Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Train from Manchester to Edinburgh Scotland

 

After spending a wonderful day with our friends in Chapeltown, we went back to Manchester City and packed up. We were leaving England and headed to Scotland the next morning. My friend got me to pack some leftovers home since it was just the two of them at home. So I did. I got a box of goodies back, along with a bag of chocolate that she gave me. The above is probably my light breakfast with milk :P

After that we head back to Oxford Road Station to catch our train to Waverley Station Edinburgh. 

We took a Transpennine Express direct train there, which is around a 3 hours plus ride. The price one-way was actually cheaper than the return train we took to visit our friend. But in 2026, I didn't manage to get a direct train at all, and the price was almost double. We have to transit at Doncaster too, which was interesting.

Our seats information. We found out later that the lights mean whether a seat is occupied by someone or not, and from which station to which station. So you could actually go and sit on an empty seat if no one is there during that duration. 

I got my snacks to entertain me on my ride too. And of course I got window seats. I love looking out the window.

There are Tony Chocolates, and they are lovely! I've never heard of this brand before, but now I can identify them in my local shops. The different colours indicate different flavours. And my favourite is always the dark chocolate type. 

Train watching as we waited for our train.

Cool cargo trains. 

Our direct trains went through many stations on our way to our destination. At some station, the train stopped for 5 to 10 minutes so we managed to see some of the station in more details. When entering Scotland, you could see some of the station names with Gaelic languages too. Sometimes I plan my travel, and I don't really know what to expect. I guess that is the best type of travel, cause you're constantly surprised and amazed by what you encounter. I hope I will always have the curiosity to explore new places for as long as I live. It gets tiring now as I am older. And although I felt fitter in terms of walking and climbing than I did when I was younger, I knew that it would be just a matter of time before I started to slow down..... May that be another 20+ years away!

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Afternoon Tea at Friend's Place

The highlight for my whole day out with my friends was probably this Afternoon Tea at her place! I mean, just looked at the table setting! Wouldn't you say that it's better than having it in some impersonal place like a restaurant or a cafe?

So after visiting Wentworth, the last place we stopped at was at my friend's house. Most of the photos I took inside won't be shown here for privacy reasons. But here are some selection which are more generic, as well as the tea room. Above, my friend at her front door. I love it. I don't know why Asian houses don't have doors like these that is kinda like a stained glass. We always get solid doors. I guess cause it's safer?

Inside, let's just say her house is like a mini museum. It's a house that sits on a private property, so they kinda added on to it as the years went by. So it kinda has 3 storeys, but everything is cosy inside. Each room is decorated with care, just like something out of an Enid Blyton book. It's really exciting visiting an actual English family's home. I mean, I've visited other friends/family staying in other countries, but when they are the same culture as you, the inside kinda tends to look the same as yours too. 

When I say visit, I meant we went into every single room. And the kitchen overlooking the garden was delightful. It was smaller than I imagined her kitchen to be, but it was filled with so many cool items! Later I also discovered that she has another room where she stores her food item! Cause she kept pulling out food from there for our Afternoon Tea!

The sink area filled with trinkets, overlooking the bright sunny garden. I could stand here all day washing dishes! My home in Penang also have something similar, a kitchen sink that looked out into the view of Pearl Hill. It's a joy to cook inside, if only the morning sun wasn't tanning up your skin as you cook!

Tulips were in season. And she has some lovely ones in her garden. They have a huge garden, and even a small summer house. There is also a patio where we could sit, or where Tom would sit and read his books all day :)  Such a lovely set up. I've always wanted a house with a garden too. But as I grow older, I kinda given up on the dream cause it's expensive and troublesome to maintain. Plus all the security you have to factor in too from where I came from. So I ended up in flats instead. I'm still pondering whether to give up my dream of staying in a flat with a sea view..... I guess that is still not too late. 

