Bye bye Scotland

So my last two days in Scotland were spent forcing myself to get rid of the last of this flu. A concoction of medication that would leave an alchemist scratching their head seems to have done the trick.

I did however manage to make it to the Scottish Whisky Tour. Whiskies medicinal right?

They hold the largest collection of whisky in the world, some 3,384 different whiskies. The room is something to behold. One of the most notable aspects were the clear example of the Angels share. One bottle is empty due to the eventual evaporation.

I did the Taste of Scotland tour, which was the platinum tour and a Scottish dining in their restaurant. I happened to be the only person on the tour, so had a private tour, which was great. I think I've learned a few more things about judging a whisky.

The dinner was nice, but the highlight had to be this:

The 1985 Talisker - 27yo.

It was quite the experience, I have never had a more expensive glass, neither by volume nor glass. It was however worth it. I have tried the 25yo (see Dublin posts) and that was delightful, but this took the cake. A delightful smell, but the real star was the taste. It felt like a thick liquid, much thicker than the viscosity would be, its taste was musky and sweet, and it felt like the body almost protected your throat from the high alcohol burn. It had a wonderful finish.

Would I buy it again? Maybe, given the right circumstances. Would I drink it again? Definitely, I'm just too cheap to buy scotch that expensive. :-D

It was however worth it, and if you enjoy the smoky ash taste, particularly if you enjoy the Talisker 10, then you'd definitely enjoy it.

So where to now? London! Tomorrow I begin my Topdeck Winter Spirit bus tour. I sit now at Edinburgh airport, awaiting my British Airways flight, regrettably delayed. I could hardly fly through Her Majesty's United Kingdom without taking a British Airways flight. I wonder if she sits in the airport cafe, waiting for delayed flights too?

Location: Edinburgh Airport

Temperature: 6°C

Flight: Delayed

Reputation

There's a reputation that Scotland has that it rains all the time in winter. I'd like to set the record straight… sometimes it's only drizzling.

Today was a bust, spent the morning resting in preparation for the big bus trip. I'm still trying to throw this damn cough. To that end I went to a local pharmacy. The Scots seem to have a different definition of pharmacy than I'm used to. It had everything from stereos to children's clothing. I finally found the corner where they sold medication - top floor, back corner. I guess it's like milk in the supermarket, always at the back.

Speaking of Scots, they seem to have a few stores here targeted (unsurprisingly and presumably) at tourists. Some that I've seen so far:

The Scotsman

The Scots Store

The Scottish Store

The Scotsman Store

Scotsmans Store

Scottish Store

The True Scotsman

There seems to be a theme going on. 😄

Time: 1650h

Location: Waiting for a bus in the rain

Temperature: 5°C

Weather: Rain, rain, rain

Haunted Vaults

Next on the agenda was the tour of the haunted vaults under Edinburgh. I was asked if I believe in ghosts and I replied "I shall suspend my disbelief". :-D

The tour was ok, though not quite the ghoulish terrifying tour and stories as promised.

"Discover Edinburgh’s history at its most chilling. We save the darkest, most sinister, most unsettling tales to our last, late night ghost tour."

It probably would have been more interesting if they skipped the haunted ghost factor and talked more about the specific histories. Those that were revealed were interesting, but were mostly backdrop to some scary ghost that inhabits some part.

Although... I did manage to photograph something that looks like a ghost......

It may however have just been a blurred handheld shot of a person holding a candle. 

Time: 0008h (the witching hour!!!)

Location: Bed

Temperature: 7°C

Welcome to Scotland

Time: 1630h

Weather: 8°C,gloomy 

Thanks to a very thorough list from a new friend in Amsterdam I have a virtual encyclopaedia of things to do in Edinburgh. 

I've knocked off one item on the list, the visit to the Palace of the Holyroodhouse. The next I plan to do tonight, a ghost tour of Edinburgh.

The Palace was surprisingly interesting. The audio self-tour was well done, and the place was amazing. Photography was not allowed indoors, but I can say that it was well worth the visit.

The Palace is the official home of Queen Elisabeth when she visits. One thing that did stand out was how gloomy it was. They did have the lights turned down, but the beautiful drapes, wall hangings and paintings all contributed to a relatively dark setting. 

At night the palace looks gothic but beautiful with the lighting.

Edinburgh

So I've recovered from NYE. Rather than muck around further in Amsterdam, I've decided to add Scotland to my list of countries I'm visiting, this brings that list to 21. To that end, I've just landed in Edinburgh. I'll be here 2 full days then fly down to London to begin my big bus tour.