broken-off bit of land from North America! That’s definitely something. I’ll never forget this drive and I only hope some of the footage I have taken has captured even 10% of its beauty.
Day 32:
Soon after waking up and driving somewhere to freshen up, the bf and I both seemed to be craving chocolate and we were in luck because there happened to be a popular albeit expensive chocolate cafe nearby called “Cocoa Mountain”. The bf and I both ordered a large hot chocolate that was simply delectable and probably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. We accompanied our drinks with two treats; a chocolate fudgy brownie and a cheese and spring onion tart that were also very good. Once we were done savouring that little treat, we went to the heavily populated with tourists Smoo Cave. We had visited caves in Wales but this cave was huge! It really had a mysterious vibe to it and even had a waterfall in it. It was very cool and well worth a visit again, I just wish there weren’t so many people. Apparently, on good weather, they do inner cave tours on a boat, but after so much rainfall, the waterfall and stream were too strong to venture further in. Later on, we drove to Oldshoremore beach. We stopped a lot along the way for photos though. The NC 500 is very scenic drive and I wouldn’t mind driving it again but next time it will be when we’re sure the weather will be good and if and when we have a camper van. All the beaches along the route were just so beautiful and I loved stopping at them. We walked for a bit along the water but I accidentally stepped too close and got my boots soaked. My Salomons are supposed to be waterproof but I put them in the washing machine once and I forgot why but that may have damaged the integrity of the waterproof material. Anyway, we went back to the car park to clean my boots and apply more waterproof spray and then made instant noodles for lunch. From there we drove to two more viewpoints called the Assynt and Drumbeg viewpoints. They were similar in that they both had a view of lochs, mountains, and the surrounding small islands, but the atmosphere at them was different from one another. We had overcast at one and sunny skies at the other so that could have been part of it, but it was also the quality of nature. One was more lush and green than the other but they were still just as breathtakingly sunning. My blog entries come out after I’ve posted photos of the places we’ve been to on Instagram, so please do give those a look. On the way to our final nature stop of the day, we chanced upon a herd of Highland cows that were just gorgeous and there were two that were just pleasantly sitting right next to each other so I had to grab a photo of that. They were so lovely. Afterward, we drove to Clashnessie Falls which was a magnificently big waterfall, but because it had been raining in that area, the river leading up to it had overflowed its banks which made the path to it muddy and hard to walk in and since my boots were still drying I was walking in my sandals. We figured it was for the best to just admire it from afar, although it would have been an amazing shot up close. We ended the day by stopping in Ullapool where we would grab some reduced dinner from Tesco’s (wasn’t the best idea) and pitching up just outside of the town for the night.
Day 33:
Today we had a load of gorgeous and scenic stops and the weather was on our side for most of the day, yay! We started off our day by taking in the sights of the Loch Broom which the town of Ullapool was situated next to. It was a great way to start the day because you had the sun shining brightly and all these gorgeous mountains in the background. From Ullapool, we began the penultimate leg of the route. This route will probably take us 6 days although online they say it should take you anywhere from 7 to 10 days if you really want to explore and do a bunch of hikes and stay longer in some places. Some people even think doing it in 12 to 14 days is better, if you have the money and time to do all the islands off the mainland as optional detours of the route, but we neither have the time money nor the transport (this route would have been way better with a camper van or RV, but we only decided to do it last minute while doing our main road trip. As I said before, we had many stops today and took so many photos on our way to Kyle of Lochalsh, where we would be ending today’s leg. I can say for certain that this portion of the route is absolutely the most scenic but I probably also feel that way because it was sunny most of the day, albeit cold (too cold for August if you ask me, but we are up north). First, we stopped at the Corrieshalloch Gorge and national nature reserve. There was a very cool suspension bridge there, but the gorge was indeed pretty far down so my fear of heights was activated a bit. There we also had a view of lovely, big waterfalls called the Falls of Measach. I’m surprised at the number of tourist areas that are free, well actually pretty much all of the spots along this route have been free whereas in Vancouver you can be sure that you’d be charged an arm and a leg to enter them. After seeing the falls, we made some coffee and then set off. I felt like every couple of minutes we were stopping and getting out of the car. To be honest I felt a twinge of annoyance about it but couldn’t really complain because there were just that many gorgeous and breathtaking sights to behold whether it was the lochs or the mountains. I don’t know what to tell you. If you haven’t got time to do the whole 5 to 7 days of the route than just spare one day to drive the stretch from Ullapool the Kyle of Lochalsh and you won’t regret it. Especially on a sunny day. Of course, you’d need to get up to a Ullapool first… but seriously we stopped so many times that I’m not even sure where exactly we stopped because the whole stretch made our jaws drop. I mean the days leading up to today we also saw a lot of amazing sights on the NC500 so I’m not selling those short by any means but I guess even though the rain did give those views a cool atmosphere, I didn’t enjoy them as much I enjoyed the views today because we had the luck of having the sun on our side. After the gorge, the plan was to stop at Ardessie Falls, Mellon Udrigle, Fire more beach, Gairloch then Redpoint and then Sheildag and Torridon and finally end off in Kyle of Lochalsh because those were the tour suggestions that I found online but for the most part we made our own stops along the route and it was awesome. I mean we did drive-through most of them. We made a detour through Torridon village, then stopped at a viewpoint in Shieldag and had lunch but finally, after a very eventful day at so many sites we got dinner in Kyle of Lochalsh and found a lay by to pitch up for the night.
Day 34:
Today didn’t really go as planned. Overall this trip has had a bunch of highlights and I’m so thankful to the BF to have been able to do this. I’m also thankful to his friend T, and my friend V, for being able to make this trip great. This trip isn’t over yet with 10 more days to go, but it’s just a shame that ever since we left the South coast of England our days have been heavily influenced by the rain. Today is one of those days. It still turned out alright though and the bf and I had a laugh. So originally the plan was for us to take a detour from the NC500 and spend the day in the Isle of Skye. I had been really looking forward to this as I had heard many good things. But from the moment we woke up the winds were so strong and the sky was heavy with overcast. Very foreboding. Actually, it made me wish I was back in Cambridge, at home, enjoying the sunny weather. Nevertheless, we drove across the long bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh to the Isle of Skye and what awaited us there were torrential rain and heavy winds. Our first stop was supposed to be a place called “The Storr”. Which is a 674 m tall landslip with a rocky face on one side and a grassy slope on the other, it was supposed to be a very dramatic sight, but because of the low cloud and rain, you couldn’t see a thing. Didn’t stop a bunch of tourists from getting out and trying to take photos, but we carried on since we didn’t think it seemed worth getting wet for. After that, we drove by another tourist stop that I hadn’t accounted for, at a waterfall called Kealt Falls. We thought about carrying on but the bf though the weather might add some drama to the falls. Since I was the only one with boots on and what I thought was a decent rain jacket (it’s old and worn), I went off on my own to see if it was worth both of us getting out for. Big mistake. The rain and winds were cruel and it felt like I was being blown away. The view was pretty but not really worth getting thoroughly soaked for. I went back to the car and I was shivering and had a headache from the cold winds. I am glad I tried though because now I know that I don’t want to be out in that weather. We spent the rest of the day in the car which wasn’t so great for our legs. They were both swollen and achy by the end of it. At least I learned from this experience that I need a new rain jacket and should definitely buy some waterproof trousers. We didn’t stop anywhere else in Skye unfortunately so I would like to think I would go back one day. We drove to the northernmost part of the island and then all the way back down to Kyle of Lochalsh while enjoying the views of the dramatic weather over the dramatic mountains. On the drive back down to Kyle, we saw two beautifully pronounced rainbows that were really quite the sight. Once back, we got Chinese takeaway and then agreed to leave early and drive to the next village of Strathcarron and stay there for the night. Except that didn’t happen. The bf and I were so into our conversation about tons of random crap that I hadn’t been paying attention to the map and he missed the turnoff on the road. We were so deep in conversation and that an hour had passed and neither of us noticed! The drive was only supposed to take 30 minutes, I thought it felt like a long 30 minutes….xD we weren’t even at the end of the NC 500 route anymore. He had taken a southbound road that would still get us back to Inverness, but on a completely different route. It so wasn’t so bad though, we were essentially driving through Woodland forests that took us along the other side of Loch Ness that we were originally on before we started the NC500 route. This side had all the Loch Ness monster tourist stuff; I was wondering where they all were! Eventually, we got back to the same retail business park we had begun this mini-adventure, and then the bf got out to stretch his legs while I stayed inside to keep warm and write. By the time we found a layby we were both exhausted and ready to call it a day.
Day 35:
Had a day off from traveling today. We both needed it and our legs were swollen from spending all day the day before sitting in the car so we spent some time aimlessly walking through Inverness and playing pokemon go.
#firsttimeblogging#blogpost#travelblogger#travelblog#longpost#moodyweather#mountainlover#views#naturelover#travellover#expattravel#wanderlustuk#roadtrip#scottishroadtrip#nc500#scotland#scottish nature#lifeontheroad#ukexploring#ukroadtrip2019#canadianabroad#canadianintheuk
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Not a Moment To Lose
Pairing/s: Thorin x wife!reader, Richard Armitage x fem!reader
Setting/Timeline: New Zealand, Ireland, Reincarnation!AU, Modern!AU, Durins live!AU
Warning(s)/Genre(s): None that I could think of
Word Count: 1,108
The Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings and The Durins © J.R.R. Tolkien
Context © me
Based on my imagine.
A/N: Finally had Part 3 posted XD. Sorry for the delay folks, and I hope the wait is worth it and I didn’t screw this up :P
The Hobbit tag list: @igotanaddixon @fizzy-custard @fromthedeskoftheraven @deepestfirefun @evyiione @mrs-thorin-oakenshield @life-is-righteous @sdavid09 @dreamsofrivendell @epicallychrissy @petals-overdaisies
Thorin II Oakenshield tag list: @fab-notfat @patanghill17
Find Her series tag list: @superwholockianwitch @aspiringtranslator @leah-halliwell92
Permanent tag list: @imagines-for-multiple-fandoms @thepoet1975 @cd1242 @thegreyberet
Masterlist: HERE
Part 2 - Someone so Dear
Part 4 - Where it All Began
“You don’t remember, do you?”
“Remember what, exactly?”
Never would Fili, or Dean as what everyone calls him in this day and age, expect to see his Uncle’s wife of all the individuals he knew and loved in his past life in such a surprising circumstance.
And never has he felt such excitement come running back in his veins since the Quest many years ago.
“I’m sorry,” (Y/N) mutters after few minutes of silence, “as far as I could remember, I only met you during the Wellington premiere of The Hobbit trilogy.”
“And that’s just a few seconds worth of meeting, I know,” Fili replies, smiling at (Y/N) as he tries to hide an exasperated sigh, “sorry, I might have mistaken you for someone so dear to me.”
No, he knows deep down (Y/N) is his Aunt; he would never mistake anyone of someone he loves and cares deeply. Though he is 100 percent certain she is his Uncle Thorin’s wife, despite the stories she told him about her life in Essex over a cup of hot drinks, (Y/N) however doesn’t. Fili could see clearly in her (e/c) orbs the memories they had, from the Quest up to the War of the Ring, are oddly lost.
“No, you shouldn’t apologize,” (Y/N) reassures him as she grabs her purse and her coat, “it is really nice to meet and talk to you, Dean.”
“The pleasure’s mine,” he replies as he walks her to the door of the only open cafe in the neighborhood, “are you sure you don’t want me to accompany you back to the hotel?”
“I am sure,” (Y/N) shakes her head, still smiling despite the questions running in her head, “but if you want to hang out, here’s my phone number and the name of the hotel.”
“I would love to,” he exclaims, grabbing the piece of paper before putting it in his coat pocket, “see you soon, (Y/N).”
Fili could feel the excitement rushing through his veins. Despite (Y/N) not remembering who he really is, the blonde Durin is more than determined to find the answers he sought for since the night when the memories of the past came surging through him.
And the first step in finding those answers is to call the one person he intuitively knows who would be delighted to hear the news he now has.
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Thorin could never tell if he is going to laugh at his youngest nephew’s reaction or be exasperated because of his exaggeration.
“Will ye cut yer yappin’ lad,” Dwalin groans, couldn’t help but want to smack the younger Durin upside in the head, “my ears are startin’ to bleed.”
“Don’t be such a killjoy, Mister Dwalin,” Kili exclaims as he tries to look as offended as he pretends to be, “I can’t help but feel excited!
Coming to Ireland feels like a breath of fresh air for both Thorin and Dwalin; the country is kind of similar but different than both England and Scotland at the same time. They planned on approaching the situation with Kili, or Aidan as what he’s currently known, like nothing particular is going on.
