For There Is Much To Dare: Scotland Trip, Part One: An Overview

I have just completed my biggest European adventure of my four months here. Up until last week, all of my travels were limited to Germany. Limited is not the right word, for in Germany alone the possibilities for travel are endless. Still, I wanted to do something a little bolder, a little grander. It was over a month ago when I conceived the idea of connecting with Ian and Lauren Clausen in Edinburgh. When they gave me the thumbs-up for a visit, I immediately began planning and dreaming about the trip.

Airplane view

Arthur's Seat

Scotland is a beautiful country with plenty of sights and things to do, but I bought the plane ticket for more than just sight-seeing reasons. Yes, Scotland is the home of golf, and as an golf enthusiast--more specifically a golf history and architecture enthusiast--I planned my trip around the golf. I am breaking up my adventures into what will most likely be four posts. In this first one, I will refrain from talking about my rounds at Gullane (Part Two) and North Berwick (Part Three) and my day at St. Andrews (Part Four). I could write an essay about any new course I play, so when it comes to historic Scottish links, I at least need to dedicate a blog post to each.

In this segment, I will give an overview of the trip, write about the city of Edinburgh, talk about my wonderful hosts, and conclude with a list of highlights other than the golf. And there's plenty to write about. Even if I wasn't focusing my trip on golf, I still would have had a blast in Edinburgh. I'm thankful I had time to explore the city and also spend evenings with my hosts. So here we go.

Edinburgh

The biggest and most vibrant city in Scotland, Edinburgh and its half-a-million people certainly enjoy a special location. Steeped in history, the city unfurls in all directions from the Royal Mile--a pedestrian street where the cobblestones climb upwards towards the Edinburgh Castle. Unlike all of the German cities I've visited, Edinburgh has plenty of hills. The castle is perched high up on a rocky mound and looks all the more impressive because of it. The Royal Mile separates the Old Town to the south from the New Town to the north. The windy streets of the Old Town feature many tourist attractions, old architecture, plenty of fantastic shops and restaurants, and a bit of a labyrinth feel with all of the closes (covered alleyways) leading down from the main streets.

Edinburgh Castle

The New Town was considered an architectural and planning masterpiece when it was constructed in the late eighteenth century (and they call it the "New" Town!). It helped rescue the Old Town from filth and overpopulation, and now offers some of the best restaurants and shopping in the city. There is also a beautiful park in the shadow of the castle, as well as the Sir Walter Scott Monument (which I'll get to later) and the famous Balmoral Hotel.

In the east sits Holyrood Park and and old volcano dubbed Arthur's Seat (which I'll also get to later). Leith is the district of the city on the shore, and going east from Edinburgh is East Lothian--the "golf coast."

My Hosts, Ian and Lauren Clausen

Ian and Lauren were so gracious in taking me into their home for five nights. From Indiana, they married after college and moved to Scotland where Ian is finishing up his Ph.D in theology. They both love the city, but the plan is definitely to move back to the States within a year or two. They are expecting their first child this winter, however, which may complicate things a bit! I got the contact from Erica Maker--cross country coach at Williams and wife of Mike Maker, the Ephs' basketball coach. Ian is Erica's younger brother, and while Mike and Erica were up at Dudley with their young baby Jack this summer, we got talking about the chance for me to visit Scotland. I am so glad I made the effort; Ian and Lauren were great hosts and incredibly nice people.

They made sure I ate well, and most evenings I returned from an exhausting day to find a delicious dinner nearly ready. Even though I did all of the sightseeing and travel alone, they made sure to check in with me about my plans, answer any questions, and give suggestions. Even better, they listened with great interest each evening as I gave the details of my day. It couldn't have been more perfect; I stayed with the nicest people, right near the city center, and still had the flexibility to do everything I wanted.

Best Moments (Excluding Golf) of the Trip

I'll go through my trip chronologically and recall the highlights. First off--and I could make a new section for this--the weather was phenomenal. We all know image painted by stereotypical Scottish weather, but I experienced little to none of it. There had been intense rain and flooding the week before I arrived, and it was pouring when I made my way to Lauren and Ian's place on Wednesday night. But from Thursday onward, it didn't rain a drop. Thursday morning was spectacular, Friday was cloudy and windy but dry, Saturday's clouds lifted and it was gorgeous by noon, and Sunday was the best day of all--genuinely warm. The perfect weather definitely contributed to my overall enjoyment of Scotland. So, here we go with some highlights--photos are at the bottom.

