Our last itinerary for Scotland was the Edinburgh Castle! We left the apartment after trying to finish cooking whatever groceries we have left in the fridge. We then drove back to the same carpark we parked at yesterday as it was one of the nearest to Singapore.
The Edinburgh Castle sits on top of Castle Hill. From the carpark, there was a rather steep climb around the castle wall. According to historians, the Scottish climbed up the steep castle wall centuries ago using a rope ladder to reclaim the castle after the English occupied them for 18 years! (How did I know this? Watch more documentaries!) We then walked along Johnston Terrace, then turned left up Castle Wynd North to a very spacious open space in front of the castle. It is a good photo spot for all visitors!
We first came across the Mill’s Mount Battery. Here, there were a few cannons good for photo taking. This is also the meeting point for the free guided tours which everyone can join. For us, we decided to explore on our own. As it is a high point in the city, the spot also gives a good view of Edinburgh from above.
We then walked into the Regimental Museum. Inside, there were displays of costumes and swords. We also spotted the soldier’s dog cemetary and visited the Scottish National War Memorial and Great Hall. There was also a nice photo spot behind the War Memorial. If was not easy taking a nice photo there because of back light. And alas, we finally have 1!
We decided to have lunch before making our way back to England. We came across Kampung Ali, a food stall operated by a Malaysian selling Malaysian and Singaporean food. Although it was just day 4, I was really looking forward to having some mouth-watering food from hometown. I settled for Penang Prawn Mee and my all-time favourite Iced Milo! It was really satisfying for the stomach and soul, although the meal cost a whopping 4x more than that in Singapore!
With that, we said our goodbye to Scotland. I will definitely be back one day because I had not explored enough of it!. We then started 1 of the longest drive to Manchester, England.
We took a wrong turn as we were about to enter the expressway way. We then followed the GPS on another route. To our surprise, we ended up on a small road that was surrounded by greenery and sheep! I miss this sight and it reminded me of our honeymoon in New Zealand once again! The important thing about self-drive is having an open mind and spirit, isn’t it?!
Even the rest points along the expressway are so pretty and clean! The seats in the cafeteria faces the lake. Although it started to rain, I felt I still had to run out to take a photo! Finally, we saw the sign which said ‘Welcome to England‘! By the time we reached Manchester, the sky was already dark.
We decided to head to the Chinatown for the Happy Seasons roasted duck restaurant upon our friend’s recommendation. And it was really awesome!
That night, we checked into the Luther King House for a rest. It was a little disappointing because it felt like a rather dated chalet with a cramped en-suite toilet. Of course, I knew not to trust photos online. But being here after a long drive makes me want a big and comfy bed even more. Luckily, it was just for a night! And I’m generally able to fall asleep on any bed. So this ability of mine comes in especially useful at times like this.
Perrine Travels 