Entry 14 (July 1: Scotland)

 

We were told, “You won’t want to leave Scotland.” And they’re correct. It’s difficult to leave such a welcoming, beautiful, and magical country. 

 

Why? The number one reason is the people! They really, truly are some of the friendliest I’ve ever met. And so uninhibited. What I mean is they laugh heartily. And they love to talk and discuss and debate. I got a taste of this with my friend Euan Morton (Scottish actor who currently plays King George in Hamilton). He loves passionate discussions. It must be the Scottish way. And I love the people for it.

 

As I’ve said, our goal for this adventure is “cultural immersion,” so we immersed ourselves into the village of Muir of Ord, in the Highlands about 12 miles from Inverness. It was the perfect “home” for our first month abroad.

 

When we first booked our Airbnb in Muir of Ord, I Googled the village, and one of the first things that popped up was Bad Girl Bakery. I was smitten. As a digital nomad, I knew I’d need a café to do my work, and I fell in love with this place. The coffee is wonderful; it is gluten-free and vegan friendly (as are many places in this country); and the staff is delightful. 

 

Other restaurants are the Muir Hub Café, Jaki’s Fish & Chips, and Khan Tandoori. Each place has its unique atmosphere and great food.

 

To become more involved in the community, we joined a walking group that is part of a nation-wide fitness program (Health Walks). They were the most fun people to chat with. Full of stories about themselves and the area. This was such a great way to get to know the locals.

 

We also attended the village’s Free Church of Scotland. What a blessing. They adopted us into their family. Here is where we made the deepest of friendships. They may even organize a church trip to Tennessee one of these days. 

 

Not only are the people lovely, but the beauty of the Highlands is breathtaking. The green, rolling hills; the farmlands; the trees and flowers and lochs and surrounding mountains. This area truly stirred the soul. 

 

Our excursions outside Muir of Ord included the stunning Isle of Skye, Loch Ness (home of the Loch Ness Monster), and the lovely city of Inverness. I’m not sure my words can do them justice, so I invite you to go to my photos and videos on this site. That way you can visually experience at least a bit of Scotland. (FYI: more photos show on the computer than on the phone.)

 

Highlights of our excursions:

 

Isle of Skye—the colorful town of Portree; the magical pools at Glen Sligachan; a piper at Creag an Fheilidh overlooking the sea. (On the way to Skye, we stopped at the beautiful castle: Eilean Donan.)

 

Inverness—the walking trails along the River Ness; our first Scottish pub experience at MacGregor’s; the historic Leakey’s Used Bookshop.

 

Loch Ness—the quaint village of Drumnadrochit; a boat ride on the loch in search of Nessie; the medieval Urquhart Castle. 

 

I also highly encourage you to drive or take a train between Edinburgh or Glasgow and the Highlands. If you fly, you’ll miss so much of the striking beauty.

 

A few words to sum up the Highlands:

 

Call of the gull and gust of the wind

Hearty laughs spill from the village pub

Pipes playing and hearts dancing

Stark mountains, water tumbling down their sides

The Scottish Highlands hauntingly stirs the soul…forever.

                                                                               

Now, time to experience Norway. We just arrived in Bergen, and I’m already in awe.

 

Hasta luego,

 

Pam

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“You can shake the sand from your shoes, but not from your soul” – Unknown

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