The Best and Worst of Scotland

As we finish our Scottish sojourn, the question must be asked for future Scotland travelers: what can be learned? What were the best spots to see? What is worth skipping over? So, with maximum melodrama, I give you a duo of fanciful lists!

Top 5 Things I Experienced in Scotland ~

1. THE ISLE OF MULL - Imagine the Isle of Skye, but with 75% less tourists. Imagine sweeping Scottish hills cradling small Lochs below. Imagine how isolating and remarkable it must have been to live here as a monk or otherwise, in this wild and tiny Scottish isle so far from the hubbub of the mainland. Absolutely incredible.
2. ULLAPOOL TO DURNESS - I am not the biggest fan of road trips (I get stir crazy a bit faster than most), but every part of this leg of the journey was so amazing. My eyes were glued to the outside, too enraptured to care about much else. The epitome of rugged and remote beauty that Scotland has to offer is here. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
3. THE TROSSACHS - Otherwise known as the forest area around Loch Lomond, this was some of the most idyllic scenery I’ve ever seen. As Jess & I roamed around the area, I remember us talking about how easy it must have been for JRR Tolkien to envision the Shire for “Lord of the Rings” if this were his mental canvas. Sunlight dappling into shaded groves. Sheep running up and down the windy and grassy hill. Beautiful, and off the beaten path for most tourists as well.
4. STIRLING CASTLE - Easily the most magnificent castle in all of Scotland, it unseated Edinburgh castle as my favorite far more easily than I thought it would. It is simply enormous, with such a commanding view of the landscape for miles around as to awe even the most hardened traveler. It had a great exhibit on the history of Scottish kings and wonderful little gardens to walk through. I even had fun throwing the tour guides for a loop as I asked to see the stone that castle architects had placed for a young Mary, upon which the child queen could hop up to view the lands below.
5. THE ORKNEY ISLANDS - I swiftly discovered that you don’t go to the Orkneys for the landscape so much as the historic (and prehistoric) sites that you can visit throughout. Stone Age ruins and standing stones are scattered throughout with incredible frequency. Being able to see and compare the living styles of Neolithic peoples to the Picts, Vikings, and Scots within a short distance is remarkable. Highly recommend.

Top 3 Places In Scotland I Could Have Gone Without ~

1. URQUHART CASTLE AND LOCH NESS - Like… it’s just some expensive-to-visit castle ruins, an iffy history exhibit, and a Loch that doesn’t look as impressive as most of the others. I could tell I wasn’t impressed because I only took one picture of the entire place! Tourist trap.
2. THE EAST COAST OF SCOTLAND - Unless you have a fondness for unending farmland and sheep beyond count, the landscape is fairly blasé when compared to the grandiose nature of the west. Compared to the amount of time spent on the west coast, we raced through Inverness and Aberdeen and didn’t feel like we missed too much.
3. ABERDEEN - Beyond the cute appeal of the King’s College area, there’s not too much going on here.

Taken altogether, though, Scotland is absolutely magnificent. Particularly from a natural beauty standpoint, it is hard to leave not utterly enchanted by its rugged charms. I will miss the cool breeze and rolling mists as we go south, but south and then west we must go. Onward to Paris, Rouen, Bayeux and Dieppe!