Scotland 2023
After spending three springs in Ajijic, I have learned how unpleasantly hot, dry, and dusty it can be in May. So this year I decided to get away.
My first plan was a driving tour in Norway, starting in Oslo and working my way north, above the Arctic Circle. But that turned out to be impractical financially and logistically, so I settled on Scotland.
I actually never had Scotland on my bucket list, but I put together an itinerary using trains and buses to get around, and little by little I became very excited about it. I knew weather would be a crap shoot, and I was prepared for constant rain showers as well as cold temperatures.
In the end, I did get rained on a bit, but not as much as I anticipated. And I did deal with some very chilly weather, which I didn’t mind one bit. But it actually got to be pleasantly warm on some days, especially toward the end of the trip.
What surprised me the most about Scotland was how much I loved it! The scenery was gorgeous, with gorse-covered hillsides and tons of wildflowers. The cities, especially Glasgow and Edinburgh, enchanted me. I met many friendly people. And I did some hiking that I enjoyed as much as any hikes I’ve ever done.
Of all my trips, Scotland was the place that exceeded my expectations perhaps more than any other.
Photos and Video
Glasgow (286 items)
Glasgow Museums (70 items)
Charles Rennie Mackintosh (53 items)
Balloch and Loch Lomond (125 items)
Oban (66 items)
Mull, Iona, and Staffa (81 items)
Kerrera (89 items)
Fort William (35 items)
Glen Coe (40 items)
Glenfinnan (38 items)
Cow Hill Hike from Fort William (31 items)
Portree and the road to get there (86 items)
Dunvegan Castle and Gardens (63 items)
Isle of Rona (58 items)
Isle of Skye day excursion (58 items)
Inverness and environs (84 items)
Cairngorms (78 items)
Rothiemurchus (30 items)
Pitlochry (48 items)
Dunkeld & Birnam (112 items)
Loch Faskally & River Tummel Hike (84 items)
Dundee (125 items)
St Andrews (75 items)
Edinburgh Day 1 (79 items)
Edinburgh Day 2 (75 items)
Edinburgh Day 3 (136 items)
Stirling (86 items)
Edinburgh Days 4–6 (133 items)
Blog Posts
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A Wee Bonny Adventure in Scotland
My next trip is a five-week adventure in Scotland. I’ll be traveling independently, mostly by train, and looking forward to enjoying great scenery, hiking, and relaxation. My trip is scheduled for late April and all of May. This is the hottest time in my corner of Mexico, so I was eager to find somewhere cooler…
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How to travel in Scotland (or anywhere)
I’d like to think I know how to travel, but occasionally I learn something new. Looking ahead to my trip to Scotland, I recently posted on the Rick Steves Travel Forum asking for thoughts about how to fill my time on the Isle of Skye. I have three full days there, and only one all-day…
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Getting to Glasgow
Getting to Glasgow from Mexico wasn’t quick or easy. But I’m here and saw some interesting stuff on my first day, which I’ll write about in a later post. For now, here’s the story of my adventure in getting here.
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Glasgow arrival day: two walking tours
Yesterday I wrote about my two-day trek from Mexico to Scotland and my arrival in Glasgow. I got here around noon, and as I was looking through my guidebooks (I have Rick Steves’ Scotland and Fodor’s Essential Scotland, because they provide two very different and equally useful perspectives), I found two Glasgow walking tours. Yesterday…
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History and architecture of Glasgow
Today I had a private guide who walked around with me and talked about the history and architecture of Glasgow. There was some overlap with the Rick Steves self-guided walk I did yesterday, but not enough to make sure I remember everything. Eamon was so full of knowledge that I couldn’t possibly assimilate everything he…
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Glasgow Wrap-Up
I’m starting this post on the morning of my last day in Glasgow. Later this afternoon I will move on to my next destination on my month-long Scotland adventure. I will finish this post when I get there. I still have much to cram into my day today before I take the train to Balloch,…
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On the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
After my four days in Glasgow where I was so jammed with activities that I couldn’t keep up with the blogging, it’s going to be a lot easier now that I’m on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. There are still stories and history to share, but a lot less. Today I took a…
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My free day in Balloch
Today was the sixth day of my Scotland adventure, and my first completely free day. It was also the first sunny day of my trip. I was happy to spend the day enjoying Balloch and hiking in the hills outside the village.
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A ScotRail Adventure
Here is the story of my journey from Balloch to Oban on ScotRail. It has not gone as planned. If it had, I would have arrived in Oban about two hours ago. Instead, I will get there about three hours from now.
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Island hopping in the Inner Hebrides
I spent the last three nights in Oban, which I used as a base to explore several islands of the Inner Hebrides. Now I’m on the train heading to my next destination. I previously wrote about my adventure getting to Oban. I will try to avoid any such adventures going forward.
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West Highlands: Fort William and vicinity
Fort William is the second largest settlement in the whole of the Scottish Highlands. It’s kind of the unofficial capital of the West Highlands, since it is the terminus of the West Highland Way, a 96-mile hiking trail that starts just north of Glasgow. It’s also very close to some of the tallest mountains in…
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Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
For my first full day on the Isle of Skye, I decided to take a trip to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens. I’m staying in Portree, which is the largest town on Skye, and the capital. (I don’t know what it means to be the capital of an island, but it is.) I’m staying four nights…
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Isle of Rona
Today I took a boat trip to the Isle of Rona. I had high expectations about how beautiful Scotland would be. So far my expectations have been met or exceeded. Today they were exceeded yet again.
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Seeing the Isle of Skye
Today I took a tour to various highlights on the Isle of Skye. You can see all the photos I took. You can also listen to a wonderful story told by our guide and driver, Bill. It’s in the album.
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Inverness and environs
The photo above is probably the most interesting place I visited during my 1 1/2 days in Inverness. It may look like there’s nothing there. But read on to find out why it was the highlight of my time in this part of Scotland.
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Aviemore, Cairngorms, and Rothiemurchus
I spent the last two days exploring Cairngorms National Park, with Aviemore as my base. My first day here, I hired a driver to take me around the park. And yesterday I walked to the nearby estate of Rothiemurchus for some fun and some hiking.
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Pitlochry and Dunkeld: two great towns, two great hikes
I stayed three nights in Pitlochry, and I took a day trip to Dunkeld. I loved both towns. They are both charming, compact, and pleasant places to wander up and down their main streets. I did a hike starting and ending in each town. These were filled with photo-worthy moments and places I just wanted…
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Dundee and St. Andrews
From the rugged mountains and beautiful countryside where I spent the last two weeks, I’m ending my Scotland adventure in more urban settings. I spent the last three nights in Dundee, and now I’m on the train to Edinburgh. (I probably won’t finish this until I’m in my hotel in Edinburgh, maybe late tonight.) I’m…
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Edinburgh, Part One
In my first day-and-a-half in Edinburgh, I’ve already seen and done so much! And yet, it feels like I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. This city is amazing. Every direction I look, I see something fascinating, beautiful, historic, magical. I won’t give a blow-by-blow account of all my activities; you can follow my…
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The history of Scotland: castles and portraits
Yesterday was my thirtieth day in Scotland and my third day in Edinburgh. Today was my fourth day in Edinburgh, but I spent the entire day (except for a fabulous dinner I’m just back from) in Stirling visiting Stirling Castle. The photos will do justice to my last two days’ sightseeing better than anything I…
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Farewell Caledonia
I have bid a fond and sad farewell to the lovely land of Caledonia. (Caledonia was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the part of Great Britain that lies north of the River Forth, which includes most of the land area of Scotland. Today, it is used as a romantic or poetic name for all of Scotland.) Here is…
