Tash the Traveler

Day two of my Scottish expedition started with no breakfast I chose the cheaper accommodation option for this trip (a hostel) and while there is a kitchen with a stove I didn’t plan ahead to pick up breakfast I could have before our departure. I managed to survive until lunch though where I had mac and cheese and it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. To be fair, I haven’t had mac and cheese for over a year and it uses to be my absolute favorite meal so it’s safe to assume nothing would’ve lived up to the expectations in my head. We spent the day driving around the Isle of Skye and saw loads of cool things (although if I were to identify them I would just say I saw mountains, grass, water, sheep and cows) BUTTTTT we finally got to see Highland cows (definitely the highlight of my morning)! Aside from the cows, the only other standout memory of my day was a random couple coming up to me at lunch to point out the fact that their goldendoodle had the same hair color as me (but they did make sure to say I was v lucky to have that hair color) which was entertaining. For dinner I had a delicious vegetable risotto and tried two different whiskeys (not as delish sadly).

It’s now day three and we’re starting our morning earlier than yesterday because we apparently have a full day ahead. Most of our day consisted of traveling back the way we came so there warner many new things we saw. Although, the weather was rainy and cloudy so it was a completely different way to experience everything. I had the chance to take the Jacobite train (also called the Hogwarts Express??) but opted out because it costs a decent amount and I’ve never seen Harry Potter (so it would just be a v expensive train ride to me). We stopped in Mallaig so everyone could get lunch and all the train-goers could start their journey. Before leaving I had just enough time to stop in, what I found to be, the best book store (everything of my life. I didn’t have much time to browse but I managed to snag three books that caught my attention for only £4.50 total (love a good deal!!!!!!!!!!) As I was checking out the cashier told me about how, a few years ago, an American dude emptied out his backpack so he could load it up with books before flying back the next day. So those 10 minutes were the highlight of my day. Literally just got on the bus so I’m still riding this high and I’m going to do my best to keep this momentum through the rest of my day. We stopped in Fort William and had around an hour to explore. These explorations led to me finding the best (non book) store yet again! It was almost all exclusively penguin/puffin merchandise. I scored the cutest mug and some graphic socks. (pro tip: if you ever wanna get me a gift, socks always make me happy) Now we’re on the last leg of our journey heading back towards Edinburgh. As we drove past Glencoe, the tour guide told us about the history that led to the town being moved to a different Loch. There are so many sad stories in the history of Scotland, it’s just insane how resilient the people were able to be. We also learned about Rob Roy and how the phrase blackmail originated because of him. I finished my night off back in Edinburgh at what I think it one of the coolest, and def the largest, hostels I’ve ever stayed in.