I first visited the UK on business in the early 1990’s with a trip to London and the larger metropolitan area.

I later had a chance to return to England and Scotland as a tourist.  While there I visited the iconic Stonehenge site, one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe.  It is located in Wiltshire, England, two miles (3 km) west of Amesbury. It consists of a ring of standing stones, with each standing stone around 13 feet (4.0 m) high, seven feet (2.1 m) wide and weighing around 25 tons. The stones are set within earthworks in the middle of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.

Train travel in the UK is so civilized and we took advantage of the convenience and comfort.  From London to York to Edinburgh, Scotland, the trains are efficient, clean and safe. And local transportation was easy, even in the days before Uber!

We found a hotel in Edinburgh on the famous Royal Mile Road. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire prior to 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth’s southern shore.

Recognized as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city’s Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a center of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial center in the United Kingdom (after London).

But, what is Scotland without a photo with a local highlander dressed in his traditional costume?

I have visited Europe many times since those initial visits with trips to the Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Greece, France, Monaco, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

View my PDF on the Eastern Mediterranean here.

View my PDF on the Western Mediterranean here.