Meandering Across Scotland

Jul 27

Quick tip: if you are using elastic workout bands that are anchored to a door, triple check the door is securely shut. If the band gets loose it will snap your back with the strength of Godzilla and will sting like the Dickens!

After a brief, ill-fated morning workout, we hit the road and journeyed to Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-burrr-ah). The drive was relatively uneventful, and to this point we did not have much trouble driving on the wrong side of the road or shifting gears with my left hand. However, driving in a city that was not originally designed for cars and is crowded with locals and other tourists who also are not used to driving here can be a bit stressful. I had not used a manual transmission car in about 8 years, and for the most part it was just like riding a bike. The hardest part was having to constantly remind myself to stay on the left side at intersections and shift gears with my left hand. Also, it feels like the left side of the car is 100 feet wide and looking at the left side mirror feels like it is over a mile away. Another fun note since we do not have much data, we cannot Google what some of the mysterious road signs and markings mean (I know that is probably irresponsible, but we are staying safely away from cars in front of us to allow for ample reaction time). If anyone knows what the road lines that look like this / \ / \ / \ or the signs that are in series of three that look like this \\\ \\ \ mean, please feel free to comment below. Our main reaction to them so far is just yelling out, “We got squigllies ahead!” Roundabouts have been okay for the most part. Except horribly labeled roads and exits that have given us about a 50% success rate in picking the right exits our first time through them. The biggest disappointment in road tripping around the UK is the state of the restrooms (laboratory, loo, toilet, or WC). We have been moderately grossed out in every single one. I guess when Bucc-ee’s is the crown jewel of your state, all other rest stops will not be able to stack up. According to Sarah, she thought it was completely fine which means that our standards are clearly different.

Once in Edinburgh, we dropped off the car and got to rely on our trusty legs and public transportation to get us around. Our Airbnb was very close to the main attractions walking distance yet far enough to enjoy some peace and quiet and live amongst locals or at least people who are confident in where they’re going and appear to have jobs unlike us tourists. I rode the tram back to town from the car rental place at the airport. Most of the way back I was underwhelmed with the sights. It wasn’t until the stop right before mine that I understood the charm Edinburgh was widely known for. As you enter the center part of town, the scenery goes from row after row of Georgian townhomes, to a large park, and then to an extinct volcano that rises out of nowhere that has a gorgeous castle at the top. My jaw literally dropped as the tram rolled by this scene. I took a short video so that I could show Sarah who was at the laundromat but decided that it was better if she could come upon the view herself.

We started Jeff’s birthday with a proper Scottish breakfast that included haggis (which Jeff quite enjoyed) and black pudding, and we spent the rest of the day exploring Old Town and walked along the Royal Mile. We used a walking tour app again (GPS My City) and successfully navigated through the crowds while listening to the tour without getting run over! Afterwards, we headed to Doghouse Bar and Terrace and really enjoyed their food and beer (BrewDog brewery). I fell in love with a whisky that the server suggested, Balvenie Double Wood, which I am definitely adding to my Christmas list (typically don’t have one until now). Jeff had a good idea about catching a comedy show and got tickets to see Larry Dean at The Stand. He is HILARIOUS, even after roasting me (this is what happens when you sit right by the stage). We now feel like experts of Scottish comedy *insert arrogant hair flip here*. One of our favorite parts about Edinburgh (aside from the obvious scenery) is our conversations with people at the pubs.

Before we left Edinburgh, we hiked up Arthur’s Seat, and it became apparent why it is listed as the top thing to do when visiting. You get a small taste of the Highlands and gorgeous views of the city and beyond. We went by medieval ruins, St Anthony's Chapel, along the hike which was exactly as cool as it sounds.

After getting a decent exercise and saying goodbye to Edinburgh, we drove to Inverness which is about a 3 hour drive. While driving, we could tell when we crossed the Highland boundary; it was a drastic change, and the scenery is absolutely beautiful! The mountain facets are a blend of soft, grassy slopes and rocky, rigid outcroppings. Inverness, capital of the Highlands, is a quaint town and popular homebase to do day trips or tours of nearby attractions. We of course drove to Loch Ness and enjoyed the southern (eastern, depending who you talk to) side of the lake since it’s less crowded and less touristy. We drove around the lake and checked out Falls of Foyers which is an essential pit stop. We also did not see too many people here; it was peaceful and nice to listen to the water and bird calls.

During our drive to Isle of Skye, we stopped by Eilean Donan Castle which is spectacular! It’s a short detour and fairly easy to gaze at its charm outside of the paid entry point. We read online that one could forgo the tour and check out the exterior which turned out to be really good advice. We stayed at a bed and breakfast named Tigh Quiraing in Staffin on Isle of Skye. We had an amazing view overlooking the Quiraing and Staffin Bay and enjoyed our breakfast chats with the hosts, Kate and Steve, who are hilarious and very welcoming. The weather on the Isle of Skye is even more unpredictable than the mainland of Scotland. If there is an ounce of sunshine, you take the opportunity to hike while expecting to be drenched an hour later. Which is exactly what happened when Jeff and I hiked the Quiraing. It was still worth it, and we laughed when losing the trail temporarily because of the heavy mist and after each slip I had (luckily it was always a mudslide and not a pile of rocks). After this hike however, we forwent the other “must sees” of Isle of Skye for the day and were ready for a bath and hot meal in Portree. (Jeff again) In Portee, we decided to try some of the local seafood fare. Honestly, I am pretty open minded when it comes to food (except when it comes to fresh onions), but my limits progressed when I had dish after dish of various cured fish. I somewhat enjoyed the first couple of pieces, but I started to really resent it once I got to a plate of pickled herring. After that, all of the fish started to become a chore to eat. (Back to Sarah) If someone is interested in visiting Scotland, hopefully they know from little research that you’re not visiting for sunshine and pristine weather. I completely agree with a friend that the mist and clouds adds to the area’s mystique (same goes for the Pacific Northwest in my opinion). It also brings out the greenery and stones in such a rich, radiant way. However, if someone who really wants to visit does not enjoy doing outdoor activities in the rain, I would reconsider how to plan for the trip. If you have the time and budget to stay in Scotland for a while, I would suggest staying near (e.g., Mallaig) or on Isle of Skye for more time so that you can take advantage of the good weather days (or hours) for outdoor hikes or excursions. Regardless, you need to invest in a good rain jacket and shoes :) For dinner, I had my first pickled herring which I could eat on occasion but will not leave Europe as a fan. Give me the scallops and shellfish any day!

Before leaving Isle of Skye to Oban, we enjoyed our last breakfast and many laughs with Kate and Steve. Along the way, we stopped near Glencoe for a walk near the mountains. We did not take more time to hike unfortunately but would recommend hiking in the Glencoe Mountains! As for Oban, the main commodity I have been looking forward to is seafood. All of the seafood. We had oysters while we were here and the grand platter at Oban Seafood Hut which was delightful! There are signs warning you about the thieving seagulls who waste no time going for the scraps (which Jeff and I did not leave behind except for the pickled herring). Our stay in Oban has been more relaxing since we’ve been jumping from place to place for a while and have a busy travel day ahead when we leave.