As I’ve mentioned countless times, I lost about a decade of blog posts when my website crashed a few years ago. Unfortunately my post about my trip to Scotland was one of them, and I am so sad about it. I had so many details typed out from each day, but my memory is terrible, and I have forgotten a lot since then.

ANYWAY, my husband and I took a trip to Scotland in October of 2018, to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. Our actual anniversary is in December, but we wanted to visit Scotland in the fall … and we are so glad we did! I am going to try and remember as much as I can, but I know I’ll have to come back to this post multiple times, to add things as I remember them.

GUESS WHAT? I have decided to take another trip to Scotland! In fact, I just booked a trip for my 50th birthday in March! This trip will look a little different, as we want to spend the majority of our time on the Isle of Skye.

DAY 1 (Portland to Glasgow) …

There isn’t much to share from this day, as it was all travel. If I remember correctly, we left Portland in the early evening and flew to Reykjavík, where we had a short layover. I want to say it was 1-2 hours before were were on the next plane. Unfortunately we landed in Iceland at night, so we didn’t get to see anything, other than the airport. I will say, though, that we had the BEST water ever, and it was from a water fountain near the restrooms. Go figure. Thankfully the flight from Iceland to Scotland was only 2 hours, as I was anxiously excited to reach our destination!

DAY 2 (Glasgow)…

Our first day was all travel, so by the time we landed in Scotland, it was the next day. In fact, by the time we reached our hotel it was mid-afternoon. After we got checked in, we took a three hour nap! After our snooze, we ventured out to see what was near our hotel. Thankfully things in the city don’t close early, like they do in most of Scotland. I was more than happy to do some shopping, including TK Maxx, which is their version of TJ Maxx. Eventually we grabbed some dinner. We just had burgers, as it was easy and sounded good. Most people we spoke to in Scotland were good story tellers, even if they weren’t officially story tellers. Of course, their charming accents made any story instantly more entertaining. Even the guy selling CBD shared some local history and funny stories. After dinner, we went back to our hotel and went to bed. I should add that my husband adjusted PERFECTLY to the time change and new sleep schedule. I…did not. In fact, I think that 3 hour nap was the most sleep I got in any 24 hour period while we were there. I was an exhausted mess the entire time, but it was still an amazing, magical trip.

DAY 3 (Glasgow) …

Our third day, which was our first full day in Scotland, was spent solely in Glasgow. We had a traditional Scottish breakfast (big fan!) at our hotel, where we overheard our first “Oh, aye.” Having just come off of another Outlander re-watch, I about lost my mind (it was a 75 year old man, not Jamie Fraser. Sigh.) After our huge meal, we spent the day cruising around Glasgow, both on foot and by subway. We tried to visit the main piping center/museum, but it was closed for renovations. They did, however, give us directions to a smaller piping museum, which required the subway, but it was all fun and easy! I bought (and ate) chocolates and visited quite a few little shops. Mostly, though, we just walked around and admired the STUNNING architecture of the city.

DAY 4 (Glasgow to Glencoe) …

On our fourth day, we got up early and caught a beautiful sunrise through our hotel room window. After breakfast I got ready for our photo shoot and Ben went and worked out at the university nearby. Once we were packed up and checked out, we got our rental car and drove to Loch Awe. I drove the first day, as we both agreed that Ben’s nerves could have survived such an ordeal. The roads were TINY, everything was backwards, and we got lost, but we eventually met up with Jo + Liam for our professional portrait session at Kilchurn Castle (those photos are blogged separately, as it was not my work and I didn’t want it to get confusing here)! I knew I wanted our photos at a castle, so Jo gave me a few different options with some information on each. In the end, I decided Kilchurn Castle was our spot. I was so excited to do photos in and around the ruins, but mother nature was like, “Nah, I’m gonna flood the car park and make the castle completely inaccessible.” So, we improvised and did our photos behind the castle, where you could see it in the background. I was bummed about not getting to see the castle up close, but we had a BLAST during our photo session. Jo and Liam are both hilarious and they made us both feel super comfortable (I hate having my photo taken, so this was no small feat).