On my first morning (Thursday), I took the bus heading east to Gullane for my round of golf. The ride alone was a memory I'll not soon forget. First came the sights of Arthur's Seat, gleaming golden in the morning sun. Then we passed Musselburgh Old--a golf course that claims the longest continuous play on its grounds. St. Andrews will always be the home of golf, but Musselburgh is 1A in terms of history. Soon after passing through the town, we turned left and ran straight into the coast. At low tide, the views down to the beaches and up to the windswept dunes were spectacular. In the distance I could see Gullane Hill sitting just off the coast. That was when my heart started racing--I was minutes away from getting the the club and playing my first round of Scottish golf!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Scottish Heritage souvenir shops that seemed to line every street. I'm sure there are some Scots who don't love the kilts and bagpipes stereotype, but for cheesy tourist shops, these stores were pretty neat. There were a lot of cashmere and wool garments with traditional plaid designs. I think I liked them because they were so different than the tourist shops I've been seeing in Germany, and though I was not looking to pick up a kilt for myself, it was still fun poking around.
Friday Ian and Lauren went out to dinner and the theater to celebrate her birthday, so I had the evening to roam around the Old Town--which also gave me the choice of any restaurant for dinner. After stopping by a few shops and navigating the cobblestone streets, I settled on a dinner at Deacon Brodie's on the Royal Mile. The downstairs is strictly a bar, but in the upstairs restaurant area I managed to get a window seat looking down upon the pedestrians and lights. I ventured forth and tried the haggis served with "neeps and tatties" (turnips and mashed potatoes). Though the stuff may be illegal in the U.S. for health reasons, no one has a problem with it in Scotland. And the haggis was tasty. The wild boar burger was the star of that night's show; overall an incredibly enjoyable meal.
More food stories: after a lot of walking Saturday and a successful trip to and from St. Andrews (I'll get to that in Part Four), I was craving a mid-afternoon meal. Thankfully, I found Oink--where they serve one thing and one thing only: pulled pork sandwiches. If you're not put off by the full roast pig sitting in the window (see photo below), it's a creation to be admired. The pork was not quite as sweet as what you find in America, but with haggis and barbecue sauce, my sandwich was one of the best things I've ever eaten. For desert, I stumbled upon an Italian pastry shop. The window display (see below) was quite a bit more beautiful than Oink's, and as far as chocolate cake goes, the piece I chose was exquisit.
Sunday I had the whole day to roam Edinburgh and hit the attractions high on my list. It began with the Edinburgh Castle. I had views of the imposing structure each day, but it wasn't until the beautiful Sunday morning that I got to go inside the walls. It's definitely aimed at tourists, but I appreciated the vast amount of historical information offered in the many small museums and exhibits inside the castle's many rooms. My favorite parts included seeing the Crown Jewels and the Scottish History of War museum.
Part two of a busy Sunday: while waiting for my bus to get out to Tynecastle Stadium for a Hearts FC match, I saw the Sir Walter Scott Monument down the street. I figured I could climb up the steps, get some photos, and climb back down, within fifteen minutes or so. It wasn't quite so easy, as the spiral staircase became narrower as it went upwards. I reached the second highest platform easily, but then I ran into a logjam going up the final stretch. The steps were so narrow that it was impossible for anyone going down to pass. Twice we nearly reached the top before having to back our way down. One the third attempt I made it. Though I only spent a minute up there, the views were worth it.
I raced back down the steps to catch the bus headed out to the stadium. I wouldn't say I was joining a flood of people going to the game, but there were plenty of fans sporting the maroon and white colors. Hearts is one of the more famous Scottish clubs, but compared to Celtic and Rangers they're not quite on the same level. The game was a lot of fun. The small stadium was probably two-thirds full; they announced 11,500 in attendance. The Motherwell fans apparently don't travel well, because their section was nearly empty. Hearts bagged a beautiful goal off a long left-footed strike from the outside back, and though the game was uptempo and entertaining for the rest of the time, no more goals were scored. I sat in the middle of the Hearts supporters right behind the net and loved the view for the whole match.
My last and possibly favorite memory from Edinburgh came on that glorious Sunday afternoon. I mentioned Arthur's Seat earlier; after seeing the rocky hill on the first morning, I knew I had to climb it. A near staircase zigzags up the hill, due to the immense number of hikers. I started on the west and probably steepest side, but in no time I was near the top. To my left were the Crags of Salisbury; past them, the city of Edinburgh and the castle rising from the streets. The valley created between the Crags and Arthur's Seat offered an excellent view out towards the ocean and the Firth of Forth. I chatted with locals and visitors alike at the top, all enjoying the sun and the views. I could see the castle, the stadium, and out to North Berwick. It was cool looking back on my four days from the highest point in Edinburgh.