But never would they expect to immediately run into the younger Durin, and for them to be recognized as Thorin II Oakenshield and Dwalin, son of Fundin, not as Richard Armitage and Graham McTavish respectively.
“And we are surprise you remember us as what we were in the past,” Thorin says, now trying to contain his laughter as he watches his right hand-man and best friend trying so hard not to strangle his hyperactive nephew to death.
In which it relieved them to the extent Dwalin bought 10 bottles of ale at a nearby pub, whether they outwardly admit it or not.
“I thought it was just a dream, Uncle,” Kili says, calming down from his rush of excitement as he takes a swig on his glass, “about the War of the Ring, I mean.”
“Then ye realized it was, in fact, a memory,” Dwalin adds, looking intently at Thorin as the latter quietly broods about their current situation, “it’s the same as to yer Uncle here. But the dreamin’ goes way back durin’ our time in New Zealand.”
“Years ago,” Kili exclaims, almost spitting his drink at Dwalin’s face, “if that’s the case, do you think Dean, I mean Fili, had the same dreams as well?!”
It certainly makes Thorin stop his musings and looks back at the dark-haired younger Durin, looking expectant and confused at the same time. The possibility of his nephews dreaming of the same thing as he did never cross his mind; it sounds too coincidental and too incredulous.
If that is so, does it mean his wife, his (Y/N), also dreams of the same thing as well? Does she also remember who she really was? Who she really is?
“Ye’ve been very quiet, Thorin,” Dwalin whispers to him as Kili keeps on talking about the possibilities of them not the only ones dreaming of the same thing, not noticing the silence that envelopes his two older companions, “ye doubt the chances of (Y/N) dreamin’ of the same blasted thing?”
“I do not doubt the possibility, Dwalin,” Thorin replies as he heaves a sigh, not realizing he has been holding his breath while he muses, “I just wonder if she remembers anything.”
Dwalin puts a reassuring hold on his shoulder, making Thorin look at the larger male as fear starts to become evident in his sapphire eyes. Never has he been so unsure of the circumstances that may come as they continue the journey to have their family reunite once again.
He is known to face every test and trials filled with pride and without hesitations. But the thought of his One not remembering him makes him feel weak and his heart clench; (Y/N) not remembering her husband and King simply means Thorin has lost her forever.
“Ye don’ need to worry,” Dwalin says, his hand giving a squeeze on his shoulder, “she will remember who ye are, who we are.”
Thorin sighs again, probably for the nth time, “I do pray she will-.”
“Uncle, Dwalin, so sorry to interrupt,” Kili interjects, his visage like a deer caught in the headlights as he looks at his phone.
Thorin could feel his stomach drops, looking at the urgency visible in Kili’s eyes as one of the voices he longed to hear could slightly be heard over his nephew’s phone.
“Uncle, this is Fili.”
And a newfound vigor and determination replace his previous apprehensions and fears, making Thorin realize there is not a moment to lose.
“Aunt (Y/N) is here in New Zealand.”
#FVMfanfics#FVM thorin fanfics#FVM richard armitage fics#thorin oakenshield#thorin imagine#thorin x reader#richard armitage#richard armitage imagine#richard armitage x reader#durins live!au#reincarnation!au#modern!au
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Is Glasgow the most vegan-friendly city in Scotland?
The debate is on. And I’m not talking about the discussion of whether or not Glasgow or Edinburgh is the better city to visit. This debate is entirely food related, a very important component of travel. Is it Glasgow or Edinburgh that deserves the title of the best vegan city in Scotland? In 2013, Glasgow was given the title as the most vegan-friendly city in the UK. But, Edinburgh has always had a number of vegetarian offerings, with vegan restaurants steadily on the rise. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. We can enjoy the vegan food of Glasgow and the vegan food of Edinburgh. On our two week tour around Scotland, Justin and I visited Glasgow first. With all of the yummy vegan restaurants in Glasgow, we can easily see why it was named the most veg-friendly place in the country.
Vegan Restaurants in Glasgow
With only a day and a half in the city, we didn’t have nearly enough time to sample all of the vegan food in Glasgow. However, I can guide you to our favorite places to eat in Glasgow. From what we tried, I would certainly recommend any or all of these vegan restaurants in Glasgow. And I’ll give you a short list of the spots that we hope to check out upon our return, which I’m hoping is sooner rather than later. And by then…there will likely be even more vegan restaurants in Glasgow to sample.
GLASGOW TRAVEL GUIDE
WHERE TO STAY IN GLASGOW: We adored our stay at the centrally located Grasshoppers Hotel. You can check out our review here [and more reviews here]. Hotels are very affordable in the city. Feel free to compare prices between hotels as you plan your holiday. To have your own place in Glasgow, browse the available listings on Airbnb.
GETTING AROUND GLASGOW: To get from the airport to the city, take the Glasgow Airport Express bus. Glasgow is a very walkable city and we rarely had to take any transportation. However, the subway system is very inexpensive and you can make your way around the city quickly and easily. You can also book tickets on the hop-on-hop-off bus to see the sights and be transported all over town.
THINGS TO DO IN GLASGOW: For a list of the best things to do in Glasgow, check out our 1 day Glasgow travel itinerary.
PHOTOS OF GLASGOW: Check out our entire photo album of pictures from Glasgow to inspire your trip. You can also purchase prints, housewares, and all sorts of gifts made from any of our photos – just click the “buy” button on any picture.
Here’s where to eat in Glasgow if you’re following a vegan or vegetarian diet (or if you’re looking for healthier choices, have certain food allergies, or you’re veg-curious!).
Glasgow Vegan: City Centre
Here’s a listing of the vegan food in Glasgow that you’ll find right in the city centre. There are a variety of vegan places in Glasgow right in the middle of town, perfect for meals between sightseeing.
The Glasvegan
We enjoyed The Glasvegan so much, we tried it twice! When Justin and I first reached Glasgow, we were pretty tired from our overnight flight. We always handle the situation differently: I like to power through, explore, and go to bed at night in my new timezone. Justin finds that he can’t do much until he has a nap. I walked around and explored Glasgow a little bit and brought back some takeaway from The Glasvegan. It’s the perfect place if you want to dine in or order takeout as it’s a vegan fast food joint.
On our full day in Glasgow (where we enjoyed the city after overcoming our jet lag), Justin wanted to eat another meal from The Glasvegan. I happily obliged as it was so delicious the day before. On the first day, we both ate their “Not-Dogs” – the Mexi Dog was super delicious, as was the Sweet Onion and Roasted Pepper flavor. Don’t miss trying their vegan Mac n Cheese, topped with veggie bacon bits.
The next day, we ordered another Mexi Dog, a Chick’n Burger, and a side of nachos to split. We ended up bringing the meal back to our hotel for a little break from walking around the city. Even though we never ended up dining at the restaurant itself, there are quite a few tables there (both indoors and outdoors) if you’d like to eat while you’re there. There are also some mouthwatering desserts and chocolates if you still have room after your meal, too.
Stereo
Stereo is a staple in Glasgow’s restaurant, bar, and live music scene for over a decade. By day, it’s a vegan bar and kitchen; by night, it’s a hip restaurant and concert venue. While we didn’t have the opportunity to check out any live gigs, Justin and I did sample the tasty cuisine one evening in Glasgow. It’s certainly one of the best vegan restaurants in Glasgow. From the amazing service to the delicious food, you should definitely check out Stereo when traveling to Glasgow.
The menu selections are created using ingredients that are fresh and in season, so you might find it changing from time to time. When we were there in April, there were intriguing small shareable plates, sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, and pasta. Justin ordered the Fettucine with Porcini Mushrooms (mushrooms in a creamy sauce with parsley and crumbled parmesan). I decided to go with one main and one small plate: the Roast Potato Salad (with savoy, red onion, and rocket), and the Baba Ghanoush with sourdough bread. I loved the toasted pumpkin seeds on top of the dip, which added a lovely added crunch.
Picnic
Picnic is a delightful little vegan cafe in the heart of the Merchant City. You’ll be charmed by its bright and colorful interior design, and wowed by the yummy breakfast and lunch offerings. Justin and I both ate their waffles for breakfast before departing Glasgow. We also bought some bagels with cream cheese and croissants for our road trip up to Stirling. We made a few stops on the way and weren’t sure if we’d be able to find any vegan food on the way. The bagels and croissants were perfect for a “picnic”, not surprisingly!
There are also lots of salads, sandwiches, wraps and more for lunch. As for desserts and treats, you’ll find muffins, cakes, cookies, and more. While I had a coffee to drink, you can also choose from a variety of smoothies and juices. Whether you’re dining for breakfast, lunch, or brunch, I’m certain that you’ll love this Glasgow vegan restaurant just as much as we did.
Mono
Mono dates all the way back to 2002, serving up delicious vegan food and drinks. Similar to Stereo (sharing the same owner!), Mono also hosts live music gigs and performances, in addition to its restaurant. On the menu, you’ll find sandwiches, pizza, schnitzel, burgers, mac n’ cheese, hummus, soups, salads, and more. There are also gluten-free options, and they’ll be sure to assist you if you have any other food allergies.
The Flying Duck
In addition to Mono and Stereo, we also have The Flying Duck. Described as a sister space to those venues, as well as The 78, The Flying Duck is a basement bar, venue space, and restaurant. Their restaurants is best described as a vegan diner, serving up “Michigan-sized portions” of southern comfort food. They’ve also got a pool table, film screenings, karaoke, and trivia nights. The Flying Duck might look like a dive bar, but it looks like an amazing spot to dine and spend your evening in Glasgow.
The 13th Note
The 13th Note is a vegan restaurant, bar, and cafe (aren’t you seeing a trend here among the vegan restaurants in Glasgow?). While there are some vegetarian items with dairy in them, the majority of the items on both the lunch and dinner menus are vegan. The vegetarian items are specially marked, while everything else is naturally vegan. They also offer exhibition space for artists, as well as gigs for bands and musical acts.
The Project Cafe
The Project Cafe aims to provide an inclusive community space for social exchange, alongside a wholesome menu of vegan and vegetarian dining options. It’s like a social enterprise and plant-based cafe all in one. They describe it as good food that brings people together. You’ll find fresh, local, and organic cuisine here, as well as delicious coffee and tea. Soups, salads, and pizza are among some of the menu selections.
Rose & Grant’s
While Rose & Grant’s isn’t a vegan or vegetarian establishment, they pride themselves on catering to vegans. It’s a deli that boasts about their delicious vegan square sausage, as well as their vegan breakfast and brunch options. From sandwiches to cakes to oat milk lattes, it’s easy to see that there are an abundance of vegan options at Rose & Grant’s deli and cafe.
Saramago Cafe
At the Centre for Contemporary Arts, the Saramago Cafe offers an entirely vegan menu with the exception of serving cow’s milk as an option for beverages. There are tantalizing small plates, sandwiches, pizzas, and a huge variety of main entrees. You’ll see Sri Lankan curries, pasta dishes, udon noodle bowls, vegetarian haggis, a Mezze platter…there’s truly something for every taste here.
The Red Onion
The Red Onion is an omni restaurant with a separate vegan menu, as well as a vegan tasting menu. There are many innovative selections on the menu, like haggis bon bons, a crispy bean cutlet, truffle macaroni, and banana fritters, that set this restaurant apart from so many others. While I tend to stick to entirely vegan restaurants when I can, I’d love to check this one out the next time I’m in Glasgow.
Glasgow Vegan: West End
The West End of Glasgow has hip coffee shops, bars, restaurants, boutiques, and more. The University of Glasgow is located in this end of town. With a high student population, you’ll notice some trendy cafes, themed vegan restaurants and popular eateries.
Soul Food Kitchen
Soul Food Kitchen is one of the 100% vegan restaurants in Glasgow, where you can be certain to find entirely vegan meals on the menu. They focus on serving up healthy and hearty meals, like soups, bowls, burgers, juices, kombucha, raw cakes, coffee and tea. Soul Food Kitchen even offers a special vegan afternoon tea on occasion.
Serenity Now
Inspired by that famous Seinfeld phrase, the Serenity Now cafe is one of several entirely vegan places in Glasgow. It’s a fabulous vegan brunch spot, with classic faves like French toast, pancakes, avocado toast, seitan chicken and waffles, and huevos rancheros. There are also sandwiches and a mac ‘n cheese bowl for lunch time. We were a little too late to dine here due to poor planning choices, but we’d love to check out Serenity Now on a return trip to Glasgow.
In Bloom
In Bloom was one of the vegan restaurants we were most excited to visit, but they were closed when we walked up to the cafe. Boo-urns! Anyway, it’s a Nirvana themed cafe with loads of lunch options and desserts that look absolutely delicious. Did I mention that we were really excited to try this one, and they were unexpectedly closed? Next time, we’ll be back for sure.