After our photo shoot, we visited the Green Welly Stop, which is basically a gas station with several gift shops, food, etc. I decided I needed to treat myself and purchased a Harris Tweed handbag. It is so coveted, though, that I still have not used it (8 years later)! After that, we ventured on to Glencoe and even though we were given a heads up about the “ahhhhhhh!” moment we may see when coming over the hill at sunset time, we were NOT prepared for the absolute beauty of Glencoe (and not just because it’s in the intro of Outlander). We had a little trouble finding our airbnb, as it was dark and our SatNav wasn’t really working (likely user error), but eventually made it.

This was our first time renting a room in someone’s house, but Pamela and John, along with their giant golden retriever named Jamie, were so welcoming! Once we got checked in, we went and had dinner a little pub down the street. I had fish and chips and they were, of course, delicious. I don’t remember what Ben had to eat, but I assure you it was something boring and not Scottish. When we returned to the house, we were exhausted. Our hosts made sure we were settled for the night and then retired to their own quarters. Despite being in someone’s home, we felt very comfortable and that we had plenty of privacy. I took a bath in the huge tub (ahhhhhmazing), and then slept like a baby.

DAY 5 (Glencoe to Skye) …

When we woke up, we were pleasantly surprised by the view outside our window, as it had been dark when we arrived. Pamela served us a romantic little breakfast (complete with candles) in her dining room and when I tell you she made the BEST SCONES I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE, I am being completely serious. I keep trying scones (for research purposes, of course) and some are quite tasty, but not as good as Pamela’s.

After breakfast, we ventured out on foot, to check out the village of Glencoe. It was absolutely dreamy, cozy, and beautiful. Everyone says the light in Scotland is just different and it really is. I don’t know the science behind it, but it is NOT like the light we have here in the states.

After checking out of our room, we headed towards the Isle of Skye, making sure to stop at all the little spots along the way. We hit like shops, view points, and we had lunch in a little fishing village that I can’t recall the name of right now. One of my favorite stops was in Glenfinnan. I didn’t even realize where we were, when I spotted a stunning church next to the road. It turned out to be St. Mary & St. Finnan Church, which happens to be just down the road from where you can view the Jacobite train, crossing Glenfinnan viaduct (from Harry Potter). We were lucky enough to get a glimpse of the train and the viaduct, as we were driving! Unfortunately, it happened too fast for me to get a photo.

Once we reached Mallaig, we bought a few groceries for our stay in Skye, before getting on the ferry. If you know me, you know how much I love love LOVE ferry boats. They are nostalgic and romantic, and just all around awesome. It was a short (30 min) ferry ride, but a pretty small boat so we could feel the waves. My husband gets motion sickness and was tired/stressed from driving, so he sat down and took a nap, while I ran all over the ferry boat with a giant smile on my face. I went up top, despite the wind and rain, and was living my best life.

When we got off the ferry in Armadale, we realized that our directions for the airbnb were from the bridge, not the ferry (we had planned to take the bridge, but our SatNav had other plans…probably user error again), and we had no cell service or internet on our phones. We were lost, but didn’t have much choice than to try and find it ourselves somehow….which we did not. Ha! We did, however, see a postal carrier and Ben said, “Let’s stop and ask him.” and I was like, “Ask him what? We don’t even have an address to where we are going!” It was raining and almost dark, so he thought it was worth asking. So, Ben is like, “Hey, we’re trying to find our airbnb…all we know is that it’s in Lower Breakish and it’s a big white house.” and I shit you not, this postman asks, “Oh, Hector’s house?” Are you freaking kidding me?! Yes, we are looking for Hector’s house! Turns out he knew him personally (as did several others in town…more on that later) and delivers his mail. Suffice it to say, he saved our butts, and we made it to Hector’s house right before the sun set.

Our stay was a 2-story, one bedroom apartment that was connected to a larger house. Hector had left us a bottle of champagne and a little Anniversary! I paired it with some of the tea cakes that Jo + Liam gifted us. ;)

DAY 6 (Isle of Skye) …

In case it is not obvious by the first photos, it was VERY windy on Skye. My hair was one giant tangle within minutes (note to self: Maybe try french braids next time). Anyway, after our self-catered breakfast (I don’t remember what we had), we said goodbye to the sheep and set out on our adventures.

