After leaving Edinburgh, our trip into the Highlands is divided into 4 stops or stays. First off we headed about 1-½ hours north of Edinburgh to a delightful small village, Dunkeld, in Perthshire county with a small inn situated on the River Tay. The Taybank (the Taybank.co.uk) is first and foremost a foodie stop with a highly rated restaurant and a riverside garden kitchen/beer garden overlooking the river. A small number of lovely rooms are situated upstairs and we were lucky enough to find ourselves settling here!

Let me just take a moment to thank our wonderful travel planner, Janet Redler (https://www.janetredlertravelandtourism.co.uk) who, once again, organized a spectacular trip for us. Janet was responsible for our 79 day beautifully executed UK adventure Spring 2022 (which was a huge undertaking!) and so we once again asked her to help us figure out our path, and find just the right accommodations to make our stays on this much shorter trip just as special. We are so appreciative of her expertise and guidance and would highly recommend her if you ever plan on traveling in the UK and Ireland!

On the road to Dunkeld…

There were a few stops along our way from Edinburgh to Dunkeld that were not to miss opportunities! First off…we didn’t make a stop in Falkirk but I looked up just in time to see The Kelpies, 98 foot high horse-head sculptures depicting these mythical, shape-shifting water spirits. I was glad I at least had an opportunity to see them and grab a picture from the moving car.

Stirling Castle

We made our first stop in Stirling, the site of an important historical castle overlooking the River Forth. It dates from the early 12th C, although most buildings were constructed between 1490 and 1600. It was integral in many sieges and occupations during the wars for Scottish independence from England. If you’ve watched Braveheart, Willliam Wallace (Mel Gibson’s character) won his first significant battle at Stirling Bridge, and later starved the English from the castle. Gary and I ended up re-watching Braveheart last night…quite a lot looked to be inaccurate in hindsight, but interesting to re-watch while nested here in the region nonetheless!

We did spend some additional time after the tour looking inside some of the buildings…

Next stop…The Wallace Memorial. William Wallace is revered in these parts, and the memorial constructed for him is another must see spot!

Day 2 – On the road to Balmoral. The next day, we took a very scenic drive up through Cairngorms National Park to visit Balmoral, the British royal’s Scottish county estate. This was one of the Queen’s favorite places, and where she was when she passed away. The drive to the summit was just spectacular, and I enjoyed our time at Balmoral (thinking about some of those scenes in The Crown and Spencer that take place here)!

Because Balmoral is considered more of a private, family estate (rather than a castle or palace), you primarily have access to the grounds and exterior. We were allowed into the ballroom (where there are a lot of photos and memorabilia), but no photos allowed inside. Here’s a few shots of the exterior! Overall…the setting is so peaceful, tranquil and beautiful I can understand why it is such an important respite for the family…all 50,000 acres!

Day 3 – A visit to Dundee. On our last day in this region, we drove over to the coast to check out the city of Dundee. Our primary objective was to visit the V&A Dundee (the Victoria and Albert Design Museum) opened in 2018 in the city. It was well worth it! The museum covers a broad range of Scottish design (from furniture, to video games, to textiles, to bridges…if you can design it, it is there!) and is a fascinating place to spend several hours.

There was so much in this museum, but I want to just highlight a few things from a special exhibit they had on ”tartan”. I was amazed by how this very specific design (with distinct Scottish origins) permeated fashion over so many decades and in so many diverse ways (from the Victorian era, to the military, to everyday fashion, to high fashion). It was a fascinating and stunningly beautiful exhibit. Here’s just a few examples!

They also covered the nuts and bolts of how tartan is designed…the patterns, colors, etc. People have been documenting all of the tartan patterns in existence; I don’t think there is an end in sight!