The 78
The 78 Bar and Restaurant was a Glasgow vegan restaurant that I was really excited to try, but I ran out of time and stomach space. They’ve got a special breakfast plate, small plates (like grilled cheese and patatas bravas) and big plates (like burritos, burgers, and spaghetti carbonara). There are even some sweet treats, like vegan churros, so be sure to save room for dessert!
The Hug & Pint
The Hug & Pint is yet another vegan restaurant meets music venue in Glasgow. This Glasgow vegan eatery focuses on Asian-inspired cuisine with a rotating menu. They have an intriguing concept on weekends called a “Boozy Brunch”. For a flat rate, you’ll enjoy three dishes from the kitchen and three drinks to wash them down. They even have a coffee drink to help cure your hangover called The Reviver. As for the food, it’s creative, modern, and will comfort you, much like a hug.
Mayze
Do you love brunch and coffee? You’ll definitely need to check out the vegetarian cafe, Mayze. They’ve got loads of vegan choices, such as nachos with vegan cheese, tofu eggs, burritos, a vegan breakfast, and plant-based milks for your coffee. They’ve got lots of gluten-free choices, too.
Tchai-Ovna Tea House
The Tchai-Ovna Tea House is a popular spot in Glasgow’s West End, but it’s worth seeking out on your trip to Glasgow. They’ve got tea from all over the world, as well as a small vegetarian menu and vegan cakes. All of the vegan items are marked with a “v” on the menu. It might be difficult to choose one type of tea from their massive menu, and be sure to pair it with a yummy slice of cake.
The V & V Cafe
The V & V Cafe was originally named for being vegetarian and vegan, but they’re now just down to one ‘V’ as they’re 100% vegan. As one of the top vegan restaurants in Glasgow, they have a variety of home cooked meals. Try their breakfast items, toasties, soups, pakoras, and curries. It’s also a wonderful spot to stop for coffee and cake.
Glasgow Vegan: Southside
While Justin and I didn’t make it to Glasgow’s Southside, there are a few vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants in the region. I’d love to pop down next time, even if it’s only to sample the food.
MalaCarne
MalaCarne is both a vegetarian cafe and a dog-friendly establishment. You can find lots of vegan choices on the menu, like pancakes, smokey chickpeas, avocado toast, and a tofu club sandwich. There are also lots of delicious coffee and tea beverages to sip with your choice of plant-based milk.
The Glad Cafe
The Glad Cafe has vegan and vegetarian brunch, made by the team behind the Asian inspired menu at The Hug & Pint. In addition, the culinary staff of The Hug & Pint also create meals for the cafe’s evening dinner service. You can expect pan-Asian vegan mains and small plates. The Glad Cafe is also a performing arts venue featuring musicians, comedians, film screenings, and small theatre productions.
Ranjit’s Kitchen
If you’re seeking delicious and hearty Punjabi food, head straight to Ranjit’s Kitchen. The menu is completely vegetarian and there are many naturally vegan dishes on the menu. They’re also willing to make many of the dishes vegan upon request. Be sure to try the comforting curries and the roti when you’re there!
Wee Plate Cafe
The Wee Plate Cafe is a cozy vegetarian and vegan cafe in Glasgow’s Southside with salads, soups, and vegan mezze plates. You can also try Turkish coffee and tea, as well as a variety of hot and cold beverages.
Glasgow Cafes with Vegan Options
Who loves a great coffee shop, especially when there are vegan treats to nibble on as you sip your cappuccino? Here are a few Glasgow cafes that have vegan offerings, including plant-based milk and desserts.
Riverhill Coffee Bar
I stumbled upon Riverhill Coffee Bar because I noticed there was a donut shop next door to it. After asking about vegan treats at the donut shop (they didn’t have any), one of the employees told me to go next door. Indeed, Riverhill Coffee Bar had a selection of vegan baked goods, and even a veggie roll. The woman working behind the counter also happened to follow a vegan diet herself, so she quickly pointed out every plant-based treat. I’m always surprised (and delighted!) on how many occasions I ask a staff member about vegan items, and they happen to follow a vegan diet, too.
I couldn’t resist trying one of the tahini brownies with my Americano. If you’re into lattes or cappuccinos, they have a few kinds of plant-based milks. The brownie was super rich and delicious, providing a sugary boost to further wanders around the city. Riverhill Coffee Bar is pretty cozy with limited seating. You might be able to find a spot to sit in the cafe, although it’s possible you’ll have to take your snacks and drinks away with you.
Papercup Coffee Company
Justin and I walked from the City Centre to Glasgow’s West End, hoping to pop into In Bloom. Sadly, it was closed for the day, earlier than the hours stated. We were thinking about hopping into Serenity Now, but they were also closing up shop by that time. Thankfully, it was Papercup Coffee Company to the rescue! They were still open and they had soothing and savory beverages and treats on hand.
While I ordered an Americano, I didn’t end up getting any treats. However, I noticed that they did have vegan desserts and baked goods on hand. Be sure to take a look when you go there as you’ll likely be able to pair a treat with your hot beverage. I loved the mural splashed across one of the walls. It’s a quaint and cozy spot in town, so don’t miss this one if you’re a coffee lover.
Vegan Food at Grasshoppers Hotel
We could have dined at even more vegan restaurants in Glasgow if it weren’t for our hotel being so fabulous. We aren’t complaining! Grasshoppers Hotel offered a delicious breakfast with many vegan options, like baked beans, bread, fresh fruit, cereal with soy milk, coffee, and tea. Next, the staff at Grasshoppers puts out plates of sausage rolls in the afternoon, including vegan ones! Furthermore, Grasshoppers does offer vegan-friendly options at their restaurant for dinner, although we didn’t personally experience it. You can make a reservation ahead of time and request a vegan meal without any issues.
PLANNING A TRIP TO SCOTLAND?
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Have you ever tried any of these vegan restaurants in Glasgow?
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40 Hours in London
Hello all (aka hey Mom, Dad, and Donald)!
As I write this, I’m coming off of a whirlwind day and a half in London and am couple hours into my nine-ish hour flight to Mumbai from Brussels. Recaps and pictures below the break, but in a nutshell, I got to catch up with one of my dearest Duke friends and her adorable English boyfriend, ate some delicious food, and walked about 15 miles -- and, most surprisingly, got my first sunburn of the summer!
Read on for a very long post, which includes details on my first time getting lost (of many this summer, I’m sure), on a very flamboyant production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” and my key takeaways on solo travel so far.
I landed in London around noon on Wednesday and took a bus into the city. Even after two years of traveling for work, I’m still completely unable to sleep on airplanes, so I was on about hour 24 of being awake. After unloading my extremely heavy (exactly 13 kilos) backpack and showering at my friend Nicole’s flat, I ventured out into the city. My plan was to go to the Victoria and Albert Musuem, and I took a scenic two-ish mile stroll there at Nicole’s recommendation. I walked through Chelsea and another neighborhood and passed at least 10 high-end antique shops and another dozen designer clothing stores, along with plenty of old brownstones that reminded me of my beloved DC.
Inside the Victoria and Albert Museum (which is housed in a beautiful building), I started to walk through the Early British Art exhibit, but only made it to about 1700 before a wave of exhaustion hit. Probably due to a combination of lack of sleep and lack of water, I felt light-headed and a bit nauseous, so I asked for directions to the cafe in the hopes of getting a bottle of water. To get to the cafe, I had to walk out the back of the museum, and there I was greeted by a beautiful, sunny courtyard centered around a wading fountain. The little park was full of families and people young and old, and so once I got my water I went back out and spent about an hour soaking in the sun. I ended up sitting next to three separate groups of Scottish travelers, all of whom had come to see the Pink Floyd exhibit at the musuem. Over the course of the hour, I eavesdropped on endlessly amusing conversations, ranging from discussion of bands (the groups had very differing opinions on Meatloaf) to their motorcycles (they all had them, que sorpresa!)
Unfortunately, London’s uncharacteristic warmth (it was almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit!) was too much for my iPhone, which overheated and required me to go back inside. I took up a spot in the cafe, which ended up being the best decision I made that day -- in my overheated state, I had missed it earlier, but the room was one of the most gorgeous, ornately constructed I’ve ever been in, and a man had just sat down to play the grand piano in the center. For the next hour, I listened to the musician, who was quite talented, while I tried to set up the European SIM card on my phone.
Here’s where the plot thickens. The SIM card had already caused a bit of confusion, because apparently my provider needed to unlock my phone before I could use it, but I couldn’t call them because I couldn’t get the SIM card to work on my phone. I was able to get my mom to give Sprint a ring, and they flipped the switch, but I had to completely erase and reset my phone for everything to work. I backed my phone up to iCloud (which I’d never done before...oops) and popped in the new SIM card, intending to load the backup from the cloud. However, all of this required WiFi, and the V&A (which had remarkably fast free internet access) closed at 5:30 and swept me out, despite the fact that I was not even partway done downloading my apps and data. With the SIM card, I was able to use data to run the apps once they were loaded, but the SIM card wouldn’t work until the download of the backup was complete, which involved downloading the apps. This download required WIFi, and so I suddenly found myself stranded, with no apps yet downloaded onto my phone - including Maps - and no way to download them.
I wandered through the neighborhood looking for a locale that could provide free WiFi, and I must have gone into about eight different restaurants and bars asking if I could buy a drink and if they had public WiFi. The answers were all no - either they couldn’t serve drinks without food, they didn’t have WiFi, or - in one case - their WiFi wasn’t working. I finally gave up and sat down in an Italian bottega to collect myself as I was feeling pretty frazzled, and, after initially telling me no, the manager took pity on me and gave me the internet password while I enjoyed my glass of sauvignon blanc.
Newly equipped with a map, I made my way back to Nicole’s where she and her boyfriend, Ed, shortly joined me. We walked to a DC City Center-esque part of the city, where we had a tasty dinner al freso and caught up. I went back to Nicole’s for the night exhausted (at this point I’d been awake for almost 36 hours!) and slept like a rock.
Thursday dawned way too early -- I’d set my alarm for 7:30, which is the time I usually wake up naturally, forgetting in my sleepy stupor that I was five hours ahead and 7:30 would feel like 2:30 AM. I snoozed until about 10:00 then got up and showered and headed out. I ate a quick breakfast on the go (Coke included, of course) and, at Nicole’s and Ed’s recommendation, took the Tube over to the London Bridges stop.
I had forgotten that this was the site of last week’s terror attack in London. In stepping out of the Underground I was immediately greeted by a huge, roped-off swath of bouquets and cards laid in memory of the victims. Police men and women roamed the area, and I was asked to show the contents of my purse. The pseudo-memorial was a stark contrast to such a beautiful, sunny day, and I spent some time reading the cards and signs extolling the strength of Londoners and their city before heading down to Borough Market.
Borough Market was delightful, and very busy given that this was only its second day open following the attacks. Like the memorial at the Tube station, the area had a heavy security presence, but there was nothing somber about the scene. Green-canopied food stalls crowded together haphazardly in a maze-like arrangement (similar too, although far less cramped than, the bazaars in India). Each sold a different type of food, ranging from bright pastel-colored macarons to fresh shucked oysters. I roamed through for a while, then walked over to the Southwark Cathedral, at which Ed is the organist. I spent an hour or so walking through the cathedral, which is the oldest Gothic cathedral in London and was attended by many noteworthy Londoners, including William Shakespeare. Like many of the older European churches I’ve been to, the floor is made up of a patchwork of grave markers, and monuments and memorials to the dead line the walls. The architecture and centuries of history were well complemented by Ed’s beautiful organ playing; he was accompanying one of the church choirs as they rehearsed. Also notable is that I got to meet the cathedral’s semi-famed feral cat, Dawkins, who greeted me and let me pet her when I arrived.
After touring the cathedral, I went back to the market and, again following my hostess’ recommendation, got a salt beef sandwich on a bagel (bagels over everything). It was delicious, and I sat and ate by a grounded pirate ship -- well, not really a pirate ship, but it looked like one and I actually have no clue what it was -- and listened to an amusing conversation between to 40-something business men next to me about the public speaking class one of them was currently taking.
From there, I decided to wind my way down the Thames to Shakespeare’s Globe. On the way, I passed all that remains of the Westminster Castle. These two walls were uncovered behind some warehouses, and represent the back wall of the great hall, in which the King of Scotland and Joan something had their wedding feast in, like, the 1600s. Only in Europe! I also passed the site of the original Globe theater, which burned down, was forgotten and then rediscovered, and is now an archaeological site beneath a condo building.