We never really knew where we were, but we did a lot of driving and saw a lot of scenery. Scotland is beautiful and I loved the highlands, but Skye will forever have my heart. There are no words (or photos of mine) to really explain how beautiful it is. We saw lots of little white houses scattered among the hills, sheep, Kilt Rock/Mealt Falls, waterfalls, streams, and mountains. We even stumbled across castle ruins by accident, only to learn later that it was Duntulm Castle!

One of our stops was a little group of tiny shops next to a grocery store. The shops were housed in little sheds and trailers and sold things like jewerly, candles, and antiques. Karen was running a little antique shop, where I picked up a vintage Kodak camera that was made in the UK, which was uncommon, but apparently not a high value item. When Ben was asking if she had any other sheet music for the pipes, it sparked a conversation that eventually lead to Karen calling a local guy who makes bagpipes by hand and had a shop nearby, and asked if we could come tour his shop. She put Ben on the phone, but only momentarily, as she told him he was “shit on the phone” and asked for the phone back. I realize it may sound mean, but it was HILARIOUS…and accurate. I love him to pieces, but he is shit on the phone (he rambles and gives way too much information, instead of just asking a direct question) and hearing it in Karen’s accent was a highlight of the trip. The good news, though, is that we drove across the bridge and met Ross, who owns Lochalsh Pipes. Not only did he give us a personal tour of his private shop and explain his process to us, but he gave Ben a private lesson, as these pipes are different than the ones Ben plays! I think this was one of the highlights of HIS trip to Scotland. I would love to buy him a set of pipes, made by Ross, but he is not currently taking orders, as he currently has about 2 years of orders to fill, and I’m not sure if he will re-open at some point, or if he’s retiring.

Oh, as it turned out, Karen also knew Hector! She asked where we were staying and we said, “An airbnb in Lower Breakish.” and she said, “Oh, are you staying at Hector’s place?” We were like, “How does everyone know Hector?!” Karen explained to us that Hector owns two restaurants, just over the bridge. What better place for dinner, while we were basically next door, than Hector’s? We went to the fish & chips takeout restaurant and Hector was working, so we got to meet him! We took our food to go, ate it back at the house, and once again…delicious!

DAY 7 (Skye to Inverness) …

As bummed as we were to leave the Isle of Skye, I was pretty darn excited about seeing some castles! Up until this day, we had yet to go inside a castle…or even set foot on the grounds of one, as the two castle ruins we saw were not accessible. So, our first stop was the Eilean Donan and she did NOT disappoint. I literally cried (just a little) when we stepped into the first big room. This is one castle I might have to visit again, as it was simply amazing. I did not take any photos inside (except for in the bathroom, haha), as photos were not allowed and I respect that.

Our next stop was Urquhart Castle, which is on Loch Ness. It may be in ruins, but it was absolutely worth the tour. There’s a great educational video in a little theater, before you head to the castle, which ends with the curtains opening to a view of the ruins. It was raining, but we didn’t care. We toured the grounds (huge!), took photos, and kissed in what was left of the chapel.

our stay in Inverness was a B&B owned by a lovely woman named Wilma, who also lived on-site. Although there were several rooms, we were the only guests (and the last of the season)! Our room was in a separate part of the house and was completely private. We had an en-suite bathroom and everything we needed, including access to a guest kitchen.

After we got situated in our room, we had a few cocktails and cookies, while we unwound. Shortly before dark, we walked into town to check out some shops and grab dinner. We ended up eating in a little diner across from Inverness Castle. I just looked on Google Maps and I think it was Castle Restaurant (not the Castle Tavern), but I’m not certain. It was late, rainy, and cold, and we were really hungry. So, I can’t really say if the food was good or not, as anything would have tasted good at that point. I had a baked potato with a variety of toppings (including some Scotland specific ones) and a salad. Hubby had a burger. Once we finished our food, we headed back to our B&B…realizing as we walked that we were perhaps a little drunk. Oops.

DAY 9 (Inverness) …

Wilma treated us to a wonderful Scottish breakfast AND we finally had some good coffee! It turns out Scotland doesn’t give two craps about coffee, so it was not readily available or easy to find. We ended up drinking a lot of Coca-Cola on our trip, just get some caffeine. The coffee we did find was NOT good and flavored creamer was non-existent. When we commented on the coffee, Wilma told us that her son lived in New York for a while and taught her how to make GOOD coffee, using a french press. Apparently she gets a lot of compliments on her coffee from the Americans.

