As much as I love being in Edinburgh, there is just something about the nature of Scotland that is incomparable. The rolling hills of the Highlands, with the thousands of lochs are utterly breathtaking. I recently went on a two day trip through the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. The easiest way to see the Highlands is by booking a tour. My flatmate recommended a weekend tour that caters specifically to international students. My friends had done a previous trip to the Highlands when they first arrived in September, but I didn’t go with them. I couldn’t come to Scotland to study and not explore the country. We booked the trip for a weekend in October, hoping to see at least some fall colors. We did, but it didn’t quite compare to New England fall foliage, if I’m completely honest. But it was still beautiful in its own way!
Our tour started at our pickup point in Edinburgh, but stopped in Glasgow for more students to join. Since my friends and I travelled as an odd number, I had to sit next to someone from Glasgow. It was actually quite nice. The person who sat next to me was also an exchange student, but he was studying at the University of Glasgow. He was originally from Milan. His questions about life in America were entertaining. Like many other people I’ve met here in Scotland, he knew New Jersey (where I am from) once I mentioned Jersey Shore.
After Glasgow, the tour headed west to Loch Lomond, the biggest loch in mainland Scotland. The loch wasn’t much different from lakes in America, but the hills around it were amazing. What makes the Highlands so different from any hills and mountains I’ve seen is that most of them don’t have trees. The hills look relatively bare, which is so striking. The winding roads around Loch Lomond were slightly nauseating, but it was the only way to get deeper into the Highlands. Before getting to Fort William, we stopped at the Three Sisters in Glencoe. The forecast for most of our first day was rain, but I think it added to the aesthetic. Scotland is supposed to be misty, foggy, and rainy- it’s always a shock to see the sunlight. Luckily, though, our second day only started with a brief rain.
The Highlands are relatively prevalent in the entertainment industry. Many movies, television shows, and music videos have been filmed amongst various locations. The scenery and also many castles are featured in the media. Our tour stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle, which was in Game of Thrones. I haven’t watched the series but it was still cool to see! On Skye, we drove to different places that were in Harry Styles’ Sign of the Times music video and Kanye West’s (unreleased) Waves music video. I’m an Outlander fan, at times it can be controversial here in Scotland, but I had a blast on the tour, being able to see spots from the show. Sadly, the trip didn’t take us to the standing stones, the iconic circular rock formation that allows the main character of the show to travel back to 18th century Scotland.
The tour was two days long, which required us to stay overnight on the Isle of Skye. Our travels on the first day ended in Kyleakin, a small village right over the bridge you take from the mainland to the island. Kyleakin is really small- our options for food and drink consisted of two hotel restaurants and a bar (which used to serve food, but don’t any more). It made the decision to eat at our hotel’s restaurant easy. My favorite part of the meal was the sticky toffee pudding I got for dessert, a Scottish classic. Kyleakin was quite small, but we were able to walk to the ruins of Castle Moil, pretty much the one attraction in the village. Castle Moil, way back when it wasn’t rubble, was actually the home to a Norwegian princess. The castle served as a toll point for those travelling in the straight. To get to the landing, we had to walk along the shore. My friends and I found some seaglass. I kept mine as a souvenir!
The Isle of Skye was probably my favorite part of the trip. I dipped my face in the enchanted waters of the Sligachan River (legend has it that I will be beautiful forever now), climbed up to the Old Man of Storr, and explored the town of Portree. The hike up to the viewpoint in front of the Old Man of Storr was only 20 minutes, which shouldn’t have been bad at all, but with the slick ground from previous rain and my not-so-suitable shoes, it was quite the journey. I ended up slipping in the mud. I was fine, but spent the rest of the day with stained jeans. I’d like to think I was a trooper about that. I won’t lie, the mud stains look great in all of the photos. We stopped for lunch in Portree. Portree is very quaint, despite being the largest town in Skye. I can imagine how beautiful it must be in the summer as well as now, being on the water. Apparently there’s an annual festival hosted there in the summer!
On our drive back to the city, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the window. I put on my headphones and watched the hills and cliffs pass me by. I want the memory of the Highlands forever. There are many places back home in America that have such natural beauty, but I think Scotland is so impressive. As I am looking back at the photos I took, I’m frustrated- simply because I don’t think they do the Highlands justice. It’s truly something you need to see with your own eyes. I was supposed to go on a Dialogue of Civilizations to the Highlands and isles in Scotland the summer after my freshman year, but due to the pandemic, the program was unfortunately cancelled. Now, as a third year, I’ve finally been able to see the beauty of Scotland. My plans may have been forced to change, but everything works out in the end. My trip to the Highlands and the Isle of Skye felt so surreal.
