Adventures in Scotland - The Journey Begins

    Once upon a time, I fell in love with Scotland. I can't tell you when it happened or why or what triggered it, but for the past several years, I've been irresistibly drawn to a place that, impossibly, felt like home despite my never having been there. One does not simply just hop a plane to another country, however - at least not in my line of work - so I satisfied myself with learning as much about it as I could until I could make the trip myself. I read about the conflicts and circumstances that shaped the Scottish culture into what it is today, the stunning landscapes and ruined castles, and, above all, the story of the people; fiercely proud, resilient people that have always fought for what they believed in regardless of the odds. The more I read, the more I wanted to visit until the stars finally aligned this year. It was my turn to experience Scotland firsthand in all of her glory.

    My sister is normally my travel buddy, but a severely misbehaving appendix put her out of the running this year. Since you never know if tomorrow is the day you get run over by a bus, I decided to forge on alone. However, since you also never know if a kidnapper and/or axe murderer are lying in wait to nab lone female travelers, I spent approximately 89 million hours researching tour groups and finally found a solo tour with EF Go Ahead that seemed absolutely perfect: a small group that leans towards more *ahem* mature travelers, an itinerary that covered many of my top want-to-sees, and built-in free time so you can break away and do your own thing every once in a while. They handle all of the hotels, transportation, attraction tickets, and even a few group meals. What more could you possibly ask for? Not much, as it turns out. 

     Over the next few posts, we'll travel from artsy Glasgow through the unbelievably beautiful Highlands up to lovely Inverness, bop over to Aberdeen, and then meander down to historic Edinburgh - plus make a few pit stops in between! We'll see cows and castles, kilts and Kelpies, and more gorgeous scenery - albeit poorly captured gorgeous scenery thanks to my lack of photography skills - than should be legal to have in such a small country. So sit down, buckle up, and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

P.S. - this post series is (sadly) not sponsored by EF Go Ahead, which means all comments are based solely on my personal experience with them. Reviews are what helped me to choose them from a multitude of other options, so my goal is to contribute to that knowledge base and help out others who are in the same spot!