#WandsandRobes

[withabackpackandcamera]

November 27th, 2019

Day 6: A Lovely, Lazy Day, With A Pinch of Magic

Our sleep last night in our monstrosity of a bed was so comfortable. It was hard to wake up this morning but again, breakfast was calling and we were starting to get hungry. So, we rolled out of bed at the latest possible hour and went down to the dining room for breakfast. This morning, I ordered a Eriska Full Scottish, with pork sausage, Stornoway black pudding, grilled plum tomato, streaky bacon, grilled field mushroom, and a fried egg. Cynthia ordered the 3 Egg Omelette with tomato, ham, and cheese. In addition, we had a basket full of pastries and croissants and a table full of fruit and juice to pick from, as well as tea and coffee to round it out. What a spread! And how delicious it all was! All while sitting next to the large window looking out onto the beautiful lawn sitting under the almost clear, sunny skies. What a great way to start the morning!!!

After a yummy, filling breakfast, we took a short nap before it was time for our next scheduled appointment: the spa. The reason I originally booked Isle of Eriska Hotel for our stay was because it offered the option of a spa treatment. And I knew how much Cynthia loved spas and massages. And the result of the decision was full bliss and happiness. Cynthia and I each had our own masseuses in our own rooms and each went through a very short, not-long-enough 30 minute massage. I ordered Cynthia the Eriska Back, Neck, and Shoulder Massage and ordered myself the Oriental Head Massage. This was my very first spa experience and it was amazingly soothing, relaxing, and amazing. I just lay there and the knots in my shoulders from carrying my backpack were slowly massaged out and my scalp underwent soothing treatment. By the time the session was done, I wasn’t quite ready to get up and get dressed again. I just wanted to stay for just a bit longer. Just a bit longer….

After our massages, with our bodies in a state of relaxation, we went back to the room and took a break before leaving the castle briefly for a walk and some photos. Next up was afternoon tea time by the hotel fireplace. Originally, I booked afternoon tea at The Deck Restaurant in another building on the property but because it was getting chilly and windy outside, we thought it was a better idea to just hang tight by the warm and cozy fireplace. We ordered the Full Afternoon Tea for two, and it came with eight small cakes and deserts (there were essentially four cakes and they gave us two of each type), two bonbons, two scones with jam, clotted cream, and butter, and two pots full of tea, one filled with Splendid Earl Grey Black Tea and the other filled with traditional English Black Tea. We sat and leisurely ate our sweets and drank our teas. Before long, we were extremely full, only finishing about half of the sweets and desserts that they had brought out to us. Knowing our limits, we packed the rest to-go and left to spend the last precious moments on the island enjoying the outdoor scenery before we had to leave for Edinburgh. 

We strolled around the estate and grounds for a little bit and explored the other buildings in the area, making our way slowly out to the waterfront nearby before turning back to the hotel. We then quickly packed up our stuff and checked out, just as the weather started to get a little windier and the skies started getting darker. And once again, we were on the road for a 2 hour and 45 minute drive back to Edinburgh. Luckily, given how rested we were from the lazy, relaxing day at the Isle of Eriska, the drive back wasn’t half bad and before we knew it, we had returned our rental car and Ubered into the city to our night’s stay at The Balmoral, an old school, fancy 5-star hotel in downtown Edinburgh. Once we were checked in, we spent about an hour in our room chilling and snacking before making moves to the last activity I had planned for our engagementmoon: a potions (cocktail brewing) class and experience at The Cauldron, a pop-up bar located less than a mile walk from our hotel. 

We walked through the rain to get to The Cauldron and once we were there, we were greeted by a very energetic witch/staff member who introduced us to the experience we had signed up for and told us the stories behind several magical wands we were to choose from for our potions class. We got acquainted with our table, our potions materials, and our tablemates, John and Lea from Northern Ireland. Then we went to test out our wands and grabbed our drinks from the Wild Beast Menagerie (I got a Vodka-infused cocktail and Cynthia started with a mocktail) before proceeding to the start of our potion making experience. All in all, we brewed two sweet, very weakly alcoholic cocktails (Transfiguration Tonic and Lost Thyme) that weren’t too bad. The experience was fun with all the gadgets we got to use, the actually activity of mixing drinks, and the robes we donned. Also fun was the opportunity to talk and learn more about John and Lea before they headed out. All in all, a fun potions class to begin our last 24 hours in Scotland. 

Before calling it a night, we ended up stopping at McDonald’s near our hotel for a quick bite to eat since all of the other restaurants in the area were closed by the time our potions class was done. Just the right thing to end the night with (Poor Cynthia would disagree with that, haha). Scheduled for tomorrow is a whirlwind tour through Edinburgh before jumping on a plane back to London. Get ready! 

5 Things I Learned Today:

1. To me, Scottish haggis tastes like corned beef hash. Maybe it was just the way that mine was prepared. Not as bad as I thought it’d be. 

2. Today, I learned how soothing and relaxing good massages can be and how good they feel when you are tense and stiff with tight muscles after long hours of traveling and hiking. I didn’t realize it would be this nice! So down for more in the future!

3. The Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa and Island’s main building was called the Big House and was built in 1884. And the island on which the castle hotel now sits was bought by Robin Buchanan-Smith and his wife Sheena in 1973 and over time, it was turned into what it is today: a nice castle-like hotel filled with fabulous experiences. 

4. Real British afternoon tea is a whole meal in and of itself. Especially if you’re choosing the full afternoon tea with sandwiches, scones, cakes, and other desserts along with the tea. How do they do it and still make it to dinner???

5. When driving on highways in Scotland, you’ll see blue signs with red or white diagonal bars running across it, with a sign with three bars immediately followed by signs with two bars then one bar. I observed that these signs likely serve as a warning for a change in driving conditions while driving, whether it’s a speed limit change as you approach a city or town or it’s an upcoming lay-by where you can turn off onto to rest or do whatever you need.