The grand event of the day, tea! And we'll be having it here in her dining room. I asked her isn't a chore to do all the dusting? But it was so nice to see someone who actually bring out all their tableware to be use! I know it's not just for us, cause I've seen pictures of her Christmas dinner as well. 

The dinner room looks out into the garden as well, so it was a splendid place to have our Afternoon Tea. I was kinda scared that I may break something in the room, it's practically filled wall-high with ceramics and plates and what-not!

Knowing how much I love cheese, she also went to the trouble of preparing a cheese platter! Only, there was just too much cheese!!!! With  that amount, I could easily made 3 or 4 platters that would probably last me for a month! (one platter a weekend!)

The full spread. She got us meat pies, mince pie, scones, macarons etc. It was nice to try those English specific delicacies. I found the meat pie was surprisingly nice. 

Macarons! I love these! In 2025 December alone, I think I ate a total of 14 macarons. TWG was having a 1-4-1 promotion so I went and got 12 from them. I also visited Pierre Hermes shop in Sentosa, and got 2 of their signature macarons to try too.

This would forever be one of the most memorable day out in my trip, cause I knew it was thanks to our friend that I get to have this extremely unique experience in the UK. We'll be visiting them again in two month's time, and although they have gotten older and nursing some health issues now, I hope we can still manage to spend some memorable time together.

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - Wentworth Woodhouse

After our lovely lunch, our host told us that we were going for a walk. I got excited about that. I love long walks, especially in countries that I was visiting cause I find it was the best way to explore a place. The place we were walking to was called Wentworth Woodhouse, or the Big House as our friends call it.

Before the walk, we got some history lesson on the surroundings and a little bit about the Woodhouse. I recall something about some tower that looked like a needle, and something about a camel going through it.... lol. Let's just say, I'm a terrible student and couldn't hear a word he said when there is such a beautiful country side in front of me to run wild in!

It was just a short walk. Above is Tom and my husband walking pass the very large building that was just the stable where they used to keep the horses. If the house for stable looked like that, how big was the actual Big House???

Here is a a clearer front view of the stable.... We did went in on our way back as we saw the doors were opened. More on that at the end of this post.

A small gate to enter into the grounds of the Big House. You could also drive all the way there, but since we just had a heavy lunch, it was nice to walk off the calories! Plus it was so nice to be out in the open, sunshine, cold wind, and just horizons for us to walk on.

You could visit the house inside, with a fee. You could also hold events here. There is also some dining cafe inside. We went into just take a look around the free area. My friend didn't recommend we visit the paid area, so we skipped that. I would rather be spending more time outdoor anyway.  Later that year, I also visited a palace in Hue, Vietnam that reminded me of the Big House and told my friend about it. I did went inside the palace in Hue as I was part of a day tour, and it beautiful inside as well.

Side view of the Big House as we were walking towards it. I could imagine riding inside a carriage drawn my horses up to the main entrance. I've just finished watching Season 3 and Season 2 of Bridgerton  (yes, in that order, it's a long story....), and the Big House was even bigger than their house!

A side profile of Tom leading us on our walk.

The main entrance of the building. It wasn't crowded at all. Perhaps it isn't really a touristy place. Maybe more suited for people who were interested in old buildings or history of local towns? I can't picture a tour bus filled of Chinese tourist coming all the way here, even thought I think I would love it! It's a lot more peaceful here which leaves you being able to enjoy the place better.

The welcoming info sign inside the building. Everything upstairs is with paid entry only. We did managed to look around the gift soup and cafe area. 

We walked around the grounds in front of the building too. 

Here is a view of the Big House from a far. I love the trees framing the photo. From this picture, you could see just how huge it was. I mean, huge as in for a British palace or building, which is kinda cosy. After coming back from the Balkans, I have seen monstrous buildings built by the Soviet Union era showcasing power and wealth. But the European style buildings are a lot more charming, and elegant. 

A full front view. 

On our walk back to the car, we walked by the stable again and noticed that the gates were slightly opened! So we decided to go check it out. I guess this is why you make friends with people who likes to explore, they don't mind walking into any place.

