My husband Tim and I are on vacation! We spent the past week in the beautiful country of Scotland (specifically seeing Outlander sites 😃), a place we’d love to return to in the future for sure. In fact we are already planning a bit of that trip. Hahaha!

We left Minnesota on a red-eye flight Saturday, May 13 and landed in London Sunday morning.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

The goal then was to stay awake as long as possible. So that’s what we did.

5/14/23 Sunday

We eventually found our way to our hotel near the airport, dropped off our bags since it was early morning, had an English breakfast in the hotel and then made our way using the tube (London’s underground train) to Green Park so we could see some sites. We followed the crowd that led us to Buckingham Palace where we witnessed “the changing of the guard.”

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We were lucky to be right on time. We followed the crowd and the guard down The Mall, the road that leads from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square. It was regal and formal and amazing to watch.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We explored Trafalgar Square here for a while. We then headed to Westminster and saw Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, and Westminster Abbey.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

On our way back we stopped for a late lunch and then took the Tube back to our hotel, resting our eyes quite a bit on the way. We were exhausted but we kept pushing ourselves. We checked in, unpacked, and fell asleep quickly.

5/15/23 Monday

We got up early the next morning for our flight to Edinburgh, Scotland and made it to the gate just in time. Here we met up with Sherry Roth and her mom Donna – two of the four others joining us on our special Outlander Tour for the next several days.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We all landed in Edinburgh and took the tram to the center of town, and walked several blocks with our luggage to our hotel where we dropped off our bags and took off to explore the city.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We explored the Royal Mile, seeking out Outlander locations. Our first stop was Bakehouse Close where the stairs to Jamie’s print shop was located.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Then it was on to Tweedale Court where Claire’s reunion with Fergus took place. We stopped for lunch, explored the shops (like this place where they make fudge),…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

and saw Edinburgh Castle, St. Giles cathedral,…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

and the Signet Library where they shot the Governor’s mansion in Jamaica. We took a tour of the Palace of Holyroodhouse…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

and then met up with Jennifer Hill and her husband David who would also take part on our Outlander 4-day tour, and the six of us had dinner and drinks to end the day.

5/16/23 Tuesday

Our 4-day tour began, and our tour guide James from Braw Tours picked us up at 9:00 AM and we were off!

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We headed to Craigmillar Castle (Ardsmuir Prison in the TV series). The scenery was pretty and we explored every part of the old castle.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We took a side trip to Hopetoun House (the residence of Lord Sandringham). It was closed for event preparations, but James got us through the front gate and even around back so we could get photos of the beautiful place.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Then we headed to Blackness Castle which doubles as Fort William. Again, we were able to explore the entire castle.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We took a bonus side trip to see the Kelpies, gigantic horsehead structures made out of metal.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We then drove to Culross Village which doubles as Cranesmuir. The streets were quite narrow. James did some impressive driving! We saw where Jamie saves a boy who was being punished for stealing, and the window of Geillis Duncan’s home.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We also ate lunch at the Red Lion Inn. Our last stop was Linlithgow Palace (the location of Wentworth Prison).

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

5/17/23 Wednesday

The next morning we loaded the van with our luggage…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

and headed off for the second day of our tour. Our first stop was Midhope Castle (Lallybroch).

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

The inside of Midhope is in ruins and in the process of being restored. But we were able to peek inside the windows. We took many photos at this location. It was one of my favorite stops!

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Other scenes of the TV series were filmed at the wooded path nearby – Fergus running from the Redcoats and Ian finishing off Horrocks when Jamie was trying to get the man and his friends off his property.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Besides the regular tourists, there were people there in period attire from the group called The Sons of Scotland. They were there with a couple that had just done a handfasting ceremony. Everyone was kind enough to take a photo with our group!

