Bucket List: Second Place to Visit is Scotland by Alicia Coleman

Scotland is the next stop on my bucket list.  Land of my very, very, very distant ancestors as was England.

The first place I'd like to visit is the Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis. Lewis is the largest, most northern island in the Outer Herbrides and home to one of the best prehistoric sites in Scotland.

                                      "Standing Stones of Callanish (Callanish I) (9605427)". 

With the hills of Great Bernera as a backdrop, the Callanish Stones are situated on a low ridge above the low waters of Loch Roag.  The stones date back to around 2900 and 2600 BC and was primarily used as a religious site until agriculture took over around 3000 BC.

I'd love to create a story surrounding these stones.  Perhaps some of this research can be used for that purpose. Did I mention that I love history?

The next place would be the Edinburgh Castle.

                                                         "Edinburgh Castle, Scotland"

Home of many of Scotland's monarchs such as Queen Margaret and Mary Queen of Scots who gave birth to her son, James VI, there in 1566.  As a stronghold, the English and the Scots fought for control of the castle during the War of Independence and in 1314 it was wrest from the English in a night raid led by Thomas Randolph, nephew of King Robert the Bruce.

And last, I'd like to visit some of the locations used in the Harry Potter films.  I am a huge fan. The site uppermost on my list is to travel to the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

                                                               "Glenfinnan Viaduct"

That beautiful, intense, and funny scene where the Ford Anglia lands on the Viaduct in the Chamber of Secrets and a train is behind them.
Here's a snippet:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPsIU9BTbcQ

What other fun and exotic places would you like to visit?

Bucket List: England by Alicia Coleman

I had a cousin to visit from England last month.  A friend visited England last week.  I'm not jealous or anything (I am, really, a lot!), but I would looove to visit that country.  So many areas I’d like to see.  Here are a few places that have been added to the top of my bucket list.

Trafalgar Square.

                                                      from stockphotosforfree.com

I have visions of myself walking around with “Tourist” on my forehead, gawking at the sights or…maybe being a little more sedate and snapping photos here and there.

Buckingham Place.

                                                        from stockphotosforfree.com 

The changing of the guards has always fascinated me.  Once they reach their designated their posts, they're like statues. What are they thinking when people come up to them and tell jokes or make funny faces? Do they mentally roll their eyes sarcastically or are they a millisecond away from laughter?

The Tower of London.

                                                         from stockphotosforfree.com

Being a history buff, it would have been captivating to be present during the Peasant’s Revolt in 1381.  But, would I have been a peasant or one of the ladies of the court? This was the only time that the Tower of London was ever breached.

Did you know that the monarchy was abolished in 1649 and all the jewels were destroyed and that the gold and silver was used to make coins?  When the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, the Commonwealth faltered and two years later, Parliament invited the previous king’s son to take the throne.  A new set of jewels had to be made for the coronation of Charles II.

Where would you like to travel to? Do you have a bucket list?