A return to Mike's Motherland

After visiting Scotland last year, and after the special time we spent together - Mike and I knew that we couldn't return without Bob Mobley.  Everything about Scotland was so amazing, from the city time we spent in Edinburgh, to the gorgeous autumnal weather we had in the Highlands - we couldn't wait to take Bob & Melinda back to some of the spots we fell absolutely in LOVE with during our trip last year.

As I mentioned during my last post, we ventured to Scotland via train - and even though we got the lay of the land during our trip LAST November, we made sure to keep some surprises for ourselves & for Bob & Melinda when we arrived to one of our favorite places on the planet.  There were a few events that never disappoint - which I'm sharing with all of you here!

1.  Another visit to Monteith's:  One of our favorite restaurants in Edinburgh was a lovely little nook called Monteith's.  As I mentioned to you last year, the establishment is pretty much as Scottish as you can get, with tartan covered booths, bar chairs draped in lambswool, and antlers adorning the walls everywhere you turn.  We have been dreaming about Monteith's since we knew we were going back to Edinburgh, and couldn't wait to walk through those twinkling arches with Mike's parents to share with them the little treasure we discovered back in 2013.

2.  A trip to Aberfeldy:  I owe my affinity for scotch to one man, and one man only...and that is Bob Mobley.  And when he found out I was working with Dewar's, he was the MOST excited, particularly because he's been a loyal Dewar's consumer since he could remember!  So it was only fitting that we treated Mr. Mobley for his 80th birthday with a little VIP treatment at the Dewar's distillery in Aberfeldy.  I had received the employee perks tour last year, but this was different - this was a unique experience set up only for our very own birthday boy.  We toured the distillery, but when the tour was complete, the four of us got to stay behind in the scotch storage room, for a little extra TLC.  Bob got to taste some unfiltered 21 year old scotch directly from the barrel!  But we didn't leave empty handed - we walked away with two bottles of our very own 1994 Aberfeldy Single Malt....bottled and sealed by the birthday boy himself!  A very special treatment for a very special man.  We all scribbled some private messages on our bottles before leaving the distillery & we'll be holding on to this special liquid for a VERY special occasion.

3.  Our stay at the Balmoral Hotel: We adored the Balmoral in Edinburgh - but perhaps the best part of the entire hotel is the whisky bar that boasts over 497 different types of scotch - a whisky lover's dream.  This was perfect for us, but even MORE perfect for our guest of honor.  The Balmoral was the ideal location to the Royal Mile, the train station, and all of our needs while in the beautiful city of Edinburgh.  And if we were lucky enough to catch the light just right - our room had a gorgeous view of the Edinburgh Castle, that caught the pink rays of the autumn sunset every night...the best view in the entire hotel!

4.  Stopping by the ol' Menzies Castle:  It wouldn't be a trip to Aberfeldy without a stop at the Menzies castle!  Last year, we caught the castle on the first day it closed for the season.  This year, we were a bit later into November, and we didn't have the same luck, but we WERE with a real Menzies herself with Mike's mom, so it was worth hopping out of the car to take a few pictures and admire the enormity of the estate with OUR little clan matriarch.

Despite a few repeated attractions, there were a few things we left to discover for this trip, and we had more time to do a few things much differently this time around.




1. A hike to Arthur's seat:  I'm not sure if the weather was too cold, or if we were a little too hungover during the time we were in Ediburgh, but one of the most amazing views in all of the UK is the hike to Arthur's Seat.  A steep, lush hill that promises a 360 degree view of all of Edinburgh once you get to the top.  We definitely didn't have the appropriate footwear, and we we reached the top in a bit of a cold sweat, but it was worth it, and it was absolutely magnificent.  From up on that hill, you could see the sooty, pointed rooftops of a medieval Edinburgh, the vast grounds of the castle and Holyrood, and the sparkling blue of the North Sea.  The trek in my three inch booties, was completely worth it - and they held up pretty well in the slippery slopes of the Scottish hillside.

2.  A quiet stay in the Highlands: One thing that we really wanted to accomplish during this visit to Scotland, was an extended stay in the Highlands.  Some time in a quintessential Highland town, where we can snack on authentic pub food, cuddle by a fireplace, and huddle up in a cobblestone cottage.  So we selected Kenmore as our Highland destination - as it was just a 15 minute ride from Aberfeldy.  Kenmore was an adorable town on a vast loch surrounded by one of the most well maintained golf courses I've ever seen.  And the Kenmore hotel claims to be one of the oldest Inns in all of Scotland! We didn't have much on our agenda when arriving in Kenmore, but we did have quite a goody bag after leaving Dewar's - and I'll just say the few bottles we purchased from the gift shop didn't make the trip back with us!

3.  The Taymouth Castle: Since the foliage in the Highlands is some of the most colorful I've ever seen in the autumn, Mike and I decided to take a walk through the grounds around the cottage.  On that walk, we saw trees that looked like they were out of some enchanted fairy tale, barrack ruins from former castle grounds, and a CASTLE! A massive, expansive CASTLE!  It's so typical Scotland to have a castle nestled among a golf course in a tiny little town like Kenmore.  Another little hike that payed off with some awe-inspiring landscapes!

And so this ends our UK tour with the Mobleys, an unforgettable celebration of a wonderful man who is 80 years young.   We always wish we had more time with all of our family, but it's even more special to have these quality memories that mean so much to us.  I'm not sure when we'll be heading back to the UK, but our trip with Mike's parents was a unique one that we'll cherish forever, and one that can never be duplicated.  Happy Birthday to the best father and father-in-law a girl could ever ask for, we love you beyond words!