Roots in Scotland

Our drive into Scotland was beautiful, even in the middle of the night. We didn't arrive at our flat until about 2 a.m. due to the mishap with our popped tire and yet another mishap involving an accident that shut down part of the motorway for a few kilometers. We crossed the border into Scotland after sunset, and it was a bit of a shame to miss the beautiful scenery all around us. By the time midnight and one o'clock a.m. turned up, however, we didn't care so much about the scenery as we did simply getting to our flat and going to bed! 

After sleeping well into Saturday morning, we decided to make our way toward downtown Edinburgh and the old town section of the city, famously known as the Royal Mile. Nearly every shop along the Royal Mile provides an array of clan tartan souvenirs, which was exciting for me because Gilmore (my maiden name) just so happens to be a very Scottish last name with ties to the Morrison Clan. I found our clan tartan in ties, wool scarves, keychains, even kilts! We spent an hour or two walking through the shops along the Royal Mile and taking cover from the off-and-on pouring rain in an ominous-looking cathedral. 

After walking (and sometimes running because the rain started to pour again) to the top of the Royal Mile, we found ourselves at Edinburgh Castle. Edinburgh Castle is similar to the Tower of London in that it's not much to look at on the outside, but it has some pretty amazing stuff on the inside, including tons of family history. 

Inside the center of Edinburgh Castle is a monument to all those who have ever served Scotland in a war. Red leather-bound books filled with tens of thousands of names of soldiers line the walls of this building. I spent quite a bit of time in this place searching for Gilmore's and wondering if I had any ties to these Scottish warriors. I wish I could have taken pictures inside this building but it is a very solemn memorial so photography was not allowed, and I didn't even think of writing down a single name to look up once I got home. I hope to take my dad to Scotland one day to do a bit of a Gilmore Family History tour!

The rest of Edinburgh Castle was very medieval looking. Even the Scottish Crown Jewels weren't very flashy, which was a surprise after seeing the incredible British Crown Jewels. All in all, I'd recommend visiting Edinburgh Castle if you have any Scottish heritage or you are a history buff; you'll see lots of armor and weaponry, just don't expect to see anything pretty! 

The rest of the day was spent finishing our shopping and then trying to dry off from the downpour of rain that never seemed to end. By the time we got home we were soaked through and ready to jump under our warm and dry covers.

Sunday morning was exciting for us because we were going to visit Nate's dad's old LDS Mission Home and Ward House! Sacrament Meeting was extra enjoyable simply because every person at the pulpit was speaking in a gorgeous Scottish accent. After the service was over, many people noticed that we were visitors and quickly introduced themselves to us, making us feel incredibly welcome and trying to find ties they might have had to anyone we knew in the Salt Lake Valley. Nate and I were even fortunate enough to meet a sweet missionary who was from Nate's mission! It seems like anywhere you go in the world, you are always have ties to home or a place you love if you can connect with your church.

Once we had made fast friends with many of the members of the ward, we met up with two elders and the missionary from Canada who offered to take us through the Mission Home next door. It was so fun to hear Nate's dad tell us all sorts of miraculous and hilarious stories that occurred while he was living in that very same mission home a few decades ago. It was an incredible experience to be there as a whole family, each having benefitted personally from the experiences that Nate's dad had as a missionary in Scotland so many years ago.

After our trip to the Mission Home, we decided that we wanted to enjoy a bit more of the Scottish Countryside, so we asked a few of the missionaries and ward members where we could find a nice nature walk. After an incredibly scenic drive around the outskirts of Edinburgh we arrived at our destination. It was the most gorgeous walk... I can't even describe how perfect it was. There were big blue ponds, tall waving fields of grass and even sheep baahing as they fed on the grass (see the little gray spots in the picture below!). It was the perfect way to end our time in Scotland.

The number one thing I was most excited to see in Scotland (aside from a bit of family history) were fields of purple heather I had only heard about in Scottish folk songs and stories. Yes, that little flower is this blog's namesake! This nature walk was unfortunately as close as we could get to any heather. And, to add salt to the wound, some locals told us that the heather doesn't usually bloom until August. We were two months too early! All I wanted was a picture of myself in a field of lavender heather, but the picture below was as close as I could get. Taking that picture is still on my bucket list and I definitely plan on coming back to Scotland very soon!

Special thanks to myself for bringing: My rain jacket! When it rains in Scotland it pours, and it rains there all the time! Next time, however, I will bring more of a plastic poncho than a water resistant jacket because I was soaked through within a few minutes.

Biggest regret: Not being able to walk through a lavender field, darn it! And missing the beautiful drive through Scotland on our way to Edinburgh. That's ok, though. This trip will hopefully be the first of many trips to this beautiful land.

Too see next time: More of the Highlands. Apparently it's even more beautiful up there, and more of my Scottish heritage is higher up in the country. I'll just have to do a tour through all of the United Kingdom someday. It's truly beautiful there.

Is there anywhere you'd like to travel to explore your family history? What would you do there?