MICMAO SCOTLAND

Going to Scotland had been a long-standing wish of ours, but we put longer trips on hold during pregnancy and the arrival of our little one. During that time, we focused on shorter excursions around Croatia and occasionally to Slovenia. As our child's first birthday approached, and our wedding anniversary, we decided on a big trip and to continue our MicMao adventures! :)

The first thing we did a month before was to get passports for the UK. What you will also need is an ETA - a visa for staying in the UK. You can get it easily, just fill out the form online and after 24 hours (or sometimes a bit longer) they send it to your email. :)

Then I moved on to my favorite part: opening the map of the country we're visiting and starting to study it and plan our trip! :) Then I book accommodation through Booking.com for the places where we'll be staying, and we rent a car. :)

When I book accommodation, I always check if they have their own parking. If it's not free, they often have a discount code for a nearby one. If you're going to a big city like Edinburgh, a day can cost 30-40 pounds, so it's good to pay attention to that and organize it in advance. Everything we booked before Edinburgh had free parking, and you can save up to 100 euros that way. :)

This was our ambitious route! :D We skipped the East because there's no need to tour the entire country, given that that part isn't significantly attractive and you won't miss anything compared to what you'll see on this route. :)

When I was looking for tickets, I wanted the shortest possible travel options because of my child and for it to be early in the morning. I bought tickets Zagreb-Brussels, Brussels - Edinburgh, with a layover of about 2 hours in between, and we were supposed to arrive in Edinburgh by around 12:00 PM. The day before, a hacker attack hit Brussels Airlines, so they canceled all flights, and in the end, we got Croatia Airlines and Lufthansa flights: Zagreb-Munich, Munich-Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Edinburgh. We had no other options the night before the trip, so I accepted, even though it was tight between flights as we only had 1 hour for each layover.

We didn't make it to the last flight, so we spent 8 hours at Frankfurt Airport waiting for another flight and landed in Edinburgh only around 7:30 PM. It turned out to be a bit stressful and tiring, but we survived. :D Dominik handled his first flight fantastically. We recorded his favorite baby cartoons on a mobile phone to entertain and calm him, and in the end, he slept through half of the flight. :)

We rented a car from Arnold Clark car & van rental because they are the most affordable, have a great offer, and many bases throughout Scotland where you can pick up a car. We picked it up at the airport. When you land, you call them, and then they send their own transport for you (because it's about a 5-10 minute walk to the base, which is not very convenient with a lot of luggage and along the main road). They are very kind, and since our flight was delayed, they themselves offered to refund about 50 pounds, considering we picked up the car in the evening. :)

We took a Nissan Qashqai, considering our plan was to tour all of Scotland, where you will really encounter all kinds of roads. Driving on the opposite side was a bit challenging but quickly mastered. :) What you need to be careful about with vehicles, if you are traveling with your own, is their low emission zone law when entering a city, otherwise you risk high fines. With rentals, you don't have to worry because all models are newer and adapted to the laws. :)

We wanted to leave Edinburgh for the end, so we immediately headed to Glasgow, where we spent the night, and used the whole next day for sightseeing. Since Glasgow was just a stopover, we didn't invest too much money in accommodation in the city center; instead, we took a modest apartment 20 minutes from the city and paid about 120 euros for two nights. :) We prefer private accommodation where we have a kitchen to cook for ourselves. When we traveled alone, it didn't matter to us, and we mostly ate in restaurants, but now, because of the child, this is much more practical for us. It's also a great option if you go to more expensive countries like Iceland, where food in restaurants would cost us as much as air tickets. For example, one hamburger was about 20 euros. Imagine three meals a day in Iceland, for two of us and 7 days. Prices in stores are the same as ours or even cheaper. :)

Glasgow is an industrial and student city and is not as attractive to many as Edinburgh, but it has several beautiful locations that we didn't want to miss. Given that it's difficult to see everything in one day, especially with a small child (and we lost half of our first day due to the flight), we opted for two locations - Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the University of Glasgow.