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We then continued on the tour and drove to Falkland. This is the city that replicates Inverness back in the 1940s in Outlander. Just like the city of Culross, the buildings were painted for the times and then repainted after filming was completed. We recognized the fountain in the center of the town, and Mrs. Baird’s hotel which is called the Covenanter Hotel in real life.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We also were able to take photos of the shop that Claire stood outside of in the first scene of the series, when she was longing for a vase. It’s a gift shop but unfortunately was closed for the day with a sign on the door that read, “We’re closed every Wednesday until we’re not.”

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Next we toured the nearby Falkland Palace. The kitchen downstairs was where they filmed Castle Leoch’s apothecary. but it seemed very small.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

After our tour, and a bit of shopping in the gift shop, we went back to the Covenanter Hotel…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

and had a wonderful lunch.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We then drove to the Highland Folk Museum. Here we saw the thatched roof buildings representing the poorest Highlander homes from the 1700s. These homes were in the episode where Dougal collects rent, and Claire helps to make the colored cloth.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Two items used by filming crew were still there: a stool that Jamie sat on, and some items hanging from a tripod over a fire shown here by James.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We also saw Highland cows and sheep up close.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Our last stop was Clava Cairns where we saw some real standing stones and large cairns which are burial mounds. Standing stones still mystify historians, but in Outlander these are the places that allow time travel.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We arrived at our Airbnb in Inverness around seven and made it to our dinner reservations at the Mustard Seed. The food was wonderful! And it was a very comfortable, warm setting.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Thursday May 18th 2023

Thanks to Jennifer, who went out and got eggs this morning and added in her pastries she picked up the day before, we had breakfast at our Airbnb.

Our third day of the tour started with Culloden Battlefield.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

After the guided tour, we walked the loop ourselves and took photos of the gravestone markers and paid our respects.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

James then drove us to the Culloden House (a hotel) where Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed prior to the battle. We weren’t supposed to drive onto the property if we weren’t guests, but we did and took pics of it from the outside (shhh).

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We then went to Loch Ness. It was cloudy, windy and chilly, but we went down to the water’s edge, took photos, stacked a few stones, and touched the water.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We ate lunch near the Loch Ness gift shop then set off for Urquhart Castle which was once one of Scotland’s largest castles. Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle were not in the TV series but were mentioned in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander novels.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We also visited Beauly Priory (where Claire meets and speaks to Lord Lovat’s seer, Maisri)…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

and sneeked onto the property to see the outside of Castle Leod in Stratpeffer, which was the inspiration for Castle Leoch.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

After returning to our Airbnb we set off to find a place to eat for dinner. It was a struggle because our group was large and places wanted reservations. We ended up splitting into two groups: three of us went to the grocery store and ate at the Airbnb, and three of us ate at Hootenanny. We had to finish our laundry, and pack as this was our last night in Inverness.

Friday, May 19th 2023

Our last and fourth day of the tour started out with breakfast at a restaurant that reminded us of a casino. The food was cheap and quick. We packed our suitcases into the van, checked out of the Airbnb, and took off to Cairngorms National Park. Here we took a train up the mountain to see a beautiful view of the Highlands.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Our second step was Tibbermore Church which doubles as Crainsmuir’s church, the scene for the witch trials of Claire and Geillis. It looked just like it did on TV!

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We stopped for lunch at a restaurant and greenhouse/gift shop nearby called Gloagburn. We were seated at an outdoor “hut” that protected us from the wind and sun while we enjoyed our meals.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We ate quickly and then headed to Drummond Castle to see the beautiful gardens which doubled as the King’s garden at Versailles in France on the show. The drive in was long and under a canopy of trees the whole way… beautiful!

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

We took several photos here as this was one of our absolute favorite places on the tour.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Our last stop of the day (after capturing photos of more cows and lambs)…

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com
Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

was a visit to Doune Castle which was the backdrop for the show’s Castle Leoch. It wasn’t open to the public, but we were happy just to see the outside.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

James drove us back to Edinburgh and dropped us off at our hotels near the airport. It was sad to say goodbye because it was like saying goodbye to a friend. He really was amazing, and we were grateful for all he did to make it a wonderful Outlander Tour experience. (A side note… he stepped in last minute because our original tour guide had to cancel the week before because of a family emergency. We were in a bit of a panic the week prior to flying, but it all came out great for us in the end.)

