Oh my, Oh my…I spend about 2 hours a day figuring out where to go next. Such a problem.

Right now I’m in Edinburgh and loving it. Such a Harry Potter world…alleys, dark corners, sinewy stairways, towers, old soot colored buildings. The city is built on two levels with “bridges” spanning the dales below. It’s an odd feeling to be walking on the South Bridge since it doesn’t seem like a bridge at all but rather a wide boulevard aligned with shops and restaurants. But sure enough there are archways below holding up the 1000 foot bridge. Supposedly there are 19 archways below but only one is still visible. Buildings, shops, homes have all been built into and onto the arches so as to defy reality. A good tour to book is the Highs and Hidden Lows of Edinburgh. Full of arcane information and a very small group (six). I was huffing and puffing a bit as we climbed up and down streets and steps for about 2 miles. I tried to put on a good face and managed to keep up.

Off to Glasgow and heading to the Highlands. Why is it that the night before I travel, no matter how far, I have trouble sleeping. No different this time even though Glasgow is only 45 minutes from Edinburgh…worry about Uber and WiFi and pick up and finding the right track and checking my bag into left-luggage at the station. I surely don’t want to carry that around on my 13-day “Grand Tour of Scotland”. It’s a bit costly but worth it…I hope.

The company I organized the private tour with had their associate meet me at the station in Glasgow and handed me a huge envelope of vouchers, maps, timetables, tickets, etc. It worked like a charm…whew that worry dealt with and pointless. Heading to my first 2-day stop at Spean Bridge and the Old Pines Inn…near 4000 foot Ben Nevis in the highlands. Dressed for mild weather…my mistake…more on this later.