If you pass up on an adventure, you may miss out on amazing memories.

by Dennis · April 11, 2021

One of the benefits of living in the community that I do is that we have met some very nice and interesting friends. One of these friends, Kim, took a trip to Scotland last fall all on her own. Quite adventurous. I was able to cajole her into writing a post to share on my blog. The following are her thoughts and photos:

There is something special about Scotland. I am not sure how to explain it. Maybe it’s the Munros, coastlines, glens, moors, heather-covered landscapes, sheep, the simple life, or maybe the friendly folks. Whatever it is I always feel at peace and at home there.

This trip was for my peace of mind. We had planned a 15-person family vacation for the summer of 2020. We were to participate in the Highland games, sleep in a castle, hike the Cairngorms, ride like Harry Potter, see Queen Elizabeth II, and make amazing memories.

We had lived in England for three years and cherished our trips to Scotland, but 2020 reared its ugly head. We were fortunate enough to push our reservations to 2021 without a penalty, but the year also took a family member so 14 will go in 2021. For my sake, I needed to make this journey alone.

I flew into Inverness. This was to be my first trip north of Inverness. You can find flights from the states to Scotland for as little as $550 round trip. Places to stay can be reasonable if you know how to pick them, but renting a car is the most expensive part. I recommend you pay full coverage. That will save you time and money in the long run. Everything is inspected upon return and there are times you are not driving on a hardened surface.

From Inverness, I drove the bridge between the Moray and Beauly Firth, then across the Cromarty and Dornoch Firth. A Firth is like a fjord, an inlet or strait. This is the starting point for the North Coast 500, Scotland’s version of Route 66.

Then, as usual, I cut out my own path. I followed the scenic coast stopping to see the sights. What should have been a 2 ½ hour drive to my home away from home turned into 4 hours. There is so much beauty in Scotland. You can’t help but make several stops along the way to snap a picture and enjoy the view.

The North Sea is majestic and powerful in parts. While quaint villages line the coastal waters, castle ruins can be seen and wind farms on and offshore.

Driving along you get used to sheep, deer, and cattle crossings, but take note of the “Otters Crossing” signs. Yes, Otters Crossing. The first time I saw one, I thought we were looking for Nessie, the elusive Loch Ness Monster.

I finally cut inland driving along the moors and watching the sunset. Something you must know about most of the UK, there are no street lamps to light your way. They are only in the big cities, and I wasn’t near one.

Another thing, most of the roads are only wide enough for one vehicle. If one is heading toward you, you must look for a turnout. Flash your lights to let the other car know it is safe for them to go around you. If you think it is hard in the daytime, you should try it at night and add in driving on the opposite side of the road.

Dunnet Head Lighthouse, the furthest point north in the mainland UK. This was to be my home for the next few weeks.

Dunnet Head is an active lighthouse. It stands atop a 300-foot cliff. It is 66 feet tall and was built in 1831 by Robert Stevenson, the grandfather of the Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, Robert Louis Stevenson. The lighthouse was automated in 1989. Now the keeper’s cottages are rented out. I was fortunate to be the only one there.

*Am airal shot I borrowed from promotional material*

For two nights in a row, I witnessed the beauty of the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. The first night I was exhausted and did not have any batteries charged. I ran around to find something to take a picture of. Finally, I stopped and just soaked in the magic of the dancing lights. They are like mystical fairies dancing up and back then across the sky only allowing you to peek at them for a short time, then hide away.

Like most of the coastal areas of Scotland, my surrounding sounds were of crashing waves, singing seals, and birds. Then the ever-bleating announcements from the sheep. They were never an annoyance, more of reluctant conversationalists.

I shared my space with these creatures plus small red deer, large stags, highland coos, dolphins, whales, puffins, and many other birds. My favorites were the pipits and twites. Small birds that were not afraid of me and would often stop to pose for a picture.

I spent most of my days wandering the grounds and enjoying the gardens. Gardens are a big thing throughout the UK. Any tiny space is made into a garden. Another way to sit and enjoy nature. You may see flower gardens or victory gardens. The victory gardens go back to the times of war when food was rationed, and you grew what you could in any available space.

The previous owner of the lighthouse was Norman Brockie. His brother is artist Keith Brockie. While Keith is the more famous, Norman is quite the artist himself. The gardens and just around the lighthouse are full of rock formations, aquatic art, and just fun quirky items.

I enjoyed sitting on a bench in one of the gardens taking in the scents of sea air, flowers, mint, and other herbs. I also delighted in watching the water and staring out over the Pentland Firth at the Old Man of Hoy.

The Islands of Orkney were directly across the way. To be more precise, Hoy. Orkney is made up of several little islands and Hoy was the most visible. Her cliffs were jagged, and her colors would change from hour to hour with the movement of clouds and sun. But my favorite site was the “Old Man of Hoy”. He stood tall, greeted me each morning and saw me in in the evenings. Except for the occasional fog, he was my constant companion.

Be adventurous while in Scotland but safe. If there is a cliff with a view, take it. I look at it that if a dozen sheep can stand on it, it can hold me. Plus the Views!!!

The Beaches of Scotland are not like ours which are shaped, dredged, and sand added. Most are all-natural, sandy, muddy, peaceful.

