My family chose to visit Scotland this year for our annual vacation. We flew into Inverness, rented a car, and first explored Isle of Skye. We explored Eilean Donan Castle, searched for fairy pools in Glen Falls, hiked to waterfalls in Dunvegan, and climbed a mountain to take in breathtaking views of Gods glory in Quiraing. Scotland secondary roads are one lane, with a place for one car to move over to the side every so often so that the oncoming car can pass. Being able to communicate intuitively with the oncoming car to decide who is going to move over and who is going to keep moving toward their destination is quite an art! GPS is not always reliable in the middle of nowhere, and one of the most memorable adventures was happening upon a mama sheep in the middle of the road who refused to move until her baby caught up with her so that they could meander on together.

Mama and Baby in Uig, Isle of Skye

“You shall not pass until I say.”

We stayed in a different hotel every night so that we could keep moving and see everything we could see, and covered some 850 miles between Isle of Skye and Edinburgh. Every mountainscape in every direction between every town was nothing short of awe-inspiring. SeaBeds Luxury Lookout Lodge in Ballachulish was the most memorable accommodation where we stayed; a chic and modern smart lodge where all electronics are controlled from a smart panel. The sun goes down about 11:30 pm, and comes up around 3 am in Scotland. A super nice feature of the lodge is a remote control black out curtain covering the entire glass front of the lodge overlooking Loch Ness, so that all good people may sleep when they are supposed to.

Edinburgh was the highlight of the trip for my Harry Potter fan. Her eyes lit up when she engaged in a scavenger hunt to find Tom Riddle’s grave, as well as The Elephant Room, where J.K. Rowling wrote her intriguing novels. Diagon Alley boasted a different kind of store and restaurant to please travelers of every culture and ethnicity. It is blocks away from The Royal Mile, where the Castle of Edinburgh is situated on top of a volcano at one end, and The Palace of Holyroodhouse at the other, one of the residences of Her Majesty the Queen of Scotland. There is a courtyard in between where hangings of history drew the community together periodically. A ghost tour of Edinburgh was a fun time, with reports of bludgeoned souls making their appearances throughout history peppered with comical twists. It was recommended by Johnny Depp!

Gargoyling Gargoyles! It’s Diagon Alley!

Back to Inverness for the encore of our journey, we happened upon a lovely Scottish Bar called The Gellions, where a man and woman duet played traditional Scottish music with a fiddle and a guitar. Local towns people danced a traditional Scottish dance to the lively music, which made our hearts sing; so much joy, celebration of life, and tradition was packed into that little tavern! Every person in the room had a smile on their face.

If you are thinking about traveling to Scotland, leave your Discover and American Express cards at home. The Scottish like Visa cards. Also, make sure to amp up the WIFI on your phone so that you have access to the rest of the world in between hubs. Consider taking about $100 in Scottish pounds. Cash is good to have for tipping waiters and waitresses, which they do not expect, which makes it all the more fun to do!

Isle of Skye to Edinburgh and Back