Much like our trip to England this year, when we visited Scotland in August and September we got rained on. A lot. But I think that’s how things roll here. Lest we complain, we just donned our rain gear and didn’t let it get in the way…. mostly. That said, Scotland is a part of this island with stunning beauty, so that’s where we’ll start.
1. Natural beauty. Whether it’s in the highlands or on the islands or in the stretches of wild in between, Scotland’s beauty reaches out from every crevice and corner and grabs you, pulls at you and draws you in. Sweeping moors coated with heather and thistle, stunning looming mountains or craggy peaks, rugged coastline, shimmering long lochs. If you’re into nature and natural beauty, this is the place for you. As an amateur photographer, the light shifts with the moods of the weather and offers a changing canvas minute by minute. We were constantly finding ourselves just standing at the windows of our rural accommodations or out the dashboard of our MG saying, “wow”. Just wow.
2. Bagpipes. Bagpipe music just seems to appear, out of nowhere. Our first exposure was in the streets of Edinburgh where bagpipers lurk on street corners, all kilted up and ready to play. And of course, we were treated to 9 corps of pipes and drummers and the lone piper at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. But it’s not just on the touristed streets of Edinburgh that you’ll hear it. We heard a piper practicing in his or her garage along the canals of west Edinburgh or playing from the house across the road from our Airbnb in Skye and one just playing on a weekday afternoon along the locks of the Caledonian canal. There really, truly is nothing like it and it isn’t hard to see how the sounds of the pipes inspired the clans of old as they marched to battle across the misty moors and rolling hills.
3. Edinburgh. A fantastic city with tons of history. Especially away from the gift shops and sights of the Royal Mile, this is a special place in the world. Tall medieval buildings reach up along the steep banks of the volcanic rock on which Edinburgh castle sits, some as tall as 14 stories high. The sheer rock cliffs to the castle’s west tumble down to the grass market on one side and Prince’s Street Gardens on the other. Arthur’s Seat, in Holyrood Park, towers above the city offering sweeping views of the castle, the Firth of Forth and everything in between. Historic, Victorian era pubs and fantastic restaurants fill the city and your bellies with delicious meals and there’s plenty of nightlife to keep you entertained until your personal evening expiration date arrives. In August, the combined festivals of the Fringe, the International Festival, the Book and Film Festivals and the Military Tattoo combine to create the largest arts festival in the world. It’s worth a visit, especially in August, to take in all the hustle and bustle and art, from formal to fringier, but even without all that jazz it is a great city to visit and just wander through its bustling streets and narrow alleys and wait for the piper to start to play and draw you closer.
4. Friendly people. The Scots are all so friendly. Happy to give advice. Happy to help. So much good naturedness and Scottish humor. With so many single lane roads, you get used to a smile, wave and a thumbs up when you yield to an oncoming car to let them pass. It’ll be hard not to smile and wave and give thumbs up to people as I drive by them in Portugal or the USA. It’s habit forming, but they might think me stark raving mad, so I best control the impulse.
5. The Animals. The goats, sheep, cows (both massive regular cows and the unique highland cows) and horses accompany you just about everywhere you go. Whether you’re out on walk or driving down a rural road, you’ll likely encounter a four-legged friend on your journey. Their facial expressions tell a thousand stories as they pop their heads up from their grazing to check you out. We miss them already.
The Traveling Ridleys 
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