At the new Globe theater - Shakespeare’s Globe - I discovered that there was a 2:00 PM show, and he time was 1:15! Unfortunately, I was told that the show was sold out, but was given the option to queue in the Returns line in the event that anyone did not want their ticket. Multiple tickets for real seats (as opposed to the standing room “cheap seats”) were offered to us for 45 GBP and up, but that was too steep for me. However, a couple in front of me already held standing tickets but was waiting to purchase seated tickets if they could. When two seated tickets at what they felt was a reasonable price were offered, they decided to take them, and gave their standing tickets to me and the girl in line behind me - for free! I could not believe my luck.
The interior of the Globe was designed to mimic how it would’ve looked in Shakespeare’s time - round, with different booths for seated customers, and then a large pit where commoners could stand and watch. I joined a few hundred others (apparently the pit can hold up to 750, but it was luckily not that full) to watch the adaptation of Twelfth Night. Performed as a disco-esque musical, but still largely sticking to Shakespeare’s original text, the production was colorful and laugh-out-loud funny. The cast was small - only 10 or 12 actors, all of whom were insanely talented. Our narrator was a large, black man in drag, wearing a gold sequined gown, bright blue eyeshadow, and a humongous afro wig. Also notable were the man playing Count Orsino, who was hilariously and intentionally oversexual, and the small girl playing Malvolio, who really stole the show with her antics and affect.
After the two-and-a-half hour show, I took a short walk up to the Tate Modern, which has been on my bucket list since I missed it during my last visit to London nine years ago. By this time, my dogs were barking, so I bopped up to the observation deck (from which I mistakenly though I saw the Eiffel Tower… it’s a huge tv tower…) and went through one of the exhibits before calling it a day. The exhibit was exactly as weird as I had hoped -- centering on art as performance, it included abstract videos, lots of near-nudity and body modification, and lots of mundane black-and-white photographs that were too boring to be considered art, but somehow here they were
I took the Tube back to Nicole’s and enjoyed a nice hour and a half off my feet while updating my daily budget and snacking on some of my leftover airplane food. Once she and Ed got home, we regrouped and headed to Aviary, a new rooftop restaurant and bar, at which Nicole’s roommate was DJing that evening. The sunset from the rooftop was stunning, and I was able to use a blanket that the bar had on hand once it went down and I was suddenly freezing. Nicole had two free drink coupons, so we each got a grapefruit gin and tonic - v tasty - and ordered a burger and fries to share. Despite the very poor service (think a labyrinth… every question only created more questions, and the answer to most was “no”), the food was really good, and we left full and happy.
Back at Nicole’s, I regrouped and repacked for my early morning flight. I had booked a 4 AM coach to Heathrow and was terrified of oversleeping, but my body refused to stay awake so I got about three hours of zzz’s before getting up, showering, and once again hitting the road. I successfully made the coach (I was one of four passengers) and got through Heathrow without issue and with enough time to grab a parfait and a Coke - my standard airport breakfast - before my flight to Brussels boarded. I had 90 minutes or so in the Brussels airport, which gave me enough time to go all the way to the far end of the terminal for Starbucks. In my efforts to trick my body into India time, I ate a “lunch” sandwich around 9 AM local time, then boarded my flight to Mumbai and here I am!
Mumbai will be tricky for a few reasons. Originally, I was supposed to travel with someone else this summer, and our meet-up was supposed to be tonight in Mumbai. Although the person bailed on me and forced me out of our trip - hence my completely different itinerary than initially planned - we’re both, to my knowledge, still flying into Mumbai tonight, and I would like to avoid a run-in if at all possible. The second sticky situation is that I’ve booked a flight to Kolkata that departs within three hours of my arrival in Mumbai - you may reference the aforementioned situation for my reasoning behind this seemingly masochistic endeavor that will result in me traveling for 22 hours. Because I booked that flight separately, I have to go out through customs, get my backpack from baggage claim, then once again check my bag, go through security, and board my next flight. It took me at least an hour to get through customs when I last flew to India, although I’m hoping to Mumbai airport is more efficient than CCU in Kolkata. So - fingers crossed for me please!
I’m so, so unbelievably excited to be back in Kolkata, my favorite city in the whole wide world. I’m already experiencing my first bit of culture shock, as I”m one of, maybe, five white people on my huge, very full plane to Mumbai: cue the awkward stares. It’s funny, because when I think about my time in India I never think about the staring, but there certainly was plenty of it. I’ve also experienced my first communication barrier, as the sweet middle-aged lady beside me keeps trying to talk to me but we have no common language. I’m definitely nervous - it’s going to be a real adventure being there by myself with a serious Bangla deficit, but I’m up for the challenge.
My thoughts so far before I wrap up this egregiously long post:
1. Traveling by myself is DOPE. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I don’t feel guilty for, say, only looking at one exhibit at a musuem, or for sitting outside in the sun instead of looking at Medieval Art (which, to clarify, I love - but I have a feeling I’ll be seeing plenty of museums this summer).
2. Jet lag is a sneaky sneaker. Although I’ve managed to sleep and wake up at all of the appropriate times, I have definitely felt “out of it” - lightheaded and achey and definitely not fully myself. BIG ups to Nicole and Ed for putting up with me and making my first two days of this summer amazing and much less scary than I thought they’d be. Which brings me to my third and final point...
3. Four years later, I’m still feeling #foreverDuke. Ed, as a Brit, apparently doesn’t fully understand the culture of “school spirit” that exists in America, and Nicole and I were trying to explain to him that it goes deeper than sports teams (although #DDMF, always) and colors (although we do bleed Duke Blue). How lucky am I to have friends that I met on literal day one of college that still love me enough to invite me to their homes in foreign countries and provide me with itineraries and food and warm beds? Feeling very #blessed by the Duke network and #thankful to M&D for making my dream come true eight years ago.
That’s enough for now -- I’ve way overshot the mark here but I still have four hours to go until I arrive at BOM, so I’m gonna read some GoT. I’ll catch y’all on the flippity flip -- next post will be from the home-away-from-home that I’ve loved the most, the City of Joy itself :)
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28 Things You’ll Learn on an East Coast Canada Road Trip
I’d never been to the east coast of Canada before I road-tripped through it.
In fact, I’d never visited Canada at all – but I’d always wanted to. Up until a few weeks ago, Canada still existed in my mind as a maple-syrup-soaked land of giant moose and friendly locals: essentially, a stereotypical dream. And when the plan of road tripping along Canada’s east coast emerged, I envisioned a highway dotted with Tim Hortons, ice rinks and, again, giant moose.
But over the course of a fortnight, my photographer friend Kim and I drove along the open highways of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador, searching for every story we could find – and the stereotypes fell away in favour of something better.
Our search for stories led us to riding ATVs through tall grass and foraging for cloudberries in soggy marshland. To jigging for cod on a tiny fishing boat, wrapped inside a blanket of fog. To kayaking in the Atlantic ocean alongside the bobbing heads of sleek-bodied seals. To walking with ghosts in darkened cemeteries with lost German names inscribed on slabs of broken slate. To rising earlier than the light and hiking past stone stacks at sunrise. To drinking tea from china cups beside beach bonfires and toasting each other with homemade scones and jam.
And then there were the people: a seemingly never-ending stream of Nova Scotians and Newfoundlanders who are, truly, some of the most immediately friendly strangers I’ve ever met.
But the road was the central thread of this journey: following those painted strips of yellow line vanishing beneath our car tyres, the constant banks of trees broken up by a succession of unfamiliar names on roadsigns, and an ever-present stretch of asphalt winding out like a ribbon before us. And it also acting like a framework, allowing us to get to grips with Atlantic Canada from a fascinating perspective.
Here’s what we learned from a two week road trip across east coast Canada.
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Atlantic Canada will remind you of a dozen different places.
The east coast of Canada is comprised of four provinces: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island (PEI), New Brunswick and Newfoundland & Labrador. Those first three are also called the Maritime provinces – the easternmost province of Newfoundland & Labrador only joined Canada in 1949, so it’s not included in that grouping.
These Atlantic provinces are clearly influenced by the different cultures of people who settled here – Scottish, Irish, English and French – along with the First Nations who have always called this part of Canada home. You’ll see these different cultures reflected in people’s accents, surnames, and names of locations: like the Irish brogue of Newfoundlanders, or the signs to places like Lower Shoal Highway, Little Heart’s Ease and Bear Nation River.
The landscapes are like Ireland and Scotland…
In Nova Scotia, we often mentioned we’d be visiting Newfoundland & Labrador next – and everyone said the same thing: that Newfoundland was exactly like Ireland.
This island province has the most stunning landscapes: wide sweeps of coastal cliffs, deep stretches of pockmarked earth, and sudden forests under vast expanses of sky. Fascinatingly, Newfoundland & Labrador is home to some of the oldest fossils on the planet, thanks to its history as a place where the continental plates collided.
… But the buildings look like they’re lifted from northern Norway.
Every time we passed one of the tiny fishing huts (called ‘stages’) which are dotted along Atlantic Canada’s coastline, I continually thought of the similar little red-roofed buildings in northern Norway.
It always makes me happy to draw parallels between two different parts of the world – and it makes sense in this case. Both Atlantic Canada and Arctic Norway rely heavily on fishing, hence why they position their buildings right above the water.
There aren’t many cars, and the road is often empty.
For long stretches of our driving days in both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, we were treated to virtually empty roads. On the plus side, this meant maximum views of the surrounding landscape – but on the downside, we couldn’t play as many car games prompted by the vehicles around us (a firm favourite of mine is guessing what kind of person is driving based on their numberplate letters).
Luckily, Kim was treated to my second-favourite car game: the alphabet-based “I went to the supermarket” – except with a Canadian theme. This game pulled us through about two hours of driving at the end of our trip, along with a serious case of hysteria…
Your car snacks will all include maple in some form.
All good road trips need an assortment of local snacks for munching on. Keep a box of maple biscuits in the car for emergencies (along with some maple butter cereal bars for real emergencies).
The weather can change in an instant (especially in Newfoundland!)
Dressing for weather in the Maritime provinces is an education. We had constant blue skies and bright sunshine in Nova Scotia, but on arrival in Newfoundland our plane touched down in a thick soup of heavy fog.
Newfoundland is famed for its quick-to-change weather, thanks to the contrast with sea and air temperatures. The fog comes out of nowhere – but it can also fade away again pretty quickly.
Sadly, there’s a fair amount of roadkill.
In Nova Scotia, there were multiple occasions when I suddenly shouted, “Raccoon!” “Possum!” “Ohh… it’s a porcupine..!”
Seeing a little pile of upended quills perhaps isn’t the best way to see my first ever porcupine in the wild: unfortunately the highway is a dangerous spot for many Canadian animals, and it’s often the last resting place for the aforementioned critters – along with snakes, groundhogs and skunks.
Thankfully I was much happier in Newfoundland, as there’s barely any roadkill to be seen.
Luckily there’s also plenty of Canadian wildlife that’s alive and well!
It’s extremely tantalising to know that the forests on either side of the road could be filled with brown bears and moose (even if they’re hiding from view whenever you look). But there’s lots of other animals happily enjoying life in Atlantic Canada.
On our kayaking adventures in Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia, we watched the seals swim, surface and dunk themselves beneath the water again, and during a boat tour in New Bonaventure, Newfoundland, I saw my first ever bald eagle sat in the top of a far-off tree – which then took off in flight right in front of us. All my photos are way too blurry but I was so happy!
But the best wildlife sighting has to be in Elliston, NL, where an entire rock’s surface is covered in puffins. We sat on the rain-soaked grass and time seemed to stop as we watched these adorable little birds zoom around – and eventually a pair decided to land right in front of us. At the same moment, there were three or four whales in the ocean just beyond, their bodies and bursts of bubbles repeatedly appearing above the water’s surface.
I could have sat there all day long.
You’ll want to see moose – but also you DON’T want to see moose.
My not-so-secret predominant wish for our Canada trip was to see a moose casually mooching along the highway as we drove past. Kim, who was coincidentally doing all the driving, was not so keen. Particularly when I showed her this viral video of a moose in Alaska.
We didn’t end up seeing any moose in the end – and I’m actually quite grateful, because these guys are no joke.
Searching for coffee shops with espresso machines can lead you to some adorable cafes…
On a roadtrip, a caffeine hit in the mornings is basically mandatory – so Kim and I made it our mission to sample good coffee wherever we went. We’ve both spent our adulthoods drinking espresso coffee, but in the more rural parts of Atlantic Canada (particularly in Newfoundland) it proved quite difficult to find coffee shops which served cappuccinos and lattes.
