A Lovely Village, Highland "Coos," and Loch Lomond

I've had a busy few weeks, but I'm back! I'm going to finish blogging about my wonderful trip to Scotland before I have another busy few weeks!  

After visiting Stirling Castle, the weather suddenly changed, and it rained for an hour or two. We had lunch and did some shopping in a lovely village, visited some Highland "coos," and went on a boat trip around the famous Loch Lomond.

I really liked this Christmas shop! Among other treasures, it had many nice owl ornaments.

The nativity sets were beautiful.

Some things I liked in other shops we perused...

I do like to plan...

This bakery was so good. It was very crowded, and we were fortunate to get seats here for lunch!

We stopped to see and feed a trio of Highland "coos," which was awesome! I asked our guide why they're called "coos," and it's because that's just how it's pronounced in Scottish dialect. 

They were huge, gentle, and wet from the rain, which didn't seem to bother them.

Here I am, feeding this gentle giant!

And maybe trying to pet it?

There were sheep and lambs grazing in a nearby field, and it was so picturesque.

The weather cleared, and we stopped for pictures at some scenic spots. We were in the southern part of the Highlands.

Check out that estate (I think it's a hotel now) and its surrounding scenery! 😍

We went on a boat ride around the famous Loch Lomond. Jennifer didn't go because she gets seasick, so she took some pictures of the boat from shore. We're on there somewhere!

There I am!

This pretty rose arrangement was on our table inside the boat.

It was a really fun day with so much to see and experience, starting with Stirling Castle and ending with Loch Lomond. I hope to return in the future and see a lot more of the famed Highlands!

A Scottish Delight: Stirling Castle

 While in Scotland, we went on a fun day trip that included a visit to the beautiful and historic Stirling Castle, which I absolutely loved (even more than Edinburgh Castle!). It's perched way up high on a volcanic cliff and is a beauty to behold. I enjoyed learning about its history, walking around its grounds, and going inside it. So many important things took place there over the centuries. Among other things, it was the childhood home of Mary, Queen of Scots. Major battles happened on the land all around it. So much history to behold! If only we could see it happen before our eyes as it was then, and actually behold it! I have hope that this will be a possibility in the next life, that we'll be able to see (or remember seeing from our premortal perch in the heavens) the events of history as well as what daily life was like in all time periods, eras, and places in the earth's history. But, I digress. On to the castle!

Castle turrets are actually a thing and not just the stuff of fairy tales! 😮😆 

You can see the holes in this one from being shot at.

There's Nate!

In the courtyard, waiting for the tour to begin. Don't I look like I belong here? 😄

The views were amazing! 

This hall was so cool. This is where literal kings and queens held banquets and celebrations.

This was the castle's chapel.

The view from the other side of the castle. 😍

It was an excellent fortress!

Inside, there were artisans and craftsmen doing their work.

Throne room

Bedroom

Musician

P.S. TMI: I was having terrible stomach cramps at this point, but I kept calm and carried on. I think I had eaten something earlier that definitely didn't agree with me. I'm happy to report that after a few trips to the bathroom that morning, I was back to normal and on my merry way. 💩😂

Stirling Castle was my favorite castle/palace we visited, and I want to go back and spend more time exploring it and its surroundings in greater depth. Second for me was Falkland Palace, third was Edinburgh Castle, and fourth was St. Andrews Castle. That's how they ranked for me, but they were all amazing and totally worth seeing. Seeing these special places was one of my most favorite things we did in Scotland!