Scotland

Remarkable Beauty

We took a family vacation up to Scotland last week. It's a wonderfully, fascinating place for so many reasons-- not the least of which its people.
I think the average American tourist might overlook Scotland, hitting the more well known areas of the UK and Ireland like London, or Dublin, but I would choose to revisit Edinburgh before either of those better known cities.

Edinburgh is simply marvelous; in my mind it ranks up there with Paris, Rome and Prague. It's compact; full of history and beauty- lots to do- but completely walkable. It is a real, living city with individual neighbourhoods within. This was our second visit to Edinburgh and I would go back again in a minute.

Haggis with a Tobermory whiskey-cream sauce. Kids LOVED it.

Isle of Mull lies next to Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland and is the second largest island of the inner Hebrides. So far north, in the summer it has sun from about 3am until 11pm-- but it is equally dark in the winter months. Mull is a wildlife enthusiast's paradise. Apparently world renowned for bird watching. We didn't get into that, but we were all swept away by the island's rugged beauty. It really is breath-taking. Fishing is a staple industry on Mull, curiously though, it seemed impossible to buy fresh fish to cook at home. I was stymied and frustrated by this; watching fishing boats unloading lobsters, scallops, mussels, oysters and fish and all of it being whisked away to Spain, Portugal and France-- none for sale locally. It is possible to get fresh, local fish in the restaurants however, which is what most holiday makers would prefer, I guess.

Village of Tobermory and its brightly painted fishing cottages.






Loch Lomond is as peaceful a body of water as one can find. Not so much to do in the area, other than get out onto the water and cruise around, but it is absolutely gorgeous.

If you are into the outdoors, you could not find a better country to tour. If you love the city life, Edinburgh will not disappoint. Scotland seemed to have something for every type of vacationer.

Watch my Scottish Spring video here