We will miss this beautiful country.

Our May 2023 trip to Scotland & 4-day Outlander Tour - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

Yesterday marked the start of the second half of our European vacation – Stampin’ Up!’s incentive trip*, a Norwegian Cruise aboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas!! I’ll share more from that in about a week or so.

* Earning the incentive trip is something very few Stampin’ Up! demonstrators achieve—less than 1%, in fact! I’m so excited to be among the 305 attending spending the next week in Norway celebrating this extremely rare accomplishment.

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LAYERING LEAVES CLASS THROUGH THE MAIL
My Layering Leaves Class To Go sold out in less than 3 days with over 300 registrants! Thank you. I was blown away. And I still have many asking. So I will offer this class again with signups starting June 9th. Watch for that announcement. And thank you for the wonderful response and the kind words that have been sent my way. Visit my 4/22/23 blog post for details on the class.

Layering Leaves Class To Go by Million Sales Achiever, Rachel Tessman. - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

PRODUCT SHARES, SAMPLERS, & COLOR CLUBS
The new 2023-24 Annual Catalog debuts May 2nd. I have an amazing team of demonstrators with a few who offer great ways to get your hands on “tastes” of the new products. Click here for details and links.

I have a few on my amazing team of demonstrators that are offering product shares, samplers, and color clubs as we kick off the start of Stampin’ Up!’s new 2023-24 Annual Catalog! And this post is all about promoting their hard work and their fun offerings that they have going on right now. - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

KITS COLLECTION: CONFETTI BIRTHDAY KIT ADDED
Shake up someone’s special day with a happy, handcrafted shaker card! The Confetti Birthday Kit comes with everything you need to quickly create confetti shaker cards—a total of 9 cards in 3 lively designs. This new kit is part of the Kits Collection and is now available. Click here and scroll down for more details.

Confetti Birthday Kit – new in the Kits Collection by Stampin’ Up! - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

A PEEK AT JUNE’S PAPER PUMPKIN KIT
Show hospitality to all your guests with June’s Welcome Inn Paper Pumpkin Kit! This kit includes supplies to make nine elegant and detailed cards—3 of 3 designs. Whether you’re hosting friends and family, want to invite someone over, or want to stand out as a gracious guest, this kit has what you need to create inviting and welcoming cards that any loved one is sure to appreciate. The kit perfectly coordinates with the Countryside Inn Suite Collection (item number 161474) from the 2023–2024 Annual Catalog! You can also pair this kit with a coordinating die add-on(163192)! (Available now & while supplies last. Dies, suite products & Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine sold separately). Coordinating Stampin’ Up! colors: Boho Blue, Copper Clay (also the kit’s ink color), Daffodil Delight, Moody Mauve, Mossy Meadow, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat
If you are not a Paper Pumpkin subscriber, I invite you to give it a try. CLICK HERE to learn more. CLICK HERE to sign up by June 10th for this next kit.

The June 2023 Welcome Inn Paper Pumpkin Kit. - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com

ALL STAR VIDEO CLASSES
I’m a designer with the All Stars, a group of globally recognized Stampin’ Up! demonstrators. And we are excited to share exclusively with our customers, paper crafting friends & team members our May 2023 Countryside Inn Suite Video Class Bundle which is now available. CLICK HERE for more information. Click here to get to my Tutorials/Classes for Sale page to see others that have been offered. The next one featuring the Fresh As A Daisy Suite from the 2023-34 Annual Catalog will be available June 1st.

Here are the Countryside Inn Suite exclusive All Star Video Class Bundle peeks. Place an order in the month of May 2023 and get this bundle of 12 fabulous paper crafting project video classes for free! Or purchase the bundle for just $15. - Stampin’ Up!® - Stamp Your Art Out! www.stampyourartout.com