ICYMI: Scotland Recap

Written By Holland Colvin

Earlier in May, my younger sister Kenzie and I went on a trip to Scotland. The original plan was to include more family members but alas that didn’t pan out.

Although we were bummed when the decision was made that there wouldn’t be more family with us, we were determined to plan a dream vacation that catered to both of our ideal scenarios.

We dreamed, schemed, and planned shit down to every last detail we could think of.

The trip kicked off by picking up the car rental. Now, let me remind you that the Scots drive on the left side of the road and steer on the right side of the car… I was nervous as FERKKK to get behind the wheel and carry on while keeping calm.

In fact, at one point the first day, I nearly had to pull over to throw up because of the nerves and anxiety. Luckily, we got out and went on a short walk and that was enough to ease the nervous system.

If I were to describe all of the things we did, this post would be, like, 5+ pages long. So I’m going to first share the itinerary then bullet out some key moments of the trip.

Yes, yes we are incredible planners, thank you.

There were a few shifts from the schedule when we were in-person, but overall, we stuck to that baby like glue and it was glorious.

Key activities:

We were on-the-go pretty much the whole time but it was the best best best either of us could have asked for. We wanted to see as much as we possibly could in the short amount of time that we were there (6 full days).

And now for the VISUALS!!!

  • The Lower Breakish Airbnb in the Isle of Skye was so serene. It was perched on a little hill pretty much in the middle of a few farms and butt right up next to the sea. The hosts had a couple vases of fresh tulips and roses and the coolest fire pits I’ve ever seen (that pointy, rusty orange thing in a few of those pictures is a wee fire pit!!!).

  • The little town of Portree was so lovely; quaint shops and restaurants lined the *narrow cobble stone streets. You could feel everyone was just happy to be there. We stopped in and had lunch and I had a delightful bowl of chowder with fish that was probably caught earlier in the morning. I LIVE for this shit!!!

  • The hike at Quiraing was not an easy one. Its entirety is a giant loop with two “levels.” You could choose to go up to the top and back the way you came, stay along the ground-level path and back, or do the entire loop—which would take a little over 3 hours. We decided to do the “top” path and back. At the very beginning, you are climbing a steep portion of the cliff, like, a 50° angle. Although it was physically challenging, it was stunning (obviously) from start to finish. And when we reached the top, we were both like “this was the right decision.”

  • The Fairy Pools were magical. There was a short hike to get to the pools and a longer hike if you want to wrap around back to the beginning, which replaced the water surroundings with the foot of the mountain. Similar to a lot of our other experiences, both planned and lucky, Kenzie and I got there in a very timely manner. Earlier in the day the entire area was closed off to the public with a slew of helicopters, emergency vehicles, and searchers on-foot. We didn’t know any of this had gone on earlier in the day until we chatted with a small family who was arriving to the trail as we were leaving. This woman was filling us in as she was bouncing her little toddler on her hip: a young man fell into one of the pools from a steep, rocky edge the day before and died. There was a search party the morning and early afternoon that we were there, they found and retrieved him, then opened the space back up to the public. It was nearly empty when we got there early evening and were very surprised to hear that so much had happened even a few hours prior to us getting there. We were counting our blessings and thanking our stars for safety and protection. Sending love to the family of the young man who passed. <3

  • The Chaumer Abide was the incredibly eclectic and beautiful Airbnb we stayed in the first night in downtown Edinburgh. Vixy, our host and owner of the space, also owned and managed the oldest bespoke tailoring shop right next door. She was a MF delight. We got in late at night and the next morning she asked if she could stop by in the morning after we get up. With a gentle knock, we opened the door and were greeted with Vixy holding a large tray with a coffee press full of fresh cofefe, warm handmade scones, and milk and butter. Are you kidding?! She came in and asked how we were, if we needed anything, and chatted for a bit. Before she left, she said there was a hidden fridge in one of the dressers (that we had not discovered) and she left a few little treats in there for us. We opened the little door and a box of cookies were sitting atop the mini-fridge that was keeping two small bottles of champagne chilled. I cannot make this shit up! It was a dream. We stopped by the tailor shop after having the lovely breakfast she brought, got ready, and packed up for the day. Her staff helped load all of our luggage into our cute little 4-door. And I believe the words “you weren’t kidding when you said you packed a lot” (in a nice tone lol) were said by the staff member loading our stuff. LOL what can I say, we’re Americans AND we’re seeing Beyoncé this trip. Incredible.

  • The Edinburgh Castle was the one destination that I had been to during my first visit to Scotland in 2017. Though I know little to nothing about the castle’s history, standing in the space and sizing up the significance of the land, structure, artifacts, etc. is almost overwhelming. It’s hard to wrap your mind around historically significant people who inhabited or visited it when it was serving as a fully functioning living and working space. The events that took place. The shaping of culture.

  • The Rosslyn Chapel was a last minute addition as it was recommended to us soon before the trip. I had heard of it but was hardly familiar with it. The intricacies and skill that went into the structure was MIND BLOWING! I wish photography was allowed inside because that shit was other worldly. The outside was also incredible incredible incredible. We walked in right as a presentation was starting. She was an incredible story teller and made the experience that much richer for me and Kenz. Yet another perfect coincidence that occurred.

  • The Abbotsford Castle, home of the historian, novelist, poet, and playwright Sir Walter Scott, was one of the most interesting and breathtaking estates I’ve ever seen. Naturally, Sir Walter was enchanted with all things whimsy. So, beyond the landscaping and architecture, there were personal collections of his that were both bizarre and incredible. Things like locks of Mary Queen of Scots’ hair. Tiny intricate forks from kings. Notes from royal families. Monocles from noteworthy people throughout history (of whom I don’t remember or knew who they were LOL). He was an eccentric that’s for sure. The estate also had an—I’m assuming permanent—immersive installation of characters and creatures from his stories. There were giant carvings hidden behind trees, a giant metal book just off of the trail, trolls climbing out of trees, and a witch’s hut with a bubbling wooden cauldron. It was the last place we explored before going to our final Airbnb. A perfect final day of exploring and fantastical adventures before our long trek home.

  • The magic that was in between the scheduled events and destinations were just as incredible as the ones we planned. Early on in the trip, Kenzie said one thing she REALLY wanted to experience was seeing a Highland cow. We didn’t see them for a few days then all of a sudden, we were driving up in the Isle of Skye and turn a corner to a cluster of them chilling at the gate, right up next to the road. We pulled over and said hi, pet a few of the ones who were feeling more social, and stood in awe of these shaggy creatures. Bagpipe player? CHECK! In fact, lots of people were gathered around the performer and he pointed to Kenzie and signaled her to come stand next to him. They chatted and posed for pics; we were both beaming.

And that, my friends, is all for now. We came back as changed women, that’s for damn sure.

XO,

HMC

Holland Colvin
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