Our first stop took us off the beaten path, to find the ruins of Rait Castle. This was one I found online prior to our trip, when I was down a deep rabbit hole of blog posts about Scotland. It wasn’t on google maps or SatNav, but thanks to the person who wrote that blog post, we found it! Barely. Directions were like, “Go past some cows and it’s on the right, but you can’t see it from the road.” What?! Not only were we the only ones there, I don’t think there was another person for miles, aside from a few farmers. Can you imagine ELOPING in this castle ruin?!

Cawdor Castle was our next stop, but they had just closed for the season. We were able to walk the outer-grounds and see some pretty stuff (farms, cows, fall color, creek, bridge, a random headstone, etc.), but we could only see the castle through a little crack in the gate, as it was currently inhabited. Side note: I caught the best photo of Ben (looking at cows, lol) without him realizing it, and I’m slightly obsessed. The light, his orange beard, the blue eyes/hat/coat, and those fall colors…he looks like he belongs there.

When we were driving from Rait Castle and Cawdor Castle, I spotted an old church and cemetery on the side of the road. So, after Cawdor we decided to drive back and check that out. Thankfully, we had time, since the castle was closed. I will probably never see Cawdor Castle, but I don’t know if it could have beat the cemetery. I have always LOVED cemeteries, but the ones in Scotland are so much older than any we have here, so they’re even better.

Culloden Battlefield was our last stop, before heading back to Inverness. If you are even remotely interested in the history of Scotland (or are an Outlander fan), this stop is a must. It was very educational, but also quite moving to be there on the battlefield. While there, I had a feeling that I can’t quite describe. It was a mix of sadness, creepiness, and peacefulness.

We finished our day in the city, where we did a little more shopping, and then had some dinner. We can’t remember where we at that night, so it must not have been anything special.

DAY 10 (Inverness to Glasgow & Edinburgh) …

We knew this was going to be a really long day, but we still wanted to cam in as many things as we could before we left! Because of this, we let our host know that we would be checking out before the sun came up. This meant we would be leaving before breakfast time, which was just not acceptable to Wilma, so she packed us sack breakfasts to take with us!

Watching the sun come up, as we drove back towards Glasgow, was beautiful, even if it did make driving more challenging. It was barely dawn out, when I spotted what I thought was a castle ruin off in the distance. I didn’t get the best photo of it, as we were driving and it was pretty far away, but I was happy nonetheless. For the life of me, I could not figure out what this was, as I didn’t really know our location. Thanks to the reverse image search on Google, I did finally learn that it was actually the ruins of Ruthven Barracks. I think our view was from the backside, but I’m not really sure.

Doune Castle was our first stop of the day and it was SO awesome! This castle served as Castle Leoch in Outlander! Other movies were filmed here too, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Game of Thrones! Thankfully we were able to take photos inside the castle. The inside of this one was empty and just stone everywhere, which was quite different from the inside of Eilean Donan, as the latter was furnished and decorated.

After the castle tour, we dropped our rental car off and shuttled back to our hotel in Glasgow. From there, we decided to take a quick train ride to Glasgow and spend a few hours there. Like I said, we wanted to soak up every little bit of Scotland before we left. Anyway, we had just enough time to walk around, stop in a few shops, get some dinner (pasta!), and watch the sunset. We even stumbled across another old cemetery!

DAY 10 (Glasgow to Portland)…

Sadly, this was the day we traveled back home. I was so annoyed (to be leaving) that I didn’t take any photos. Haha!

I can’t wait to go back in March! In fact, I’ve decided I need at LEAST 5 total trips to Scotland, just to be able to do and see everything on my list (not joking). I need to do a "Castles” trip, dedicated to seeing as many castles as I can. I also need to see more of the highlands (further north than we went), as well as a trip to see the southern parts of the country. Edinburgh needs it’s own trip too. See?

Salem Oregon Photographer - sneak peek from my Scotland trip!

My 2018 trip to Scotland!