Spend a Day Exploring Dornoch Scotland with Viator

Hi Friends!

One of the stops on our cruise was a day trip to Dornoch, Scotland! We booked a tour that hit a lot of the stops that we were wanting to check off of our list that had a good mix of history, nature stops, and also local experiences. I am going to share all of the details of the day from exploring the Dunrobin Castle and gardens to exploring the small town of Dornoch with some gluten free stops along the way! There really was something for everyone in our group on this tour that we did and we loved the touches of Harry Potter here and there as well!

There were 6 planned stops on the tour that we booked but we has such an amazing tour guide and honestly our group was great too that we got to add a few stops along the way! I will share which stops were on the planned tour and which stops we got to add in as I talk about them below!

Black Rock Gorge - {unplanned} This spot was the first on our tour and it was a Harry Potter filming location! It is a short scenic walk to get to and the photos seriously don’t do it justice- it was so pretty in person! I believe that this filming location is from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when he is in the dragon portion of the competition! Overall, a very pretty stop that we were happy to add to the day!

scotland tour with Viator
scotland tour with viator review
Scotland day trip with viator review

Struie Hill - {planned} This is known as the Million Dollar viewpoint that looks over the Dornoch Firth. We stopped here for a few photos before we top here for photos for about 10 minutes before heading to the next stop!

viator day tip to Dornoch Scotland
review of Scotland day trip to Dornoch with viator

Dornoch Cathedral - {planned} - Dornoch cathedral is in the middle of this cute town that we stopped in and it was made famous by the wedding of Madonna to Guy Ritchie which was a cool fun fact! We walked by it but didn’t go in during the tour!

milk and honey Dornoch Scotland gluten free review

Milk + Honey - We stopped into this place for lunch on the way when we were in the town of Dornoch and we were pleased with the food that we got! It was a little cafe and I got the yummiest tuna sandwich with cucumber and a side salad! We also got lattes and pie for dessert and it was SO SO GOOD! All of my food was gluten-free and they were very knowledgable of my allergy which was great!

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Dornoch Jail & Dornoch Bookstore - {planned} These were also stops that we made while we were in the town of Dornoch and the Dornoch Jail was actually turned into the cutest store with lots too look at! It was fun to see how the jail cells were turned into different sections of things to shop! The Dornoch Bookshop was another fun stop to just browse through the hundreds of books that they had to look through!

dornoch hotel in Scotland
Dornoch jail store
dornoch scotland jail store

Dunrobin Castle and Gardens - {planned} This castle was such a cool stop, we has so much fun exploring the Dunrobin Castle and the gardens that surrounded it. A little backstory, the Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland's large castles and has 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. The castle is in a magnificent setting with amazing gardens. On your visit you will witness an amazing falconry display in the delightful castle gardens. These birds of prey will delight you. Then visit the castle museum before touring the furnished castle itself. The Castle, which resembles a French chateâu with its towering conical spires, has seen the architectural influences of Sir Charles Barry, who designed London’s Houses of Parliament, and Scotland’s own Sir Robert Lorimer. It was so cool and we learned a lot when we were visiting here!

dunrobin castle tour with viator
dunrobin castle tour
Dunrobin castle gardens
Dunrobin inside the castle
Dunrobin Castle Gardens
dunrobin castle inside

The Tea Room - This was the little cafe that was at the entrance of the Dunrobin Castle but it was really yummy! They had a ton of things that were marked gluten-free. I ordered a cup of soup to go and it was so good! But one thing to note, you can’t take food on the tour so I should have had the soup while I was sitting there- just keep that in mind! But it was really good and definitely recommend it! My parents and Dustin had pastries that weren’t gluten free but they liked them and the lattes that we all got were also good!

Mermaid of the North - {unplanned} - This was another stop that our tour guide stopped at on the way back to the ship! It is a statue that sits on a rock on the shore of the Seaboard Village of Balintore called Mermaid of the North. The sculpture was inspired by local folklore and she was designed as part of a Sculpture Park celebrating local heritage, Folklore, Faith, Fortitude, Fishing & Four Corners of the World. I didn’t have this stop on my list but it was cool to stop and learn a little but more about it when we had time!

