Have you made any travel plans for 2025? Granted, it’s still early in the year, but to get the best deals on airfare and hotels, you can save money by planning ahead.

Plus, once you’ve chosen your destination and made a deposit or two, you have that much more time to dream about what it will be like when you’re there. You can do some research to find out which sites you’ll want to see, which activities you want to do, even which shops and restaurants you want to check out.

And if your greatest desire is to lie on the beach or sit by the pool, you can dream about summer sun, warm waves, and fresh seafood right now in the middle of this frosty, frigid winter.

As for my husband and me, we have a few ideas about where we’re going this year, and I’ll be writing about those soon. But first, I want to finish up sharing about our two vacation destinations last year. And should you decide you want to go to one of those places too, you still have plenty of time to make your plans.

If you’ve been a Glimsen reader for a while, you know that we love Scotland. I’ve already written several posts about our excursions there.

Why do we love Scotland so much? For me, it’s the beauty, the history, the people, and the sense of enchantment that permeates the land.

The castles that dot the countryside have all of that and more. Last year, we visited a dizzying number of them. I’ve already shown you a few, but here’s the last round-up of what we saw.

Fields of yellow flowers dotting the landscape in May

Braemar Castle (pictured at the top)

Braemar is what I think of as “the little white castle” in the trees but it’s not really little. With an already-packed itinerary, we didn’t have time to visit this one. Turns out, it was closed for a private event anyway. We almost passed it by but the shape and color charmed me so much that Mart jumped out of the car, walked back down the road toward it, and took a few photos for me.

Although we didn’t get to see inside, Braemar Castle made an impression on me and stands out in my mind as a beacon of white in the green fields surrounding it. I’ve discovered since then that the castle was in danger of being closed down years ago, but the surrounding community raised the funds to not only save it but also renovate it. I love that the community rallied to save this important piece of their history, and the pictures on the website show that their efforts were money- and time-well-spent. Next time we find ourselves in that area (ha!), we will stop in at Braemar and take a good look around.

Balmoral Castle

Further on, we came to Balmoral, the famous castle loved by the royal family since Queen Victoria chose it for herself in the 19th century. Because it serves as the royals’ summer residence, only one room is open to the public, and that is the ballroom. There, we saw exhibits of historical documents, correspondence, dress, and treasured items belonging to the royal family.

My favorite part of Balmoral, though, was the grounds and gardens. It’s not the most impressive of those we’ve seen in Scotland, but what I enjoyed most were the signs and illustrations detailing King Charles’ plans for it. Known to be an avid gardener, the king seems to be personally involved, maybe even to the point of getting his hands in the dirt. Between you and me, it was gratifying to learn that sometimes even the king’s plants don’t grow the way he wants them to.

Fraser Castle

There’s something about the symmetry and balance of the face of Fraser Castle that pleases the eye. Though a bit overcast the day we saw it, the view from the top of the round tower was extensive. We saw many green trees along the drive, a side yard of freshly-mown grass, and even the walled garden, which contained a hedge with an arched opening that we would later walk through.

The archway would have been the perfect spot to steal a kiss or two but sadly it didn’t occur to us at the time.

The skinny round staircases inside the castle did stir my heart a bit, not because of beauty but because of their steep, narrow steps. How could the household staff carry large or heavy loads, even dishes up and down those tight stairs without dropping something? How could ladies in fancy dresses and heels not slip and tumble down the cold, stone steps?

In those breathy moments on the stairs, I appreciated my practical, 21st-century clothing, which included blue jeans and running shoes with thick tread. If I took a tumble, it would not be because a flowing skirt with pleats and petticoats tripped me up.

Doune Castle

The position of the sun cast the front of this castle in shadow, making it look even more imposing.

Although in ruins and only a portion of its former size, Doune Castle still cuts an impressive figure. After all, it was the home of a duke with royal blood, expensive tastes, and a love for entertaining in 14th-century Scotland. Never actually crowned king, Robert Stewart, the Duke of Albany, essentially ruled the Kingdom for his aging father, King Robert II; then for his injured brother the heir, Robert III; and finally for his nephew James I, who was exiled in England.

It was the male version of “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”

Even though Duone was home to a powerful defacto ruler of Scotland for two decades, contemporary visitors likely only know it as a popular filming location of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Outlander. The audio tour covers the usual interesting things—the castle’s structure, the rooms, the occupants—but also includes recordings narrated by the stars of these shows. I laughed out loud listening to Terry Jones describe scenes from Monty Python.

Most (maybe all?) of the castle’s windows do not have glass. I noticed two or three black birds flying into and out of the openings going about their bird business. While on my way to the gift shop, I saw one bird zoom past a man’s head into a window above him. He must have heard the “whoosh” and felt a breeze as it whizzed by. After that, I stayed well away from doors and windows.

Stirling Castle

I won’t write much here about Stirling Castle because most visitors to Scotland already include it on their itinerary.

Located close to Edinburgh, Stirling has played a significant role in the country’s history, and its extensive displays, decorated rooms, and costumed guides tell its story well. Plus, the views from the back of the castle are breathtaking. Be sure to put Stirling Castle on your list of must-sees.

Like many Americans, Mart and I both have a good bit of Scottish ancestry, and we’ve fallen in love with the country more each time we’ve visited. We’ve also undertaken a project with some new friends that means another trip this summer.

Mart has taken to calling it “the motherland,” which makes me laugh. And then I find myself dreaming about which castle we might see next time.

Have you ever visited a castle? Which one? What did you think of it? I’d love to know. Leave me a comment below or email me at glimsenblog at gmail dot com.

For more of my recent series on Scotland, start here.

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