Scotland September 2024

 In October of 2017, my friend and co-worker, April, and I ventured over to Iceland for a trip around the Ring Road.  Over the years we have hiked together and kept in touch even after she and her husband moved to Denver and then SLC.  Shaun and I spent part of my 40th birthday trip with them and their dog, but that was way back in 2020, and we hadn't done a trip since then, so we were due.  We decided to head across the pond once more, but this time to Scotland.  We arrived within a couple of hours of each other into Edinburgh and immediately picked up like old times, just older and more tired!  This time, we had her husband James along (unfortunately Shaun couldn't get away from work).  Neither of us were too excited to drive on the left side of the road, so James summoned his bravery and assumed all of the driving duties (he did amazingly well, might I add).  

After picking up the car, we had a short drive from the airport to our rental in Callander.  Our initial intention was to visit a castle or two on the way from the airport, but we were all exhausted and just wanted to settle in, take a shower, and relax a bit, which is what we did.  The landscape changed from lush, green city to lush, green rural before we ran into the hamlet of Callander.  We found street parking near our place and began the arduous task of lugging our big suitcases up two flights of narrow stairs while James strode easily up with his duffel.  I should note, he did offer to help.  After relaxing and falling asleep for short naps, we decided we had to go find some food, which turned out to be a late lunch/early dinner, and the only meal we ate that day.  We found a cafe, and while the food was more than fine, it was the least delicious meal we ate the whole trip.  The surroundings were friendly, and as we walked the streets, we found a grocery store to grab some snacks and breakfast items for the next couple of days.  

The next morning, after a sound night's sleep, we rose early to visit nearby Stirling Castle, and while I initially wasn't too excited to see it, I'm really glad we did.  I thought it would be an overcrowded, overrated tourist trap.  It was neither, and despite multiple tours, there was plenty to see which kept crowds dispersed, leaving room to roam and take in the scenery and the different areas of the castle.  The grounds were immaculate, of course.  We could see the William Wallace Memorial in the distance and many sheep grazing in adjacent fields.  After a few hours at the castle, we decided to head out and find some lunch.  We had spotted a farm with a store, bakery, and restaurant on the way in, and after looking it up online, it seemed like a place we would enjoy.   I ended up getting a lovely sampler with sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, a small empire biscuit, and my first but not last taste of Scottish tablet (this one had pieces of Biscoff cookies in it).  Of course, we also had tea.  Everything was delicious.  

Our initial intent was to head straight to Loch Katrine, but the jet lag hit us, so we decided to head back to the rental and rest up a bit before deciding if we wanted to go to the Loch.  We all fell asleep briefly, and after we woke, we forced ourselves to rouse and drive the hour or so to the Trossach's National Park.  We had intended to do a short hike to a high point with panoramic views, but the weather was pretty well socked in with fog, so we decided just to drive around and see if we found any suitable alternatives.  I think we were all relieved to see the fog because we were just so jet lagged.  We stopped at a few lakes along the way, got out at a couple of points, and then arrived at Loch Katrine around 4 pm local time.  We walked the lake for a bit and climbed to a small lookout overlooking the lake, but there was not much to be seen.  Our stomachs started to rumble, so we headed out to find some dinner.  On the way in, we saw a restaurant that looked appealing and decided we would stop there.  Pulling into the parking lot, it was completely empty despite the fact the lights were on inside.  We pulled it up on google where is stated reservations were required.  We tried making a reservation, but it would not process, so we walked up to the front door and tried to open it and go inside to see if they were open.  The door was locked and a dog began barking loudly and putting his big paws up on the door.  As we turned to leave, the door opened and a guy, the owner, greeted us.  He told us because he didn't have any reservations tonight, he told the staff to stay home.  We thanked him for his time and turned to leave.  He told us he would be happy to cook for us and to come on inside.  He offered us a seat near the empty fireplace and immediately started a fire that cozied up the place and felt so comforting after being out in the misty fog.  He said he had chicken, steak, and ham as well as some vegetables he would throw on for us and we could just share it family style.  He also asked if we wanted any Haggis.  Of course!  When in Scotland!  He poured us some beers and headed back into the kitchen while the dog hung out behind the bar.  After half an hour or so, we had three plates of delicious food set before us, and we enjoyed our meal and chatting with Dave, who was getting drunker and higher by the minute.  We had a great time with him and his dog, and after a couple of hours, with it getting later, we pried ourselves away from the warm fire and headed back to Callander for the next day, we were due to head to Isle of Skye.