Highland Cows - {unplanned} - At the very end of the day we still had some time before we needed to be back on the ship so we took the long way back and tried to find some Highland Cows at a local farm. Our guide, Emma, was so nice and took us to a few farm areas before we found some! They were way out in the field but that was perfect and we got to check seeing Highland Cows off our Scotland bucket list!

If you are anything like us, you will really leave the town of Dornoch and Dunrobin Castle with fun memories of their history, the stunning landscapes, and the charm of it all. Whether you're admiring the views from the castle grounds or enjoying a gluten-free meal at one of the local cafes, it’s clear that this corner of Scotland offers something special for every traveler! Let me know if you eat at any of these spots! If you have any questions you can comment below or as always you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Where to Eat, Stay and Play Around Iceland

Hi Friends!

Iceland was the first stop in our 14 day adventure last summer and it’s just about the last blog post that I have on the docket to write! The first thing to note about Iceland was that it went NOWHERE near what we originally had planned itinerary wise. Instead of being in Iceland for 4, almost 5 days- we spent two of those days in the Minneapolis airport (insert nervous sweating emoji)… ANYWAYS, once we finally got there we had a lot of ground to cover in less time than we had planned but we really tried to make the best of it! I should also note that the mishaps and plans continued to get changed for pretty much the entirety of the trip but I wanted to share the itinerary and things we did do and our experiences anyway! So buckle in while I tell you the ADVENTURE we went on while we were exploring Iceland in June!

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Day One in Iceland

When we arrived in Iceland, my parents picked us up at the airport and then we pretty much immediately started driving to go see all of the sights in the The Golden Circle. This is a very popular touristy route that you can take in southern Iceland that covers about 300 km/180 miles and you can loop from Reykjavík into the southern uplands and then back. With our shortened time we didn’t get to all of them but I will list the popular ones below with some info on the stop!

  1. Þingvellir National Park: A site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, Þingvellir was the location of Iceland's ancient parliament and lies in a rift valley marking the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.

  2. Gullfoss Waterfall: Known as the "Golden Falls," this two-tiered waterfall on the Hvítá river cascades into a deep crevice, creating a stunning display of natural beauty.

  3. Geysir Geothermal Area: Home to the famous Geysir and its active neighbor Strokkur, which erupts every 5–10 minutes, this geothermal area showcases Iceland's geothermal activity.

  4. Kerið Volcanic Crater: A volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area, Kerið is known for its visually recognizable caldera and aquamarine-colored water.

  5. Faxi Waterfall (Vatnsleysufoss): Situated on the Tungufljót river, Faxi is a picturesque waterfall known for its salmon-filled waters and a popular spot for fishing.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

If you are short on time, adding a few or all of these destinations to your list is an easy way to see many things in a shorter amount of time. We got to see so many different areas of Iceland along The Golden Circle route.

At the end of this day we stayed in a little two bedroom cabin in Þingvellir National Park. I will link the cabin that we stayed in here, we paid $220 for the night but it was a good location and you could look out onto Þingvallavatn lake which is seriously stunning. We booked this cabin through Airbnb, it was small but had anything we really could have needed. I wouldn’t plan on making a five course meal but we were able to make dinner and breakfast here without any problems.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

Day Two in Iceland

Coffee shop in Penninn - We went in to browse the bookstore and grabbed a coffee while we were in there. The bookstore was so cute and had so many options book wise. I know it was the middle of June when we were there but Dustin and I both got a pumpkin spiced latte and it really just hit the spot! It was so good, not too sweet, so good!

