Travel Review: Mother-Daughter Trip to Scotland, England and Ireland, London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Westminster Abbey, Fairy Pools

We thoroughly enjoyed each of the four cities we visited, and they were all very different.  In London, we stayed at a hotel in Shoreditch, we loved that place.  It had a young, modern, hip vibe, and the staff was friendly and efficient.  We had excellent walking tours over two days of the Shoreditch district and Westminster Abbey, led by a wonderfully articulate tour guide.  She gave us a real education about the city, it's history, and everything of interest wherever she took us.  We saw two musicals (Dreamgirls and An American In Paris), and had 3 amazing meals at some of the London's best restaurants.  The highlight was probably the 5 hours we spent at Aqua Shard, on the 31st floor of The Shard.  The dinner was outstanding, then we found a window seat in the bar area as the sun was setting, and spent the next several hours enjoying each other's company, having cocktails and looking out at the amazing skyline.  Absolutely a world class view, we will never forget that evening.

Our time in Dublin was fun, it was Easter week and the town was flooded with Europeans and Americans.  Party Central!  The Temple Bar district was a bit rowdy, lots of drinking and crowds, but there were interesting, fun shops and it was great for people watching.  Our hotel was about a 10 minute walk from Temple Bar, and once you crossed into our neighborhood, things quieted down considerably.  We had two historic walking tours with a private guide while in Dublin, visited the Guinness factory, Trinity College, and enjoyed just wandering around.  We attended the Easter morning service at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, which was huge and beautiful, and featured a large professional boy's choir.  At one point the rain gave way and the whole cathedral filled with sunlight, seemed quite fitting for Easter Sunday.   

Our next stop was Skye, and with that we were stepping into a different world.  We were picked up by a private driver who really impacted our whole experience.  He was exceedingly professional, while also being the kindest, most genuine person, and was our driver / guide for the next few days.  We stayed at a historic hunting lodge steeped in "old world," aristocratic decor, and beautifully situated on a calm inlet of the loch.  My goodness, what a place, it was like going back in time, truly transportive.  Dinner each night was multi-courses, each one better than the next.  The staff was superb, a mix of genteel manners and genuine warmth.  We're not breakfast people, so the staff put together a simple but good sack lunch for us each day, as we set out on our adventures.  We visited Dunvegan Castle (special to us because of our "MacLeod" ancestry), the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen and spent time walking around Portree.  Honestly, I wanted to just stay in Skye, it was, in a word, Magical. The people are friendly, the pace is unhurried, and the natural rugged beauty is simply unique, unlike anywhere else.  Now, Skye was not in my original plan, but our agent encouraged us to make that part of our trip, and I'm grateful she suggested it, it was probably my favorite 3 days of our trip.  Thank you to our agent! 

We reluctantly left Skye, but our next leg of the trip was Edinburgh, and I instantly fell in love.  First of all, our hotel was outstanding, quite luxe.  A great way to end our vacation, several nights in the lap of luxury.  The hotel is in an excellent location, within walking distance to everything, and right next to the train station, which was great because we had a day trip to Stirling, to visit my daughter's college.  Edinburgh is a very beautiful city, with a relaxed feel but lots to do and see.  The streets are wide, the architecture is ancient and beautiful, and the people are friendly.  One evening we were approached by a cheerful vagrant, and instantly a young woman appeared at our side, and asked with a smile "Are you ok? Is he bothering you?"  We were totally fine, but her care and warmth were genuine, it was sweet of her to intervene.  Truly, Scottish people are some of the nicest people I've ever encountered in all my travels, it stood out to me.  That first afternoon we sought out an antique store nearby, Unicorn Antiques, which was exactly what we hoped for.  Walls and tables filled with all sorts of interesting oddities, with an elderly lady knitting in the corner, ready to help if needed, pretty cool place.  Dinner that night was at a restaurant with a fascinating history, and is mere steps from Edinburgh Castle.  The next day we spent a full afternoon wandering around the castle, I highly recommend the taped walking-tour with headphones, I learned a lot, and you can go at your own pace.  We had high tea that afternoon, and later a completely over the top dinner.  The service there was beyond excellent, the ambiance, food, wine... we felt very pampered, it was truly "fine dining."  The Sommelier's suggestions were one of my favorite parts of the meal.  He was fairly young (mid-20's), but impeccably trained and well versed in his subject, quite delightful.  His courtly charm and visible interest in his craft were a highlight for me.  Here again, it was our travel coordinator who suggested Number One, and it was a beautiful, memorable evening for us.