We arrived in Scotland after a short early-morning flight from Dublin, picked up our rental car before the sun had breached the horizon, and embarked on a 1.5-hour drive from Glasgow to Lock Lamond via scenic A-82 through Trossachs National Park. The views were stunning, and the traffic at that time of morning pretty bearable.
We stopped to see Lock Lomond View Point which required an adorable walk through a super cute village. The streets were narrow and no one had a front yard, but still everyone had an amazing garden. The streets were lined with planter-boxes full of begonias and roses on trellises.
The driving north was unbelievable! Every vista could have been a painting. We made another stop to appreciate the Falls of Falloch, then had Lunch in Glencoe at Laroch Restaurant and Bar. I ordered haggis as a starter, to which Jake was loudly repulsed, but he ended up eating half of it. Haggis is fantastic and highly recommended if you find yourself in Scotland for the first time someday.
Still on that full first day, on our way to a two-night stay on the Isle of Skye, just before crossing onto the island, we toured Eilean Donan Castle. This famed castle is said to be one of the most beautiful in Scotland.
In the evening we stayed in Uig, Skye and enjoyed phenomenal Venison burgers from a small cafe. By this point the long days of driving were starting to wear us down and we were beginning to edit our rigorous hiking plans to be more gentle. Above is the view from the bed and breakfast garden and below is a very friendly [persistent] robin who wanted our dinner. I think the robin’s are cuter in Europe than New England, but don’t tell them I said that because our robins can also be quite mischievous.
On Jake’s birthday we arose to the beautiful wind-swept Island landscape and set out on narrow mountain roads to Old Man Storr. This ancient rock-slide formed some unusual and charismatic features on the landscape that has become one of the Island’s most popular hikes. We got a parking spot with a little circling, and made the long, very windy trek up to view the weird rocks. The views the whole way were breathtaking.
Later that day we had lunch on the beach and drove to the Quirang anti-viking meadow. The Sky Museum of Island Life was a lovely low-effort educational opportunity. The compound with a dozen historical buildings featured posters and videos on rural Island Life over the past millennia. On display were lots of old ordinary household objects as well as farming and fishing artifacts and a great poster on sheep. We got a good deal on sheepskin gloves and slippers at the gift shop, one of our few souvenir purchases. On our way out of the museum we delighted in some cows in the road.
That evening we explored the Fairy Glen, another unique geological feature turned-sheep pasture. There was even time for a nap before dinner at the Uig Hotel! The split pea soup was amazing, partially because we were dying for some vegetables. Scotland too is a a very meat and dairy-oriented country. Thirsty cross cider, more venison, and beet salad followed.
On our morning of departure rain was in the forecast. The first significant storm we faced while on the very rainy British Isles. Fortunately it was easy and convenient to hide from the weather inside the famous Talisker Whiskey Distillery.
We signed up for a tasting which included a full audio-visual presentation on the vibe of the whisky, what makes it special, and a few details about how it’s made. The experience was worth the too-strong whiskey, which neither of us enjoyed, but were happy to take home in the to-go “driver’s packs.”
What really stuck with me on Skye was the beauty of the landscape and the scarcity of commodities. Stuff isn’t as available on an Island and there’s a long history of poverty and war-rationing that has left a mark. But the landscape was so beautiful because it was so empty. Two weeks living out of a suitcase and focusing on the environment taught me that the purpose of stuff is using or enjoying that stuff. Everything else is just clutter.
A prompt from the book I was reading on the trip asked, ‘if you had unlimited time and money, and no fear, what you spend your time doing?’ I think I would curate my environment to perfection. I could see myself creating beautiful spaces, seeing new places, focusing more on the ceremony of meals, tea, and hosting. I’d meditate, study, paint, practice yoga, and learn. I know I would continue to garden on an even grander scale and apply those values of a nourishing environment to preserving the natural world. Overall, I think I’m living close to my values already while still of course trapped in the capitalist dystopian world-ending hellscape poly-crisis.
