My Perfect Little Trip

Today I decided to be adventurous and leave Glasgow for St. Andrews. I left at about 9:30 am (which I thought was early), took the subway and then got on my bus to St. Andrews. The whole bus ride takes about two and a half hours, but it is a really pretty bus ride. The rolling hills reminded me of The Holiday.

Something very excited happened to me on the bus though. I was reading my book for my history thesis, Leaves from the Journal of Our Life in the Highlands--written by Queen Victoria, and she mentioned meeting the leader of the McDougal clan (That's my great grandmother on my mother's side relatives...possibly!). My ancestors might have met one of my heroes! That's too much! But it's kind of funny because I am arguing that clans were an "invented tradition" and that Queen Victoria had a very Romanticized view of the Highlanders. Oh well, it's still pretty cool.

St. Andrews

When I finally got to St. Andrews it was about one, but I didn't even want to get lunch because I wanted to see the place where William and Kate met! So obviously my first trip was to the St. Salvatores side of campus.The college is kind of spread out across the town. The college is made out of pretty English stone.

I'm finally at the University!

It's so pretty

Kate's studied art history, so I am guessing this is the building where she studied it!

Where Prince William would have studied geography

Tourist Trap! 

I got coffee anyway :D

Then I decided to go to St. Andrews Castle and St. Andrews Cathedral, both of which are in ruins. They were near the sea and they were gorgeous.

The Castle

The Cathedral

I told you I'd take pictures mom!

For the second half of my day I just walked around the town. It's pretty tiny and easily walkable. And yes, I did go to the coffee shop that claimed that William and Kate grabbed coffee there (I know it's a tourist trap but who cares!). And yes, I also spent way too much money at the St. Andrews bookstore. But I also walked around and shopped a bit. They had the cutest shops, if only we had a better conversion rate!


Then I grabbed some food (because beside that pumpkin spiced lattee I drank, I didn't stop to eat all day!) and ran to the bus, because I was really anxious about catching my bus (when I shouldn't have been). It was the best trip. Even though it would have been fun to have another person with me, I felt so independent and could do whatever I wanted.

                       What traveling alone in Scotland reminded me of, minus Gerard Butler. Can I have him?

Side note: Does anyone want to move to St. Andrews with me? It is such a beautiful seaside town! When I was walking through town I saw a school I could teach at. I don't know what it is about Scotland in general that I love so much. What if I like it because I know I will probably never live here again? But I do have some strange romantic (kind of like Queen Victoria) attachment it. So seriously who wants to move with me?

The bus ride coming back seemed like a lot longer than the bus ride going there. Probably because it was dark by four, so I didn't have the beautiful scenery to keep me occupied. It was about eight when I got back to the flat. It was good to see all my friends and chat about our days. I missed that. All in all it was an awesome day. I mean, it was a day devoted to Will and Kate, which sounds like the perfect day to me.