This blog post will be one part geography and family history lesson, one part recap and itinerary of our 8-day road trip to the land of bagpipes, tartan kilts, haggis, and Loch Ness Monster.

For eight days, we drove over 600 miles to hike famous trails, look for dinosaur fossils, jump off rocky edges of the Scottish coastline, eat fish and chips for nearly every meal, and stand in landscapes that influenced famous movies like Harry Potter, Batman, and Skyfall.

First up, the geography lesson –

The rugged cliffs of the Scottish Highlands felt familiar. Not just in the spiritual sense, but in a way that felt like we had seen the same carved-out mountains before. After researching a bit about Scotland’s geography, I learned the same nooks and crannies that create the Scottish coastline are the same that help makeup Ireland’s Dingle Peninsula and Norway’s Lofoten Islands.

Since these are some of our favorite places in the world, a trip to Greenland, Iceland, Nova Scotia, and Morocco’s Little Atlas are on our list for future travel destinations ;)

Next up, the family history lesson –

It is hard to know exactly where one comes from.

More an 25 million Americans claim to be of Scottish descent–including myself. I’ve always known “Frazer” was a Scottish last name. There are photos of the “Fraser” family crest displayed in my parent’s home. My Aunt’s boyfriend showed up to a family reunion in a kilt and played the bagpipes–a sound that became permanently etched into my bones at the ripe old age of 10. My family and I even took a trip to Scotland nine years ago where we visited Fraser Castle. So, to an extent, I had some knowledge about the place and culture we came from, but when it comes to knowing the people who lived there–that’s a big fat zero, zip, zilch, nada.

Lucky for me, my sister is into family genealogy and recently made a discovery. Between her and my dad sharing detailed articles and my rudimentary calculation skills, I hypothesize roughly 25 generations of Frasers lived in Scotland before my great-great-great-grandfather moved to America to fight in the Revolutionary War, for the British side, before ending up in Pennsylvania to begin his American Dream.

This was our 7-day Scotland itinerary–

• Day 1: Arrival in Edinburgh

• Day 2: Edinburgh

• Day 3: Edinburgh, Cairngorms National Park, Inverness

• Day 4: Inverness, Loch Ness, Isle of Skye

• Day 5: Isle of Skye

• Day 6: Isle of Skye, Fort William

• Day 7: Fort William

• Day 8: Fort William, Glencoe, Glasgow, Edinburgh

• Day 9: Departure from Edinburgh

And this is our recap–

April 27

Eric and I landed in Edinburgh. The airport Nate landed at just a few hours prior.

We picked up our car for the week and drove on the opposite side of the road for 15 minutes before arriving at our hotel, The Hampton by Hilton. The last time we drove on the other side was week 72-73 in Ireland!

April 28

Edinburgh is a city that begs to be explored, filled with narrow staircases, quirky coffee shops, a haunted castle, and its very own mountain overlooking the city–and it happens to be my favorite city.

It is definitely not the bright white Viennese architecture we are used to seeing in Austria. Here, buildings are made of grey sandstone which has been blackened by smoke and soot from coal burning chimneys and factories up until the mid-20th century. Even the most expensive buildings see their facades stained black.

Our first full day begins in Dean’s Village, a 10-minute walk from the busiest streets of Edinburgh.

A tranquil residential village with Edinburgh’s central river, The Water of Leith, running through it.

As we emerged from the tree-lined path, we found ourselves standing beneath the Edinburgh Castle. A castle perched atop an extinct volcano which was framed by blooming cherry blossom trees.

As we walked towards the castle, we hit The Royal Mile–this is the heart of Scotland's historic capital.

The Royal Mile connects the Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse which is the official Scottish residence of His Majesty The King.

As we walked along the Royal Mile, there was no shortage of gift shops selling plaid, restaurants selling fish and chips, or tour companies gathering their groups.

We stopped to listen to a lone bagpiper playing in front of the High Court of Justice.

Between his tall feathery hat, the long traditional kilt draped over his entire body, and the sounds he was making with his pipe that echoed throughout the entirety of the Royal Mile, I am not sure which element of his ensemble was more interesting to look at.

After lunch at a Ramen place, we walked up to Calton Hill–a baby hill compared to the towering Arthur’s Seat. Calton Hill serves as one of the best places from which to view the city and its surroundings.

