Student Bloggers

Two roads diverged and I, I took the one less traveled” –Robert Frost 

Scotland is such a beautiful and diverse country.

So far in my journey in Scotland, I’ve been to relatively large cities such as Edinburgh, Stirling and Aberdeen (of course!). But this weekend I got to visit the side of Scotland that most people associate it with- the lovely and peaceful countryside.

First stop on my adventure, was the Traquair House which was originally a hunting lodge for the kings and queens of Scotland including, Mary Queen of Scots, and dates back to 1107. It’s no wonder that it was a place of royalty with such gorgeous landscape. It is used even today as a museum, a bed-and-breakfast, and a place for weddings. It’s privately owned and the owners of the property still live in part of the house.

Next stop, was the small sleepy town of Melrose for lunch and a visit to the Melrose Abbey. The Melrose Abbey was founded in 1136 by King David I as the first Cistercian monastery in Scotland. Some things that I thought were fascinating about this ancient place include the fact that it is the place where the heart of Robert the Bruce is said to be buried (yes, that’s right, just his heart) and there’s also a statue of a bagpipe-playing pig.

I then had a brief stop at Scott’s View named for Scotland’s beloved poet Sir Walter Scott and his love for the scenery. After seeing the view for myself, I can honestly say that I see why this particular place has inspired not only books and poems, but also instilled love and pride of Scotland in the hearts of so many people. After all, how could anyone not fall in love with Scotland after witnessing such beautiful and majestic landscape?

Moving again through time, we arrived at Rosslyn Chapel for a quick visit. No pictures were allowed inside the chapel itself, but it’s one of those places where you just have to go in person to experience it yourself. Inside the chapel, you could see how much attention to detail everything was. I could spend weeks in there and discover something new each day. Also, there is an adorable cat named William that keeps watch over Rosslyn Chapel and greets visitors inside.

Seeing the Scottish borders was truly an unforgettable experience. As we drove through the narrow and winding paths, there were no signs of civilization except for the occasional car or two but even that was pretty rare. It was so awesome to just gaze out the window and see nothing but green pastures and grazing sheep. As I gazed out into the endless emerald fields, it was like time had stopped. It amazes me that so long ago that these were the same rolling hills, the same rushing river that were seen by people such as Mary, Queen of Scots.

So after yet another amazing weekend, I am truly grateful to be living in such a historical and gorgeous country.

Until next time,

Melissa