SCOTLAND – travel diary.

Wildflower lined winding roads, misty mountains, and endless lush, dewy green as far as the eye can see. This is the Scottish highlands. And it was everything of the mystical wonderland I expected it to be… and more.

After a few weeks road tripping around the UK, we were admittedly ready to boycott Scotland and move on to sunnier Europe. We sat in The Lake District on a park bench debating our next move, feeling that we’d seen everything we wanted to see and a pressing inkling that perhaps Scotland would only be more of the same.

Tom and I are both such coastal kids, we were craving the sunkissed coastlines Europe is renowned for and didn’t know if we could stand another week away from the ocean.

But I’d heard such amazing things about Scotland… and we were RIGHT THERE.

I worried I was making a decision based on my current fleeting mood, and suggested we sleep on it. And then… trawling through Frosty Photo’s Instagram, who captures the stunning landscape and moody magic of Scotland so beautifully… I saw it. The thing that pushed me over the line… The highland cows aka ‘heighlan coo’ *insert Scottish accent here*

It was decided. We were going. And I am beyond grateful we did, because the further you drive north in Scotland, the more you feel like you are stepping into a whole other world. And a more magical one at that.

 

 

GLASGOW

We passed through Glasgow for a night. Feeling a little done with historical landmarks, instead we wandered around admiring the street art scattered throughout the city centre before finding our way to a vegan restaurant for our usual feast.

I fear I didn’t get the full grasp of Glasgow’s energy, given I was stuck in a bit of a mental rut on that particular day. So I feel my own bad mood, mixed with the cloudy/drizzly weather (not fulfilling my summer holiday dreams) impacted my experience of what I’m sure is a very beautiful city.

VEGAN EATS

We went to MONO for dinner – a pretty chilled vibe, but good food

We also grabbed a coffee, vegan breakfast and croissant from The V & V cafe, which also has a nice little grocery section so good to stock up on a few supplies

Other places we found, but didn’t make it to
Stereo | The Flying Duck |  | The 78

HIGHLANDS/ISLE OF SKYE

From Glasgow, we began winding our way up through the highlands to Glencoe and onwards to Isle of Skye.

This is, for us at least, where the real magic lies.

Despite the continued drizzly weather, we were utterly speechless winding through the towering mountain range that encircled us on every side. In fact the rain, the mist, the dewiness that lined the air only added to mystical energy of this rugged wonderland.

THINGS TO DO

Isle of Skye is small enough that you could easily manage to experience most of the island driving around over a day to two and thus that is really one of the best ways to experience this magical place. We spent around 4 days total exploring, but as with the nature of van life that always includes some downtime to set up for the afternoon, paint or draw and bask in glorius nature.

 

Glenfinnan Viaduct
Harry Potter aside, it’s actually quite a beautiful view. We hadn’t even planned to time it with the train, but got lucky. It’s quiet a fun experience to see the train and watch it slow down, pour out billows of smoke into the air as passengers wave frantically out the window at you standing on the hillside.

 

Portree
The cutest little harbour town. Pastel coloured buildings lining the picturesque lake. A plethora of little shops to trawl through local crafts. Pass through for some hot chips and a meander through the little shops and streets [do mind the seagulls though, they are fearless when attempting to nab one of your hot chips]

 

The Storr/Old Man of Storr
We got alittle unlucky with the weather on this adventure, and despite the walk being enjoyable and a good workout, we were completely misted out. The iconic rock formations that scatter the mountaintop where completely hidden through a thick layer of fog. But again, despite rain, fog and at times gale force winds, we adored every moment of the experience.

We went running down through grassy slopes lined by tall cliffs and felt a strangely beautiful silence fall around us, so much so that we felt we were the only ones there, aside from a few scattered sheep. I managed to slip over on the went grass at least 4 times, while my annoyingly skilful husband instead would deliberately attempt a slide and master a 360 spin on the way as he gracefully slid down the wet grassy slope.

I would highly recommend, regardless of weather. But absolutely wear a rain jacket, as the weather at the top is quite different to what you find down in the car park. So better to be prepared.

 

Fairy Pools
If there was one sunny day I could of wished for during our time on Isle of Skye it was when we went to the Fairy Pools. And we got it… it just started to sprinkle rain when we were leaving.

This place is incredibly beautiful even in less desirable weather. But honestly, when the sun hits the (legitimately) emerald green water, they just sparkle… really living up to their name I suppose. The water is pretty icy, but a swim is definitely worth it.

 

Find some Highland Cows
Much to my dismay, they aren’t EVERYWHERE. But if you get lucky, like us, you might find them hanging out on the side of the road. They were in a paddock, but right on the edge so we were able to feed them grass, pat them and cry tears of joy. Okay that was just me… but they are just incredibly beautiful creatures and so much more friendly than I expected.

The only sadness I felt, was that these are in fact bred for meat. And the sadness I felt is more that tourists will swoon and dote on these cows, because lets face it… they are ridiculously cute and photogenic. But the fate they face is the same as any other cow that is bred and reared to fulfil human consumption desires. So what’s the disconnect that so many of us can love these cows… but continue to support an industry that harms and kills these creatures and others like it… So as much as I encourage you to experience these beautiful creatures,  I would urge you to think about what their life actually means and how that actually makes you feel.

 

 

EDINBURGH

I honestly wasn’t expecting to love Edinburgh as much as I did. There is a really beautiful energy in this city. We spent the evening wandering around the city at dusk, which was an incredible time to experience everything… basking in that golden light.

Unbeknownst to us, there is also a lot of Harry Potter stuff floating round (although we’ve discovered almost every place makes their claim to Harry Potter as a source of inspiration). But given we’ve been listening to audio books whilst driving around, which for me is the first time (don’t judge me, I just missed the boat as a kid), it was fun to see the supposed inspiration for “Diagon Alley” and all the Harry Potter merchandise that filled the colourful little shops.

I know.. I admit, it would appear I’ve been living under a rock. But I definitely didn’t appreciate how far reaching the obsession around this franchise was.

THINGS TO DO

Watch the sunset from Calton Hill
The perfect vista overlooking the twinkling lights of Edinburgh

Wander through Victoria Street & Candlemaker Row
Aka Harry Potter Central.
But seriously, Harry Potter aside, its actually just a very picturesque little street. Cobblestone road, vibrant coloured shop fronts. Dreamy right?

Grab a drink and watch some live music
Couldn’t tell you a specific place, as we didn’t even take notice of where we were. But wander round the pretty streets and pick any pub/bar that has a good vibe [and there are many].

VEGAN EATS

For our one night ins Edinburgh, we went to dinner at Paradise Palms. And it was DELICIOUS.

We also got a stack of vegan donuts from ConsiderIt.

Other places we didn’t have the time to try:
Hendersons Vegan Restaurant | Land of Bourbon | Natural Food Kafe

 

 

SCOTLAND PACKING ESSENTIALS

1. Warmer Layers
We were travelling through Scotland in July which is technically summer, but it’s definitely not your average summer (for us Australians at least). Safe to say we were in jeans and t-shirts with the occasional jumper or long sleeve throughout our stay.

2. Rain Coat
As per The Storr, we got rained on during our time here and at the fairy pools. So worth carrying around a good rain jacket most of the time so it doesn’t stop you enjoying everything this beautiful place has to offer.

3. Activewear & Runners
The highlands and Isle of Skye especially are outdoor adventure central so worth packing some active wear and a pair of runners. If you a hiker, then you may want to pack stuff more appropriate for this but we got by with our nikes for most of the walks we did.