Hallgrímskirkja - This is also known as the Church of Hallgrímur and was high on our to-do list when we were in Reykjavik! Its has a really cool modern design which we learned is inspired by Iceland's volcanic landscapes! It is super tall and it stands tall as one of the city's most famous landmarks. When we were there we also walked along Rainbow Road.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

Rainbow Road - This is a really cool street with colorful crosswalks that symbolize the city's spirit of inclusivity and love. Both were high on our must see lists and they were right next to each other, making for an easy stop! There were also a lot of shops to wander around in and out of along this road which we took advantage of! We liked this bookstore called Bókabúðin Bergstaðastræti and this record shop called Geisladiskabúð Valda.

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

Krua Thai Restaurant - We were visiting Rainbow Road and the iconic Hallgrímskirkja church right around lunch time and we were so happy to stumble into the yummiest food we had in Iceland! They had a lot of gluten free options and the waiter was very knowledgeable of my gluten allergy. I honestly think that our waiter was the owner as well but nonetheless, knowledgeable! I decided to get the Pad Thai and I added chicken, it was SO good! We were also able to get whatever spice level that we wanted. Dustin got the chicken Kuayda Pad with rice and it was like a red curry. It was also able to be made gluten free! The portions were huge and I ended up taking about half of mine to go for later, side note, it reheated well!

We stayed at a farmhouse that was right next to a lighthouse and the beach but since we stayed there the house was taken off of Airbnb, but if we were going to do it all again, we probably would have stayed in Reykjavik! We only stayed where we did to be closer to The Blue Lagoon but that wasn’t necessary after all and staying near the port where we got on our ship would have been a good idea as well!

Day Three in Iceland

The Blue Lagoon - We were supposed to wake up early on this morning and go to The Blue Lagoon for our 8:30am slot but while we were on our way there from the airbnb we were told that there was no way to get to The Blue Lagoon due to volcano activity that was happening on the road. We were so sad but obviously would rather be safe than put ourselves in danger so we didn’t get to see The Blue Lagoon. The staff was very helpful and offered to move our reservation date but with it being our last day there they refunded our tickets. If you’re going I would absolutely recommend trying to visit The Blue Lagoon. Possibly plan to do this early in your trip just in case there needs to be adjustments to your reservation for any reason. One tip we did hear when we were on our cruise but not before the trip was to not let your hair go into The Blue Lagoon because it makes it feel gross even after washing it.

FlyOver Iceland - When we found out that we weren’t going to be able to go to The Blue Lagoon we pivoted, went to lunch at Rost and then decided to do the FlyOver Iceland experience in Reykjavik which was pretty cool. FlyOver Iceland is sort of like Soarin’ at Epcot for those of you who have done that! It suspends you in the air, giving you the feeling of flight while watching a film that takes you on a journey across Iceland while also using special effects like wind, scents and mist which is just a very cool interactive experience. It was about $40 a person for the whole tour and movie, I think it was really cool to watch and see what we missed on our trip.

Experience Iceland coffee
Experience Iceland

Rost Reykjavik - This was a coffee shop that was closer to the cruise port but we stopped here for breakfast before we got onto our ship! To eat I got the hot ham and cheese on gluten free bread, it was good! Dustin got one of their specials that was specific to that day but it was out of his comfort zone and he still loved it. To drink I got the one of their special lattes that was being advertised on the chalk board but it had like caramel popcorn on top and was so good! It was definitely more of a sweet treat rather than a regular coffee situation! Dustin just had a latte and liked that as well!

Driving in Iceland

With all that we wanted to do and see in a short amount of time, we opted to rent a car and drive around Iceland on our visit. At first we were hesitant of what it would be like driving in Iceland as a tourist but after doing it, it was absolutely the right choice for us. The roads were well-maintained, there were clear signs for directions and really there wasn’t too much traffic. We got to see lots of stunning views of volcanic mountains, geysers, glaciers, and waterfalls, there was so much scenery to take in literally around every turn. There were some roads that were a little more narrow or were gravel, especially in more remote areas so I would definitely recommend to always drive carefully, be alert and also to be prepared for varying weather conditions. But overall, driving in Iceland was relatively easy, and the freedom to stop whenever you want to take in the different views of the island was one of the best parts! Lastly, the locals are friendly and helpful, so if you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask. This might absolutely be different for you depending on when you are visiting but for 4 days it was about $475 for our rental car!

