Scotland Trip Report: June 29-July 7, 2014

[disneyphx]

Loved your report - you and Calypso have helped this trip move way up my wish list!

 

[paddles]

It definitely looks like they took a lot of feedback from last year to tweak this year's itinerary, including a full visit of Edinburgh castle, and including the jeep ride for all adults at Rothemurchus estate (which was really great).

The issue we had last year with horseback riding for adults is that many were over the weight limit (I believe it was like 225 or 250lbs, and they were really strict about it). I know it caused some very angry folks on our tour. So, maybe they decided to avoid the issue this year and open it up to only children. Also, I think in the later groups, more adults were asking to do the jeep ride.

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend going to the Culloden battlefield after the estate (bus driver can drop you off)....its a must see for Outlander fans!

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

The issue we had last year with horseback riding for adults is that many were over the weight limit (I believe it was like 225 or 250lbs, and they were really strict about it). I know it caused some very angry folks on our tour. So, maybe they decided to avoid the issue this year and open it up to only children. Also, I think in the later groups, more adults were asking to do the jeep ride.

My suspicion was that it was the weight--not that adults didn't want to do it. A lot of adults did it and wanted to do it on our tour in August. The weight limit was 225 lbs (it just hit my 6'5 athlete husband) so I remember. He was advised before the tour and was fine with it, but I think the weight limit required a number of awkward conversations with others who wanted to ride. The guides said the estate was going to try to get some bigger horses to handle more weight for this year, but my guess is that didn't happen. Too bad, as it was a great experience, and I was glad I could share it with my kids.

 

[carpenta]

Sure.....the way that ABD feeds you on the various trips and then puts a weight limit on activities.....I think I gain 5lbs. just from all those snacks on the bus(es)............

 

[smadath]

"Friday July 4
Sick all day in bed. Damn Haggis.

Friday July 4, Actually
Just kidding!"

lol!

Wonderful! Thanks for posting all the pics! I'd love to go to Scotland someday. Your trip report makes me want to go all the moor! (get it? "moor"? Bah Ha Ha! )

 

[BrennaM]

Omg Glamis castle...seeing the picture of the dining room had me in tears from laughter. When I went to Scotland with my family we did Glamis and when we were standing in the dining room my mother chose to try and drop a fart while ppl were bustling around...only everything went silent and all you could hear was her fart echo through the room. Probably one of the funniest moments ever. We still remind her about it to this day.

 

[calypso726]

Loved the trip report! It brought back so many wonderful memories from our Scotland ABD last year.

 

[WeLoveABD]

"Friday July 4
Sick all day in bed. Damn Haggis.

Friday July 4, Actually
Just kidding!"

lol!

Wonderful! Thanks for posting all the pics! I'd love to go to Scotland someday. Your trip report makes me want to go all the moor! (get it? "moor"? Bah Ha Ha! )

Ha! Thanks for noticing my nod to haggis phobia-which I had before the trip. I like to put in a bit of humor into the reports to break up all the grey text. Thanks also to all who commented and a big shout out of thanks to my good friend tufbuf for adding all of the great photos!

 

[tufbuf]

Ha! Thanks for noticing my nod to haggis phobia-which I had before the trip. I like to put in a bit of humor into the reports to break up all the grey text. Thanks also to all who commented and a big shout out of thanks to my good friend tufbuf for adding all of the great photos!

Awww! The substance is in the text so kudos to you!

Yeah, that note on haggis is a good one! I had to stop and think if you did get sick and missed a day.

 

[Calfan]

Yes, we knew we wouldn't ride. While the JAs were horseback riding, we toured the estate on the coach. We had lunch afterwards and was divided in two groups, one half biked first the other did archery and then reversed. I guess they based the change from comments from last year?

I would be really surprised if they eliminated the horseback riding for the adults based on comments received last year. Like CaliforniaGirl09, horseback riding through the heather at Rothiemurcus was one of the highlights of the trip for me (although I do admit there were many highlights -- again like CaliforniaGirl09, this is my favorite ABD of the two I have done so far). No other reason given? I will say what CaliforniaGirl was too polite to say, that I suspect it had to do with the weight of some of the adventurers being too much for the highland ponies. Also, any reason given for moving the archery from Glamis castle to Rothiemurcus? While I'm sure the archery was great in both places, I have to admit that it added to the special Disney feel to see the envious looks we got from other Glamis visitors while we were channeling our inner Meridas. I was aware that they had changed the lunch venue on the full Skye day away from the Flodigarry Hotel due to some kind of disagreement or impasse with management. That is too bad. It sounds like the replacement isn't quite as good, but that is still such a fabulous day. My favorite on the trip, hands down. I enjoyed skimming through your pictures. It brought back great memories of a fabulous trip.