South Queensferry and Inchcolm Island

I ended up with three days off in a row and I really wanted to travel somewhere, but I have this horrible hacking cough that will not go away. So, instead, I thought it best to just do a day trip and that is exactly what I did. On Sunday, I went somewhere that most first-time tourists would perhaps not bother to go to: South Queensferry. It's just a 20 min train ride from Edinburgh (get off at Dalmeny) and it is a beautiful little town, and, quite frankly, one of the best experiences I have had in Scotland.

Queensferry itself was cool, but the thing that was the best part is that you can take a ferry call "Maid of the Forth" to Inchcolm Island and spend an hour and a half there exploring before the ferry comes back to pick you up. It was fantastic. The island itself is only 800 m in size, so it is easily covered in this time period. There are lots of birds that nest there in the summer (even puffins, Keri!), but unfortunately all I saw were pigeons and seagulls.

The best part about the Island is Inchcolm Abbey. The Abbey was built in the 1100s and is this massive old structure made of sandstone. It's still largely in tact today and you can wander around every nook and cranny to your heart's content. Which, is exactly what I did! Climbing the stairwell to the top of the tower was an experience. I know I am not the tiniest of girls, but I could barely fit in the stairwell with my backpack on! The stairs were so small that my foot could barely fit on them too. Plus it was really dark (there isn't any electricity) so most people were climbing up using there hands on the stairs to guide them. The views were spectacular too - you could see the famous edinburgh skyline on one side: complete with castle and Arthur's seat, and on the other you could see the Kingdom of Fife and the highlands. Plus the Forth Bridge was right at your side, which always makes for fantastic pictures. I got some great pictures (before my batteries died) and will try to find a way to post them.

I am really glad I went and encourage everyone else who is in the area to also visit at some point!