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J & K | Scotland • Japan • Europe

@shireandbackagain

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👋🏻 James & Kirsty
✨ Finding weird + wonderful places
🍜 Exploring + Eating along the way
💸 GetYourGuide: SHIREANDBACKAGAIN5

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upside mimi ᴉɯᴉɯ uʍop ✨👀

This was probably the most unexpected exhibition when we visited Jupiter Artland!

It was installed in 2021 and is a permanent exhibition commission by Scottish artist Rachel Maclean. The artwork combines animation and architecture and takes the form of an abandoned high-street shop 🛍️

You are lured into the forest and store by following the hearts on the path then find an eerie but colourful upside down store 🙃

TW: The animation may look friendly and colourful but there are definitely themes not appropriate for children!

📍Jupiter artland
The Steadings, Bonnington House, Wilkieston, Edinburgh

#jupiterartland #edinburgh #scotlandshots #hiddenscotland #abandonedplaces by @shireandbackagain

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7 months ago

A few things we LOVE & Missed about Scotland 🫶🏻

Travelling was amazing but we're so lucky to come home to a stunning country 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (and our fur baby 🥹)

Ps. This doesn't include all of the beautiful humans we have in our lives 🩷

#scotland #visitaberdeenshire #visitscotland #scotlandshots #aberdeen taken in Aberdeenshire, Scotland by @shireandbackagain

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8 months ago

7 Stamp Rallies Across Japan 🇯🇵

From railways to temples, towers to towns! These are some of my favourite stamp rallies during our time here so far 🏵️

I LOVE searching for and collecting stamps in Japan, it's such a fun way to explore and a really lovely memory to take home. Some of these rallies can also be used as postcards once completed too!

Perfect for adults and a fun activity if you are travelling with children 🩷🌿

Locations:
📍 Sinseki - Osaka
📍 Wakayama Electric Railway – Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture
📍 Orizuru Tower – Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture
📍 Fukuoka Tower – Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
📍 Kyoto Railway Museum – Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
📍 Katsuoji Temple – Minoo City, Osaka Prefecture
📍 Fukusaki Town – Kanzaki District, Hyōgo Prefecture

Ps. I completed these in winter 25/26 so the stamp rallies may have ended or might be different if you visit later! 🫶🏻

#japanstamps #osakajapan #hiroshimajapan #fukusaki #japantrip taken in Japan by @shireandbackagain

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9 months ago

Did you know Frankenstein has a connection to Geneva? ⚡️🇨🇭

In 1816, Mary Shelley began writing Frankenstein while staying near Geneva with the poet Lord Byron and a group of friends.

This statue represents Frankenstein's creature, which also has a connection to Plainpalais in the story itself... (No spoilers from me here but does anyone else know this!? 👀)

A pretty cool statue piece of literary history to stumble across while exploring the city! 🖤

It is also around 6ft and is actually quite big and intimidating 😅😅

📍 Plainpalais, Geneva, Switzerland 🇨🇭

Would you have stopped to see this statue? 👀

#Geneva #GenevaSwitzerland #VisitGeneva #SwitzerlandTravel #Frankenstein MaryShelley LiteraryTravel UnusualPlaces EuropeTravel taken in Genève, Switzerland by @shireandbackagain

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3 days ago

❗️Dream Menu Volume 1️⃣1️⃣8️⃣2️⃣

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📍Welcome to Dream Menu, the interview series telling the stories of the people behind our amazing food scene, seeing what makes them tick, and of course hearing their dream menu 🍽️

⏭️ Next up, we’re talking to @shireandbackagain ☁️
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🔎 Glasgow Restaurants,
Edinburgh Restaurants, Glasgow Food, Scotland Restaurants taken in Aberdeen, Scotland, UK by @shireandbackagain

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7 days ago

No Context, just some photos we loved from our brief time in Kyushu ✨

This is an area of Japan we would love to return to. It felt much less touristy than Tokyo or Osaka and it was a great start to our trip 🫶🏻

Visiting Oyama Dam, was particularly special for both of us as we are HUGE Attack on Titan fans ⚔️

Have you visited this area of Japan? 🤔

#fukuokapics #kyushutrip #JapanPhotos #japantravel #kitakyushu taken in Fukuoka, Japan by @shireandbackagain

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10 days ago

Photo challenge: husband and wifey edition! 👀😂

We’ve been to Slains Castle loads of times, so we decided to do a little photo challenge and see what we could come up with 📸