Calton Hill is home to a few monuments and figures. The most prominent being the City Observatory and the unfinished National Monument. An intentional replication of the iconic Parthenon in Athens. This monument was intended to commemorate the Scottish soldiers who fought in the Napoleonic wars of the eighteenth century, but a lack of funds caused the National Monument to exist incomplete.

We made our way over to the infamous Arthur’s seat. Much like the castle that sits on an ancient volcano, Arthur’s seat is also located atop an extinct volcano dating back to 340 million years.

Before reaching the trail to Arthur’s seat, we passed Holyrood Park. A Palace belonging to the Royal Family and open to the public.

After 35 minutes, we reached a cross roads…or perhaps a cross trail?

The iconic cliff with a sharp point overlooking the city is not the infamous Arthur’s seat, it is actually the Salisbury Crag. Arthur’s seat is a bit higher up and, while it touts being the “highest point in Edinburgh”, I think the crag was a cooler spot to be.

We stood at the crag for 30 minutes or so before walking back down.

The distance from the crag to our hotel was roughly 50-minutes walking. We looked at each other and agreed taking the bus would be nice as our feet were getting tired. I bought our bus tickets via the Edinburgh bus app, only to learn when scanning the tickets that you can only scan one ticket per phone. Eric tapped the credit card on the bus’s card machine twice and that was accepted.

Once the sun started to set, we joined this walking tour from GetYourGuide to learn more about this haunted city filled with legends of witches and ghosts.

The Greyfriars Kirkyard is rumored to be one of the most haunted graveyards in the world and it was the first stop on our tour.

While the guide was riddling off gruesome stories and facts about the people who were buried here, I couldn’t help but become fixated on the sweeter story of The Greyfriars Bobby–a devoted dog that guarded his master’s grave for 14 years. To this day, people bring a stick and lay it on Bobby’s grave for being such a good boy.

Another fun fact about the Greyfriars Kirkyard was learning J.K. Rowling was inspired by the names of people buried here for her famous Harry Potter characters. The name that got to live on beyond the grave was Thomas Riddell. Which influenced the character “Lord Voldemort”. I distinctly remember watching Harry Potter on my portable DVD player at my grandma’s house and watching the scene where the letters that makeup “Lord Voldemort” became Tom Marvolo Riddle.

After a series of stories learning about the cities notorious criminals, we walked to the underground vaults located in the arches of South Bridge where supposedly regular paranormal occurrences happen.

April 29

We left the city and stopped at an outlet mall to shop around before arriving at The Wallace Monument.

Address: Abbey Craig, Hillfoots Road, Causewayhead, Stirling, FK9 5LF
Hours: Varies on the month, but Everyday from 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM
Price: £11.30/adult
Click here for more information
***Take the free shuttle from the parking lot to the entrance, the walk up is steep.

The Wallace Monument has been made popular from the movie, Braveheart.

It is a gothic tower standing approximately 220 feet tall with a total of 246 steps leading to the top. After paying £11.30, you get to design your own crest, see the Wallace Sword on display which was used by Wallace in battle during the Wars of Scottish Independence, and admire the Scottish country side from the top.

The 246 stairs didn’t seem like much on the way up, but beware, the narrowness and spirals only get more narrow and spirally on the way down.

We continued north to Cairngorms National Park. The UK's largest National Park and the park where Balmoral Castle is located.

Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since 1852. This is also where Queen Elizabeth II died in 2022. Had we waited one more week to visit, we could have gone inside the castle. But walking the grounds was cool enough!

Address: Balmoral Estates, Ballater AB35 5TB, United Kingdom
Hours: 10AM - 5PM from May-August (The grounds, gardens and exhibitions at Balmoral)
Click here for more information

The garden in front of the castle is framed by an ornate iron gate with golden initials that stand for George Rex and Mary Regina. The grandparents of Queen Elizabeth II.

We continued driving northwest until reaching Inverness. The home of the mythical Loch Ness Monster and where many Frasers settled after moving to Scotland from Normandy, France around the 12th century. There were several streets and businesses with the Fraser name attached to them.

We checked into the Glen Mohr Hotel and headed out for dinner.

While many people won’t ever find the Loch Ness Monster, some may be able to spot bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth. An inlet of the North Sea, north east of Inverness.

April 30

Our quick stay in Inverness came to a close as we set out to visit a few Fraser sights.