When I lived in the UK, I visited Land’s End, the Southwest point of the UK. Being up here, I needed to visit the Northeast point of the UK, John O’Groats. This began my next journey. Yes, more hiking, souvenir shops, etc. But the best part was the Fish n’ Chips at “The Cabin”. A simple little trailer by the water. Truly the best Fish n’ Chips EVER. I was told the fish came from the Faroe Islands. A MUST! Oh, and even better, this is on the North Coast 500.

As you can tell, I am an adventurer. I have many places I want to see and experience. So, there was no surprise that I HAD to travel to the Orkney Islands. I wanted to meet the Old Man of Hoy up close.

Going online, I booked my journey on the Ferry I watched cross each day, The NorthLink.

I got up early and drove to the port at Scrabster and caught the 7:30 am Ferry. No plans. I just knew of a few places I wanted to see and of course the Old Man.

The ship was clean, food was served, and seating was spaced out due to COVID-19.

The journey was rocky. The North Sea is not known for calm waters. In fact, history shows many who have tried crossing the Pentland Firth in small boats have not made it.

My stop was Stromness on the main island of Orkney. The beauty of this countryside, homes scattered on the hills, fishing boats heading out to deeper waters, all whisper, “quaint”.

I have been known for my “Gift of Gab”. Yes, I have kissed the Blarney Stone a few times. Upon exiting the Ferry, I walked to the bus depot. I was looking at the schedule to see which way I should go when I met this young couple doing the same. They were from the area and guided my choices of Buses.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Everyone is willing to assist. They were even going to one of the places I was interested in.

Suddenly this lively old gentleman walked up, Billy. He also has the gift of gab. He went over the map with us and suggested he could drive us to the first stop. Billy is a Taxi driver and smartly waits at the port. So started my next journey with Billy, Cara, and Luke and a lasting friendship.

First stop, the Standing Stones of Stenness. This is a Neolithic monument and older than Stone Henge. You can walk right up and touch them. Many rituals were performed here. I loved hearing about the “Vow of Odin.” There was a tradition of making all kinds of oaths with a hand on the Odin Stone. Stories also of couples becoming engaged and beliefs that the stone had magical powers.

From here we all decided to continue our journeys together.

Just a bit up the road was the Ring of Brodgar. Another Neolithic henge circle of stones. Both of these are World Heritage Sites. Oh, if these stones could talk.

Luke and Cara needed to get to Kirkwall. In looking at a map it seemed so far but was just 15 min up the road. Then there we were and there I stood at the St. Magnus Cathedral. This is the most northerly cathedral in the UK. Its construction began in 1137 and was built for the bishops of Orkney when the island was ruled by the Norse Earls of Orkney.

In 1468 Orkney was annexed for Scotland by King James III and the Bishops became Scots rather than Scandinavian. When you go to these historical places you realize just how young the United States is. But the next place we visited was even more amazing. We left Kirkwall and Billy took us around the north and west side of the island for different scenery.

Not long we were at Skara Brae. The name itself sounds musical. There was a severe storm in 1850 that hit the coast. The storm stripped the land away and part of an ancient village was found. We walked along with the ruins and enjoyed the view. I could see why a village would be here.

Meeting locals you find places not noticed on a map but have such great beauty. This is Yesnaby and her coastal cliffs. There is a small parking area. Locals park and walk the coast to Stromness and back (or taxi back). It is a hearty trek along the coast, hills, and views!

It was time to head back, grab a bite to eat, and catch the Ferry. Luke and Cara were heading back with me. We said goodbye to Billy and of course, he didn’t have us on a meter, just whatever we wanted to pay. If you go to Stromness, I recommend you find Billy. He is like an unofficial Ambassador to Orkney.

It rains a lot in Scotland and Orkney was no exception. But with every rainfall comes a rainbow. I saw a rainbow almost every day in Scotland, but this was the topping to my day. A complete Rainbow so close to the Ferry I could almost touch it.

After the rain, the sun was bright and there was my friend, the Old Man of Hoy. He was tall, a bit of a crooked back but still proud to welcome you to Hoy. The vibrant colors on the sides of the cliff were like ancient paintings. This day turned into the highlight of my trip. And yes, Luke, Cara, and I are now FB friends. Luke is a Ranger in Scotland and we are going to meet up again in 2021.

So, while Scotch is the mainstay of Scottish distilleries, don’t overlook the Gin. There are several and one down the road from me. You can always find a tasting room.

It was now time to continue on NC 500 and head to my next destination. I said goodbye to my lighthouse and friends and headed to the west coast.

The winding roads and coastal shores took me to a rest at Betty Hill. Oh, this is a BIG ONE. There are times you will not see a petrol station for miles. I recommend you fill up when you see one. If you are like me, you may take that unknown, less traveled road and you get stuck. Luckily, I filled up before I left because, well….. I saw this road by a stone bridge as I got to the town of Tongue. Yep, I turned. Small towns, Munros, Bens, waterfalls. Yes, sometimes taking that small road will bring you treasures of memories.

This is a picture of the Kyle of Tongue. A beautiful spot that I will return to someday, and where I decided to turn left at the stone bridge and not cross. I don’t know why but I knew it would be interesting.

And I was right.

I ended up at a BnB in the village of Ullapool. The area was small enough to walk around. There was a ferry to the Outer Hebrides but I opted on a sidewalk table and enjoyed the catch of the day, the night air, and the view.