Overly Optimistic Itinerary

 This is a completely realistic and feasible selection of places in Scotland to visit if I existed in a timeless vacuum without money, schoolwork or human fatigue.

Honestly, if I can see a tenth of these things, I will be pleased. Castles, outdoor walks and photogenic lochs and landscapes are all high on my to-see list.

Stirling:

• The amazing historical Stirling Castle
• Church of the Holy Rood
• Wallace Monument (which a friend commented resembles something out of the Lord of the Rings series)
• Loch Lomond

Edinburgh:

            Old Town

·        Edinburgh Castle

·        A Walk in the Old Town

·        Writer’s Museum

·        Royal Mile- Museum of Edinburgh

·        Calton Hill/The Old City Observatory

·        The Old Parliament and the New Parliament

·        Holyrood House- ruined nave

            New Town:

·        Walk down George street

·        National Museum of Scotland

·        Statue of Alan Breck and David Balfour from Kidnapped (outside Edinburgh)

Glasgow area

·        Bothwell Castle

·        Shopping- Oxfam, House of Fraser

·        Glasgow Cathedral

·        City Chambers tour?

·        University of Glasgow

Aberdeen

• Dunnottar Castle

Fife

•    Dunfermline Abbey
•    St. Andrew’s Cathedral

Ayrshire

• Culzean Castle
• Muirkirk, where my great-great-great-great grandmother and grandfather and their children lived!

Argyll and the Isles:

I may be the most excited to see all the beautiful natural formations on the western islands.

            Glencoe

·        Nevis Range Gondola, which climbs to the top of a mountain with views of the gorgeous Nevis Range! Absolutely looking forward to this!

·        Walks on the Mountaintop

·        Loch Linnhe by Fort William; Castle Stalker (not open in October)

·        Glenfinnan monument hill behind visitor’s center- great view! Fort William

·        A beautiful train that goes over a bridge featured in the second Harry Potter movie: http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/Jacobite_Details.html

Lochalsh and the Isle of Skye

·        The train from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh is purportedly beautiful!

·        Eilean Donan Castle

·        Dunvegan Castle

·        The Old Man of Storr

·        Neist Point

            Iona

·        Iona Abbey

Inverness:

·        Loch Ness and Castle Urquhart

Borders:

·                Bothwell Castle- river walk nearby?

·                Melrose Abbey

England, Ireland, and Wales will hopefully also make it into my travels. I hope to meet others interested in traveling who I can combine my plans with!