First up is Beaufort Estates in Beauly, just 20 minutes from Inverness. Beaufort Estates has been the original seat of the highland Frasers since 1460. The estate was sold in 1994, however, the present-day Frasers are currently trying to buy the ancestral home back. Unfortunately, the gate to the estate was locked so we couldn’t walk around, but it would be cool to go back and see someday when they are accepting visitors.

Next up was the Clan Fraser Cemetery. A tourist attraction on google maps at the south east end of Loch Ness.

This cemetery is where many prominent members including Clan chiefs of the extended Clan Fraser have found their resting place.

I recognized several names. Not because I knew who anyone was, but because of the numerous articles I have read about Clan Fraser. The first Fraser recorded in Scotland was named Simon, and there must have been at least 50 Simon Frasers buried here.

After spending some time at the cemetery and admiring the views of Loch Ness from above, we made our way west to the Isle of Skye.

Somewhere around halfway, we stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle.

Eilean Donan is one of the most iconic Scottish castles known around the world. The castle is built on an island where three great sea lochs (lakes) converge.

Click here for more information

As soon as we crossed into the Isle of Skye, we made another unplanned pitstop to the Old Schenglin Bridge.

This bridge has yet another legend associated with it.

The waters under the Sligachan Bridge are said to be a portal to a fairytale world and anyone brave enough to dip their face in the water for at least 7 seconds will be granted eternal beauty by the fairies.

On the left side of the bridge is a pile of rocks with a bronze statue of two renowned mountaineers who worked to create several well-known routes across the Scottish mountain ranges.

We finally make it to the spot I had been most excited to see–Old Man of Storr.

The Old Man of Storr is an iconic landmark perched majestically above the Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye.

There is a towering needle-shaped rock, formed millions of years ago by ancient volcanic activity and sculpted by the relentless forces of wind and rain, standing as a testament to the enduring power of nature's craftsmanship.

As we hiked the 40-minute trail to the viewpoint, it wasn’t until I looked back, and caught the view I had been admiring through Google Images and Instagram for years. It was at that moment a wave of gratitude hit me. Grateful for the ability to travel, to live this adventurous life, and to witness the wildest corners of the earth. I hope everyone gets to visit their bucket list destinations.

This is a place where vibrant, yellowish-green grass blankets the rugged rocky landscape and where the sea is smooth as glass even though the wind is whipping violently above.

We ended the night at the Flodigarry Hotel. A luxury hotel on the northern tip of Isle of Skye. Perhaps a little too fancy for the three of us, but memorable for sure.

May 1

We started the day looking for dinosaur footprints.

Long before Frasers roamed the land (we’re talking 168 million years before), dinosaurs were walking it and evidence of their presence is waiting to be discovered along the shores of Skye. We scoured the slimy, seaweed-covered rocks for about 30 minutes and seemed to be out of luck. Other reviews confirmed the footprints can be hard to find because the tide covers them with seaweed or sand.

After striking out to see dinosaur prints, we drove 8 minutes to Kilt Rock, a 90-meter-high wall of multi-colored hexagonal columns of basalt rock and dolerite sills resembling the pleats of a tartan kilt and Mealt Falls, a 60-meter-high waterfall plunging from sea cliffs into the Sound of Raasay.

The next activity on the agenda was to hike to Brother’s Point.

After a series of farm gates, and traversing very muddy fields dotted with sheep and old stone ruins, we finally saw Brother’s Point in the distance.

The point is a hodge-podge of rock spilling out into the sea and it is a stunning place for photographers and nature lovers.

Packmama Tip: If you have waterproof hiking shoes/boots, they will come in handy. Otherwise, be mentally prepared for soaked socks and shoes.

Our next activity for the day was quickly creeping up on us, so we didn’t make it all the way out to the point. At this point the boys’ shoes and socks were completely soaked and muddy. So, we turned around and started to head in the direction of our next destination.

After Eric and I went coasteering in Madeira in week 176-177, we knew we wanted to do it again with Nate in Scotland.

Like last time, Eric asked, “Are there sharks here”? Our guide laughs, says “no,” and proceeds to confirm basking sharks have been sighted in the area, but nothing dangerous is out here. Basking sharks are plankton eaters, so no need to worry, lol.

Unfortunately, the tour guide didn’t have a GoPro, and neither did we, so there are no photos of the cliff jumping.

The tallest jump was about 8 meters or 24 feet and the water was about 47 degrees–very chilly.

We brought our robes from the hotel which proved to be a great idea for after the excursion was over.

