TRAVEL MEMOIRS

100 Miles of ‘Bonnie Scotland’ on the West Highland Way

I let my partner choose our destination and it was amazing

My travel partner photographs the view from Conic Hill, looking onto Loch Lomond in Scotland

Nine years ago, I walked The West Highland Way in Scotland, and loved the hike — ninety-six miles of amazing natural surroundings. I smile remembering how hard it was to break my “Camino in Spain” habit to go somewhere else. No regrets, it was a great trip. I also learned a different way of traveling: I actually planned the journey.

But Scotland wasn’t my first choice. I’ve got a love of the Iberian Peninsula, where I land with a backpack and start walking. No planned hotels, no planned itineraries. Just get on the Camino and go!

My partner Jay refused to go to Spain with me to walk the Camino. Not speaking Spanish was his reason. Not great logic. After all, he doesn’t speak Khmer, and we went to Cambodia. Nor does he speak Japanese, and we went to Japan in 2008.

“English is the international language,” I reasoned. “You don’t need to know Spanish! Anyway, I can speak Spanish. I can translate.”

Nope. He flat refused, and I respected it. Ever since his bad experience at a landmine museum in Siem Reap, Cambodia, when a surly driver took him through a dodgy area, I’ve respected his boundaries. While I’m the…