Rising early, we packed up and made our drive north, through the Highlands, which we would visit later, stopping at multiple scenic spots including sighting Eilean Donan castle from the road.  We also visited the woolen mill just outside of Callander to see the resident hairy coos.  We easily found the house, which was conveniently a five minute walk to the Torabhaig distillery.  A distillery was on our list of must-dos, and while we weren't able to get in to a tour of the distillery, we did enjoy walking the grounds and tasting some whiskey.  As the sheep moseyed down the hill behind the house, we watched Tipping Point, a British gameshow we all got pretty into and made plans for the next morning.  Trying to decide between sunrise or sunset at Old Man of Storr, we eventually settled on early to rise to beat the crowds and give us time to see other sights driving around the Island instead of having to try and time it right in the evening.  

We rose as the moon began its descent toward the horizon and made the 40 minute drive to the immense parking lot for the Old Man of Storr trail.  The sun was beginning to rise in front of tangerine skies and Ben Nevis looming to the southeast.  As we made the initial steep climb, the rain and wind began to swirl, soaking us for about fifteen minutes.  After the brief deluge, the sun overcame the clouds and fog as we climbed closer to Needle Rock and the other unique rock formations that create the striking landscape against the backdrop of the sea that draws hordes of tourists from all over the world.  According to legend, the Old Man of Storr was a giant who lived on the Trotternish Ridge. When he was laid to rest upon his death, his thumb—the “Old Man”—remained partially above ground. There are lots of paths to wander aside from the main trail, and we took a few of those before climbing about Needle Rock for a famous look back. At that point, we headed back down, pausing to gawk at the grazing sheep, wind whipping through their thick wool. Arriving back to the car, we drove along the Peninsula, stopping at the Kilt Rock viewpoint which was now crawling with people. We took the long, windy road to Quiraing, eventually connecting with the Fairy Glen trail. Wandering around, we saw more and more sheep, gazed at waterfalls in the distance, and scrambled up to a small viewpoint where castle remnants once stood. By this time, we were ready to have a late lunch, and we stopped at a hotel bar/restaurant, where I enjoyed some delicious mussels and a beer sampler from a local brewery. Pretty well knackered, we headed back to the house and had snacks for dinner, careful not to miss that night's episode of Tipping Point and the British version of Married at First Sight, which had also become a mindless favorite.

The next morning, we were headed back toward Fort William to further explore Glencoe. We stopped at Eilean Donan formally this time but did not feel the need to tour the castle from the inside. I don't want to say that once you've seen one castle you've seen them all, but I do kind of feel that way unless there is something truly unique that separates one from another. We had many things we wanted to see and do, so spending too much time on castles didn't seem like a good use of our time. On our way up to Isle of Skye, we took a detour near Glenfinnan to try and see the Harry Potter train and surrounding scenery. I cannot express what a madhouse clusterfuck that was. It was shockingly overrun with people and was completely chaotic. We toyed with the idea of trying to get there earlier, but we all thought better of it and decided to drive down to Castle Stalker where we had a delicious lunch with tea and empire biscuits and then beach-combed for a while, a short downhill walk from the cafe. After leaving and with some time left till check-in, we found a small wildlife refuge to take a walk and stretch our legs further after a long drive. The keeper there told us where to find a couple of young Highland Cows, and he told us we were free to pet them, and pet them we did! Lots of scritches for the good boys. After prying ourselves away from our furry friends, we headed back to Fort William to check into the house. I use that term loosely, and we were reminded of air bnb tricks- wide angle lenses. We checked into what was essentially a tiny home and crammed three adults in there for two nights. After having spacious and comfortable accommodations the whole trip, this one was a little jarring. We had to laugh though because it was just so ridiculous. My room had two bunkbeds, but I couldn't even sit up in the bed without hitting my head. Luckily, the living area was better. It did motivate us to get out and see the sights. The next morning we drove out to Glencoe to Glen Etive where part of James Bond Skyfall was filmed. We drove to the end of the road to an expansive Loch Etive where we explored and watched deer from a distance, hoping to get a look at a red stag, but alas, only does. We stopped at another small waterfall on the drive out, complete with resident Highland cow. From there, we drove back toward Fort William, stopping at the smaller roadside lot overlooking the Lost Valley trail. We meandered and wandered up and down the hillsides, enjoying warm sun and crisp gusts of Highland wind as we made our way to the Meeting of the Three Waters. We stopped for a few pics, admiring the expansive, sweeping landscape before us, speckled with heather and foliage not yet tinted in its Autumnal hues. Soon.

