I head out of the heat in Tucson tomorrow morning and within 24 hours I will be enjoying the delightful 50-degree weather in Scotland. The biggest challenge with traveling is leaving my three doggies, but I decided to endeavor on a solo journey throughout the beautiful Scottish countryside. My trip will start in Edinburgh for a couple of days where I will enjoy the routine tourist attractions and maybe even a haunted ghost tour in a few of the underground tunnels at night. From there, I plan on renting a car and driving to Fort William. This will be my first time driving on the opposite side of the road, so send me some positive vibes (thank goodness for the extra travel insurance I paid for! Just in case). Can't ever be too careful. In Fort William I scheduled a train ride with the Jacobite Express (aka Hogwarts Express) that will wind through various landscapes that were filmed in Braveheart and the Harry Potter series. After a night in Fort William, I head to the one of the most beautiful places in the world: the Isle of Skye. I will remain here for 6 days, hiking various trails across the island. Some of these landscapes were also featured in major films like Snow White and the Huntsmen. Once I spend this time on Skye, I head to Inverness for some down-time for a couple of nights. I don't have plans scheduled for my first day there, but on the second day I plan on fly fishing for the first time. I figured I could end this amazing journey on a high-note... lost in a river in the middle of the northern Scottish Highlands. I will eventually make my way back to Edinburgh on August 8th and start my return journey home.
What makes this adventure even more meaningful is that I recently found out that 89% of my DNA is from the United Kingdom. With further investigation into my family roots, I discovered that my family came from an area in northeast England, just 2 hours from where I will be in Scotland. So, its as if I'm headed back to my mainland! My roots!
I hope you follow me throughout this amazing experience. I'm in no way a professional photographer, but I have a feeling that few skills will be necessary due to the vast beauty of the nature. Tag along with me and enjoy the views!
Peace and love,
Sheli
