10 Things Scotland does Better than America

(Got a few more posts to squeeze in go before we head back across the pond.) Even after living here for 3+ years, we still do a bit of romanticinzing about the culture and comparing UK to US life- so here goes of few of the things we will miss the most: Public Toilets! Yep. The …

I wrote a poem for Scotland- of sorts.

Oh Scotland you are making it impossible to ever leave! Like a sea, your sky breaks and breathes mists, stormy grey. Shy sun. Employing all manner of means to avoid being known.  Stooping low to make eye contact, giving us brief shadows, apologizing for getting our hopes up, sinking quickly with a blush. Your austere …

Bookstore Habit: Leakey’s of Inverness

In bleak mid-winter what better place to hide out than a cozy, slightly cluttered, used bookstore with a blazing fireplace: Leakey's is your scene! This is our favorite place to stop in Inverness actually. Bibliophiles will have already heard of this gem of a bookshop- it is truly epic in scale- at least for Scotland! …

Munro Bagging: Cairn a Mhaim from Linn of Dee

We called ourselves the Epic Munro* Baggers- we four from Aberdeen watched the weather forecast app and Tuesday was 'SUNBALL' with confidence; no equivocating with the little cloud on the side or nothing!!! I had done lots of research about which epic munro in Lairig Ghru we should attempt since the glen is full of …

Five Reasons to Visit Scotland in May

Scotland is spectacular year-round but when is the best time to visit? My vote is for May- here's why:         1.) LAMBS! They are everywhere! They are so stinkin' CUTE! I burst into squeals of joy as we drive down the single track road almost hitting a lorry (truck)- they are totes adorbs!! …

Isle of Hoy: Home of UK’s Tallest Seastack

As promised in my previous post, the Island of Hoy was our next quest! Our intrepid companions did us the favor of planning the day trip to this gem of an island. Hoy is one of the Orkney Islands; there are no direct links from mainland Scotland so you have to take a ferry to the …

The Local Garden of the Heart

I finally took a walk through a garden here in Aberdeen: The Cruickshank Botanical Garden on the campus at the Uni (university). It was a spectacularly sunny day which are rare of late, and the sun was at its' characteristic low angle making most of the day the 'photographer's hour'. I strolled in through its …