Not wanting to go back to our treehouse, we decided to take the gondola up to the top of the Nevis Range Mountain Resort and have lunch. After lunch we walked to a viewpoint overlooking the range as well as Fort William. Along the short but steep climb, I met and chatted with Tony, a fellow Spurs fan from North London. He was delighted to talk football with an American, and we grabbed a photo together before going our separate ways. As I watch Tottenham drop points game after game this Premier League season, I often think about Tony. He is a bit older than I, surely he is numb to the pain and crushing disappointment of allegiance to Spurs by now.

Back at the tiny house, we resolved to get out and into the town of Fort William to avoid spending any extended time in the cramped quarters. We found easy parking and set about to find the restaurant of choice. We waited outside for some patrons to finish their meal before we could be seated. As we waited, we admired dog after dog bouncing down the wide pedestrian-only street. Scotland is incredibly dog friendly. I don't think we entered a shop or restaurant that didn't have a dog in it, and all of the dogs were incredibly well behaved with attentive owners. Finally, we were able to take our seats, and while I really wanted to try a meat pie, I couldn't resist the call of the fresh mussels once again. I had some help from James as the portion was immense, way more than I could consume. After dinner, we perused some shops, spending most of our time in a lovely little bookstore where I bought a book for Shaun about Atlantic Salmon fishing even though he hates to read. I guess I felt guilty he couldn't be there, so this was my way of including him.

The next morning we set out for Edinburgh and to return our rental car before taking the train downtown to check into our hotel. We were able to check in a little early but still had less time than we hoped to explore the city. We did our best- had a late lunch, hit some shops, and did a lot of walking. We even walked to the far reaches of the city to find April a yarn shop as she has taken up knitting and wanted some authentic Scottish wool. The shop we found was packed with different yarns, and there is a lot more to it than I ever would have imagined. We chatted with the owner, Kathy, who dies most of the wool herself, along with some friends. It is a painstaking process and labor of love, mostly because having dry days to help dry the wool is essential, and this is, after all, Scotland. April and James still had the spirit for more shopping, but my social battery was very low, so I headed back to the hotel after purchasing a Scottish wool blanket from a small gift shop. The walk back, even though long, was pleasant. The sun was starting to set, but the weather was temperate. Once back in the hotel, I took a long shower and enjoyed a complimentary lemonade from the hotel mini-bar, all of which was complimentary. Once April and James were back, we were all in agreement we did not want to go back out for dinner, so April and I made a quick run down to the market in the nearby train station and picked up some snacks. I slept well that night and though sad to be leaving, I was also ready to be home.

The trip to the airport was easy, though once on the plane, we had an equipment problem which caused a two hour delay, eating up my entire layover time in Atlanta and ensuring I would miss my connection. I was able to rebook on the next flight which left only a couple of hours later, so I ended up with plenty of time and even had time to get a burger from the Varsity. April and James left from a gate near mine, so we got to relax and recap before heading our separate ways. It truly was a great trip with compatible travelers.