Experience Iceland
Experience Iceland

After three fun filled days exploring Iceland, we got to see and experience so many things. We loved seeing the landscapes of The Golden Circle and adventure of missing being able to relax in The Blue Lagoon. Iceland was such a huge destination to check off of our bucket lists and we definitely recommend visiting! Whether you're wanting to see the stunning waterfalls, walking through volcanic craters, or trying Icelandic meals, you will make so many memories on the trip! As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Gluten Free In Malmo, Sweden

Hi Friends!

As I have mentioned many times before, I like to plan ahead a little bit when it comes to where we will be eating when we are on a vacation and this is mostly just because I am so scared with my allergy of not having something to eat or causing problems with whatever group I am in or the horrible “I got glutened and my day is over” feeling. If you are traveling to Malmo, Sweden soon, don’t worry at all there were plenty of options! There are only a few places on these lists because we were traveling between Copenhagen, Helsingor and Malmo on this portion of the trip so the meals were split up between all three spots but I will share where we did eat with you guys below!

Where to Eat Gluten Free around Malmo, Sweden

MAX - We stopped here pretty much as soon as we checked into our hotel and I would say it is like their McDonalds. But here they had gluten free options and that was SO exciting! I had a bacon cheeseburger and a side of fries but I got the cheese fries that had onion and jalapeños on top. All of it was really good and we were thankful to have a quick meal to eat and we would definitely eat here again.

Sabaidee Thai Trianglen - This was another place that we ordered dinner to the hotel when we were in Malmo and it was SO freakin good! Before this trip I have had curry but this Thai place had a red curry that in the most dramatic way possible, changed my life haha! It was so good and I wish I could find a place here in Florida that properly replicated the curry that we had. We also had pad Thai in our order which was really good but it had chilis on top of it that I didn’t see and I put about four of them in my mouth at one time and I’m not sure I have been the same since, lol it was SO spicy! I’m sure if I would have ordered it without the chilis it would have been just as good! We defiantly recommend to order from this spot, just be careful with the spice levels of things if that isn’t something you enjoy!

Nybergs - We stopped in here to get coffee actually a couple of times! We liked stopping in here to grab a coffee after getting off the train before going back to the hotel because it was on the walk from the train station to the hotel. We also got breakfast here once as well and it was pretty good! I got scrambled eggs and bacon. They also had surprisingly quite a few gluten free pastries to choose from as well. I had an almond type cookie and also like a moon pie thing as well and both were good! They also had wifi which was nice to have when we needed it. Even if you don’t stop for coffee, it is a great place to stop and to check on missed messages!

Davidshall Pizzeria - We ordered this pizza one night after a long day of exploring and it didn’t disappoint! It was really yummy, the crust was shockingly good. You gluten free friends know that crust isn’t the thing we get excited about when it comes to pretty much anything haha but it was really good! I got the Margherita Pizza and it was so good, would absolutely get it again if I was given the chance! My parents got a non gluten free Hawaiian type of pizza and they liked it as well! We can’t remember what Dustin had but he said it whatever it was he liked it! It was nice to have many options to order in after long exploring days, we ordered in dinner all of the nights that we were in Malmo, actually!

We did get to spend quite a bit of time in Malmo but eating out was split between a few different spots like Copenhagen and Helsingor! Like most other places on this trip, I was so happy to have found many options for gluten-free eating that were actually really tasty. Have you eaten at any of these spots or visited Sweden? Let me know if you eat at any of these spots! If you have any questions you can comment below or as always you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Spend Two Days in Copenhagen, Denmark

Hi Friends!