At the recommendation of our coasteering guide, we ate dinner at The Hungry Gull and then enjoyed a sunset walk to the Fairy Glen.

The Fairy Glen is a whimsical place hidden below the hills of “Uig” and is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset.

May 2

My morning started at 5:15 AM.

As I tip-toed out of our tiny cottage room, I started second-guessing my decision to do this.

There I sat, cold and alone, in a chair in front of the Flodigarry Hotel, while Eric was fast asleep in our warm, cozy cottage.

The sunrise was scheduled for 5:33. The sky was getting brighter, and the birds were getting louder, but I still had a few minutes to go. Seconds before the sun emerged over the sea it sounded as if the birds were cheering for the sun to rise. As soon as it peaked over the hazy skyline, birds flew off the tops of the trees in celebration of the rising sun. I even found myself silently squealing with giddy excitement in unison with the birds while frantically trying to make sure I captured the shot.

I got back inside the cottage around 6 AM and fell back asleep only to wake back up at 8 AM with the feeling like it never happened. Eric looked over and asked if I got up and I fondly said yes.

We checked out of the hotel and headed up to the Quiraing. The most popular spot in the Isle of Skye. Full of hikers and campers. The parking lot was literally full. So we had to just do a drive-by and admire it from the car as we made our way east towards Fort William.

Carved by ancient landslides and shaped by centuries of elemental forces, the Quiraing is a popular place for elopements.

During our 2.5-hour drive, we found an old castle ruin called Caisteal Maol from the 1400s and an abandoned ship to explore and stretch our legs.

By 5PM, we arrived in Fort William and checked into Clan MacDuff Hotel.

May 3

We had plans to hike the tallest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis, but we changed plans last minute, slept in, and saw a few other sites around Fort William instead.

The first site was the Glennfinnan Viaduct, a place made popular from a scene in Harry Potter where Harry and Ron fly the car to Hogwarts. The Harry Potter train, Hogwarts Express, passes along the Viaduct and its actually called the Jacobite Steam Train.

There are two times in the day the Jacobite crosses the viaduct. The best time to see it is at 10:55 AM when the train is moving towards you from the viewpoint.

If time allows, the train will stop on the track, blow out some steam puffs, and allow onlookers to take photos. There are several “NO DRONE” signs posted, but we still saw 5 up in the air buzzing around.

After our Harry Potter morning and lunch in town, we spent the afternoon hiking to Steall Falls.

The second-largest waterfall in the UK cascading 390 feet!

If you are a Harry Potter Fan, you may have seen this waterfall without realizing it. This magical cascade is in the backdrop of various Quidditch matches.

May 4

We checked out of Clan MacDuff Hotel and headed east towards Edinburgh, but we needed to make a few stops in Glencoe and Glasgow.

As we ventured into the heart of the Highlands, we arrived at the Glencoe visitor center

Address: Visitor Centre, Glencoe, Ballachulish PH49 4HX, United Kingdom
Hours: 9.30 AM – 5:00 PM
Price: Free
Click here for more information

There is essentially one road through Glencoe. That road led us to Hagrid’s Hut, another Harry Potter film location. The hut was only there for filming purposes. After filming wrapped, they tore it down and restored it back to its natural setting.

More stop offs along the road led us to Three sisters point, the Glencoe viewpoint, a film scene from James Bond’s Sky Fall, and the Wee White House.

The Wee White House has filled my IG for months thanks to all the Scottish elopement photographers I follow.

Continuing our day of film locations, we entered Glasgow. Scotland’s largest city and the location for a few Batman scenes.

Between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Edinburgh is easily our favorite.

They are two vibrant cities, but Glasgow feels more modern and industrial compared to Edinburgh with its whimsical charm.

Our trip came full circle as we arrived back into Edinburgh and checked into the airport hotel. Nate had to be at the airport the next morning at 4AM, while Eric and I didn’t need to be there until 10AM, so we said our goodbyes in the hotel hallway the night before and went our separate ways.

From jumping off 24-foot cliffs and standing at Edinburgh’s tallest point, to witnessing magical sunrises, sunsets, and learning about mythical creatures, this 8-day road trip day brought new adventures and unforgettable experiences.

While this trip meant diving deeper into my family heritage, it also meant missing out on present day family and friend events back home. It is such a hard thing to balance. We are grateful to travel the world, but whenever there are events we miss at home, traveling and being away feels weird.