Darrell & Mallory's Scotland Blog-2023

Day 5-West Highlands/Inverness  photo credit: https://travel.usnews.com/Scottish_Highlands_Scotland/Pictures/#gallery Our EF Itinerary today kept us busy!  Today the group got a chance to see some of the scenery that was used in the Harry Potter films.   Including a train ride on the railway that was used in the movies to take young wizards off to Hogwarts. Rick Steves talks about how much of the Hogwarts grounds from the HP Films is from the Scottish Highlands: Scottish Highlands Many of the movies' exterior shots — especially scenes of the Hogwarts grounds — were filmed in the craggy, cloudy Highlands of Scotland (mostly in the Fort William/Glencoe area). The  Hogwarts Express  runs along the actual  Jacobite Steam Train  line (between Fort William and Mallaig). The movies show the train chugging across the real-life  Glenfinnan Viaduct,  where, in  The Goblet of Fire , the Dementors stall the train and torture Harry. Nearby...

 Day 4-West Highlands When you hear the Scottish Highlands mentioned, you really have no idea of its magnitude until you visit!      U.S. News and World Report describes it best when they say:  "The Scottish Highlands region is vast, measuring more than 11,000 square miles in length. There are so many cities, towns, regions and islands in between, it can be overwhelming deciding where to start exploring, let alone where to stay. And the farther north you travel, the more remote and wild the Highlands become. The best way to orient yourself is to pinpoint the major gateway cities. From there, you'll get a better sense of the distinct areas that surround each city and what attractions they offer." I am so glad we have a dedicated Tour Director & Guide to show us the highlights of this region!   It may have been a wet and dreary day, but we still got to see some great sites and incredibly beautiful scenery.   Battle of Bannockburn If you rem...