Sheena and I have a true love for travel! While having kids has made our trips a little more spaced out than we would like, having kids does not mean traveling ends. Sheena’s celebrating a big birthday this year & what better way to celebrate than take a trip with friends to Europe, Scotland to be more specific! Once we got past the “hopefully this trip actually happens” phase, we jumped on getting plane tickets and solidifying childcare! This was our first big trip away from our kids and even though we had no doubt it would be a great trip, along with it came some mom-guilt and anxiety - awesome! It helped to know that our children were being well taking care of while we were away and the checklists, checklists always help :)

Here is a breakdown of where we stayed in Scotland, some of our activities, and tips for future travelers! We hope you’ve been able to take some time this summer to travel, either with friends, significant other, or family!

Breakdown of Our Itinerary & Where We Stayed

• Edinburgh

  • Castle View Apartment

  • Dunstane House

• Oban

  • Dunheanish Guest House

• Isle of Sky

  • Home Farm Apartments

• Pitlochry

  • Loch Rannoch Hotel & Estate

Activities!

• Haunted Tour

• Devil’s Pulpit

• Kelpies

• Falkirk Wheel

• Standing Stones

• Three Isles Tour: Mull, Iona, Staffa

• Oban Distillery

• Hike to Fairy Pools

• Old Man of Storr

• Hunt for Dino Footprints

• Talisker Distillery

• Balmoral Castle & Afternoon Tea

• Panmure Golf Club

WEEKEND IN PARIS

Before joining Sheena and friends in Scotland, my husband and I spent a long weekend in Paris. As mentioned in the podcast, I won a photoshoot session in Paris with Katie Donnelly Photography. Sheena and I follow blogger Rebecca Plotnick (“Everyday Parisian”) who has an incredible blog & Instagram account about all things French. Sheena would visit Scotland every weekend if she could and I, without a doubt, would visit Paris every weekend if I could.

I never really thought about how great of an idea it is to book a photo session while on vacation but I absolutely loved our experience and would highly recommend to others! Our photographer, Madga, did an incredible job and the photos turned out beautifully! If anyone is in Paris and wanting something special to do with loved ones or friends, please please please look into Katie & her team!

Tips for Traveling

• If you plan on driving through Europe, pack smart! Sheena & I were very proud of ourselves for packing just a carry-on for our trip! Made traveling from location to location much easier!

  • I also made sure to leave some room in my carry-on for the shopping that I knew I’d be doing in Paris & Scotland :)

• Some of our activities required us to purchase tickets in advanced. Check to see if where you are hoping to visit requires any tickets prior to going!

• Of course, allow for extra time for any travels! Take lots of deep breaths and enjoy the moment wherever you are!

I’m all ready to start planning our next Euro Trip!