Scotland

When Americans find their compasses pointing in the direction of Scotland and Ireland, it seems Ireland usually gets the first nod.

Maybe it’s the lore. The fairies or leprechauns. Maybe it’s finally seeing Cliffs of Moher for yourself, or driving the Ring of Kerry. There is indeed something beguiling about Ireland.

But for me, having now wrapped up a third visit there, Scotland is the fairer sister.

Outside of the two largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland gives off a vibe of calm and quiet. And it is lovely.

The first time we visited Scotland, we entered through the back door. Driving in from England, we learned the British motorways (highways) were often clogged and came to frequent standstills. So we exchanged the highways for small back roads.

I regret that I didn’t get a picture of the sign welcoming us to Scotland, but I’ve created a reasonable likeness.

Truthfully, this is way more sophisticated than the real sign, but hand-painted on a piece of plywood and nailed to a post, it was.

Expect sheep. Literally, millions of sheep. Far more sheep than people.

CHEAP ENTERTAINMENT

If you’re lucky enough to visit during lambing season - spring is peak - lambs are a hoot to watch when they are playing.

King of the Hill seems to be a favorite game, whether ‘the hill’ is a bale of hay, a rock, or just a high spot in the pasture. They love headbutting, so knocking each other around is great fun..

Speaking of…

Nursing lambs are fun to watch feeding. They repeatedly headbutt their mother’s udder to stimulate a steady flow of milk. And when they latch on, their little tails are waggin’ in high gear!

HIGHLAND COWS

Coos, they are called.

Yeah, their long, shaggy hair makes them cute, and visitors want to see and/or pet one. That’s a goal that can be fairly easily managed, but they are not everywhere, like sheep, so it may take a little planning to find them.

We’re told that they are mostly owned by hobbyists. To that end, it’s not uncommon to find a few where tourists might be.

We found some friendly ones at a distillery we visited, but every coo is not so keen on being rubbed.

DRIVING

Like all (or most) British-influenced countries, you drive on the wrong side of the road. Steering wheel on the right, drive on the left.

It’s really not as daunting as you think. After a few angsty minutes, you start to settle in.

It does help to have a co-pilot, someone to holler “left, left!” every time you start drifting to the right.

BRITISH?

Being a part of the UK, the Scots are British, but they identify exclusively as Scottish.

Same for Wales. They are British but identify as Welsh.

By the way, in Scotland, I ate Welsh rarebit. I always thought it was just a funky pronunciation of ‘rabbit.’

Wrong! No rabbit involved.

It’s toast. With some sort of cheese sauce made with ale. That’s a bit over-simplified, but I enjoyed it. The ale taste does come through, so if you’re not a beer person at all, skip it and have more fish and chips.

WHISKEY

If your visit is going to include Scotch tastings, stay in or near Keith or Dufftown.

That’s the region referred to as Speyside. There are about 50 distilleries concentrated in that area.

Most of them require a reservation to tour, but walking in and tasting generally does not.

Public service announcement: the blood-alcohol level for DUI is almost zero in Scotland. Have a driver.

THE ISLES

Might as well start with the best-known, The Isle of Skye.

There are two main attractions on Skye. Mealt Falls and the Fairy Pools.

Mealt Falls is cool. A 180 foot waterfall that drops off a cliff and directly into the sea.

There are other lovely falls on the island, so you could spend an entire day just chasing waterfalls.

The Fairy Pools, in my opinion, are made up. Nothing particularly wrong with it, but it’s just a series of clear pools that form in the rocks at the base of a mountain.

To be more positive, however, the trail along the pools is about 1-1/2 miles and is well maintained. It’s a 45-to-60-minute walk and not difficult.

Good exercise but not must-see Scotland.

UPPER ISLANDS

To the north of mainland Scotland are the Orkney Islands. These get a solid thumbs-up.

There’s a ton of history, including a 5,000 year old Neolithic (stone age) village, the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar.

Ring of Brodgar

Unlike Stonehenge in England, you can actually walk among the Scottish standing stones. They let you play with their history.

The group of islands to the north of Orkney are the Shetland islands.

Yes, there are Shetland ponies on the Shetland Islands. Lots of ‘em.

Shetland ponies once were work horses, but modern machinery has relegated them to the pasture, and much like the Highland Coos, people have them pretty much for fun.

There is some history in Shetland, but it’s a pretty barren place. I would also label Shetland as not must-see Scotland. Except…

PUFFINS!

From April till about August, puffins are on land in the Shetlands, easily spotted at the lighthouse near the airport. Ask your driver to take you there. If you’re as lucky as we were, they'll turn off the meter while you get some photos.

LEWIS AND HARRIS (and more)

First, understand Lewis and Harris is one island with two names. The north part is Lewis, and it’s more rocky and mountainous. To the south, Harris is flatter, greener and prettier.

It won’t surprise me to get some objection to this, but I wouldn’t prioritize Lewis and Harris for your Scotland visit.

We’ve not done all the islands along the west coast, but we will over time. Islay and the Isle of Mull, particularly.

WEATHER

It ain’t all that bad. Yes, certain seasons are quite rainy, but it’s not as cold as you’d think.

There are several contributing factors, but the Gulf Stream is a big one. The same Gulf Stream that makes Bermuda so darn pleasant year round extends up Scotland and Ireland.

A typical winter day in Scotland is 40°-ish. It is indeed cool-to-cold by our standards.

Fun story:

I struck up a conversation with a local last year who asked where I was from. (Helpful hint: if you’re from Georgia, be sure to say, “Georgia in the United States.” The Scots are closer to the former Soviet republic of Georgia than the state of Georgia.)

He said, “When you go back home, take this heat with you.”

It was 61° that day.

FOOD

I want to touch on this for travelers like us who enjoy being off the beaten path.

Fast food is not a thing in Scotland. What is a thing: restaurant reservations.

Especially as you get into smaller towns, there may not be many restaurants. This is particularly true in Orkney and Shetland.

We were turned away a lot as walk-ins.

Besides not having many restaurants, their operating hours can be pretty limited. It’s not unusual for a diner to close by 8 p.m.

Get out your phone, find a place that appeals to you and make a call.

HAGGIS

They fry it a lot now. Eat it.