We were well-rested after our week in London and ready to move on again.

Next Stop, Scotland.

June was to be our Scottish month. With three house sits plus a short Apart-hotel stay booked, it was going to be a busy one!

To start us off, we had one house sit booked in Glasgow and then two more in Edinburgh later in the month.

We love Edinburgh and have been many times. The last time though, was two years ago in May 2021 so we were well overdue for another visit.

Glasgow, on the other hand, was a brand-new destination for us both. For this reason, we were particularly looking forward to our first Scottish stop.

We are very happy to tell you that It didn’t disappoint!

Scottish house & pet sit number one – Scotstoun, Glasgow

Our first house sit in Scotland was in Scotstoun, a nice riverside, residential suburb of Glasgow. North of the river Clyde and west of Glasgow City Centre.

With its own railway station, rows of lovely old tenement buildings and the huge Victoria Park as a centre piece, it’s easy to see why Scotstoun is often mentioned in lists of the best places to live in Glasgow.

The home hosts were really lovely. This was the first time they were having house sitters stay whilst they went on holiday. It’s no exaggeration to say that they were extremely nervous!

This, of course, is totally understandable, Inviting strangers into your home, and giving them the keys to your home and the responsibility of caring for your beloved pets can be daunting.

They were so nervous that they almost cancelled us a couple of times before we arrived. Thankfully though, their confidence in us was boosted by checking out our past reviews. By the time we eventually arrived, they were much calmer and we waved them off to enjoy their holiday in a much more relaxed state.

As it turned out, we were really glad that they didn’t decide to cancel. This turned out to be one of our favourite house sits so far!

The Home

We loved the house. It was, big, clean, and comfortable with a nice garden which really came in handy as the weather was fantastic all through our stay.

In the words of Kirsty, Location, location, location.

The house was set on a quiet road just a ten-minute walk to the train station and also to large supermarket. As a bonus, the beautiful Victoria Park was a very easy fifteen-minute stroll from the front door. Ideal to give Winnie a great off-leash runaround.

The Pet

Winnie is the most adorable miniature Labradoodle we are ever likely to meet. She is so affectionate and loves human company. Wherever we were in the house, Winnie was never more than a paw or two away.

She was great off-leash with great recall which meant wherever we took her she was able to run around to her heart’s content. Burning off some of the energy that she was bursting at the seams with.

Out and about

Winnie loved train travel. This made our stay even more enjoyable as it meant we could take her with us wherever we went without having to worry about getting back at a certain time to walk and feed her.

The only downside of this was that she is such a cutie that everyone wanted to stop and say hello! A bit frustrating for us when time was of the essence, but it didn’t bother Winnie one iota, she was more than happy to lap up the attention 😂

Glasgow Green

For our first day out we decided to keep it local and headed to Glasgow Green in the city centre.

From Scotstoun, where our house sit was located, Glasgow Green was a direct short, fifteen-minute train journey to Glasgow Central and from there, another fifteen-minute walk.

The literal translation of the word ‘Glasgow’ in Gaelic is ‘Dear Green Place’. With over 90 parks and gardens to discover, it is obvious why it was given its name.

Glasgow Green is conveniently located in the very centre of Glasgow city centre.

It is the oldest and biggest of all the parks Glasgow has to offer. There is so much to see and do here that you could easily stay the whole day.

You enter the park beneath an imposing archway which then leads you to a tree-lined path that meanders through the park passing numerous monuments, sculptures, fountains and the people’s palace social history museum.

Glasgow Green is a dream location for city-living dog owners. An oasis of calm, walks, and grassland slap bang in the middle of the chaotic concrete jungle of city life.

Loch Lomond

I am the first to admit that geography is not my strongest subject so I have to admit that I had no idea that Loch Lomond is so close to Glasgow.

I was a great surprise when Karyo informed me there was a direct train from our house sit in Scotstoun that, for a fiver each would get us to Balloch, the station of Loch Lomond in just over half an hour!

