The answer is, you visit another city, specifically Edinburgh! With our extra time in Scotland, Sam and I got on a bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh and booked a hostel for one night, so we could explore the city.
Spontaneity is everything when being in a new place for such a short amount of time, so we tend to take advantage of every opportunity to explore new places and go on adventures. Edinburgh was at the top of our list for a place we knew we needed to explore, and neither of us knew when we would be in Scotland again. In retrospect, I am so happy we went, as it was incredible.
Edinburgh in a nutshell is a tourist city full of stunning castles, vast spaces of Gothic architecture, history, greenery, and Scottish heritage. If the city was smaller and less touristy, I would have never left, but it is much too big and busy for me to stay there long term. Despite that, the 24 hours I spent in Edinburg were magical. We started our trip with a quick bite in a tavern, which was lovely, and then we headed to our hostel to drop our bags off before heading on a spur-of-the-moment hike. We were recommended to hike Arthur's Seat if we were ever in Edinburgh, so I knew we needed to do it immediately upon arrival because I miss hiking. This hike was easily a highlight of my study abroad journey so far. We hiked for about three hours before sunset, and it was a breath of fresh air. The Scottish hills were beautiful, and they were only a quick walk outside of town. It felt as if we were miles away from society until we reached the peak and realized we were seconds from the city. This was the best part about Edinburgh, the city's ability to have both the inner bustling city as well as the calmness of nature.
We ended our night after our hike, and we started the next day bright and early. Luckily our hostel allowed us to leave our luggage behind for free for the day until our train, so we did much exploring without the hassle of bags. My favorite memories from this day were when we explored Old Town, specifically, the Royal Mile, Scott Monument, Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles Cathedral, and Calton Hill. Calton Hill was my favorite part of the day, as again, it placed us in a nature-focused area within the city. There was a short, but steep trek up to three monuments at Calton Hill. At the hill, there were several monuments and historical pieces, including the National Monument and a few old canons. It was beautiful, and the hill provided another great overlook of the city and of Arthur's Seat that we had hiked the day prior.
Overall, my experience in Edinburgh was incredible, and I would recommend getting stranded in Scotland due to a train strike. I am proud of Sam and me for taking advantage of the situation to see more of Scotland, especially Edinburgh.
