Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
It is one of these trips you remember your whole lifetime. We had four free days because of Ascension Day and decided to have a short trip to Scotland – including a full day in Edinburgh and a roadtrip through the highlands up to Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye.
While travelling I experienced many tough situations – but not a single one was as complicated as coming back from Edinburgh to Germany this time. On Saturday British Airways experienced an electricity outage at their data center resulting in massive IT problems. Therefore most flights from Heathrow and Gatwick couldn’t start. Continue reading “Taxi – Train – Subway – Bus”
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is an art museum consisting of two neo-classical buildings in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was opened in 1960 and relocated to its current location in 1980. The collection consists of works of Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Mondrian, Braque, Bacon and many more. Continue reading “Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art”
It is a playground for old and young: the National Museum of Scotland or Royal Museum in Edinburgh, Scotland is a fantastic museum of natural history, technology and art. It is not the biggest one I’ve ever seen but it consistently includes elements to play and have fun. It was opened in 1888 and can be visited free of charge. Continue reading “Royal Museum”
The Palace of Holyroodhouse or Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland is the official residence of the Queen in Scotland. It is located at the east end of the Royal Mile – directly opposite to the Scottish parliament. It was once the guesthouse of the Abbey of Holyrood now lying in ruins. It was built from the year 1671 on and the Queen stays here at least one week each year. Continue reading “Palace of Holyroodhouse”
Local transport in Edinburgh, Scotland is mostly based on busses. Two transport companies get you around on numerous lines. And it is quite easy: you can pay £1.60 for a single trip or £4 for a day ticket. Just remember that you have to pay the exact amount when entering the bus – you’ll get no change. Continue reading “The Tramway”
Our flight back from Edinburgh to London was scheduled for 7 am – not so easy if you want to be at the airport two hours before the flight. Therefore I decided to invest the money and stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel directly at the airport. I don’t know if it was worth the big amount of GBP but it made travelling much easier. Continue reading “Next to the airport”
The Isle of Skye is the biggest island of the Inner Hebrides in Scotland. Guide books label it as the most interesting sight of the country. The island contains many archaeological findings, rough mountains, medieval castles and nice landscapes. Capital of the island is the city of Portree.
Continue reading “Isle of Skye”
Close to Glenfinnan, Scotland you can find a famous viaduct used for the railway track between Mallaig and Fort William. It was built from 1897 on and is 380 meters long; the highest pillars are 30 meters in size. Formerly it was important to the fishing industry, today normal local transport trains and a special tourist train – “The Jacobite” – use the track. Continue reading “Waiting for the Hogwarts Express”
The Eilean Donan Castle is a castle protected by Loch Duich in the village Dornie belonging to Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland. It is located on a land tongue that is flooded during high water. To keep it accessible a stone bridge has been built from the shore to the castle. The castle was created since the year 1220 and it honors the Celtic Saint Donnán of Eigg from the 6th CE. Continue reading “Castle on an island”