Hello! I am BACK! I went through a couple tumbles with writing, traveling and feedback. I am feeling a lot more sorted and really want write out some of our other adventures that we have been done. Especially since we have more plans to commence. Also, I am the memory keeper of the family and want to make sure there is another record of our adventures other than our photo vaults! 

So, SCOTLAND… I am not sure if there is another place on on this planet that squeezes my heart so much as when I am there (and that is a good thing!). You have heard it through the years…Scotland the Brave, Scotland the Wild, Scotland the land of lochs, whisky, castles, brave independents, haggis, tasty ales, lyrical conversations and ear popping bagpipes. And that is is just a the tip of the Ben (look it up!). 

I spent four years in the 1990s working with a handful of Scottish Universities to help organize and bring in US study abroad students to spend a term or year in the country. Previous to this job (based at liberal arts college outside of Philly), I had not been to Scotland. What a turn of fate for me. I started to discover this amazing country with a mighty punch full of passion, culture, humor and just some of the loveliest people I have ever met. 

I was lucky enough to travel there two to three times a year (remember travel…..) often bringing a couple dozen students with me. The contacts I had at the universities became and still are some of my closest friends and still are the some of the coolest humans I know. 

But, I digress, going to Scotland with my kids and husband was a dream I have had for years. My husband and I made a trip over when 2004 turned 2005 to be a part of a small Hogmanay celebration with some friends. 

My Scottish friends have frequently shaken their heads in wonder on why I would choose the darkest days of the year to visit their grand country when summer beckons with long, (mostly) sunny days when the sun rises around 4:30am and lingers until nearly 11pm. I had rarely been there in the summer so, imagine the extra bonus of being there for six weeks during this glorious sunbath. 

When we went in 2018, it also happened to be the driest summer since 2003 and the sunniest since 1995 with over 50 days without rain in some places in the UK. This is more for another post as it got a bit scorched but, in any case, it was an opportunity for a truly memorable Scottish summer. 

We spent four weeks in the German sounding town of Auchterarder which boasts just over 5000 residents and the longest main street in Scotland! The ‘auchter’ means ‘summit’ or ‘upland’ in Gaelic. 

The area, frequently known for the Gleneagles Golf and Hotel was a dream to wander around in. We had our charge, a three year old Labradoodle named Sula (short for Ursula) that took me on long walks in countryside in search of lost tennis balls. 

The folks we house and dog sat for are an example of the quintessential Scottish folks who are under spoken and yet, very passionate, lovely and humorous Scottish Independents. We are still in touch to this day. 

There is something very hard to define about the personalities of many of my Scottish friends. They are hard working, committed and focused folks that also know how to be in the moment and enjoy what is presently here. Many have a sense of humor as if they are waiting for the rest of us to catch up with the joke. They don’t seem to surprise much and yet, are some of the most caring and committed friends I’ve ever had. 

I don’t know if it is because this culture has been fighting for their place and independence to self govern for 100s of years that has them not wait for happiness to be a horizon goal ‘I’ll be happy when….”. They really know how to live in the here and now. And the pride in their country is not brash but, warm and contagious. 

During our stay we went to many a Scottish monument, Castle or event with two strong organizations encouraging immersion in their culture from beyond the velvet rope. https://www.visitscotland.com or https://www.scotland.org/visit

Castles with boxes of clothing to dress up in to wander a castle as it might have been some 100s of years ago. Or reenactments of important battles attended by many locals. These are not necessarily for the tourists but, for a family outing as Scottish History awareness is as important as family dinners. It is casual and committed this Scottish spirit. 

The countryside, which is really most of the country, boasts open, wild lands that are dotted with ancient roads or buildings that show that people have been walking these paths for many, many generations. It is a magical mix of history and nature. 

You have seen or at least heard about the various Scottish sagas from Outlander to Braveheart but, there are so many other pages of history to explore. This is just a taste so, enjoy!