Once we got off of our cruise we had 3 days in Copenhagen and Sweden and we spent one and a half of the three days in Copenhagen exploring! We had a lot of things on our list that we wanted to check out but as the day went on we sort of just let the day take us where it went and it was a lot of fun. A few things that were on our list was a canal tour, Tivoli Gardens, Amalieaborg castle and then just wandering around the iconic buildings that we have all seen in pictures! Trust me, those pictures of the colorful buildings lining the canal were spot on and it was such a pretty place to sightsee! Below I will share where we stayed, where we ate and what things we did in Copenhagen!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Where to Stay!

Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo

When we got off of our cruise ship we stayed at the same hotel for the whole three days that we were there and it made the most sense for us to stay in Malmo, Sweden because it was a lot cheaper than staying in Copenhagen. It was really nice because we were a quick train ride from anywhere we wanted to go and we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything by staying in Malmo! We stayed at Raddison Blu Hotel, Malmo and it was such a nice spot to stay and the location couldn’t have been better! It was nice and clean, the staff was super friendly, they had air conditioning in our rooms, comfortable beds, tea and coffee in the room and the rooms were huge!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Where to Stop!

Tivoli Gardens - This place was like the most chaotic amusement park I had ever seen haha it was really cool to walk around and look through the shops and see the different things that they had to offer but we were there on a Sunday and it seemed like everyone else was also there. I believe we each paid about $25 just to walk around the park and then if you wanted to go on rides they were a little bit more than that. It was definitely a cool thing to see in the middle of the city but I’m not sure I would pay to go in again if I were to go back!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Amalienborg Palace - We originally wanted to see the changing of the guard at the palace but we ended up doing our canal tour at the same time so we skipped it but if you can you should watch this iconic event! We could see the castle from where the canal tour started so it was perfect to see it at the same time! They also had the option to go inside and do a museum tour but we didn’t do that while we were there.

Lime Scooters - We took these Lime Scooters on a little tour around by ourselves and it was so much fun! We took the train a little bit further out from the center of the city to look for the Trash Trolls that we had heard about. When we got off the train, we saw the Lime Scooters so we downloaded the app and took them on a ride! Unfortunately we couldn’t for the lives of us find the Trash Trolls we were looking for but the scooters were so much fun it didn’t matter in the end! We probably would have had better luck with the Trash Trolls if we planned a little bit more ahead, so if you go, find them before you are without internet! If you feel comfortable on a scooter, I really recommend doing this for a little self guided tour around the city!

Original Canal Tour of Copenhagen - When we were visiting, we knew we wanted to do an iconic canal tour and we decided to go with the Original Canal Tour of Copenhagen. We liked the open boat seating and the tour guide was great! We paid like $15 a person and it was totally worth it. While we were on the boat we got to see The Copenhagen Opera House, Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, the Black Diamond Library which was SO cool, The Little Mermaid statue and so many side alley canals with tons of house boats and tons to look at! The tour took maybe about 45 minutes if I am remembering correctly and different boats were picking people up about every half hour. I can’t recommend doing this tour enough!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Thrifting Along the Canal - We were so happy to stumble on this thrift market that was set up along the canal, there were so many things to look at and we actually have two small pieces of art in our house now from the market! A note, we could only pay with cash but there was an ATM at the 7 Eleven that was about a three minute walk away from the thrift market! I don’t know the days it is open but if they’re there when you are visiting, definitely stop!

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

Where to Eat

Espresso House - We stopped in here for a cup of coffee after wandering through the Tivoli Gardens and it was pretty tasty! Not much to say, it was a cute coffee shop and there were bathrooms to use which was nice! Espresso House was like a Starbucks in the states, they were everywhere and we actually stopped into a different location on another day! Like I said, good coffee and a good place to stop in and relax for a bit.

Wagamama - We ate here when we were in Tivoli Gardens for lunch and it wasn’t our first option but we were all starving and I knew I could eat here so we just settled and had lunch! They were very knowledgeable about allergies and the manager was the person who came to take my order. I got the Pad Thai with chicken and it was pretty good! Not a 10/10 but if it had a little bit more sauce it would have been much better! Dustin got some kind of ramen and liked it a lot! I would eat here again, especially because of how well they took care of allergies.

Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!
Explore Copenhagen in about 48 Hours - Your Ultimate Guide Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen in just two days. From iconic landmarks to hidden gems, make the most of your short trip with our expert tips. Start planning now!

With only spending about a day and a half in Copenhagen, as you can tell we were able to fit so many things in and see so much! If we had a little bit more time we probably would have ventured out and did some things outside of the city. But that just means we need to visit again for a longer amount of time! Have you been to Copenhagen? What was your favorite part when you were there? As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

WHAT TO READ NEXT!

Gluten Free In Scotland

Hi Friends!

As I have mentioned before, I am a big planner when it comes to where we will be eating when we are on vacation and this is mostly just because I am so scared with my allergy of not having something to eat or causing problems with whatever group I am in or the horrible “I got glutened and my day is over” feeling. If you are traveling to Scotland soon, don’t worry at all! The few towns that we stopped in I had no problems finding something to eat, they were really great with gluten allergies. We stopped in Kirkwall, Dornoch and the Dunrobin Castle in the Northern Highlands and I found food in each place! There are only a few places on these lists because Scotland was only stops on our cruise, we didn’t spend a ton of time in each of these places but I will share those with you guys below!

Where to Eat Gluten Free around Scotland

Dornoch, Scotland

Milk + Honey - We stopped into this place for lunch on the way back to the cruise ship from visiting a castle and we were pleased with the food that we got! It was a little cafe and I got the yummiest tuna sandwich with cucumber and a side salad! We also got lattes and pie for dessert and it was SO SO GOOD! All of my food was gluten-free and they were very knowledgable of my allergy which was great!

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Golspie, Scotland

The Tea Room - This was the little cafe that was at the entrance of the Dunrobin Castle but it was really yummy! They had a ton of things that were marked gluten-free. I ordered a cup of soup to go and it was so good! But one thing to note, you can’t take food on the tour so I should have had the soup while I was sitting there- just keep that in mind! But it was really good and definitely recommend it! My parents and Dustin had pastries that weren’t gluten free but they liked them and the lattes that we all got were also good!

Kirkwall, Scotland

Archive Coffee Shop - We stopped in here to get coffee and use their wifi for a few minutes to check on where my parents were and I am so glad we stopped because it was the cutest little coffee shop. We both got lattes and they were good! They also had a food menu but we weren’t eating. A great place to stop for a pick me up and to check on missed messages if you didn’t have service there like us! Haha

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Harbour Fry Fish & Chips - I was SO happy to stumble upon this restaurant. It was on the main strip of shops and as you can see below, it literally said “ask about our gluten free options” and WOW was it yummy! The inside was small but like a fast paced diner almost. We ended up sharing a table with a couple and their Australian shepherd (some of you probably know we have two Aussies at home!!) and had the best time. It was great conversation with locals and was honestly the highlight of our day. The fish was crispy and delicious and 10/10 recommend eating here if you are visiting! Plus the staff was SO friendly! I can’t say enough good things about this spot!

Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!
Your Inner Foodie Abroad: Gluten-Free Eating in Scotland Discover the best gluten-free options while exploring Scotland. Follow our guide for delicious meals without dietary restrictions. Don't miss out, try it now!

Like I said, we were only in these spots when we got off the cruise ship on a couple of different days but for the time that we were there we found some good spots! There were some good traditional Scottish dishes as well as just some favorites that we found! Plus I was so happy to have found a plethora of gluten-free options that were actually delicious. Have you eaten at any of these spots? Let me know if you eat at any of these spots! If you have any questions you can comment below or as always you can send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

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Packing for a 14 Day Trip to Iceland, Scotland, Denmark and Sweden

Hi Friends!

