Scotland 7, 8 and 9: Night Out and Glasgow

As our trip came to a close we all I started to get a little exhausted.  As much as I loved seeing different parts of Scotland and Ireland I was ready for a few days of R&R.  So that is what I did.  I hardly left the flat we were staying in.  It felt so nice to just be lazy, not get out of my PJs and catch up on social media and trashy television.

Our one plan we had for the rest of the trip was to go out for a night of drinks and karaoke in Glasgow as a last hoorah and somewhat of a bachelorette (hen party they call it over there), even though Barry's fiance was there.  We rented a booth for just the six of us for two hours to sing at the top of our lungs, out of tune (at least for the Brantleys) and delicious cocktails.  We sang everything from Garth Brooks, Allmond Brothers and Michael Jackson to Kelis and Sir Mix-A-Lot.  So much fun!

taking a look at the children's menu!  I haven't seen one of these since I was like... 5) 

That's a lot to promise!  

And a disco ball.  Perfect way to end a Saturday night out!  

I literally did not leave the flat the next day.  I would blame it on a hangover but I was just lazy.  I read, napped, read, repeat.  It was so nice and refreshing.  And as much as I enjoyed everyones company this girl needs some alone time (even in Scotland) and it was nice to get that while everyone went out for a few. 

friends as ants. 

As I know I have mentioned A LOT our trip a majority of the time was rainy and wet (as I know that is how it is Scotland) but the sun always came out when it really mattered.  Like our last day.  It was absolutely beautiful.  The sky was the bluest I had seen in a while and the green was just so... green!  It was actually a little warmer and I had to peel off some layers. 

We had already planned to walk around Glasgow as a group but were so fortunate to have such a gorgeous day.  Our first stop was the Glasgow Cathedral.  As you can see parts of it are under construction but what a beautiful building.  Seriously, the architecture never ceased to amaze me!  

In a small park on the way to the necropolis 

We then headed up to the Glasgow Necropolis behind the cathedral for gorgeous views of the city and the cathedral from above.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle hands

Lego hands. 

As goes with walking around we all started to get a little hungry so Simon took us on a little detour of the city to grab lunch at a nearby SM Supermarket.  

I think Santa was lost. 

We found a perfect shaded area to sit and inhale our lunches while we people watched and enjoyed the scenery.  

I thought this was incredibly sweet!

Our last stop of the day was the Kevingrove Art Gallery and Museum.  A beautiful building with quite the range of art on display.  While everyone walked around I grabbed my kindle and found a sunny spot to read (and nap) and get some more photos. 

We took another scenic route home through a park in the city.  Since it was such a beautiful day there were loads of people out and about.  Kids playing, couples reading snuggled together, hippies playing guitars, etc.  Great for people watching.  

Great end to a lovely 2 weeks in Ireland and Scotland!

Thank you so much to K, Barry and Simon for letting us take over your flat for a week and half!  What a great way to spend my frist trip across the big pond!  Can't wait to go back! 

Scotland Day 6: Edinburgh

Soooo I was really excited for our day trip around Edinburgh.  And not because of how nice I heard the city was.  But because it is where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter and based her vision of Hogwarts from Edinburgh Castle. Go ahead and judge, I don't care:)

And of course it rained the entire day.

We headed up the Royal Mile to tour Edinburgh Castle.  Beautiful cobble streets lined with beautiful buildings. 

I was slightly disappointed in our tour of the castle as it was more of a museum and I'm not a really a museum-y type gal.  You know, Ive got the ADD.  Being that it rained and was very chilly didn't help. 

We were also very hungry (which of course definitely did not help) so we headed into a pub to dry off and grab lunch before we did a little more walking around.  

St. Giles Church

And then FINALLY! My Graceland...

We went in to get some Elephant cookies but the line was too long so we decided to come back later.  Unfortunately, they were already closing up shop even though the sign outside the shop said they were open for another 20 minutes and people were still in the shop enjoying their tea.  BOO!

Apparently it is good luck if you spit on the Heart of Scotland.  So Melissa did.  

Sorry for the short and not so great descriptions in this post.  Since it rained our entire day there I was only able to use my iPhone (which was quickly running out of storage space).

Even though it did rain, I still really enjoyed the city and feel I was able to appreciate it's beauty.  From what I hear from talking with friends later over drinks there are actually more Harry Potter-ish touristy things to do there so here's to hoping for a next time...