(Follow up on ask) I want to try real hard to hike some part of the highlands, so anywhere up there really that I could get to by train.

And I’m also trying to go into Edinburgh to look around a bit! 🌿💚

(Also no pressure cause that is a big ask, just curious)

ah ok, highlands via train would be like west coast line up to fort william/mallaig, and tbh not super familiar with the areas (except for oban, which you can get a ferry to iona or mull etc from, which mull is vry nice. but check ferry things for that. also if you get off at luss or earlier at balloch you can get boat rides across loch lomond. loch lomond is so <3 i love going into the hills around there, haven't been to the arrochar alps tho which are on the side the train stations are on) Or you can get the train up from glasgow queen street in the inverness direction. i havent been to inverness but dunkeld & birnam on the way is very cute and has rly nice hikes from it (birnam hill!!, the hermitage!!, loch of the lowes). aviemore also has nice hikes going out from it (craigellachie nature reserve, plus steamtrain line up further north to abernethy forest type area maybe??? double check that). i'd stick to those lines rly for highland stuff. dont bother with aberdeen ive been told be so many people at this point (including from there) not to bother lol. its just boring. (unless youre using it to get on a ferry to orkney or shetland). .. hrmrmrmm for edinburgh. i am a bit of an edinburgh hater ,however the botanic gardens, the national gallery of scotland and lighthouse books are all nice. botanics are huge and nicely themed areas (and free except for the glasshouses which i've never been in) (but also out of th way of the city centre). national gallery has good stuff. lighthouse books is a queer-owned indie bookshop and has a rly nice selection of queer and political books but also various other local writers and things like that. its just rly nice. also Hadeel is palestinian gift shop items, so thats cool to go to i havent been tho. One world shop is also a nice fairtrade type shop. also i went to both holy cow cafe and lounge and the food was good . i will say tho that you absolutely can get into the highlands via edinburgh waverly but glasgow central + glasgow queen street have the west coast line + inverness route too, you'll need to go into glasgow for th west coast, in case you want to plan around that.