Scotland
Scotland is definitely on my list of favorite destinations. I am seriously in love with Scotland and everything about it except for maybe the weather. While in Scotland, we visited Edinburgh, Isle of Skye, and Glasgow. Whoever visits Scotland should really make a stop at Isle of Skye. Isle of Skye was such a magical place for me and was truly otherworldly. It has the most outstanding geological formations and the most beautiful shades of green as far as the eye could see. Aside from the cool temperature and abundance of rain, it is still one of the most wonderful places I have ever been.
Oleg and I decided to go on a road trip around the country. I wasn’t a huge fan of taking a road trip especially due to the fact that you have to drive on the opposite side of the road and the steering wheel is on the other side of the car. Also, the roads are tiny and winding around sharp turns. It was terrifying but so worth it! We had a such an exciting journey around the country and we got to see and do so much more than we would have without a car. Before we left on this exhilarating road trip around the country we visited the Royal Yacht Britannia and the Edinburgh Castle(We got to see the Crown Jewels!) when we were in Edinburgh. I should mention that the pubs are a lot of fun and the food is really tasty, especially the soup!
Oleg has a love for scotch and photography so we were sure to make many stops to cover these areas. We stopped at the Macallan Distillery because how can you go to Scotland and not make a visit at a scotch distillery. We also made a stop at Loch Ness, zig-zag jetty, and many castles. After a long and tedious 9 hour drive, we finally arrived to the Cruinn & Bheinn Bed & Breakfast in Isle of Skye! I haven’t stayed at many bed & breakfasts but Cruinn & Bheinn was absolutely fabulous. It was so charming and had the most genuine and down-to-earth hosts with a delicious breakfast. Isle of Skye is a haven for the thrill-seeker and outdoor enthusiast. We found an awesome adventure company called Skye Adventure and decided to book a couple activities with them. First, we went on a 9 hour extreme hiking adventure on the Trotternish Ridge. Then, the following day we went coasteering. Coasteering is exploring the coastline by rock climbing, cliff jumping, and swimming in sea caves. This was such an enthralling experience. Oleg loved it so much that he was doing front flips off of the cliffs and can’t wait to go on another adventure like it. I was terrified most of the time but our tour guide, John, was so helpful and left you confident in his abilities to keep you safe. He even taught me the “shimmy on your bum” technique, which was very helpful on the slippery rocks that were high-up on the cliff side. A couple parts of the experience that were more humorous includes when Oleg and I had to go to the bathroom and there was no place to go but in a clump of rocks that provided minimal privacy near a country road. Oleg was having no problem letting it all hang out, so to speak, but I was being a bit more discrete. Now that I think about it, I went to the bathroom in the wilderness in Scotland more so than ever before. In fact, I got pretty good at it. Another funny moment was putting all of the gear on for the coasteering adventure in the back of our tour guides van that was parked next to someone’s tent. Certainly, this is not fabulous but a memory we will never forget! Some other unique places to visit in Isle of Skye are the Fairy Pools and the Fairy Glen. These places are magical and you can not help but feel like you are in a fairy tale.
Isle of Skye is not only full of adventure but the food is wonderful and super fresh. They have the sea to catch fresh seafood and fish and also many locally grown products. They also have really great coffee, hot chocolate, and sweet/savory pies. They even have their own brewery called the Isle of Skye Brewing Company, which is delightful. All of these are great to have after a long hike or coasteering adventure. The people are fantastic, welcoming, and very friendly. In my opinion, they also have the best accents. The animals are even noteworthy in Scotland, just picture sheep, wild horses, and yaks roaming free across the open fields. This place is remarkable and holds a special place in my heart.