Don’t give up the search though! Our need for caffeine often led us to some lovely places – like The Two Whales Coffee Shop in Port Rexton, NL, the Laughing Whale Coffee Roasters in Lunenberg, NS, and T.A.N. Coffee in Windsor, part of an alternative coffee shop chain in Nova Scotia.
… But you will inevitably find yourself inside a Tim Hortons.
Tim Hortons is a quintessentially Canadian chain and there are thousands of Tim Hortons stores across Canada. We automatically tried to avoid them in pursuit of the aforementioned independent coffee shops – but one foggy morning it was the only place serving coffee for miles around.
I’m glad we ended up there, because it turns out the coffee is pretty damn good. And the Timbits (delicious bite-sized doughnut holes in all kinds of flavours) aren’t to be sniffed at, either.
Sampling Canada’s fast food chains is a worthy endeavour.
If you’re going to try the Timbits from Tim Hortons, then you also need to try Canada’s other fast food offerings.
On our first day in Halifax we went straight to a poutine shop, sharing a box filled with chips smothered in cheese curds, pulled pork and gravy. It was sinfully delicious – and within 24 hours we’d also made our way to BeaverTails.
Inspired by Canada’s unofficial mascot animal, this pastry shop makes Canadian doughnuts and pastries, including their hand-stretched doughy namesake. I sampled a beavertail-wrapped hot dog while walking along the Halifax waterfront and it was way too tasty for its own good.
You could feasibly eat fresh lobster for every meal…
When dinnertime rolls around in Atlantic Canada, there’s always lobster in some format on the menu. Lobster poutine, lobster mac & cheese, lobster rolls, the infamous ‘Lunenburger’ (a beef burger topped with lobster and a scallop, served in its namesake town of Lunenburg, NS), lobster tagliatelle, or the pièce de résistance — an entire lobster.
If you have lunch at Hall’s Harbour Lobster Pound in the Bay of Fundy you’ll get the chance to meet Lowell, who gives you a behind-the-scenes tour of the lobster pound and regales you with fascinating lobster facts while wearing beautifully themed lobster socks.
Lowell will also introduce you to the biggest (live) lobster you’ve ever seen: he’s called Albert, and his claw is bigger than Lowell’s foot.
Or you can just stuff yourself with seafood.
I’ve spent the last few years trying to give up most meat, but I still fail miserably at avoiding seafood. Being pescatarian feels more acceptable when you’re right beside the ocean – so I full-on indulged. After two weeks of delicious seafood at every meal, I don’t think I can eat mussels, scallops, or chowder again for a while…
In Atlantic Canada, the word ‘fish’ always means ‘cod’.
The importance of cod in Canada’s history cannot be overstated. Once the most-fished-for fish in the country because it was so plentiful, decades of over-fishing eventually led to a ‘cod moratorium’ in 1992, which banned cod fishing throughout Canada.
It was the biggest fisheries collapse in world history: it put over 40,000 people out of work overnight, decimated hundreds of coastal communities and irreparably changed the social landscape of east coast Canada, particularly in Newfoundland.
Almost thirty years later, Atlantic cod isn’t extinct but it’s still officially vulnerable. The government have now allowed the recreational fishing of cod but the fishery as an industry remains closed.
If you visit Newfoundland & Labrador, prepare to kiss the cod. Seriously.
This province have taken their love of cod to a whole new level: it’s a crucial part of a tradition called the ‘Screech-in’ which welcomes visitors to the island.
On our third night in St John’s (and after a number of pints at the Yellowbelly Brewery), our blogger friend Candice took us to George Street for our official screech-in ceremony. We stood in a circle amongst a bunch of other visitors while a giant of a man dressed in fisherman’s gear slapped a huge wooden paddle against his flattened palm and shouted out lines of a poem, which we had to shout back in repetition.
One by one we kneeled down, then kissed a frozen cod held in front of us – which was swiftly followed by downing a shot of Screech rum. And just like that, we were honorary Newfoundlanders!
There are huge lighthouses all along the coast…
If you love lighthouses, you’re in luck. Atlantic Canada is famed for its lighthouses, and there’s even an easily-followable lighthouse route along the Nova Scotia coastline.
We stopped in at a fair few lighthouses during our trip, including the famed Peggy’s Point Lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove, just outside of Halifax. The Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society has a comprehensive list of which lighthouses are open to the public (including a few where you can spend the night!)
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…and you’ll see much smaller lighthouses too.
Miniature lighthouses seemed to be a typically Canadian thing which I didn’t quite understand, but was nonetheless totally happy about (particularly when I asked Google, “‘why does Canada love lawn lighthouses’ and found this guy).
We passed multiple houses with tiny lighthouse statues set on their front lawns – and when they also featured Canadian flags it was even better.
You’ll see the same outdoor deckchairs everywhere you look.
Adirondack chairs are perhaps my favourite discovery from the east coast of Canada. When I first spotted them along the Halifax waterfront I assumed they were only a city-wide thing, but we quickly realised that these wide colourful deckchairs are all over the place.
I’ve tried to learn their origin and why Canada loves them so much, but the best info I could come up with was this: to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017, Parks Canada placed 150 all-weather Adirondack chairs across the country in an effort to connect Canadians with nature.
Adirondack chairs are usually in pairs of two or groups of three. We saw them on the front porches of hotels and private homes, at the ends of docks and beside lakes – even on hiking trails – and the ultimate reward was scoring a pair of chairs at Halifax airport on our five hour layover before flying back to London!
There’s a maritime museum in almost every town…
The east coast of Canada has a rich maritime history, and they’re doing a great job of informing visitors about it.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll love wandering through rooms filled with old anchors, paddle boats, buoys and dinghies, fascinating metallic artefacts made from metal and material and wood, along with dozens of crinkled photographs depicting sailors and captains from days gone by.
My favourites were the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, which had an entire floor dedicated to artefacts from the Titanic sinking (Halifax was the closest port to the sinking so many of the victims were brought here for burial) and the Provincial Seaman’s Museum in Grand Banks, Newfoundland, which featured a dozen different hearses on sledge blades – used when the water froze over in the 1800s.
… And there are even more cemeteries…
Atlantic Canada’s relationship to death is prominent, which makes sense when you think how many generations of fishing and sailing families have lost their loved ones to the sea. That prominence is reflected in where they choose to bury their dead, with cemeteries placed in centralised locations in pretty much every place we visited.
When we spoke to Pat Redgrave, the owner of The Garrison Inn in Annapolis Royal, NS – which sits opposite one of Canada’s oldest cemeteries with headstones dating back to 1720 – he said that in a part of the world where young fishermen often die, it’s not really possible to ignore death. As a result, the prevailing attitude of Nova Scotians and Newfoundlanders towards death seems pretty accepting.
…Which means there are ghosts (and ghost stories) everywhere.
The folklore and legends of Atlantic Canada are well-renowned – perhaps because this part of Canada has more decades of documented history than most of North America, but also because rich oral traditions are commonplace here.
Ghost walks, cemetery tours, spooky tales of hotel hauntings and faded old photos will all do their best to creep you out. I absolutely love this stuff. Kim? Not quite so much. Just outside a cemetery on our late night ghost walk through Lunenburg, NS, I made her scream when I sidled up to her to whisper, “There’s a man in that car…”
Turned out the creepy figure sat in the driver’s seat was a real human man just there to use the free outdoor wifi. It was still hilarious.
You’ll find yourself following local superstitions.
After hearing enough tales of century-old traditions and superstitious behaviour, it’s likely you’ll start following along with some of it.
During our ghost tour in Lunenburg, we learned that generations of Lunenburgers have spat on the ground when they see a single crow (which indicates bad luck) in order to beckon in a second crow (which lifts that bad luck). The next day while driving, we saw our third single crow of the day…. and both rolled down our windows to spit.
You don’t want to tempt bad luck, after all…!
If you’ve got a question, just look for the question marks.
There’s a lot of questions you can ask in eastern Canada – and thankfully the provinces are prepared for it. That’s why they’ve marked out their tourist offices with giant question marks, along with question-marked highway signs indicating you’re about to get the chance to ask some questions!
The first time we saw a question mark sign we erupted into laughter. But that could also have been roadtrip-related hysteria.
You can enjoy a rather tasty glass of local wine in Nova Scotia.
People told us that the vineyards in Nova Scotia produce wine that can rival France and California! Apparently the province’s soil and climate are perfect for growing grapes – and with more than eighteen wineries and vineyards dotted throughout Nova Scotia (particularly in Annapolis Valley), it’s becoming a burgeoning industry.
We sampled a few different red wines during our week in Nova Scotia and loved them. My favourite? The ‘Great Big Friggin’ Red’, complete with a label which reminded me of the circus.
Craft beer in Atlantic Canada is pretty fantastic too.
Aside from wine production, they’re also pretty hot on their craft beer in Atlantic Canada. There are dozens of craft breweries which made this IPA drinker very happy – I particularly liked the Garrison Tall Ship IPA and the Quidi Vidi ‘Day Boil’ Session IPA.
We spent time sampling beers at the Yellowbelly Brewery in St Johns and the nearby Quidi Vidi Brewery, but our favourite discovery was a brand-new bar set inside an old church in Wolfville, Nova Scotia (aptly named ‘Church’) with an ever-changing menu of locally brewed craft beer.
The sunrises are stunning – if you manage to wake up early enough.
The east coast of Canada is privy to some spectacular sunrises, which you’ll often vow to see. Unfortunately, you’ll often miss them because you were having too much fun the night before! But when you finally manage it (on the last morning of your trip..!) it’ll be beautiful.
We roused ourselves from a peaceful slumber in the insanely comfy beds at The Fisher’s Loft Inn in Port Rexton, Newfoundland, to head out on the Skerwink Trail at 5am. With fresh dew on the leaves and skittering bugs around us, we walked along the cliff edge beside the sea stacks and watched the sky change colour with the rising sun.
The best part of an east coast Canada road trip? Everyone will make friends with you.
Perhaps my favourite part of Atlantic Canada was making friends with people. It was absurdly easy, and yet still felt so special.
We struck up conversation with a woman and her family while queuing for our rental car at Halifax airport, then spent the early hours of the morning with a group of twenty-somethings that night at a local bar. An elderly married couple approached us at dinner with recommendations of where to visit in Nova Scotia; a young wife talked with me at length about Canada’s indigenous history while we went fishing; and a random woman tied my plastic bib behind my neck before showing me how to eat the lobster on the table in front of me!
There is no doubt that I’ll come back to Canada. There are two more Atlantic provinces I’ve yet to explore – and a hundred more stories to hear and to tell…
Would you go on an east coast Canada road trip? Are there any typical road trip lessons I’ve missed out?
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Disclaimer: This trip was in collaboration with Tourism Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador, who hosted Kim and I – but the opinions about Canadian superstitions, giant moose and Adirondack deckchairs are all my own.
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Glasgow for Foodies: Where to Eat & What to Eat!
You know you’re in a foodie city when you spend more time hopping from restaurant to bar to cafe to brewery than you do sightseeing, and Glasgow is just that kind of place!
I’ve managed to visit this city twice in the span of a year, and when I think back on these trips, I covered maybe a handful of attractions, but more food establishments than I can remember. Not that I’m complaining – food and drink are reason enough to visit a place in my opinion! – so today I thought I’d share some of my favourite restaurants in Glasgow, featuring a little mix of everything.
Monty’s
We found this place by chance after visiting the University of Glasgow and we ended up having a delicious brunch. First up, the interior was super fun with cheerful pastel colours and a giant map of the world on the ceiling.
Sam had the Scotch pancakes with maple syrup and smoked bacon and it was a match made in heaven. The combination of the salty, crispy bacon with the sweetness of the maple was just perfect. Smoked bacon should always accompany pancakes!
A post shared by Monty’s Bar & Restaurant (@montysglasgow) on Jul 3, 2017 at 3:18am PDT
I had the toasted sourdough with avocado smash and a poached egg (my go-to breakfast order), and nothing was left on the plate.
Address: 9 Radnor Street, Glasgow
Cafe Gandolfi
When it comes to breakfast, I would say make a beeline straight for Cafe Gandolfi. We ate there on our last day in Glasgow and I wish we’d come across it sooner because not only was their breakfast amazing, but the place also had a super warm and cozy vibe that made me want to linger long after I’d finished my food.
For my breakfast, I ordered the Gandolfi Vegetarian Breakfast, which came with fried halloumi, field mushrooms, tomatoes, potato scones, beans and eggs, with a side of sourdough toast. It was a fun twist on the traditional Full Scottish Breakfast, and I loved the combination of mushrooms and halloumi. It was so tasty!
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To be honest, I could have ordered anything off their menu and been happy; they had french toast, pancakes, omelettes, muesli, and everything sounded amazing. I was that person glancing over at other people’s plates thinking, “Mmmm, I wouldn’t mind having a bite of that!”
