“Nae bother,” he says absently, scanning the area.In the snippets of time we’ve spent together over the last few days, I’ve noticed his accent is slightly thicker than it used to be, and he uses more Scottish phrases and slang.Drew noticed too and said it was adorable; I simply agreed since I couldn’t tell her I’d describe it more along the lines of ‘sexy as fuck’.
“We’re heading for the bus station,” I tell him, motioning toward the others.“We’re going on a day trip.”
“Aye, I know, I’m going with you,” he says.
Before I can voice my shock, the others wave us over and start walking up the Mile before we even reach them.The bus station is about a fifteen-minute walk from here, and we need to be there to check in fifteen minutes before the tour leaves.
“I’m so glad you decided to come with us,” Drew says to Graeme over her shoulder.“It’s been so weird doing stuff without you the last few days.”
We’re walking so fast, I’m already slightly out of breath.I’d somehow nearly forgotten that walking in Edinburgh means mostly going uphill.Between that and the stairs up to Graeme’s apartment, it’s provided a rude awakening of how out of shape I am.If I’d had more warning about this trip, I would have walked all over Kingston and done some leg exercises to build up my strength in preparation.
“When I finished work last night, I checked the website for the tour you’re doing, and there were a couple of spots left,” Graeme says.He’s been walking beside me as the others lead the way.A moment ago, he noticeably slowed his pace, so I did the same until I was able to catch my breath.
“That’s great,” I say.“Drew was right, it’s been weird being here and not having you do stuff with us.”It feels almost too vulnerable to admit that, but I don’t want him to think I’m happy about his infrequent appearances.
As we turn right on North Bridge, the faint sound of bagpipes rings in the air.I can picture the bearded, kilted piper who’s been in the same spot just up the Mile every day since we arrived.
“So you’re okay with me going?”Graeme asks.
I jerk to a halt in the middle of the sidewalk.It’s as if my brain misfired, causing my legs to quit working.Graeme carries on, then stops and doubles back when he realizes I’m no longer at his side.
“Of course I’m okay with it.”I’m about to say ‘why wouldn’t I be?’but that could open a can of worms I don’t think either of us wants to deal with right now.“I’m sorry if I’ve made you think otherwise.”
“Come on, you two!”Drew calls from up ahead.
Without another word, we catch up with our friends, falling into step directly behind them.
Brodie casts a grin at his brother.“I was just saying how glad I am that I won't be the only Scot on the tour now.I was worried people would think it was strange.”
“AndItold him people would likely be charmed,” Drew says.“A hot Scot wanting to see more of his own country, and taking his wife and friends along?At least this way he’ll be able to relax and enjoy himself without worrying about driving and getting us to all the different places we want to go.He’ll have plenty of time to get used to driving here again if we—”
The rest of Drew’s sentence falls away as we pause at a busy intersection.I glance between her and Brodie, who are doing that married couple silent conversation thing.My gaze darts to Graeme, but his attention is on a dog that’s stopped beside him.There’s no time to question Drew before we’re swept up in the crowd and crossing the road.
We arrive at the bus station with a few minutes to spare.Our guide is a kilt-wearing Glaswegian in his fifties named Bruce, and he welcomes us all warmly as we climb onto the sixteen-seater bus.There’s a row of single seats on the right, with double seats on the left.I slide into the first free single seat I find.
Graeme eyes me with an enigmatic smile as he passes.Behind me, I hear Fern say, “Come be my seat buddy, G.This’ll give us a chance to catch up.”
Once everyone is on board, Bruce dons a headset and introduces himself again before giving a brief safety speech, and then we’re off.The sound of instrumental Celtic music mixes with chatter from the other passengers as we navigate through the worst of the morning traffic.As we head out of the city, the music stops, and Bruce’s thickly-accented voice fills the bus.
“All right, lads and lassies, I’m going to share some interesting bits of Scottish history and lore with youse today.If you don’t care to listen to me blether, I cannae say I blame you, but I ask that you respect those who do want to hear about the rich, complex, and often bloody history of Alba, as it’s known in Gaelic, or Caledonia, which was the Latin name the Roman Empire gave to the north of Scotland.Now, as we head out of Edinburgh, can anyone tell me the old Scots nickname for the city that originated in the sixteenth century?”
I smile to myself as I sink back in my seat, camera at the ready, and eyes glued out the window.
* * *
Bruce punctuates hislesson on Edinburgh history with a short stop in South Queensferry so we can see the Forth Rail Bridge, a trio of rail and road bridges that connect Edinburgh and Fife over the Firth of Forth.We’re not crossing today, but I’m excited nonetheless because the third bridge, the Queensferry Crossing, hadn’t been built yet when we visited last time.I’ve seen pictures of the cable-stayed bridge, but seeing it in person feels oddly like a full-circle moment.
As we head northwest, I find myself making a mental list of the places I want to visit based on snippets of information from Bruce.“We’re close to Linlithgow Palace now.Despite its hundreds of years of history and the fact it was the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, it’s been a popular destination amongOutlanderfans since it was used as Wentworth Prison in the first series.”
From the motorway, we get an excellent view of The Kelpies in Falkirk.The pair of massive steel Clydesdale horse heads were built the year after we came to Scotland the first time.
“Duke and Baron were constructed to represent the horses that shaped Scotland’s industrial history,” Bruce says, slowing the bus as much as he can on the busy road.“Many tourists are more interested in their ties to folklore, though, much like Nessie in Loch Ness, the fae, and Selkies, just to name a few.Most Scottish children of my generation learned of the shapeshifting water horses as a cautionary tale to stay away from dangerous waters.”
I also add Stirling Castle to my list as Bruce fills us in on some of its history and promises a quick photo stop on the way back to Edinburgh this evening.
Our first proper tour stop of the day is Doune Castle, a medieval stronghold that dates back to the fourteenth century.Out of all the tours we considered, a visit to Doune Castle was a selling point for Drew and me; asOutlanderfans, we immediately recognized it as Castle Leoch from bothOutlanderand its prequel,Blood of My Blood.
Drew is one of the first people off the bus when Bruce stops in the parking lot.Brodie and I share a laugh as we meet in the aisle, and he ushers me forward with his hand on the small of my back.