To start out this post I just want to say that this is a very specific packing list for the trip that we took! We did three days in Iceland, then we did an eight day cruise and once the cruise was done, we spent three days exploring Copenhagen and Sweden. This packing list isn’t going to be for everybody, but if you are taking a trip similar to what we did, this will be very helpful for you! I’m going to start off by sharing my general packing list and then when I was packing for myself, I broke it down specifically to each day because I had limited space in what I could bring so I wanted to make sure that everything would fit. I will also share the broken down version of the things that I packed for myself each day based on the activities that we were doing. Lastly, I am also going to share a few things that I didn’t pack that I wish I would have brought! This might be extensive so I hope this helps even just one person!

These things that are in the graphic below are the clothing specifics that I packed for the colder weather in Iceland. Also I should add that not only was it cold, but it was very wet which is very normal! I also used these things here and there in different locations but these were to keep me warm and dry during our Iceland portion.

| Black Joggers | 2 Pack Base Layer Long Sleeves | Black Leggings | Grey Jumper |

| Black Waterproof Gloves | Waterproof Duck Boots | Wool Socks | Rain Jacket |

| Waterproof Hiking Rain Pants |

General Packing List

Days and Destinations

Day One - Plane/Iceland

I kept it comfortable and casual on the travel days because let’s be honest, those are exhausting and the last thing I want to be wearing is something restricting like jeans! I got this jumpsuit from Amazon and I ended up wearing it a lot while on the trip.

Day Nine - Inverness, Scotland

Day Outfit

Dinner Outfit

    • For dinner this night I ended up just staying in what I wore earlier in the day out in Inverness. We got back to the boat later than usual and decided to play cards and have a low-key dinner in the casual dining area.

Emergency Kit Supplies

This kit is for more than just sea sickness so if you're setting sail on the open seas or embarking on a river cruise, it's important to be prepared for any emergency that may arise. After being on a handful of different cruise lines I have come to a few conclusions, one being the medicines that they do sell are pricey in the gift shops. This is probably obvious but I am not a doctor and anything you plan to take should be run by a professional prior to taking it! These are the things that I came up with that are my/our must-have essentials for a cruise emergency first aid kit. Hopefully you can be fully prepared for any situation that may arise during your own vacations!

| Emergen-C | DayQuil | NyQuil | Allergy Medicine | Tampons/Pads | Midol | Bandaids |

| Antibiotic Ointment | Hand Sanitizer | Ibuprofen | Tylenol | Liquid IV | Sunscreen | Aloe |

| Tide To Go Pen | Dramamine | Safety Pins | Tweezers | Tums |

Again, I know that was a lot of information and this post isn’t going to be for everybody, but when we were prepping for this trip, it was almost impossible to find a packing list for exactly what we were doing, and I wanted to make sure that anybody doing a trip like this in the future would have a little bit more help than we did! Keep in mind we were there in June and it was still chilly in most of the locations that we visited! If you have any questions at all, I am more than happy to answer those for you! You can drop a comment below or you can email me at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible!

Much Love, 

Emma

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Spend A Day In Kirkwall, Scotland

Hi Friends!

Kirkwall was our first port stop in Scotland and I loved this day so much! As I was writing this blog post I realized that pretty much everything we did when we were in Kirkwall was something that we stumbled upon while walking around. There was a mixup with getting off the ship so we had literally like two hours to kill while waiting for my parents to get off and by the time we met up with them we wandered some more! We had the best day though, we wandered into coffee shops, thrift stores, castles, libraries, museums, restaurants, gift shops, churches and so much more and it was just the best most relaxing day considering nothing in the morning went to plan. But we had about 6 hours to spend wandering the city and it feels like we walked and explored SO much in that small amount of time!

A Few Things to Have on Hand!

  1. Rain Jacket

  2. Umbrella

  3. Backpack for purchases

  4. Camera or Phone for pictures

  5. LAYERS! I was so thankful that I had a rain jacket, a sweatshirt and a t-shirt on because I shed and added layers all day long!

Where to Stop!

