08/09/2026
Our final stop - Edinburgh. We dropped the car at the airport and bussed into the city. Our accommodation was conveniently located a comfortable 5 - 10 minute walk from the Royal Mile although our room was in the third floor attic, up 2 flights of narrow, winding stairs (quite the feat with two ~30kg suitcases🥵). We spent day 1 exploring the far reaches of Edinburgh on the Hop On Hop Off Bus which had 3 separate routes, one of which took us out to Leith to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia. Day 2, the penultimate day of our trip, was to be the grand finale including a trip back to Stirling for their Highland Games and tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The Highland Games turned out to be a complete fizzer - poorly organised, lacking meaningful commentary and competitors (there seemed to be only one guy in the caber toss), no seating and long lines for food and refreshments. We left disappointed after a couple of hours contemplating the waste of time and money on the 1hr train trip back to Edinburgh. For a decent Highland Games try the New Years Day Maryborough Highland Gathering in Victoria, Australia. Fortunately, the Tattoo was amazing, somewhat compensating for the disheartening morning. Our final day we walked the city, missing out on visiting Edinburgh Castle (booked out) but exploring The Real Mary King's Close - the warren of alleys beneath the Edinburgh City Chambers. Edinburgh was packed. August is insane in Edinburgh when festivals including the Fringe and the Tattoo result in many of the usual residents clearing out, the population of the city doubling, and the prices trebling or more. We were so fortunate with the weather. The day we headed to the airport to fly home storm clouds were gathering and a deluge followed - so glad we weren't sitting at the Tattoo in that! Time to head home. After 2 nights flying we arrived at Sydney Domestic Airport, missing our connecting flight to Launnie by 10 minutes. But Oh what a feeling to touch down in Tassie after such an epic adventure. It's so good to be home - we really do live in the best place. Spring has sprung and the weather is warming up. We're now busily preparing for an exciting 2026 - 2027 season. Thankyou for following us on our amazing journey and we look forward to welcoming you all back to Hagley soon,
Annette & Steve