I'm generally not a fan of museums, but this one truly impressed me with how beautiful it is.

Admission is free, and the museum is genuinely spacious and rich in content. It took us about 2 hours to go through it. My first association when I walked in was with the movie series "Night at the Museum" with Ben Stiller, where he works as a night watchman and discovers that the exhibits come to life at night. :D

Even if nothing on display interests you, the museum rooms are so beautiful and the energy inside is so calming that it's quite enough just to walk around and admire the appearance. :)

For the past two years, I've been seeing posts about it on social media, and it's a really nice feeling to finally walk through those halls myself and capture that moment. :)

On the ground floor of the museum, you can relax and enjoy a coffee, and at the exit, there's a gift shop where you'll surely make up for the free admission. :D

Across from this museum is the park of the same name where you'll encounter tame squirrels that will come to your table and beg for food, and will even brazenly help themselves. Also, there's Lily&Rose where a kind lady serves warm meals and you can relax with a coffee.
Behind that park is the famous University of Glasgow, which was reportedly the inspiration for the Harry Potter school and resembles it in style. :)

Entry to the University is allowed from the main entrance, where there's a gift shop on the ground floor and a historical museum upstairs. For the most beautiful part, you need to walk around the building and enter from the park side. The interior of the University features a park where students relax, as do many tourists.

Dominik woke up after the museum tour, so he was in the mood for photos. My wish would be, if one day he reads or watches Harry Potter, to have these kinds of photos and videos as a keepsake and for him to be able to say he was here. The best gifts are beautiful memories. :)

Given that we had walked a lot through the museum and university and were quite tired, we decided to do some shopping at Lidl and went to our accommodation where we prepared lunch and spent the rest of the day in warmth and sleeping. Going to the city center was too much for us, so we skipped it. If you're going to a warmer climate, it's certainly nice to visit the botanical garden, which we also skipped. :)

When I was researching and planning the travel route, I came across several blogs and travelogues, and some of them said to skip Glasgow because it's pointless. After we saw it, I wouldn't agree with that and it absolutely needs to be seen and experienced - at least for one day! :) If you have kids, I think this museum would enchant them! :)

The drive to the town of Fort William takes about 2-3 hours, depending on the route you choose, and additional time will, of course, be spent stopping at various locations, of which there are truly several impressive ones on this route. Our first stop was the Sea Life Aquarium on the shores of Loch Lomond, which delighted Dominik, and us too. :)

The aquarium spans three floors - the ground floor houses a large and well-stocked gift shop with a marine theme where we picked up a few souvenirs, and tunnels that lead you through the aquarium. The first floor has a cinema for children, a restaurant with a view of the lake, and at the very top, a lookout point.

The place is truly idyllic for complete relaxation, letting your mind wander, and forgetting everything. And it's also ideal for taking photos :)

After we had seen everything, we went to a restaurant to eat and have coffee, where we rested and prepared for the continuation of our journey. The nature on this stretch is truly unearthly beautiful. It reminds us a bit of Iceland, where we were in 2023, but imagine Iceland being twice as beautiful. :)
Glencoe - a place you absolutely must stop to experience fairytale nature and unreal colors. :)

On the way to Fort William, there's a road that turns off for Mallaig, a port in Morar on the west coast of Scotland. 15-20 minutes' drive from the turn-off, you can see the Glenfinnan Viaduct, famous from the Harry Potter films. :) If you're lucky, you can even catch and photograph the train. We didn't feel up to it, nor could we do it with the little one, as it requires about a 20-minute walk to the viaduct, which isn't very practical in the wind with a baby. :) But it's definitely a "must-see" if it appeals to you or if you have kids who love Harry Potter. Another, even better option, is an organized excursion on that old train, where you ride for an hour through the landscape to Mallaig, have about 5 hours of free time there, and then the train returns to Fort William. From what I've read, you need to book quite early as spots for this excursion fill up quickly. :) A third option is to drive to the location, which is about a 1-hour drive. We didn't choose any of these options because it would have been too exhausting for us, and if you're touring Scotland, I don't think you'll miss anything significant by skipping this. Only if you or your children really love Harry Potter is the train experience probably worth it. :) We stayed 15 minutes from town, in a quiet place at Tirindrish House. In Scotland, private accommodation often means castle-like houses that hosts have organized like a hotel. It's a bit strange because you feel like you're visiting family, even though you have privacy and a room like in a hotel, especially since breakfast means the owners prepare and serve everything themselves. Accommodation in this area is quite expensive, and you'll hardly find anything under 220-250 euros per night because the location is extremely attractive and a stopover on the way to the even more popular Isle of Skye, which was our plan for the next day. I made reservations two months in advance, and a lot was already booked. Just before the trip, when I looked at accommodations out of curiosity, I saw that mostly the most expensive ones were still available.