Welcome center - Usually I wouldn’t suggest a welcome center as a place that you probably want to check out when you are visiting somewhere new but the welcome center in Kirkwall was so helpful. The staff were so knowledgeable and happy to help us with questions about maps, locations of attractions, spots to eat, shopping, bus schedules, wifi locations and so much more. Another perk of the welcome center was that it was also a very cute gift shop with actually cute items to purchase! We stopped there at the beginning of the day and also on the way out just to look at last minute souvenirs!

Archive Coffee Shop - We stopped in here to get coffee and use their wifi for a few minutes to check on where my parents were and I am so glad we stopped because it was the cutest little coffee shop. We both got lattes and they were good! They also had a food menu but we weren’t eating. A great place to stop for a pick me up and to check on missed messages if you didn’t have service there like us! Haha

Kirkwall Library and Archive - Another place that I wouldn’t usually add to a list of places to visit when you are in a new city is a library but it was such a cool place to check out. It was raining right when we got into Kirkwall and we decided to go in the library just to see what it was like. But it was so fun! There was free wifi, bathrooms and they actually had books for sale. I needed up getting a few to use as decor and coffee table books for home. I would definitely suggest going into the library, even for just a few minutes!

Bishop’s and Earl’s Palace - Another place we stumbled upon was this old-timey castle palace thing which was SO cool to see inside of. It was like a medieval looking building and it was right next to the St Magnus Cathedral. It was dated all the way back to 1263 and it was just so interesting to see and imagine how life was lived inside the building. We spent maybe like 25 minutes here but if you are taking a guided tour I could see you spending more time and getting a ton more information. I would absolutely recommend checking out this spot!

The Orkney Museum - We didn’t plan to stop in here but we walked by it while we were exploring and the door said free so we figured we had nothing to loose! The museum was fairly small but it had information on the history of Orkney all the way back to the Stone Age. There were things to look at from the Vikings all the way until present day. I’m glad we stumbled upon it and went in. They also had restrooms that were available to use and another cute gift shop at the end of exploring.

St Magnus Cathedral - We went in here once we met up with my parents and it was so pretty inside. It was raining pretty hard at this point so we were happy to be inside but it was so neat to just learn a little more about this cathedral. Some of the dates that we were reading were just so interesting, some dated back to the 11th century. Also the stained glass was just incredible! It didn’t take us too long to walk through but it was absolutely worth the stop for us.

Harbour Fry Fish & Chips - I was SO happy to stumble upon this restaurant. It was on the main strip of shops and as you can see below, it literally said “ask about our gluten free options” and WOW was it yummy! The inside was small but like a fast paced diner almost. We ended up sharing a table with a couple and their Australian shepherd (some of you probably know we have two Aussies at home!!) and had the best time. It was great conversation with locals and was honestly the highlight of our day. The fish was crispy and delicious and 10/10 recommend eating here if you are visiting! Plus the staff was SO friendly! I can’t say enough good things about this spot!

There were also lots of other shops along the main walkway including the cutest book shop that had so much to choose from. There was also a fun record store that we spent way too much time in! The record store also had things like legos, games, puzzles, it reminded me sort of like a game stop with fewer video games. There were also so many thrift stores that we wandered into. We went to like three or four different ones and I got a couple of cute paintings that now live in my house. I liked being able to get things for the house that weren’t from a gift shop but there is like a history to those items! Other than that there were lots of stores that had souvenirs and gifts that we loved. OH and there was an art fair that was cute to walk through. My best advice would be to just go into places even if you think it might be something you wouldn’t usually stop at.

With only spending about half of a day here, as you can tell we were able to fit so many things in and had a great day! If we had a little bit more time we probably would have ventured out and did some things outside of the city. But that just means we need to visit again for a longer amount of time! I could absolutely see us visiting Scotland again in the near future! Have you been to Scotland? What was your favorite part when you were there? As always, if you have any questions at all, please comment below or send me an email at tarynintotravel@gmail.com and I will get back to you asap!

Much Love, 

Emma

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