From Balloch station, it is a very easy 15-minute stroll to Loch Lomond Shores. This is a great starting point to explore this vast, spectacularly beautiful area with shops, cafes, a tourist information centre, visitor attractions, and amazing views across the Loch.

You can choose to cycle, take one of the cruises on the Loch, do some serious hiking in the National Park, or do as we did and spend the day enjoying a leisurely walk through the beautiful Balloch country park complete with its own castle, although this was closed for major refurbishment work when we visited.

Balloch Country Park is a 200-acre country park on the southern tip of Loch Lomond. It was recognised as a country park in 1980, and it is the only country park in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s first national park.

We had a really lovely day here. Winnie had the time of her life. She spent the whole day, mainly off-leash running around and enjoying the fuss she invariably gets from every passing stranger!

For anyone visiting Glasgow, we really recommend taking the time to spend a day here.

Glasgow Botanical Gardens

Until we started petsitting I never knew just how many botanical gardens there are in the world!

Many large cities have one and never fails as a great place to spend a few hours enjoying the beautiful floral displays.

Botanical gardens are also a perfect day out for anyone travelling on a budget as they are free to enter!

With twenty hectares of landscaped grounds to explore, much of it along the beautiful River Kelvin, The Glasgow Botanial Gardens didn’t disappoint.

These gardens are another dream day out for dog walkers. We took Winnie here a couple of times during our stay and still only managed to scratch the surface of what the gardens have to offer

There are over 9000 different plants and trees originating from all over the world growing in the Glasgow Botanical Gardens. Some outside in the garden but also many growing in the beautiful Victorian temperature-controlled, tropical glasshouse.

We were loving Glasgow and really made the most of the good weather.

Meeting other house sitters in Helensburgh

One day during our stay in Glasgow we managed to amalgamate visiting another new town with meeting some other house sitters.

This time we headed to the seaside resort of Helensburgh, just west of Glasgow.

Honestly, we had never heard of Helensburgh before yet just an hour’s train journey took us to this pretty coastal town.

Helensburgh at one time was home to a quarter of all the millionaires in Britain due to money being made from shipping on the Clyde.

I’m not sure how many millionaires live here now but it definitely still has the look of an affluent area with some really amazing properties in residential end of town.

*FUN FACT* – John Logie Baird the Scottish inventor was born here in Helensbourgh. He is famous for transmitting the world’s first live working television system on 26 January 1926. Later, he invented the first publicly demonstrated colour television system.

Our main reason for visiting Helensburgh was that we had heard some other sitters that were in and around Glasgow had arranged to meet for lunch.

It never fails to amaze us how many sitters there are in any place, at any time. Where they all travel from, and how experienced they are!

This meeting was no exception and we were quite a mixed bag!

Eight people (and two dogs) turned up to the event. Some lived just a few miles away and others lived in the USA. One couple was on their very first house sit and another couple had done over a hundred!

The end result, as always with these sitter meetings, was an afternoon of sitter stories, much laughter, the odd bit of advice, plus a very nice lunch thrown in for good measure.

All in all, the perfect recipe for a grand day out!

Goodbye Glasgow

Our two weeks in Glasgow had been a very pleasant surprise. We love it and will definitely return. Although, to be fair, the sun shone brightly the whole time we were there which definitely helped.

However, sadly, it was now time for us to leave. We loved the house, We loved Glasgow, and of course, We loved Winnie.

This is one of the house sits that we would love to be invited back to sometime in the future. (just in case the home hosts are reading this 😉)

Booking.com

Our next stop was to be Edinburgh but we had a couple of nights spare before our next sit was due to start.

As accommodation in Glasgow is much cheaper than in Edinburgh we decided to stay there and book ourselves into an apartment for a couple of nights.

Although we love Airbnb, we have recently started also checking booking.com when we need to book short stays. More than once we have struggled to find suitable accommodation with Airbnb yet booking.com has come up trumps for us.

This was one of those occasions.

For just £100 a night, we found the centrally located ‘Royal Chambers’. This is an old clock tower that has been converted into nine, two bedroomed apartments.

