kiwis2go: Part 5: In pursuit of great writers, lochs, whisky, wildcats and love… Scotland

EDINBURGH Sat 10. Two nights in this noisy Inverness YHA is enough for us! A community toilet is right beside our room and in the early hours, Max works out how to lock the door from the outside and send those middle-of-the-night piddle-bags to another toilet, leaving us in peace!

Today we’re on our way to Edinburgh but we have a very special place to visit on the way – the Highland Wildlife Park.

Here we find the Scottish Wildcat, also known as the Highland Tiger – only 400 true wildcats left.

It was my mission to find this gorgeous tabby cat whilst in Scotland. In real life, even in captivity, it is a stunning cat. Tabby in colour with a ringed, blunt tail, distinctive markings, thick coat and stocky physique, this wild cat is in the red zone on the Critically Endangered list.

Breeding programmes are in place with captured wildcats and extensive studies are also made of cats in their natural habitats. Homeowners in the Highlands are encouraged to have domestic cats neutered so their cats do not breed with these wildcats.

These cats must be saved!

There are two big enclosures with an enclosed overhead walkway connecting the cages. We discover an adult wildcat lounging in one of the walkways and are reminded of the advice given by a park ranger. Don’t stand underneath the walkway, he says, the cats are known to spray on unsuspecting people who stand beneath them.

The cat we encounter seems pleased to see us and when I talk to it, telling it I’ve come all the way from New Zealand to see it, it talks back to me just like a domestic cat. Another cat we meet is not as placid – it paces the walkway into the cage and back again showing us it is truly a wild animal and not to be underestimated.

We also visit another wildcat – the Pallas cat, described to me as looking like an ultra-fluffy Persian (similar size) but we think they look more like a miniature ‘Big Foot’ with a cute cat face. The Pallas cat comes from the mountains of Central Asia, and like the Scottish Wildcat, is in decline.

There are some young Pallas cats in the enclosure and we are lucky to get good views of these beautiful felines as they playfully prey on an older cat.

We are also treated with sightings of wild red squirrels, who live in the forests in the park – obviously quite well fed.

We travel on through the Cairn Gorms to Edinburgh and are unfortunate to have an encounter with a native of a different kind – a big burly Scottish highway policeman.

Luck is on our side and after a backseat talking to, Max is let off with a warning. Thankfully, I uncross my fingers and forget about the big fine I was expecting. We drive on very carefully to Edinburgh.

We love Edinburgh. Hell, we love Scotland!

We love our hotel – a bit of luxury after our YHA nights; we love the food; we love the tartan fabric on the bus; and we love the old city, its castle, its art gallery, and ancient streets and stunning architecture.

We spend a day in the old city, visiting the Edinburgh Castle, walking the Royal Mile all the way to the Queen’s official residence, the Holyrood Palace.

We enjoy the shops, looking at all things Scottish.

And some unusual sights along the way, such as this lady with her face covered with piercings.

And to add to our experience, we hear bagpipes playing in the background.

Edinburgh is stunning with beautiful
tall buildings in the 'old city'

We also walk in the footsteps of another famous writer and enjoy a coffee in the very same café, the Elephant House, where she wrote her first stories.

J K Rowling sat and looked out the café window overlooking the castle and from there took inspiration for her famous Harry Potter novels.

Elephant House Cafe made famous by
J K Rowling

It’s a busy café and as I wait in a front window seat, I watch as people peer in through the window, then stand under words that refer to Harry Potter on the outside of the café and have their photo taken – it’s quite bizarre but such is fame.