You can see the Isle of Skye in one day by car, depending on your preferences. Ideally, you should set aside two days for it, explore it at your leisure, and stay overnight. If you're solo, with a partner, or a family with older children, it's an excellent option because you can hike to various natural attractions where the routes are genuinely easy and short, and they're also known for being the filming locations for many movies. :) We didn't explore the whole island because it would have been too much driving for Dominik, but we did see most of it. If you've previously seen Iceland or a similar country, this might not fascinate you as much as it did us – although it is, of course, a beautiful place, it might not offer anything new or that "wow factor." Our first route was the village of Fort Augustus, at the southwestern end of Loch Ness.
We visited the lake, took photos, bought souvenirs in the gift shop, and got Dominik some picture books and books with local fairy tales as keepsakes. :)

Along the way, you can admire the impressive landscape from your vehicle and stop wherever you wish.
We didn't stop before reaching the island so as not to waste time we wanted to spend there. You can "capture" many good photos even while driving.

The further north you go and the smaller the villages you reach, the narrower the roads become, and your driving is reduced to stopping and yielding to vehicles coming from the opposite direction. But there are no crowds, and everything is fine; a leisurely drive is just pleasant enough for you to sightsee from the car and not get out too much into the wind. :)

But the landscape in the north of Isle..... wow!

I must note that there are several beautiful attractions on these routes that we did not visit because they require walks of 15-30 minutes. The most popular is probably "Old Man of Storr" which you can see from the car and take pictures of, but the real experience requires a leisurely 45-minute hike. Also, the Fairy Pools are worth visiting. :) There are also excursions to the surrounding islands which are amazing, but they require additional days and costs. After visiting a good part of the island, we drove tired to our accommodation "Hame of Syke" in the village of Roag. It was quite desolate and Mars-like, but it was the only accommodation we managed to find available that didn't exceed 300 euros + breakfast. Due to the attractions, accommodation on this part of the island is extremely expensive, but if you want to visit it, you'll hardly manage without resting and sleeping there. The cheapest and most reasonably priced options only start in the town of Ullapool, but you would have several hours of driving to get there, which is quite impractical. However, given the experience and the beauty of the island, it is really worth staying here for a day.

The NC500 route is one of the most beautiful you'll experience in Scotland. While we were lucky enough to have sunshine all day on the Isle of Skye, we unfortunately weren't so lucky on this particular day, as it rained constantly. As we left the island, we stopped and explored the popular Eilean Donan Castle. Personally, I don't find it fascinating, but the gift shop at the entrance is excellent, and it's attractive for photos in good weather. :)

The NC500 is a route where it's definitely best to spend a night somewhere in the middle, towards the north, but as it was raining, it wasn't worth it, so we headed straight north. :)

Ullapool is a small village and port that is convenient for grocery shopping at Tesco and having lunch. From Ullapool northwards, there are western spots like Achmelvich, with turquoise beaches and white sand.
From there, we continued to our accommodation in the charming town of Castletown, which is about 30 minutes from the next attraction, John O'Groats, where we found much cheaper accommodation for about 100 euros, and the apartment was luxurious and beautiful! If you ever find yourself up there, I highly recommend B'Dazzled Flat, Castletown. :)

Castletown may not be popular, but it really left an impression on me. A quiet little town that has everything, and especially a beautiful beach. Luckily the sun returned and we were finally able to use the drone and film these areas.

