Our trip to Scotland was a very special one for me (Erin). Having spent a year there for my graduate school, I have a strong love for its culture and people and it remains one of the most influential and important years of my life. Showing AJ the country I love was very special to me, and after a week on the road seeing some of its beauty, I think he fell in love with it too.
We decided to be adventurous and rent an RV for the week to explore rather than regular car and staying at hotels. Neither of us has taken a trip like this as an adult so it was an exciting opportunity for us that we couldn’t pass up. After a few days in Edinburgh, we picked up our “home” and hit the (narrow) open road. But before we get to that experience, we would be remiss not to mention a meal we had at Dishoom in Edinburgh - it was quite possibly the best Indian food we’ve ever had. There are locations in London as well. It’s a can’t miss.
Our first stop was St. Andrews on the west coast. Famous for it’s Old Course, the home of golf, it’s a quaint seaside town centered around the golf course and the university. My first job out of graduate school was working for a company called Pioneer Golf that organizes golf vacations to the UK and Ireland. It was exciting for me to see all the golfers there, knowing just how special it was for them to be playing on the most famous golf course in the world. After a quick pit stop in St. Andrews we made our to our first campsite. This was a totally new experience for us - communal bathrooms, parking up right next to strangers, plugging in our home so that we would have electricity. While it wasn’t a natural experience for us, it was surprisingly easy and comfortable. It’s amazing to see how elaborate some travelers are with their RVs with awnings, grills, makeshift living rooms, and other amenities from home.
One of the more memorable stops we made was at Dunnotar Castle. Dramatically located on a cliff, it is surrounded by a rugged coast and dark waters. The remote location felt like we had stepped back in time, all we could hear was the water gently crashing on the shore and seagulls loudly talking back and forth. We then made our way to Cairngorms National Park, the largest national park in the British Isles, where we took a hike through a vast valley of golden wheat and met a few local dogs.
After leaving Cairngorms, we made our way and up through Inverness (no Nessie sightings) and over to the Isle of Skye. The drive into the Isle of Skye provided a stunning backdrop of mountains and sea. We ran into a lot of rain while on Skye so we chose to spend this time parked at the campsite having our first real fight of the trip. When you spend 24/7 with someone for 4 months straight, a fight is inevitable, but we made it out the other side unscathed. Our favorite part of Skye was a running trail a local told us about - it runs along the coast and provides incredible views of the island.
Ready to leave our argument and the rainy weather behind, we headed south towards the Isle of Mull. On our way to Mull we stopped at Glencoe, a famous valley in the highlands. It was so beautiful that we both FaceTimed our families to show them the stunning landscape in front of us. Layers of green hills shift and change with the sun as small clouds float in between them.
The next leg of our journey was the most memorable. The drive from Glencoe to the Isle of Mull included two ferries. After departing the first ferry, we turned onto a two-lane road with a landscape so beautiful it made my eyes tear up. I have never seen anything quite like it. The hills were the greenest of greens and scattered with rocks that when the sun hit them, make it look like they were made of mirrors. What made it even more special was that we were virtually the only car on the road. We were able to stop right in the middle and soak in every last inch. What we didn’t know at the time was that this little pit stop caused us to miss the last ferry to Mull by 3 minutes. Luckily for us, Scotland allows for wild camping. Wild camping essentially means you can park or pitch a tent anywhere that isn’t disruptive and sleep for the night. We found a quiet, grassy lot with views of sheep and the water and camped out uninterrupted for the night. Missing our ferry turned out to be a great experience and allowed us to do something we would have not done otherwise.
The next morning we hopped on the ferry for the Isle of Mull where we visited Tobermory, a small town on the north side of the island. The small, waterfront buildings are painted in bright, beautiful colors - so beautiful that it’s actually the location for a very popular children’s TV show in the UK.
The last stop on our journey was in Trossachs National Park, a short drive north of Glasgow. I had been there a couple times before to visit Loch Lomond, but never to the side where AJ and I stayed. We camped at Loch Lubnaig, a peaceful, waterfront spot with sweeping views of the lake. It felt like a true campsite and was the perfect site for our final stop.
Scotland is often dubbed the most beautiful country in the world, and after a week exploring it via car it is clear to see why. With mountains, lakes, hills, islands, castles, waterfalls, parks, and wildlife, it has everything you could ever want in a country. We constantly found ourselves pulling over to look at the scenes we were driving by - we didn’t have a choice. We were both in awe of what we were seeing that taking a moment to breathe in the air and appreciate the beautiful nature around us simply was not an option.
Last but not least, we dropped off the motorhome and headed east to Glasgow, where I spent my year in Scotland. I loved being able to show AJ the city and more importantly, meet some of my closest friends, Gavin and Amy. Gavin was in my graduate program and introduced me to Amy on their wedding day 4 years ago. It is still the best wedding I’ve ever been to. They were incredible hosts, showing us some of their favorite restaurants and made us feel welcome into their home. They are both fun, positive, kind, and lively people that I wish everyone had the chance to know. While leaving them was sad, they left us energized for the next leg of our journey.
