I flew into Edinburgh with a great view of the Firth of Forth. You can see the Forth Bridge which is an engineering feat and just cool to look at (but a little challenging to photograph on the approach):

Shortly thereafter, I arrived in Perth just in time for dinner. The trip over was good and although it’s a little gloomy (alright, it’s raining – but a fine soft rain!) I can’t wait to get started on the tour tomorrow.

I am staying at the Parklands Hotel, our first accommodation. It’s quite nice and has attractive rooms. You might have heard bad things about food in the UK in general and Scotland in particular – you might be worried how you’ll subsist on porridge, haggis and turnips. I’m here to tell you (between mouthfuls) that all you’ve heard is wrong. I’ve had dinner at the Parklands restaurant and it was incredible. You won’t get bad canned haggis and “rubber chicken” like at your local Burns Supper, but rather delightful creations like the Black Pudding Bread that was served with my soup and amazing fresh local selections. It was very difficult to decide on a single dish to order!

Tomorrow we start our tour, nailing down the ins and outs – finalizing the stops we’ll make in April and September. More pictures then!