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Isle of Skye
The Isle of Skye, connected to Scotland's northwest coast by bridge, is known for its rugged landscapes, picturesque fishing villages and medieval castles. The largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago, it has an indented coastline of peninsulas and narrow lochs, radiating out from a mountainous interior. The town of Portree, a base for exploring the island, features harbourside pubs and boutiques.
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Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are a mountainous region encompassing northwest Scotland. Loch Ness is at the centre, overlooked by the ruins of medieval Urquhart Castle and known for mythical monster “Nessie”.
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Cairngorms
The Cairngorms are a mountain range in the eastern Highlands of Scotland closely associated with the mountain of the Cairn Gorm.
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Falkirk & Dunnotar Castle
Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the northeastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages.
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Edinburgh
Although the forecast for Edinburgh and the whole of Scotland for the next week or two (ie: the duration of our stay) is for lots of rain, we had some sunny skies on arrival in Edinburgh. Having arrived late afternoon, we only took a walk around Edinburgh the following morning. First stop was the Castle (where it started raining), then down The Royal Mile… … popping into Saint Giles’ Cathedral … … before arriving at the Palace of Hollyroodhouse (Queeny’s official residence when in Scotland). We were offered, and accepted, a free audio guide (we don’t normally as we have the attention span of gnats) and actually found it quite…
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Yorkshire (again) & Northumbria
Alnwick Castle is a castle and country house in Alnwick in the English county of Northumberland. It is the seat of The 12th Duke of Northumberland, built following the Norman conquest and renovated and remodelled a number of times.
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Turkey Unfiltered
And that is Turkey done and dusted ... have wanted to return since the day I left in 1994. I shouldn't have waited so long ... many changes since the last time but it still has a special place in my heart, still love it and will return again ... definitely not going to let another 26 years go by before I do!
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Cappadocia
Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Other notables sites include Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) and later used as refuges by early Christians.
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Pamukkale
Pamukkale is a town in western Turkey known for the mineral-rich thermal waters flowing down white travertine terraces on a nearby hillside. It neighbors Hierapolis, an ancient Roman spa city founded around 190 B.C. Ruins there include a well-preserved theater and a necropolis with sarcophagi that stretch for 2km. The Antique Pool is famous for its submerged Roman columns, the result of an earthquake.
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Ölüdeniz
Ölüdeniz is a resort village on the southwest coast of Turkey. It’s known for the blue lagoon of Ölüdeniz Tabiat Parkı and the wide, white Belcekız Beach. Overlooking the village is Babadağ mountain from where paragliders (like us) take to the skies.
Tales of a Mother-Daughter Gap Year
