Scotland

After many weeks exploring eastern Europe we were lucky enough to join Jesse's mom Pam and her husband Rick for a two and a half week tour in the UK. Our first week was spent in the magnificent Scotland where bagpipes were always planning and Scotch was always on the menu!

Our first two nights were spent in Edinburgh. Arriving into the city we could see the grand Edinburgh castle in the distance. The buildings were impressive with stone covering all the exteriors and a pubs lining the streets. It was completely different than any other city that Jesse and I had seen. You felt like you had stepped out of a Harry Potter scene.

The city today oozes history and old world luxury but unfortunately has a dark ugly past. For a long time public hangings and deaths were seen as entertainment and the tourist side today was once known to be a very dirty and vile place to be, as people used to throw trash and waste onto the streets. It was known as one of the worst places to live in all of Europe during the middle ages, but fast forward 500 years and we are enjoyed the plaid and Scotch ales.

After Edinburgh we rented a car and worked our way north to Pitlochry, but first stopped in the small village of Abernethy where Rick's family ancestry is from. We took a quick walk through the town and had a fantastic time mingling with the locals. We were welcomed by wonderful Scotsmen and women and eventually moved on to the town of Pitlochry where we were able to experience the culture of the Highland Games.

We stayed in a fantastic Scottish cottage about a 15 minute walk from town. The town was filled with locals and tourists alike as the bagpipes from each regional district marched down the main street. Each regional group had their own tartan (plaid kilt) which was unique only to them. You could see how proud they were of their heritage and traditions. The competition of the Highland Games is very important to the locals and is passed down generation to generation. The games included Tug- o- war, caber toss (log flipping), hammer throw and shot put, but there was also dancing and bagpipe competitions. We were also very lucky because we had a perfect weather, which is rare here and made for one of the best days of the entire trip.

We worked our way up north to the Isle of Skye, then down the west coast of Scotland stopping at a wildlife exhibit, castles, many distilleries and then to Oban which is a beautiful seaside town. Jesse also went out one day while we were staying in Oban to hike the tallest mountain in the UK called Ben Nevis. It starts at only 65 feet elevation and the summit is 4,409 feet. It ended up being a rough one at the top with freezing rain, fog, and very windy. 

During our tour we visited a few Scotch whisky distilleries to pass the time, because what better is there to do when its rainy than sip the nations favorite export!  Scotland is known for their distinct whiskey and there are hundreds of distilleries dotting the country. We visited three very unique distilleries, although I know Jesse would have liked to sample many more than that. In order for any whisky to be branded 'Scotch' it must meet these three qualifications. 1. It must be distilled and matured within Scotland 2. It must be matured in a wood cask for a minimum of at least three years and finally all whiskies must only be made with, water, barley, and yeast. This may sound over simplified but the process of making very expensive, and sought after Scotch takes fine ingredients, a complex distillation process, and a lot of waiting. 

After our wonderful tour of Scotland we now head south down to the Lake District National Park in England, then Snowdonia National Park in Wales.