On the way, we stopped at several locations such as The Castle & Gardens of Mey where we just had coffee and looked around because we didn't feel like walking through the castle as we were already tired, but if you like it, I think it's definitely worth it because it has a beautiful courtyard and gardens. The entrance to the castle courtyard truly looks like a scene from a Sleeping Beauty adaptation. :) We preferred to drive through the landscapes of the northern edge and admire the view. One of the places you should go to is Dunnet Head - the northernmost point of Great Britain. The drive there itself is so scenic you won't know which way to look. :)

From there, we continued our journey to Strathpeffer, half an hour away from Inverness, where we settled and spent the night. The village is peaceful and idyllic, and that's how I imagine a place where I'd love to live – a little outside the city in the woods, yet still close to the city. :) In the evening, we went down for dinner at a nearby restaurant. :)

Given that we had seen and driven a lot, we no longer felt like stopping anywhere; we just wanted to get to Edinburgh as soon as possible, where we would rest for almost three days and enjoy the end of our trip. :) We admired the eastern part of the coast from the car. :)

On the way, we stopped at a rest area that has an excellent shopping center and a great selection of food and cakes, so we ate and rested. :)

In Edinburgh, we wanted accommodation in the center or at least very close so we could go everywhere on foot and with a stroller, so we stayed at Destiny Scotland-The Malt House Apartments in the West End. The apartment was absolutely beautiful and had everything.

Since I am generally more of a nature lover than an architecture enthusiast, very few cities truly captivate me. Not because they aren't beautiful, but simply because I don't perceive them as natural beauty. We've traveled quite a bit in Europe, and I can say that Edinburgh is definitely the most beautiful city I've seen.

When we finally arrived and settled in, we first took a short walk around the center and went to dinner. We spent the rest of the day in a warm bed watching Netflix because it was raining outside, and we needed to recharge for the next two days. :)

After breakfast, we headed into town, and the first place we stopped was the famous Waterstones bookstore, popular for its upstairs coffee shop where you get an impressive view of the castle.

If you arrive early in the morning, you'll probably find a free spot, as many tourists come here to take photos. :D While Željko and Dominik walked outside in the park, I explored the entire bookstore and bought Dominik a few books and picture books as souvenirs. :) After the bookstore, we headed to the Old Town, definitely the most beautiful spot in Edinburgh. Before turning into the Old Town, you'll pass Princes Street Gardens, a park at the foot of the castle.

And within that park is the Scott Monument, a Victorian Gothic monument to the Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, otherwise the second largest monument to a writer in the world.

If you look at the city on social media, this is one of those most attractive spots where everyone comes to pose.

We didn't visit Edinburgh Castle because it requires a lot of time, and it was raining, so we didn't feel like walking up there in such weather. But it's definitely an option, considering that within the castle, you can walk along the walls and see the city from a different perspective.

Another place worth visiting is Dean Village, just a few minutes from the center. As we were preparing for our flight and check-out from the apartment was by 11 am, we didn't feel like going anywhere else because we were quite tired already. :) We said goodbye to Edinburgh and headed to the shopping center, then to the airport.

Is it worth investing in Scotland? Absolutely! And what I advise is not to go with a travel agency, but to rent a car and organize your own travel route. You will see and experience much more and have complete freedom of organization. :) What particularly stuck in my mind is the warmth of the people here, as I have never experienced such kindness towards children anywhere else. Wherever we went or just walked through the city, people would smile and wave at Dominik. And I read somewhere that they are very child-friendly. :) While we were trying to take a picture of ourselves, an older couple approached us and offered to take our photo. That was really nice and memorable. :) As impressive and beautiful as Scotland is, I must admit that Iceland is still number one for me. It's truly hard to beat. :) And the next trip? Definitely a warmer country with no wind or rain! :D