4-Xtremes – Part 58: Welcome to the land of curiosities!

Wild rivers, fresh raspberries and enchanting trees.

On the way to the castle, we walk through the city park and are captivated by the beautifully maintained flower clock – the oldest in the world. As we approach the castle, we come across more and more people... many of them will be going to at least one of two events that are taking place here at the same time: the Fringe Festival, which mainly features theatre and comedy acts, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Scotland’s biggest music festival. It's mainly a military event but over the past few years, there have been an increasing number of civilian dance and singing performances. Unfortunately, tickets are sold out, but we still get to see all the bands marching. With Edinburgh Castle in the background, it's a simply spectacular sight! 

After looking around Edinburgh, we dive into Hermitage forest for a few days. It's a fairytale landscape with wild rivers, fresh raspberries and enchanting trees. Surrounded by dense green, it offers a welcome contrast to the crowds of the past few days.

It doesn't get any more Scottish than this: the Highland Games!

The further north we go, the narrower the roads get: they're often just a single lane with the occasional layby. It's survival of the fittest here: people immediately make way for our Axor! We reach the heart of the Cairngorms National Park – you can't find a better backdrop than this: a barren, empty landscape with steep rocky slopes over steel blue lochs. It's here that in a small town, we come across the Highland Games! From pipe bands with their bagpipes and drums to hammer throwing, weight throwing, tossing the caber and highland dancing, we get the quintessential Scottish experience! Even the weather is typically Scottish, with sunshine one minute and dark clouds and rain showers the next. On our way through the hills back to the Axor, we cycle past highland cattle, deer and sheep: it's a day where we get to tick off nearly all the Scottish must-sees in one go!

A detour to Loch Ness.

We continue our journey through the Highlands on the A 939, the Old Military Road, where we are greeted with breathtaking views around every corner. The mountains are adorned with vast expanses of purple heather, gleaming in the sun. We can't get enough of it! Finally, we arrive at Gairnshiel bridge. Built way back in 1749, this bridge has stood the test of time, but because of its age, it is only approved for vehicles up to 18 tonnes. Fortunately, this doesn't affect us – the Axor weighs only twelve tonnes. We are free to drive over the bridge!

It's now time to head north towards Scotland's most renowned destination: Loch Ness. We know that it’s a tourist trap, but we couldn't miss it – the stories surrounding this place are just too legendary! Of course, we don't see the monster, but we visit the entertaining and educational museum, which tells the story of Nessie and all the research that has been done surrounding her. We get the sense that the legend of Loch Ness is based more on successful marketing than actual sightings... The loch was still worth a visit though!

Photos: 4-Xtremes