Tom and my husband, inside the stable main gate. Inside, it looked like a ground where gladiators fight. Everything was just concrete. There was a fountain like structure in the middle that servers kinda like a round about. Renovation was being conducted at the buildings surrounding it. I think there's going to be some restaurant there in the future.

 

But just imagine, this as a stable. All the small houses being used to keep horses. And the grounds for them to wander around on. Perhaps the stable boys and workers also stayed in this building? I think it's lovely that I get to visit such places. I think every trip is special to the individual, and each is unique. So visiting this place, this stable made my trip to the country side unique too!

Manchester/Scotland 2025 - The Rockingham Arms Pub Lunch

 

Lovely day for a picnic. We drove around ten minutes away and parked near this beer garden. I would have love eating here! But our host had planned for us to have lunch at a local pub, so that was a great plan too!

The place we head for is called The Rockingham Arms, and I love the name of the place cause it has the word 'arm' on it which reminded me of Men in Arms, a book from the Discworld series. Anything that can be related to the books I love will instantly have a place in my heart. Above is the bar counter.

We were early, and probably the first to be there for lunch. The place was still empty, so I got the chance to walk around to take photos of the interior. It was such a cosy place, like a hotel lounge, or someone's living room. Actually, the place also runs a hotel upstairs, so I guess the deco was suited to be kinda like a Bed and Breakfast type of hotel in the countries. Truly lovely. 

There is even a fireplace sitting area. It was spring when we visited, but it does snow here as well. I don't believe I've ever sat next to a fireplace before! Now why isn't that ever in my bucket list?

Back to the bar counter, showing you some of the ale and beer they serve there. We were still at Happy Hour, and each of us ordered one beer to try. It is, after all, a pub.

Us pondering on what to order for lunch. I already knew what I wanted, something British, like a pot pie or something. It wasn't cheap, not was it too expensive. But I think the fact that we got to dine in a pub was the highlight for me. I don't really how many times we would actually folk out the cash to do a sit in and dine. Most of the time, we were usually on a budget and dine just fine with food we find the supermarket.

Our beer reached the table first. I order just half a pint I think. I hate getting my face all red when I drink. I don't react to all alcohol like that, but I can never tell which one will trigger the red flush. And since it's still early in the day, I would rather not look drunk. I don't really get drunk, it's just that my face would get really red when I react with certain drinks. 

I wonder why the coaster says "Old Speckled Hen" on it. I thought that was the beer's name, but later on I realised the beer, the glass, and the coaster don't really matched. I don't hate it when that happens, but I really really love it when all the three are align! It's the little touch that makes me all excited and happy.

My lunch, I think it's Ale Steak Pie? With mash and so little vegetables. It was delicious, but the serving was really huge, especially the pie crust which was very filling. The mash potatoes and fillings were delicious. 

I think 3 of us ordered pie, and only my husband order some stew. All the food was lovely. And it was nice to finally sat down and talk and catch up with one another.

Lovely tables looking out into the streets. I just love the sunlight shining in reflecting on the wooden interior. Very cosy and warm.

Before we left, I also managed to go to the toilet, and snapped the above photos. I love the decoration inside. I think I love dark colours, like green and black with white. And the floral tiles on the floor, lovely. Love plants in the toilet too. We should always have plants and art in our toilet. I hate seeing cleaning items inside a toilet, mainly cause I can't stand the smell, and secondly, it's such an ugly sight.

While we were at the carpark, my friend casually showed me her car plate number, and I laughed. No wonder we were became friends! There was just something about them. We actually met on a cruise, and I was started talking cause our table was just next to each other. I liked that they were always exploring the port we were calling on by themselves instead of following an excursion tour. The cruise was from Singapore and went around Malaysia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Vietnam. And they were 20 years my senior and doesn't look like those backpacker type of people either. So I respected them a lot for exploring South East Asia and Hong Kong on their own.