Address: 64 Albion Street, Glasgow
A’Challtainn
Another favourite restaurant of mine was A’Challtainn, located inside Barras Art and Design (BAaD). The restaurant is set in an old market turned multi-functional space, which is home to cool murals, independent shops and a nice selection of eateries, but aside from that, the venue also hosts flea markets, concerts, and other events.
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But going back to the restaurant, A’Challtainn means “the hazel wood” in Gaelic, and they specialize in Scottish fish and shellfish dishes, as well as a few meat and vegetarian dishes.
For my starter, I went with the dish of the day which was a squid ink risotto with sea bass. Their risotto was simply divine – rich and creamy, the way it should be! It almost made me wish they served it as a main because I would totally devour a plateful of that.
Then for my main, I had the lamb leg steak with baby carrots, beetroots, turnips, and seared tomato. The meat was tender, juicy, and flavourful enough on its own that you didn’t need any sauces.
And because the beauty of being married is that your husband has to share his meal with you, I also tried some of Sam’s roasted red pepper pearl barley risotto, which was served with zucchini, eggplant and the catch of the day – sea bass.
You’d think we’d be full after a meal like that, and we were, but their desserts sounded so delightful that we decided to share one. We got the lemon posset (creamy and similar to a custard) with a strawberry and pink peppercorn salsa. Again, simply divine!
Address: 54 Calton Entry, Glasgow
The Drugstore Social
If drinking your way to health is a thing, The Drugstore Social is the closest you’re going to get to this. This bar is all about experimenting with natural sweeteners, herbaceous garnishes, and ingredients that have medicinal properties. Their motto is “live well”, not only through food and drink in its nutritional sense, but also by bringing people together.
Also, coincidence or not, this bar is set in an old-fashioned pharmacy, which seems very fitting!
We had fun sampling a few different drinks; I started out with Heart Beet, a beetroot infused mezcal, with Italian bitter liqueur and sake. It was a bit strong for my taste (I should have known this after doing a mezcal tasting session in Mexico last year!), but the drink lived up to its name – the giant block of ice in my glass really made it look like a heart!
Sam went with the Goodnight Kiss, which had pisco with coconut liqueur, honey water, lavender, lemon, whites and Prosecco. This one was an instant hit! After several trips to Peru, we’ve both grown to love our pisco sours and this was a fun twist on the drink, so I drank most of his.
If I were a local, I’d be hanging out at this bar all the time; the drink names were all so enticing and the combinations so unusual and fun.
Address: 67 Old Dumbarton Road, Glasgow
The Finnieston
Another Glasgow restaurant I really enjoyed was The Finnieston, a seafood restaurant and gin bar.
The restaurant itself felt very historic; the building dates back to the early 1800s when it was used as a drovers’ tavern, and over the course of two centuries it has housed a cabinet-making workshop, a hotel, and even a dairy farmer and his cattle.
The restaurant had a small yet focused menu, and since seafood is their specialty, we went with that. I actually tried oysters for the first time and I don’t know what took me so long! I was making all these faces at Sam thinking I wouldn’t like them, but I did. In fact, I enjoyed my first oyster so much, I didn’t even remember to add lemon or tabasco sauce or anything they had brought to the table.
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And since gin is their other specialty with more than 60 gins on offer, we had to get a little tipple to go with the oysters!
Address: 1125 Argyle Street, Glasgow
Porter & Rye
There’s one thing you come to Porter & Rye for and that is steak! Now I like to think I know my steak pretty well, especially considering I’m half Argentinean (meat is a religion in that part of the world), but I actually got to try something completely new: aged steak.
But why would you want to eat aged beef, you ask? Well, beef ageing is a process that results in the concentration of the meat’s natural flavour, plus you achieve a very tender cut of meat. It’s quite the process, so it’s not a very common practice outside steakhouses, but the results are undeniable.
Sam and I sampled two different steaks for dinner that night: one that had been aged 50 days and another that had been aged over 120 days.
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Having heard other people talk about their experiences eating aged steak, I was expecting it to have a very strong flavour, almost a little too overpowering, but on the contrary, I found the intensification of flavours present but subtle enough.
As for sides, I tried another new-to-me dish that night: bone marrow macaroni and cheese. People have been telling me to try bone marrow forever and I finally know what the fuss is all about! The result was a dish with a creamy and slightly buttery texture. Another fantastic meal!
Address: 1131 Argyle Street, Glasgow
Gamba
Now going back to seafood, another restaurant I really enjoyed in Glasgow was Gamba.
This restaurant is located at basement level right in the heart of Glasgow’s city centre and they specialize in fresh, local and sustainable seafood.
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For my entree, I had the yellowfish tuna sashimi, which was served with filleted king scallops, wasabi, pickled ginger, and a tamarind dipping sauce. And having already tried the scallops, I knew what I was getting for my main: the seared king scallops with celeriac puree (it looks like a cross between a celery and a turnip!), Stornoway black pudding and pancetta crumbs. It was a bit unexpected to have black pudding in a seafood dish, but it added a nice saltiness to the meal, plus how very Scottish.
And to drink, of course, I got some more gin (my gin obsession began on last year’s trip to Scotland). This time around I tried Daffy’s with a fresh mint and lime garnish. Refreshing!
Address: 225A W George Street, Glasgow
Drygate Brewery
I’ve been talking lots about food and gin, but what about Glasgow’s craft beer scene?
That’s where Drygate Brewery comes in!
This is a place that Sam had been to on our last trip to Glasgow and he had nothing but praise for the beer, so I too was excited to visit.
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We did the ‘Through the Glass Tour’, where you get to learn about the whole brewing process from behind the glass, just like the name suggests. Since we were going to be sampling some beers, we also turned this into a lunch and ordered some food to go along with our drinks, but let’s start with the beers.
First of all, I have to say, I loved the names of Drygate’s beers! They were quirky and inventive, and it turns out most of the names had a story behind them; the Disco Forklift Truck involves a little incident at the brewery, but you’ll have to take the tour to find out the story.
We sampled 4 of Drygate’s core beers including:
Chimera – an India Pale Lager that was light but a little bitter at the end.
Disco Forklift Truck – A pale ale that was fruity and tropical thanks to someone’s genius idea to add mango juice. This one was my favourite of them all!
Ceol Mor – A Scotch ale that had a bit of sweetness that reminded me of baked bread and toffee.
Orinoco – A breakfast stout with coffee and chocolate hints, which I think makes it socially acceptable to drink for breakfast.
And to go along with my 4 beers, I ordered the jerk ox cheek sandwich with smoked cheddar, the house slaw, and watercress. I first tried ox cheek in Laos and I hadn’t seen it on a menu since, so it was time to order it again! The meal was served as a fix it yourself sandwich board with sourdough bread, so I made mine an open face sandwich and happily feasted.
I also ordered a side of truffle mac and cheese which was amazing! Seriously, Glasgow is on a roll with its gourmet mac and cheese dishes – my KD dinners are forever ruined.
Address: 85 Drygate, Glasgow
The Bungo
Glasgow’s Southside may not be a tourist hot spot, but the beauty of having local friends is that they can introduce you to some great local eats. One such find was The Bungo Bar & Kitchen.
I got the Goan seafood thali which had fish, mussels and prawns in a delicious masala curry, with saffron rice, papads (thin, crispy wafer), spiced onions, mint raita (yoghurt-based sauce), and garlic pickle. Aside from the great food, the restaurant had a very lively atmosphere and it was packed, so it’s a nice place to go with friends.
Also, I should mention that they have set menus every night of the week (except weekends) and Mondays are beer and curry night, so all the more reason to go!
Address: Nithsdale Road, Glasgow
The Crafty Pig
And I’ve saved a super casual one, but one of our favourites, for last: The Crafty Pig!
We discovered this spot on our very first visit to Glasgow and it instantly became one of our go-to restaurants. It’s one of those places where we tried one dish, it was amazing, and we just kept coming back for more of the same. The culprit: their pulled pork sandwich. So tender, so juice, and slowly cooked to perfection. What’s not to love?
Throw in some chilli cheese fries and their massive milkshakes, and there was basically no getting rid of us for the duration of our time in the city.
A post shared by The Crafty Pig (@thecraftypiggla) on May 8, 2017 at 7:16am PDT
But seriously, if you go, try the cookies and cream milkshake with vanilla ice cream, oreos, chocolate chip cookies, and whipped cream. It may result in a temporary food coma, no regrets.
Address: 508 Great Western Rd, Glasgow
And there you have it, those are some of my favourite restaurants in Glasgow based on two visits. Clearly, we spent a lot of our time eating! If you have any other restaurants that you think are worth checking out, feel free to add your suggestions in the comments section so we can all find new places to eat in Glasgow!
What are some of your favourite restaurants in Glasgow?
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UK Road Trip Week 6.... plus the final two days! (first two days of week 7)
Day 36:
We drove from Inverness to Fort William today. The road there was gorgeous with lots of lochs, valleys, and mountains. I mean, it’s nothing we hadn’t seen before on the NC 500, but I do feel bad about not filming it. I was just so focused on admiring it myself. I do need to get the hang of filming more of the amazing sights I see if I want to start a youtube channel at some point though. I did film a herd of sheep with their shepherd so that was cool. Shortly after that, we saw a fenced-off area full of male and female deer. We think they’re being protected. The antlers of a stag are just so beautiful. Whenever I see a stag I think of Harry Potter or Princess Mononoke because they look so magical. Once we got to Fort William, we drove through the city centre and came to the decision that we’d be hiking Ben Nevis the following day. We grabbed lunch at Aldi and then drove to Glenfinnan which is just the next town over and home to the Glenfinnan viaduct where the Hogwarts Express famously goes over in the HP movies. We explored Glenfinnan station and I bought a postcard to add to my postcard collection of all of the cool places that I’ve been to. Later on, we walked down to the viaduct for photos. It was pretty interesting and not as crowded as I thought and I pictured the Hogwarts express going over. Luckily we parked near Glenfinnan station and were actually able to watch the train go on the tracks near there and through the valley. Afterward, we drove back to Fort William and had a bite at the Costa and tried to watch the fourth Harry Potter movie, but couldn’t get through it, I had just read the books so I was too confused by how much they skipped and it was hard to watch. We ended the night with the usual, by finding a layby and pitching up.
Day 37:
We hiked Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Scotland and the British Isles! I’m glad we managed to in the end. We were both somewhat apprehensive about it because we were so tired and weren’t sure if the weather would stay decent enough for it. We took our time getting ready which isn’t smart when you’re going on a long hike but what can you do when you’re tired. We wanted to make sure we’d had our coffee this time. We finally set off at 10:36 on the hike. It actually took us about the same time to hike it as it did for Snowdon even though Ben Nevis is 260m taller but that’s because we didn’t have to walk through as many valleys and ridges with Ben Nevis as we did with Snowdon. It was a bit steeper though, but we didn’t have to scramble up anywhere like Snowdon either. The bf tells me that I shouldn’t compare the mountains because they’re different but I can’t help it because I’ve never done hikes before like this and none that were more than a couple of hours at most. It certainly wasn’t as crowded at the Ben Nevis summit. But you still had the inconsiderate fools smoking there and during the hike which made it harder for people like me who have sinus/breathing issues to breathe after a strenuous hike. It was honestly pretty upsetting that there was such a large amount of people smoking everywhere on the trail. Then we also had two young girls playing music loudly on speakers that were inside their bag and then the foolish tourists wearing the most inappropriate clothing for a hike (dresses, fancy sandals, jewelry, flats, jeans.etc). Ugh, I sound bitter, I’m not. Really. I should know that with a tourist mountain like this one, unfortunately, that there are gonna be fools. Overall, even though the weather wasn’t as great as when we did Snowdon, I really enjoyed it and I’m proud to say that I did it. It reaffirmed my wish to try and hike many more mountains and definitely a bunch when I get to Japan; especially Mt. Fuji. The bf and I even met some older men on the trail that had just come back from hiking Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. We were pretty impressed since they said they did it twice. The bf and I would definitely like to hike that too someday. I mean he’s already done it, (he’s done many hikes, I’m pretty jealous) but he said he’d do it again with me. At another point on the trail, we met someone doing the 24-hour peak to peak challenge where one tries to hike Snowdon, Scafell Pike, and Ben Nevis in 24 hours…I couldn’t do that…I wouldn’t want to do that, I mean kudos to him but why would I want to kill my legs like that for no reason. I do love hikes and I feel so good after a hike, exhausted, but overall good, you know? If I did something like that without rest though…I feel like I’d be bedridden for at least a week afterward. I’d rather enjoy myself and the wilderness and just accomplish major hikes like that one at a time with lots of rest in between. My goal is to start doing nice long hikes/walks in the lake or peak district every other or every weekend before I leave the UK. Our knees were destroyed by the time we got down from Ben Nevis so I definitely need to buy knee braces before my next big hike. We ended the day by watching the Liverpool game and taking it easy.
