Audience: Travel Magazine, National Geographic
Purpose: to explain in detail the sights and happenings that add to the wonder of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Have you ever seen anything just so pure and raw in natural form that it literally took your breath away? Neither have I. That is, until I visited Edinburgh, Scotland. Even the train ride in was unlike any other: hundreds upon thousands of dingy white sheep dotted the sloping hills, grass so green it would make even Elphaba from Wicked cringe, and pristine blue waves crashed against the gray cliffs causing foam to cling to the sandy edges. Scotland epitomizes nature and all things untainted. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience from the moment I stepped off the train till the moment I boarded the train back to King’s Cross.
As I stepped off the train, it was as if my world had changed from sepia-toned hues to vivid Technicolor. At this moment in time, I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Even there air was crisper and cleaner. The wind was nippy and made the hairs on my arms stand on end. But it wasn’t an unwelcomed feeling. Although we were still within the hustle and bustle of the train station, it still felt quieter and calmer than London ever has. We caught a cab to our dorm-converted bed and breakfast, rooms not unlike the Imperial College dorms we have been occupying for the past 4 weeks. The night concluded with a hop and a skip over to a pub-laden square where we had traditional pub food, fish and chips with ale to wash it all down. Strength we acquired from that food was needed for the adventure we had awaiting us in the morning.
The majority of us drug ourselves out of bed, had breakfast, and were rearing and ready to go by around 10:30 the next morning. I casually asked what everyone’s plans were for the day when, to my surprise, I was informed we were going mountain climbing. Wait, um, what? Yes, I had heard correctly. The plan was to scale the peak situated a few hundred meters adjacent to where we were staying. I remember looking at the beast remembering just how proud and defiant it had appeared when driving into town. It could even be seen from the train station several miles away. Never, ever did I imagine that I would be climbing that while visiting Edinburgh. Nevertheless, climbing is what we did. And we sure did do a lot of it.
Now, I consider myself a decently athletic individual. However, outdoorsy and mountain hiker-y are not the adjectives I would used to describe my most dominant characteristics. In fact, I didn’t even think to pack a pair of tennis shoes for this weekend getaway. The most hiking boot-like shoes I had were my TOMS. I’ll be the first to admit that canvas and a thin piece of leather are not the ideal thing to wear while scaling peaks, but I had to make do and wear them despite my whimpering feet’s opposition. We first crossed a grassy field, which appropriately made me want to sing “the Hills are Alive With the Sound of Music” from The Sound of Music. Then we reached the base of the mountain. I daringly look up, and up, and up some more. My head was literally craned as far back as it could go before losing my equilibrium. Well, here goes nothing. And by nothing, I mean here goes my first time ever climbing a mountain.
Luckily for me and a few other females who were less than prepared to hike up a mountain, there was a set marked path to follow up the mountainside. The path consisted of firmly packed rocks that hard formed into makeshift stairs over time. The first few “flights” were brutal, but once I glanced over my shoulder to take in the scenery, the tiredness was well worth it. Nothing looks ordinary or normal several thousand feet in the air. The sky looked as vast and open as it does in West Texas, something I hadn’t seen in the past 4 weeks. Cathedrals were clearly visible over the squat buildings that surrounded the entire landscape. And the North Sea stretched as far as my eyesight allowed. The view was truly majestic, and we were barely halfway up the peak.
After taking the occasional rest stop and several hundreds of Kodak moment worth photos, we trudged the last few meters up to the summit. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a prouder moment. I’ve never faced something so daunting and foreign to me before only to triumph over it like I had been climbing for years. The wind whipped our tangley hair in our faces and made our cheeks and noses turn Rudolph-red, but none of us cared. We were literally on top of the world, of Edinburgh at the very least. The gorgeous countryside was visible for miles. I sat on a rock for a few minutes and just reflected on the past hours worth of work it took to reach this once in a lifetime point. We all took our final “group picture” at the summit and solemnly made our slow-paced way back to the base of the mountain. Our climb may have come to a close, but the memories I soaked in while on top of that peak will stay with me long after the pictures we took there fade.
The rest of Edinburgh was delightful. Kilts and bagpipes were abundant, so was questionable eateries. But that mountain was definitely the cherry on top of an already sublime trip. That’s what I’ve enjoyed so much about BGB, the freedom to just pick up on a whim and travel to amazing places such as Edinburgh just whenever the mood strikes. Edinburgh now holds a special place in my heart and I can’t wait to brag to my parents how lucky they are to have such an awesome mountain climbing, adventurous daughter. I’m sure they will be oh-so-proud.
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