Scotland Travels: Part I

We did not expect to be greeted by the spring season when we arrived in Edinburgh mid-February. Travelling from Canada in between cold snaps and snow storms, the blooming flowers along the green grass, accompanied by Edinburgh’s blue skies were a welcome surprise.

'From the Cobblestones II' - Royal Mile, Edinburgh, February 2026, Nikon Z6

DAY 1

Despite the jet lag that first day, the warm air was rejuvenating. Our first stop was the M&S Food Hall, an affordable spot to get breakfast and coffee for under ten pounds. After a hot meal , all we craved was the warm sun. We took a leisurely walk through the Princes Street Gardens, still in disbelief of the yellow, white and purple flowers budding all around us. From there we made our way up past the iconic castle before looping back through the city’s West End. We reached the picturesque Dean Village just as clouds started to form overhead. The overcast skies only made the colours of the little village more vibrant with pops of yellow at every vantage point. Before crashing that evening, we popped into a pub for some stout. A perfect pairing for an afternoon rain.

'Tucked Away' - Dean Village, Edinburgh, Scotland, February 2026, Nikon Z5

DAY 2

Rested and acclimatized to our new time zone, we walked through the Royal Mile early on the morning of our second day to avoid the crowds. We enjoyed complimentary coffee from our hotel with protein bars and fruit that we purchased the day before at M&S to keep our trip budget friendly. Strolling the Royal Mile early in the day was incredible. Without the crowds, we got a peek into the city’s hustle and bustle. Shop keepers setting up store fronts, trucks unloading deliveries to the countless restaurants and cafés, while the golden hour light cascaded across the historic brick buildings.

'Quiet Mornings' - Old Town, Edinburgh, Scotland, February 2026, Nikon Z5

We stopped at Blank Street to share a second cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread before we ventured on. When the crowds poured into Old Town (a little after 10 AM), we picked up meat pie takeaway and made our way back to Princes Street to hop the tram to Leith. There, we walked the entire harbour past gigantic ships, including the old Royal Yacht Britannia. Then, we sat in the sun, enjoying our picnic lunch of meat pies along the harbour that leads out to the North Sea, still bewildered that it was only February. Before catching the tram back to the city centre, we popped into a pub with a roaring fire to enjoy a pint of pale ale.

DAY 3

We had another beautiful sunny day for the winding climb of a drive northwest to Glencoe. Through the narrow roads we darted past greenery, lush with overarching trees, to riverbanks, to mountains, and then snow. Snow and ice covered the mountain tops, creating the most picturesque landscapes. We stopped at one of the lay-bys to take photographs and all you could hear was wind. A cold wind which reminded us that it was still winter, and that we should hurry to our destination before dark. Nothing more powerful than nature; the silence around us was haunting and peaceful at the same time. We will never forget that sound. We made it to our destination a little before dusk, nestled within the mountains along the banks of Loch Leven.

'Wind Sounds' - Mountains of Glencoe, Scotland, February 2025, Nikon Z5

Thank you for stopping by to read all about our latest travels and to check out our photography. We will be adding a few of our favourite landscapes to our Print Collection in the coming weeks so make sure to follow our Etsy Shop to get all the latest updates on new items and promotions.

'Through Iron Gates' - London, England, June 2024

We will be continuing this blog series next week with Part 2 of our Scotland adventures where we continued north to Inverness.

Stay Wild,

Rod & Meg