Day 38:
Today we rode the Hogwarts Express! Aka the Jacobite and well not the exact model apparently but similar and..actually kind of a waste of money, but I’ll get to that in a bit. I woke up at 6:30 am and I was super excited about what lay ahead, but I also woke up so early because I was restless all night and awake until 2 am. It was the first hot night we’d experienced in a while and I just felt hot and dry all night and not to mention sore and in pain in my legs/knees from the Ben Nevis hike. Eventually, the bf woke up and we drove to Fort William station to get ready for the train ride. What struck me as disappointing right away is that it looked nothing like the Hogwarts Express from the inside unless you were to be seated in first class where they actually do have private carriages. The rest though just looks like a regular, old, worn (emphasis on old and worn) train. You’d think from the amount that it costs that they’d be able to afford to do some upkeep on it but nope. It is purely a cash grab that sets you back 40 pounds. It was a complete tourist trap. There were so many loud tourists, it was so crowded and people kept constantly trying to hog the window space for stunning views outside. Yes, the views were lovely, but it’s really hard to enjoy them from how loud and stuffy it was in there (since it clearly is an old train, no air conditioner). You could tell that half the people on there weren’t even fans or there for the views (which you could have gotten for much cheaper on a regular Scotrail train I bet), but just to say that they’d ridden it which was a bit annoying. There were people sleeping and elderly/middle-aged people drinking or taking selfies and I just kept asking myself what they were doing there. Curiously though, there were hardly any people from our age group, you know the people that grew up with the fandom, books, movies, etc. It was just a really disappointing experience since I had been looking forward to doing this ever since I arrived in the UK so I’m sorry, I know I sound bitter and annoyed. I’ve ridden much nicer, quieter, scenic and less expensive trains in Japan and have gone to the wizarding world of Harry Potter at Universal Studios there which I think is a much better use of my money and had a great time. I shouldn’t really compare though but it’s a shame because I honestly don’t think it was worth our time or money. They even got the HP story wrong in the 1 pound tour guide book that we bought!
We would have been much better off just finding a good spot and filming the train from there which we kinda did but a shot over the Glenfinnan viaduct would have been the perfect shot and the only thing worth doing unfortunately but I’m glad I know I suppose although I guess I should have done my research on the train journey before buying a ticket. Once we got back to Fort William on the train’s return leg from Mallaig, we hopped in the car and decided to drive South toward loch Lomond. The drive there was excellent. We drove through valleys and mountains and that paired with the good weather made me feel better about the lousy train trip. I definitely want to invest in a proper camera for my next travels because so far I have just been using my phone and I’m running out of space for photos and videos so I’m forced to have to use my phone camera very wisely for the next 5 days so as to not run out of space before the trip is over. When we arrived in loch Lomond, we found the perfect layby, made some noodles and just chilled for the rest of the night.
Day 39:
It’s great waking up knowing that you’re going to have a scenic drive, that’s why I love staying overnight in a national park or AONB, it’s just a lovely thing to wake up to. The plan today was just to drive from loch Lomond through Cairngorms national park and finally to Aberdeen. We decided to cut out Cairngorms for today because we figured that take too long and just save it for tomorrow. We were both really hungry so we decided to stop at a cafe called “Skoosh” along our drive in the loch Lomond national park. We both decided to get full Scottish breakfasts. We were able to choose from a list of breakfast items. I chose everything that wasn’t pork essentially while the bf chose a typical breakfast with sausage, bacon, fried egg, etc. I did also imply to the waitress that I couldn’t eat pork by asking if something that I ordered contained any and then ordering it when she said it didn’t. Unfortunately, when our order arrived, both our plates had bacon. I really enjoy ordering full breakfasts (of the veggie variety but with haggis when I’m in Scotland since the only thing I can’t eat is pork) so it was a shame that I couldn’t eat half my plate because the bacon/bacon grease was touching/mixed up with the other stuff. I didn’t complain but in retrospect, I should have said something. I just gave more than half my plate to the bf to eat and tried to eat the rest myself but felt physically ill at the thought that what I ate may have touched the bacon grease on the plate. It’s more of a psychological thing, but I felt uncomfortable and couldn’t enjoy anything else. I hate food going to waste too; I couldn’t eat my mushrooms and tomatoes because they were with the bacon and the bf didn’t want them either because he doesn’t like them in a restaurant/cafe fry up. When the waitress came to collect the plates I told her what happened and why I had left items on my plate. She apologized and then we could hear her telling the cook what we said. It was a small cafe so the cook herself came to give us the machine when we went up to pay. She half-heartedly apologized and said she must have gone into “overdrive” while cooking. I didn’t really get this because the bf and I had ordered a good 10 minutes before any other customers came in and we were the only ones in the shop at the time so it’s not like she was busy but it’s whatever, it’s my fault for not bringing it up right away. I suppose I would have just liked her to show a bit more empathy. We drove straight to Aberdeen after that. We weren’t really in the mood to sightsee and just wanted to find a place to shower and chill. After a bit of searching online, the bf found a park and ride just 5 miles out that apparently had showers. When we got there we saw that the place was huge and so oddly clean. I looked it up properly and apparently, it was built in 2017 by the city council to help combat congestion and has 1000 spaces, but unfortunately, it’s not popular for whatever reason which is a shame. It is only used by seven people a day! It had free 36-hour parking, the building itself has a big waiting room, two big washrooms for men and women with a shower stall in each and the place is spotless. It is supposed to have free wifi and hot water but since it is hardly used the council stopped providing these things. We were the only ones there so we decided to spend the next several hours chilling there and have a shower (seriously, no one else came in except for one bus driver at the end of the night for the toilet). We made dinner and it was nice to have a big, quiet space to ourselves that wasn’t the car for a while. It sounds bizarre to hang out in a park and ride, I know, but if you come here then you’ll understand what I mean. It had a soothing atmosphere to it after spending so long in the car. It was like going to a campsite and you were the only ones with access to the facilities. Later on, the bf even gave me some driving lessons in the huge car park. I have my full license in driving automatic vehicles but I have only once before had a go at driving a standard vehicle and that was also with the bf, in 2017 when I studied abroad here during my degree. Driving a standard vehicle is a lot harder then I give the bf credit for and it was pretty nerve-wracking to think about when to use each gear and the clutch but it was still a lot of fun to be back behind the wheel since I haven’t driven since I left Canada. I definitely have more respect for the bf now when he drives especially on long trips like this one or when he’s on the road with awful drivers and is always able to keep his cool–well, for the most part (mild road rage). I can’t wait for my next lesson though, I’d like to become as good at driving standard as I am with automatic and besides I just enjoy driving and don’t want to get out of practice. It wasn’t until nearly 1 am that we decided to call it a night and pitch up at a nearby country park.
Day 40:
Today was essentially a transit day to get back down to England and continue from Carlisle for the final 3 days of our road tour. The drive was about 5 hours long. Honestly, I was exhausted the whole time. My legs are still sore and swollen and I even fell asleep for an hour. I still enjoyed some of the mountainous views of Scotland and I felt a bit sad to be leaving. Scotland has had the most beautiful scenery in the UK and just all of Scotland in general, particularly the highlands is just my favourite place by far to explore in the UK. Once we got to Carlisle, we wandered around the city for an hour and a half to stretch our legs and to play pokemon go. Later on, on our way to finding a layby in the North Pennines AONB to pitch up, we stopped to try and help a mother and daughter jump-start the battery of their car. They had parked it in Tesco’s for two weeks (the mom works there) while they were in France on holiday and the battery had gone completely flat because the daughter forgot to turn the lights off. The mother seemed to be a French national and was really funny and friendly and interested in our travels. She reminded me a lot of what my mom can be like. After that, we made our way to the North Pennines and just before parking up we came across a sign that said:e “Castle Carrock, please dance”. We had to do a double-take when we saw it - literally, the bf applied the brakes and reversed back to be sure he read the sign properly (it was late at night on a country road, so no risk of a car being behind him!).
Day 41:
Today was meant to be the day that we try and see, again, if we could hike Scafell Pike. Sadly, the bf and I were still sore from Ben Nevis because all we’ve done since is pretty much just sit in a car which has also led to our ankles and legs being very swollen; we haven’t really done ourselves any favours really. Although we managed to hike the tallest peaks in both Wales and Scotland, it seems that Scafell Pike, which is shorter than both at 978 meters (Snowdon is 1085 m and Ben Nevis is 1345 m), is also considered to be the toughest owing to it being incredibly steep in some parts. So…we’ll just save it for a little later on after we’ve recuperated from this trip. Besides, it rained today anyway and I prefer dry weather on hikes. Instead, we chose to go national park/AONB hoping to ultimately end up in Whitby. We started off by driving through the North Pennines AONB. Honestly, I must be out of steam because not even 30 mins into this first AONB and I fell asleep for almost an hour. I felt bad for the bf because he does all the driving and it really isn’t fair to him. We’d gone through all the rolling hills of the North Pennines and stopped for coffee at Starbucks and I finally convinced the bf to get a Starbucks card since he buys coffee there at least once a day. We then set off to continue through the Yorkshire Dales National Park then the Nidderdale AONB and finally through the North York Moors National Park before arriving in Whitby. The scenery of the National Parks/AONBs was very similar especially since it was raining and foggy. Lovely, huge, rolling hills, lots of sheep messing about; the usual, but still great and worth a visit again in good weather. I’ve probably seen more sheep on this trip than I have seen, or any other animal for that matter, in my life. Once we arrived in Whitby, I decided that the first order of business was to get some fish and chips. I found a well-rated and cheap one online called Silver Street Fisheries. The customer service there was amazing, probably the best I’ve experienced in the UK and certainly the best fish and chips I’ve had here too. I mentioned to the woman behind the counter that I’d never had mushy peas before and wanted to try them and then she said that people here either love them or hate them and so she scooped some up in a cup for me to sample them. I didn’t absolutely hate it but it wasn’t something that I wanted to pay for either so I passed on that but she also gave me a sample of curry sauce and gravy to try which I much preferred and she said I could keep the samples (they were really big samples to be fair). The fish and chips themselves were so crispy and delicious. The batter on the fish was amazing and not doughy at all. The cod that I got was also full of flavour. I learned during this experience that I like vinegar on chips and regret not having put it on my fish (I realized this after I finished my fish). As for the bf, he ordered a large sausage and chips with curry sauce. The sausage came battered which he didn’t ask for but doesn’t regret because he also really enjoyed how crispy the batter was. After our dinner, we walked it off by strolling through Whitby and trying to find the hotel where the bf’s grandmother used to work which is unfortunately now owned by Wetherspoons. After that, we climbed the 199 steps up to Whitby abbey and then set up there for a bit and watched the gorgeous sunset over the town. We had a lovely and somewhat romantic end to our day and I’m happy that I finally got to see Whitby, I really liked it there. I hope I’ll be able to go back there soon for some awesome fish and chips!
