Return to Edinburgh

That about sums up our time in Fort William. We packed up our bags and the kids said goodbye to their newfound friends and we headed back to Edinburgh - the long way round. Mich had wanted to see a castle on the northern end of Loch Awe - which we cruised right by. We thus spent most of the day in the car before finally arriving in Edinburgh mid-afternoon. We stopped off at the castle, as we hadn't actually been inside yet, and wandered through.

Edinburgh Castle was, to me, quite similar to the Tower of London - lots of stuff crammed into one place, including an exhibition of the Scottish crown and sceptre, the Stone of Destiny, various exhibits on the prisons, the great hall, and the like. We were there until it closed.

The next morning we got up for our last meander through Edinburgh, basically just walking the Royal Mile and making some Christmas purchases before having to go back to the station for our train to London. The trip back was an adventure in and of itself - although we only had to take two trains, one Tube, and one bus, we arrived in London for our Tube ride at Friday rush hour - with our luggage and children. That was interesting.

All in all, I think it's safe to say we all enjoyed our trip. The kids and Mich have all said that it was their favourite place so far. For aspiring photographers, here's my take on how to take excellent wilderness/nature shots - 1. Go to Scotland. 2. Take photos. Honestly, it is a beautiful country, and I am surprised that it was not overly touristed when we went (although I've heard that summer is another story) - but even so, it doesn't feel touristy, which has to be the exception in all the places we've been. So, by all means, if you have the chance, go.