Note: This is a scheduled post of our Summer Holidays in Scotland (9th to 25th September, 2022)
We wanted a different holiday and we got just that.
From our countless trips to the land of lavender fields, wines, quaint hilltop medieval villages, daily Provençale markets, artisanal breads and luscious pastries to the land of whisky, ringing bagpipes, kilts, bold tartans, castles, highlands and haggis! What a trade-off, and an enriching one at that 😬
We had arrived at Glasgow Central on schedule at 07:20 via the Caledonian Sleeper, a 7-hour “hotel-experience-on-rail” journey from London Euston. Being sleep deprived the past 24 hours, we trudged the streets of Glasgow googling our way to the hotel that was to be our accommodation for the next 7 days.
We reached Maldron Hotel, but shucks, it was way too early to check in at 07:59. Another 7 hours to go before we could get that much-needed snooze…
We left our luggage at the hotel and started roaming the streets of Glasgow walking on different terrains: cobblestones, turfs, earths, tarred roads, cemented pathways and crossing overhead bridges. Our first accidental stop was Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum via Kelvingrove Park.
Every picture tells a story … if you know how to read it
The Museum was a great find with everything Scottish from Charles Renmie Mackintosh to The Glasgow Boys.
We stayed in the Museum while waiting for the Daily Organ Concert, a solo performance by a locally known organist. The opening recital of ‘God save the King’ was appropriately performed while savouring the classic Victoria Sandwich (Sponge) Cake, the way Queen Victoria would have enjoyed her cake 😊
By the way, I was glad we had the Victoria Sponge Cake because there was more walking to do before I could snug in my comfy bed. At that moment, I felt like a headless chicken, with our totally impromptu schedules plodding our way through the woods until we chanced upon two of Scotland’s top Universities.
We felt like students again, ambling our way around the University compound and the University shop. After all, it was the Universities’ Open Days.
Road to Nightmare
The walk back to our hotel seemed eternal.
When we finally reached the hotel at 15:33, we checked into Room 1208, the topmost floor but only to find out that there was ZERO WiFi connection. Anyway, we were too tired for anything digital that evening after the insomniac journey on the Caledonian Sleeper.
With the Queen’s recent passing, all that was seen on the TV were live coverage of the Queen’s death.
When the live broadcast from Buckingham Palace announced: “The Queen’s funeral will take place on Monday, 19th September”, this didn’t go well with our holiday plans, as Monday, 19th September was THE day I was looking forward to: the much-awaited day trip to the Isle of Skye and the Eilean Donan Castle.
True enough, M received an email the next day that our Day Tour scheduled on Monday, 19th September to the Isle of Skye and the Eilean Donan Castle was cancelled by the Tour Agency.
Oh no!!!
With so much happening the past 24 hours – lack of sleep, the long and winding impromptu trails around Glasgow, the ZERO WiFi connection in our room and the distressing news about the cancellation of our pre-booked Day Tour. Well, what can I say, but it’s clearly NOT a great start to our Scottish holiday.
If tomorrow never comes …
Fingers crossed
By the way ... 
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