Day 42:
I awoke to find that we had pretty much pitched in the middle of nowhere. Technically, we’ve been doing that a lot by parking in national parks/AONBs overnight but even as I sat there waiting for the bf to wake up and then eventually falling back to sleep myself, hardly any cars passed when normally there would be a few cars every few minutes. We drove to a shopping park in York to freshen up and grab some coffee and then grabbed lunch at Aldi (it was pretty late by the time we left the place we had parked). We managed to park near the city centre of York and began ambling towards there while hunting pokemon and working on the Jirachi quest. Our main three goals for the day was to see the York shambles which was a spot highlighted on google maps that looked interesting, general exploration of York, and to try “Britain’s second-best burger” at a place called “Burgsy”. We arrived at the shambles first and right away (with the help of all the Harry Potter shops) we noticed that it was the filming location/inspiration for Diagon Alley in the HP movies! We, of course, explored all the HP shops, the bf and I talked about how we’d like to buy the series with the newly redone illustrations on the covers. I pined over the Hufflepuff letterman’s jacket (I’ve taken the Pottermore test twice, can’t remember why, but each time I got a different result, once my result was Hufflepuff and the other was Gryffindor) and a little figure of Hedwig in a birdcage that I’d love to have at my bedside table. We soon found that the shambles was too crowded with tourists for our liking so we escaped to Burgsy for some refuge and burgers. The bf and I ordered two burgers to cut in half and share. Now, they were super delicious, yes, with great sauce and delicious patties, but the bun was mediocre and I don’t think the overall burger should be qualified of the “Britain’s second-best” title (a quick google search is what told us this). I did still enjoy them but they were rather expensive and I’ve had better burgers made at home by the bf so I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to go there again. Afterward, we wombled about and played pokemon go. My adventure sync doesn’t work while the bf’s does so he was able to easily complete the mission of walking to evolve Feebas during the Ben Nevis hike while I can only walk my buddy/hatch eggs when the app is open so that’s annoying and what I was trying to do during our stroll through the city. We later decided we were craving some Five Guys fries so we went to go get some. I wasn’t really paying attention when our order was given out but when a number was called out, the bf seemed so sure of himself and grabbed the bag and then proceeded to grab some mayo but I thought I saw something that said relish on the sheet of paper attached to the bag so I was confused but just trusted that the bf had grabbed the right bag and then took a fry out to eat it….but he hadn’t grabbed the right bag…when we sat down, we looked inside and realized this wasn’t our order because there was a burger and when looking at our receipt we saw that we were order 41, not 43 which was the number on the receipt attached to the bag that we were given. I felt so guilty for not saying anything when I was confused earlier so I rushed back to the counter with the bag to apologize and give back the order we took while getting our correct one. The employee asked if I touched it and I said no…I lied but I only took one fry out, that’s not the end of the world, you could see that we clearly hadn’t opened the burger wrapping so he could have just taken out the fries if need be and, I don’t know, eaten them himself or something (I’ve worked in fast food, it happens) and then put in new ones. He seemed like he was going to accept the bag but another employee immediately took them from him and gave it back to me, asking me to throw it away…I suppose because of food safety and they couldn’t be sure how much we had actually touched but I’m sorry I’m not going to just waste food like that and I felt bad but we took it for ourselves and had much more fries than we had bargained for. We ate it outside and watched as crowds lined up for an apparent ghost tour of of the city. We ended the night by venturing over to the peak district to pitch up.
Week 7
Day 43:
Today was the unofficial last day of the trip and I say unofficial because we plan to be on the road tomorrow. I’d been wanting to check out the peak district for a while and here I was waking up in it. I’ve heard lots of people talking about it all year so I wanted to go for a walk in it but we were both very tired so I settled for a short but steep one in Bamford, up Bamford hill. There’s a spot at the top called Bamford edge that’s a rocky platform that is popular to take photos on. It was a nice little walk especially because no one else was around but it was terribly windy so we didn’t stay up there long after taking photos. From there, we drove to Sheffield to spend a few hours walking around the city, grabbing a coffee (mine was really bitter, very few Starbucks in the UK seem to be able to make an americano properly), and check out a popular park for playing pokemon go. Sheffield was very much an industrial city…with interesting people. It was definitely full of characters. It also felt like Sheffield never left the 90′s in the sense that no one seemed to have any sense of style/very out there kind of style/no one cared about their style. Now don’t get me wrong, I love 90′s grunge and was a fan of how Rachel, Pheobe, and Monica from Friends dressed, but for me, the 90s felt like a time when no one cared about their style…either that or the early naughties. Once we were done in Sheffield we made instant noodles for lunch and went to our final sightseeing stop which was Sherwood forest, just outside Nottingham, and the place where the legend of Robin Hood started. We were honestly so drained and tired by this point, we could really feel that it was the last day so we just had a lazy walk around the forest and completed a couple of missions on pokemon go. It was a pretty good day to call our last day. At around 6, we decided it was a good time to head down to the North Wessex Downs to find a place to park up for the last time since we had plans to see the bf’s friend in Reading the next day.
Day 44:
Well, today was…something. I’m writing this five days in the future owing to the stressful time we had on the last day of our trip. The day was meant to go smoothly as all days should really, no one plans for accidents to happen, they just do. That’s why they’re called accidents. We got up, went to a services area to freshen up and met with the bf’s friend from university who currently lives in Reading. We stayed there for a couple of hours and had a nice time. His friend is really nice and loves animals which makes him a stand-up guy. He also had a big, funny, orange, cross-eyed half Maine Coon cat that I got to play with. From there we finally made the journey home. It wasn’t too long of a trip and when we were about 30 minutes away we stopped for a snack at Lidl. We weren’t even five minutes into the drive from Lidl when we got into a car accident. Yup. What a way to end a road trip, am I right?��..Yea, well it’s been tough dealing with the aftermath of that. I truly don’t believe the bf is at fault but it was our car that crashed into another one. I was on my phone up until the last few seconds so I’m not sure of what exactly happened but traffic is being diverted onto a smaller much narrow road owing to road works and as you go onto that small road there are traffic lights which we stopped at and then five seconds after there is a give way area and I’m sure the bf noticed and only looked away for a second but all of the sudden the car in front stopped and the bf was quick to press on the brakes with enough time but (maybe because the tires were worn from our long time on the road) the car just slid and crashed into the car in front. We were so shaken up and in disbelief at what just happened that it didn’t help that the guy we hit came out and yelled at us and berated the bf and was just a complete chav…..well long story short, the car is a write-off and the bf is currently trying to find a new one while we stay with his grandparents. It was such a freak thing to happen and unbelievable because we spent so long on the road and this happened only 15 minutes before reaching home but they do say that accidents always happen close to home, right?
#nc500#ukroadtrip2019#ukroadtrip#ukexplore#roadtrip#scotland#englishcoast#england#ben nevis#harry potter#hogwarts express#wanderlustuk#Wanderlust#wanderlove#britishnature#naturelovers#expattravel#travellover#lifeontheroad#travelblog#travelblogger#firsttimeblogging#longpost#longread#blogpost#accidentshappen#whatawaytoend#lifehappens#summertravel#burgers
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Seven Ways to See Stirlingshire in Scotland (With a Dog)
Guys, this is Ernie.
He’s a seven year old white-haired golden doodle (a retriever crossed with a poodle, in case you didn’t know). He’s huge, fluffy, insanely friendly, and a lot of the time he lives in Scotland.
Those of you following me on Instagram might have seen this adorable creature on my Stories from time to time. He’s been in London occasionally, racing around wide open parks in the East end, and he’s appeared in the horse box during a music tour with a Chilean band (when there definitely wasn’t quite enough room for him).
But the last time I went to visit Ernie, we spent a week exploring Stirlingshire.
Welcome to a beautiful part of Scotland
Although I’ve spent a fair amount of time in Scotland over the years, it’s usually been relegated to major cities like Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Stirlingshire, nestled between the lowlands and highlands of Scotland, is a new part of the country for me. It’s probably most famous for the imposing Stirling Castle, which sits at the summit of a flat-topped hill and can be seen through car windscreens for miles around, but it’s equally well known for sites like the National Wallace Monument, the Battle of Bannockburn’s battlefield, and the stunning Dunblane Cathedral.
Stirling Castle looking beautiful
But I wasn’t really in Stirlingshire to see the official tourist attractions. Instead, we were off adventuring – by which I mean piling into a converted van and turning our wheels towards the lochs and the rolling hills; towards open farmland, estate houses owned by lords and ladies, and picking our way through abandoned buildings.
And Ernie the dog was leading the way throughout.
A small aside about me and dogs
I’ve always thought I wasn’t a dog person. Historically, that’s true enough: when growing up I registered the childhood animosity between those who loved dogs versus those who loved cats, and seeing as I was besotted with my family’s cat, it felt obvious that dogs and I would never get on.
When I travelled to India in 2012 however, something changed. I watched my dog-loving friend Bianca patiently stroke and care for the poor strays trotting around the street who clearly idolised her for it – and something suddenly slotted into place.
I realised that dogs are awesome.
Ernie dancing with a friend at a music festival. He’s the size of a small human.
Before I began spending time with Ernie, of course, I’d never realised how much dog ownership impacts your life. Asking London pubs about their dog policies and Googling what types of London transport will allow dogs on board is an entirely new avenue for me – and the resulting answers can definitely change how you travel.
Luckily it seems like the majority of Scotland is dog friendly, to the extent that cafe owners and pub landlords get over-excited when they spot this giant dog lolloping towards them. Every place we visited in Stirling had their own unique reception for Ernie – like these seven spots!
1. Boating across the Lake of Menteith
Our first excursion into the sights and sounds of Stirlingshire was riding a little boat to Inchmahome Priory, an old set of ruins which sit in the middle of the Lake of Menteith.
Apparently, the Lake of Meneith is the only lake in Scotland!… Except nobody seems willing to explain quite why it’s known as a ‘lake’ (the English word) instead of a ‘loch’ (the Scottish word). This site tries to explain, but I’m still confused.
For us, it was enough to soak up the sunshine and watch Ernie gallavanting around the tall grass, occasionally disturbing couples having romantic moments on photogenic benches.
2. Lunch at Mhor 84
Ernie practically dragged me in through the door of Mhor 84, a hotel and restaurant which used to be an unassuming roadside inn but after a compete overhaul now serves up one of the best Full English breakfasts I’ve honestly ever tasted.
Ernie was in heaven – first by making friends with all the dogs behind the bar and their owners too, and then by trying his damnedest to look adorable enough for a slice of sausage.
I’m pretty sure he got some with that face.
3. Wandering the little town of Callander
Close to the entrance of the Trossachs National Park, Callander feels like a quintessentially Scottish town. Wherever I looked I saw signs for tartan, butcher windows filled with haggis, and sweetshops selling Scottish tablet.
We also picked a pretty stunning day to visit.
Ernie’s escapades took us past a river filled with very tempting ducks and up a flight of hillside steps, before heading straight down again into Callander’s high street.
Ernie even managed to make friends with a dog who looked extremely similar to him – and as they happened to meet outside a whisky shop, there was every reason to quickly pop in and try a few wee drams.
It would have been rude not to.
4. Discovering Rob Roy’s grave
Close to Callander, and just outside the tiny village of Balquidder, I spotted a little churchyard and a sign for Rob Roy’s grave.
After we let Ernie go bounding through the churchyard in the drizzling grey rain, we stood at the graveside of this famous Scottish outlaw and folk hero, looking at the pennies and scraps of ribbon which had been left by visitors and wellwishers.
5. Exploring an abandoned old hotel
Eventually we got off the beaten track and let Ernie’s doggy senses guide us. Close to the end of a forest-lined loch we spotted an abandoned hotel, all gaping floors and broken rafters, and couldn’t help ourselves.
We snuck through an open window, vaguely attempted instructing Ernie not to follow, and then realised how redundant that idea was.
(Let’s just say there’s a lot more I want to write about this house and what we learned inside it… So I’ll leave that story for another day.)
6. Playing fetch in a loch
Down by the loch itself, we tried improving Ernie’s swimming capabilities by throwing sticks for him to fetch.
And this is where one of my favourite qualities about Ernie comes to the fore: no matter where he is, he always seems to utterly commit to enjoying himself.
7. Setting up a music festival
It’s a similar situation at one of Ernie’s regular hangouts in Stirlingshire: the Cardross Estate, a beautiful house set on working farmland where a music festival named ‘Doune the Rabbit Hole’ takes place each August.
‘Doune the Rabbit Hole’ has been running for the past eight years (although this is the first year I’ll be attending!), and it’s now grown to the point where preparations are usually always happening around the site.
Buy tickets for ‘Doune the Rabbit Hole’ festival here!
As far as Ernie’s concerned, it means lots of dog lovers to stroke him, lots of dog friends to hang out with, and plenty of happily grazing sheep which he can casually edge a little too close to and be sternly commanded back again.
For me, it was a chance to see the world through his eyes: how he immediately socialises with everyone he possibly can, being insatiably happy and enjoying life in the absolute present moment.
Seeing the world through a dog’s eyes
Each morning, Ernie’s awake and out the door with boundless energy, and each night after a day of exploration he curls up happily to sleep near the humans he loves.
He dares to do things he’s unsure of – swimming in lochs, exploring abandoned buildings, even sitting underneath tables with bacon on – because the people he listens to say it’s a good idea. Some of those experiences might make him stronger.
Problems and difficulty don’t last long for Ernie, either. In fact, the only time I’ve ever seen him unhappy was when another dog took over his rightful place in the van’s driving seat.
Have you ever seen a more mournful face?
I’m dealing with a lot at the moment. Things are getting serious again, and I’m trying my absolute best to take each day as it comes. I’m thinking about life a bit more like Ernie undoubtedly does: stoically dealing with difficulties whenever they appear, but always seeing the positives as their bright, shining selves.
And there’s no doubt I’ll be back in Scotland again soon – I haven’t even made it into the city of Stirling to explore yet. I’ll have to ask Ernie to show me around next time.
Have you ever explored a new country with a dog? Do you have any more travel tips for Stirlingshire or Scotland?
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