‘Royal’ is probably pushing it a bit but it was clean, comfortable and made a pleasant, quirky alternative to the average budget chain-hotel

At just £100 a night, we’d highly recommend it to anyone visiting Glasgow.

As if the price was not a bargain already, after we left we were sent an email telling us that next time should book directly from their website.

By doing this, we would get an even better price plus a late check-out if needed!

Scottish house & pet sit number two – Stockbridge, Edinburgh

The Pet

During our stay here we had the company of Sana, a Labradoodle.

Sana was a lovely dog. She had a great temperament and was full of energy.

Unfortunately, she did have one fault. As the weather was so good, the park was used by many people using disposable barbeques. Once these had been disposed of there was often a charred area of the grass.

Inexplicably, Sara was attracted to the burnt grass and loved to roll around in the burnt area. Great fun for her. The only problem was that she often left home as white as the driven snow but headed home as black as the ace of spades!

The Home

For this house sit we stayed in an apartment that was on the ground level of a beautiful Georgian house that had been split into three apartments.

The apartment was two-bedroomed, large, quiet, spotlessly clean and comfortable and was a five-minute stroll from the huge Inverleith Park.

Perfect for our week-long stay.

The Area

We were delighted to be booked to do this sit in Stockbridge as it has always been one of our favourite suburbs of Edinburgh.

It is only about a fifteen-minute walk from the city centre yet once here, you would think you are a hundred miles away!

The area itself is very upmarket with a cool, arty, bohemium feel to it. Its cobblestone streets and beautiful Georgian architecture help to make it one of Edinburgh’s most desirable neighbourhoods. 

The busy high street has more than enough variety of shops, bars, and cafes to keep you busy all day long. All this plus a huge local park makes it an ideal location for a house sit that included a dog.

We loved this house sit. It was only a one-week stay but we will definitely be on the lookout for the opportunity of a longer sit in Stockbridge the next time we come to Edinburgh.

Scottish house & pet sit number three – Leith, Edinburgh

For our third, and final Scottish house sit we packed our bags in Stockbridge and then walked to our next Edinburgh destination – Leith.

The walk took us about thirty minutes door to door. It was a sunny day and the pleasant walk saved us a tenner taxi fare. Win-win!

The Pets

The pets in our care in Leith were two indoor cats, Milo and Momo.

Milo & Momo are brothers that were rescued from the streets of Abu Dhabi.

When they were found, Momo had a very bad eye infection making him almost blind. and Mimi was standing over him, protecting his brother ferociously.

Thankfully, Momo’s sight was saved but as the brother’s bond was so close our home host decided to keep them together by adopting them both.

To this day they continue to be inseparable and wherever one is, the other will never normally be more than a cat’s whisker away!

The funny thing about these cats was that their meows were REALLY loud and often sounded like words. Particularly ‘hello’ and ‘help’!

We both jumped one evening when we were watching the television and heard what we thought was someone loudly say ‘hello’ in the hallway.

I am surprised that a neighbour has never called the police on hearing cries for help coming from behind the door! 😂

The Home

For our house sit in Leith we stayed in an apartment at the very bottom of Leith Walk. Honestly, when we first arrived we were a little disappointed. We had been expecting one of the beautiful tenement apartments that Edinburgh is famous for.

Ours, however, was a bog standard 1970s square block of concrete with slightly less than zero kerb appeal.

Thankfully, once we entered the apartment things improved instantly. The inside was spacious, clean and comfortable. We had a large supermarket and probably the best Indian restaurant in Edinburgh on our doorstep and the location, on a quiet side street immediately off Leith Walk, was brilliant.

It’s easy to forget an ugly exterior when you are on the inside looking out!

The Area

Leith is approximately a 20-minute walk north of Edinburgh city centre.

It is another suburb of Edinburgh that we really like. We have stayed here on a number of occasions in the past although this was the first time we were visiting as house sitters.

It is a bit rough around the edges, less touristy, more studenty (if that is a word?) and always feels a bit like a poor relation compared to the glitz and big names found in the city centre.

However, that is not necessarily a bad thing! There is a feeling that this is a much more authentic part of Edinburgh.

Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh and is the main road connecting the centre of the city to Leith. It is one of my favourite streets in the world and slopes downwards from the city centre to the ‘Foot of the Walk’ pub at the Port end

A multitude of independently owned shops, bars, and cafes line Leith Walk on both sides which gives it a great atmosphere. There is not a lot that you can not purchase on this street!

The week we arrived the multi-million-pound new tram line extension had opened which now runs from the city centre right down the length of Leith Walk and as far as the port. This should give a much-needed boost to all the small traders that operate at the previously neglected, bottom end of the walk

As well as the multitude of small traders in the port area I am sure that the Ocean Terminal shopping centre will also be delighted that the trams now run literally past their front door.

This is a large shopping centre with three floors of shops and restaurants. It has been here for twenty years but, to be honest, has always looked as if it struggling to survive. Hopefully, the tram line extension has not arrived too late and the centre will get to see many more customers from now on bringing with them a much-needed cash injection for this part of the city

The jewel in the crown of Leith is The Water of Leith walkway. This is a beautiful walk popular with walkers, runners, and cyclists. The miles of tree-lined paths follow the river through Edinburgh and Leith to its outflow into the Firth of Forth. 

Meeting other sitters

Once again, during our visit to Edinburgh, we managed to meet up for lunch and a chat with another sitter. This time, Fiona.

Fiona is another really experienced sitter. She saw where we were currently sitting and, as she lived quite close offered to travel to us.

I know I say this often, but it really is always a pleasure to meet other sitters on our travels. I find it interesting hearing their many varied tales of why they house-sit and how they got into this lifestyle in the first place.

Edinburgh Pride

When we booked to be in Edinburgh for these dates we didn’t realise that our stay coincided with the weekend of Edinburgh Pride.

As the sun was still shining brightly we decided to get our rainbow flags out and go to watch the parade.

It turned out to be a great day. The whole city was bedecked in rainbow colours. Everyone seemed to be in great spirits and the parade went on for miles.

This parade was a proper old-school march. No loud music and floats. Just a good old fashioned March through the streets

Many Pride events around the country have gone very commercial over the past few years. Big names suddenly want to get involved and get their names seen.

I loved the fact that Edinburgh had not fallen too much for corporate involvement.

The atmosphere and sense of community spirit were fantastic – If the smiles, laughter and general good humour of the crowd were anything to go by, A great day was had by all – us included.

It must be such a relief for the organisers when the big day arrives and everything goes to plan. Even the sun came out for EdinburghPride 2023!

Any good news for the month?

For me, Yes – I bought a new phone!

I am definitely an ‘If it ain’t broke, no need to fix it’ kind of guy.

Unfortunately, my trusty old phone was starting to give up the ghost quite a while ago. Particularly the camera.

I’ve had it for years and the camera has never been better than ‘just average’ at best. Recently though, the pictures it was producing have got increasingly worse so my hand was forced, a new phone was needed. It was time to dip my hand into my pocket!

I was told by a friend, not to buy a cheap new phone. Instead, go for a decent second-hand one. I followed that advice and am now the very proud owner of an amazing, all bells and whistles new (to me) phone. (A Samsung Galaxy S21)

The camera is excellent. I love it and hope you will notice the vast improvement in picture quality from now on.

This month’s blog contains pictures from both old and new phones – I think the difference is immediately obvious. If it isn’t, I’ve kept the receipt!

Any bad news for the month?

For Karyo, Yes – His sabbatical from work has come to an end!

When we decided to travel to New Zealand and Australia Karyo decided to take a year off work. The time difference was too great for him to be able to keep office hours so it made good sense.

Unbelievably, that was June last year which means, as of the middle of this month he has officially been back at work.

At the moment he is still working almost full-time remotely but there is a risk that may change in the near future.

If it does we may have to adjust our lifestyle to fit. Hopefully, there will be a compromise – fingers crossed!

Where next?

The next stop is back to where it all began – Manchester!

More on that next time.

Until then, as always, thanks for reading.

Hugs, Colin and Karyo xx