Scotland: Elgin

If you've read my latest posts, you'll know I've been on holiday in Scotland. It was very relaxing but unfortunately I managed to catch a bug a couple of days before we left. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the things we did seeing as this is partly a travel blog.

Scotland is a very beautiful part of the world, especially in the sunshine. We were very lucky the first few days we were there because the sun came out! But then it snowed... Ah well, you can't have everything.

As we live in Belgium and we were going up near Elgin, right up north, we decided to experiment and catch the overnight ferry from Zeebrugge to Hull. It was very nice even though the cabin was quite small. The food was a tad expensive but there was quite a wide choice on the menu. There was lots to do: cinema, live acts, disco party, etc.

Sunset at sea

The first thing we did was visit Elgin. Its quite a nice little town. It's got a few shops including a TK Maxx and a Boots and some very cute cafés. We went into Scribbles which was lovely, they also have a Costa and a Starbucks. It's quite a peaceful place and wandering up and down the highstreet was very nice.

Elgin

We then went on a 6k walk with the dogs in Culbin wood. I think it was called the Hill 99 trail. It was sunny and not too cold. It's quite a popular wood so there were a few people milling around but it was still quiet. There's a view tower so you can see everything above the trees which is spectacular if you're not afraid of heights.

The next day we walked from Roseisle to Findhorn and back along the beach. It was very sunny, not too windy and warm. We even sat outside at the  Kimberly pub. You had a gorgeous view of the beach, the sea and then the snow peaked mountains behind. This one was a longer walk. I reckon it was about 15k for the whole walk so 7,5k to the pub and then back again. It was worth it though. The pub did some brilliant food and the dogs could get rid of some energy.

We then went to Inverness to do some shopping. We spent most of our time in Debenhams and then wandered in to Lush on the highstreet. We went for lunch at a tapas place called La Tortilla which was really yummy. The staff were lovely and chatty too so it was good fun.

After that it snowed and I caught this bug so I didn't get to see much more of the outside world. We had lunch at The Old Mill, a pub in Brodie which was very tasty. We also went on a drive through Fochabers, which is quite a nice town and then along the coast. We stopped at the dolphin centre. There are some lovely views out to sea there but I didn't have my camera. It's a pebbled beach so, learn from my mistake, don't wear heels. I nearly broke my ankle!

These are the animals. From the left there's Jack, then Poppy and then Macey the cat.

Far too quickly it was time to leave though. But just before we got in the car for the long drive back to Hull, we got a quick snap of the view from the house. A lovely frosty morning.

Frosty morning

Scotland haul

I've been in Scotland for about a week now and we went shopping. Twice. I don't think we'll be going again though so I thought I'd do a haul post. I didn't get loads of things, in fact it's all beauty, I didn't find any clothes that I liked or that fit well.

First, I went to Boots. I love Boots, it's the one shop I miss the most in Belgium so it's a must whenever we come to the UK. We also walked in to discover that loads of the makeup was on a 3 for 2 offer, brilliant!

Anyway, I picked up the l'Oreal GlamShine Stain Splash in Princess. I really wanted it in Juliet but I couldn't find it so I settled for this one. Its lovely too. very glossy, not too sticky and it has brilliant colour payoff.

I also got a Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in Sorbet. I wouldn't normally go for such a vibrant hot pink lipstick put I really like this one. It's really moisturising on the lips too. It's quite pigmented and it's not sticky at all. I love it.

Lastly from Boots, I bought th Maybelline The Falsies mascara. I'm running out of my Rimmel Scandal eyes one. To be honest, it wasn't amazing. It was ok if you worked with it but I found it quite hard to apply without getting it everywhere. I've heard so many good things about this Maybelline one though and so I picked it up. I will do a full review on it soon because I haven't tried it yet.

After that I went to Lush. I don't usually buy things from Lush but as I walked past it I remembered someone telling me that the Lip Scrubs were really good. So, naturally, I went in.

The first thing I saw was the Ultrabalm. I wasn't going to buy more than the Lip Scrub but this stuff is incredible. This can be used anywhere on your body. It feels really nourishing and moisturising. It says on the package that it restores, sooths, protects, relievs and moisturises. Perfect for any dry skin patches! Lush products are all naturall too which is a huge plus.

I then went and picked up what I planned to pick up: a Lip Scrub. Most of the scents really didn't appeal to me but I got the Popcorn one. It's less sickly sweet smelling than the others. It tastes quite nice too and it does work. I've just tried the tiniest amount and my lips feel exfoliated and softer. If you then put the Ultrabalm on top it will leave your lips feeling uber soft and smooth.

That is all I got from Scotland. I hoped to have got more things. I was planning on buying the Urban Decay Naked palette but couldn't find it unfortunately. Anyway, I'm quite satisfied with my purchases and at least I didn't break the bank!