✨ We both had to take photos of:
Building
Sea
Plant / Nature
Each other

It was actually really fun trying to get different shots of somewhere we already know so well and seeing how differently we composed, shot and edited photos of the same place! 🫶🏻

The question is though... who won — me or James? 👀

📍 Slains Castle, Aberdeenshire

#aberdeenshirewalks #aberdeenshire #visitscotland #sonyalpha #sonyphotography taken in Aberdeenshire, Scotland by @shireandbackagain

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17 days ago

A little collection of Japan, in stamp form 🥹

We turned some of our favourite photos from Japan into little stamps and now I can't decide which one I like best! 🤭

Which one is your favourite? 👀
1–10? Tell us below! 🇯🇵👇

#JapanTravel #JapanPhotography #JapanPhotos #VisitJapan #sonyA6000 taken in Japan by @shireandbackagain

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12 days ago

5-days in Hiroshima 🇯🇵🕊️

This is our second visit to this beautiful city and we just love it here so much! 🥹🫶🏻

From quiet temples and garden walks to late-night shopping streets, riding the streetcars, great food and a city that is now rooted in spreading the message of peace, Hiroshima is one of our favourite stops in Japan!

Highlights:
🕊 Peace Memorial Park & Museum
⛩ Miyajima day trip
🌿 Mitaki-dera Temple
🏯 Hiroshima Castle & Shukkeien Garden
🛍 Hondori shopping street
✨ Orizuru Tower Origami experience & views
🎄 Dreamination lights in winter

Save this for your Japan trip 🇯🇵

#hiroshima #hiroshimajapan #VisitJapan #japanphotos #japanitinerary taken in Hiroshima, Japan by @shireandbackagain

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21 days ago

A unique sculpture park in Scotland… and we weren't quite sure what to make of these 👀

These are Laura Ford's Weeping Girls, scattered amongst the woodland at Jupiter Artland near Edinburgh.

They're beautiful, mysterious and also just a little bit creepy but I actually loved them?!

Creepy or beautiful - what do you think? 🤔

📍 Jupiter Artland

#JupiterArtland #ScotlandTravel #VisitScotland #ScotlandExplorer #edinburghscotland taken in Scotland, United Kingdom by @shireandbackagain

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a month ago

If you’ve followed us for a while, you’ll probably have heard of Thomas Glover already 🤭

But we absolutely love this Scotland–Japan connection! 🇯🇵🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

We’ve visited both Glover Gardens in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, and Glover Garden in Nagasaki and it still feels pretty surreal to see the connection for ourselves.

Born in Fraserburgh in 1838, Glover travelled to Japan as a young man and became an important figure in Japan’s industrial development during the Meiji era ⛩️

Today, Glover Garden sits high above Nagasaki overlooking the harbour, and is home to Western-style residences connected to the foreign merchants who lived in the city. It is a beautiful space with epic views of the bay.

And back in Fraserburgh, his legacy is still remembered too with a small peaceful garden at his birthplace 🎍

Standing in Nagasaki and realising that this part of Japan’s history has a connection to my small hometown in Aberdeenshire was pretty special. 🥹

Who knew Fraserburgh and Nagasaki had a connection like this? 👀

📍 Glover Garden, Nagasaki, Japan 🇯🇵
📍 Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

#visitscotland #visitnagasaki #glovergarden #japantrip #scottishgarden taken in Nagasaki, Nagasaki by @shireandbackagain

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a month ago

Some of our favourite photo spots during our Japan trip 📸✨

📍Oyama Dam, Hita City
We came here to see the Attack on Titan statue as it's our favourite anime ⚔️

📍Bungo Mori Roundhouse,Oita
The Suzume door and Souta, although he has seen better days 🥹

📍NTV Giant Clock, Tokyo
This clock was designed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki 🌿

📍Kishi Station, Wakayama
This electric railway has a cat stationmaster and various adorable themes trains 😺

📍Fukusaki, Hyogo
Known as the birthplace of the father of Japanese folklore the town is filled with Yokai! 👺

📍Ghibli Park, Nagoya
Howls moving castle was our favourite part of the park. The interior is unbelievable! 🌈

📍Takagi Shrine, Tokyo
A shrine decorated with 100's of kawaii rice ball statues and wishing plaques! 🍙

📍Enoshima, Kanagawa
This was one of our final stops on our trip and the sunset was so magical with views of Fuji-san 🗻✨

#visitjapan #japantrip #japanphotography #visittokyo #hiddenjapan taken in Japan by @shireandbackagain

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2 months ago