I turned 55 on 5th March 2024, so I hit the road and headed North to Edinburgh – a birthday gift from my brother and his partner.

It’s a hefty three and a half hours drive from Lancashire where I live, but the scenery was stunning, even from the motorway. I’ve spent the majority of my grown up life travelling backwards and forwards to London, so have really forgotten how beautiful the North is. And it’s even more breath-taking when you hit Scotland! As soon as I saw those snow covered hills, I was absolutely smitten.

My aim was to try and fit in as much spooky and gruesome history as possible (yes I know I’m sceptical, but unfortunately these stories are my favourite kind) in the time that I was there.

As soon as I landed in Edinburgh late afternoon, I booked a Ghost Tour on the Ghost Bus Tour (say it quickly. Very clever), which promised a comedy horror theatre experience on wheels. You can book tickets here www.theghostbustours.com

Picking up this gorgeously decked out bus at Lawnmarket, we were taken around all of the top Edinburgh attractions and given a detailed commentary at each one about the history of it all. There were also some very fun times on board which I shan’t tell you about – I don’t want to give you any spoilers. Needless to say, there were shrieks and giggles galore for the whole trip, so it’s definitely worth a ticket. The staff on board are amazing.

I am unable to do a walking tour because of disabilities, and I expect there would be some temptation to spook a single girl on her own, if they still do that kind of thing. A few other attractions around Edinburgh were inaccessible too – the Vaults under South Bridge in Old Town – a great shame but it’s a historic site without lifts so unless you are able to manage 2 flights of stairs it’s a no go. Expected in such an old city. Arthur’s Seat isn’t high but extremely steep, so again, possibly difficult for those with mobility issues. Edinburgh Castle is also a bit of a problem, but you get a great view of it from the car park that has disabled parking spaces.

After my Ghost Bus Tour I headed off back to my hotel thoroughly entertained and ready for the next day.

The hotel had a single bed so I fell out of it every time I turned over. I wasn’t aware that anybody used these for people over the age of 12, but you live and learn. And to be fair, there is accommodation in abundance in and around the city, something for everyone and every budget.

The morning of my second day I headed off to Falkirk and the Helix, home of the Kelpies.

These wonderful works of art stand watch over the waterway running through the park and really are a sight to see. Kelpies are shapeshifting spirits according to Scottish and Irish folklore, horse like creatures who stand watch over waters ready to carry people down into a watery grave. I don’t think the Falkirk Kelpies are evil though – at least not in the daytime…

Be sure to check out the rest of Helix if you visit. There are some smaller sculptures dotted around the park and an amazing visitors centre and the Kelpie Cafe to keep your energy up.

After a lovely lunch it was back on the road and into Edinburgh again. It’s such an old city with so much history that I may have been a tiny bit ambitious thinking that I was going to cram it all into one visit. The good thing about this is that I’ll have to come back.

Back in the city and it was a visit to the Museum of Magic, Fortune and Witchcraft situated in Chalmers Close off the Royal Mile. I was mostly interested in the witch hunts in Edinburgh and it’s famous witches. Research for a future episode of Sceptic. And also for fun! It’s a cute little museum and worth a look-see if you like learning tales of the occult and all things devilish.

A quick drive up to Holyrood Park and you see one of the earliest examples of a human settlement at Arthur’s Seat. The view from the top is supposed to be spectacular, but this old bird couldn’t manage it (as I mentioned before) so I settled for a wander around the bottom and an ice cream from the ice cream man near the car park.

I had a quick mosey around the outside of Holyrood Palace which is stunning, but closed on a Wednesday. And then it was back to the hotel – exhausted and happy.

I had seen a sign for Rosslyn Chapel on my way up to Edinburgh, so I stopped in there on the way back, being a sucker for old buildings, gargoyles and film locations. As a poor kid, I travelled the world through the TV, but now I’m all grown up and have improved my station somewhat, I get to do it for real. It may seem ridiculous to some, but to me, seeing something I’ve seen on TV makes me truly gleeful. Rosslyn Chapel had a small starring role in The Da Vinci Code with Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou, and there are photographs inside telling you where they filmed certain scenes. Great fun.

You have to book a time slot for the chapel, which are split into 90 minutes, and is plenty of time to admire this 1446 church and all its stone carvings. It truly is a beautiful building. Open every day throughout the year, it’s definitely a place to see.

I took a small detour to Pendle in Lancashire to spend a night in the shadow of Pendle Hill and the home of the Pendle Witch Trials. (More research for Sceptic) My satnav took me the scenic route through the hills of Midlothian on the way, so it took me a good 4 hours to get there. But the scenery was, again, stunning, so I didn’t mind too much.

There isn’t much around Pendle that is very disability friendly, so it’s worth pointing out that if you struggle mobility wise, plan your trip for lots of rest stops.

I had planned to hit the Pendle Sculpture Trail in the village of Barley, but didn’t realise that there was a hike to get there. It’s not a big hike – I think just over 3 miles over pretty flat terrain – but after my adventures in Edinburgh and Rosslyn, I wasn’t able to do it.

I checked into the reasonably priced Pendle Inn who provide quaint little cottages out the back of the pub for visitors. The cottages have an upstairs bedroom though, so beware if you’re a wheelchair user. I don’t think they have any accessible rooms at the moment. They do, however, serve hearty pub grub in the Inn itself, and all the staff in there were lovely when I went in for dinner. The Inn is dog friendly, and even has blankets to wrap yourself up in next to the roaring fire if you’re feeling the chill after exploring the countryside.

There are lots of different things to see around the area, mostly based around the Pendle Witch Trials, and if you’re feeling really energetic, you can follow the path of the victims of the most famous witch trials in English history from Pendle through to Lancaster prison where they were hanged.

You can also visit Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford where they tell the story of Pendle, not only the witches. There is a museum, shop and tea room serving hot and cold lunches.

I only spent 4 days in total visiting Edinburgh and Pendle, but it wasn’t nearly enough time to see everything that I wanted to see. My plan is most definitely to go back to Edinburgh for a week at least, so that I can visit more of this historic city because I didn’t see nearly enough of it. I don’t think it will be a struggle though.

Happy Birthday To Me!