Saturday, 27 September 2025- Nashville
I had trouble sleeping, especially early this morning. Not because of jet lag but because I was so congested I had trouble breathing. That, and the fact that Theo’s favorite night time game is to climb between the comforter and the sheet to attack my feet. Not a pleasant activity for me as he has sharp sharp claws.
Elliot, Eleanor, Theo and Millie came to bed with me last night which made me feel loved. This morning, when I eventually got up (around 7am), Elliot gave me lots of hugs. I think he missed me as much as I missed him. Tara said Yodi and Cotton slept with her, too.
For most of the day, after having coffee and devotions on the porch, I unpacked and relived our adventure in my mind.
Of my three recent international trips, Scotland was the most expensive one, but I spent more on souvenirs and had to pay for cat sitters. I also invested in wool clothing, something that wasn’t exclusive to the Scotland trip, but came out of the Scotland budget.
Speaking of clothes, I think I did well minimizing my wardrobe. The only thing I packed, but didn’t wear, was a pair of black pants – something that was a late addition. I had two wool dresses (that I could wear together which is what I did on flight days), two wrap wool sweaters, my four under scrub long sleeves tops, two pairs of pants, a light tunic, wool leggings I wore as PJ bottoms, regular leggings that I wore under the dresses, a long sleeve cotton shirt I wore as a PJ top, my Duck shoes, my hiking shoes, three pairs of wool undies that I washed at night after wearing (one to wear, one as a spare, one to dry), three wool bras that I rotated between, my Barbour jacket that I wore most of the time, my lighter Orvis jacket, my Irish hat and my Irish beanie. The only thing I washed (besides the undies) was an undershirt.
We were able to do carry-on only on the way there. My SMV backpack that Bob gave me was not a problem fitting under an airline seat, but I didn’t pack it full, either. We packed a collapsible duffel bag to check on the way home, and it was full of our treasures that we had bought for ourselves and for others. The super star of the trip, packing wise, was my stuff-able neck pillow. I put my long sleeve tops and leggings in it and it was pretty comfortable to wear. Tara has one, too, but I don’t think she used it, even though she brought it with her.
On the way home, we had to check our carry-ons as the flight to Amsterdam was full. It wasn’t a big deal because we had to check the duffel and I had Apple Tags in everything. Delta also has a good back tracking system as well on their app.
I think our trip went smoothly with only two hiccups: the first one occurred when we checked out of Sherbrooke Castle in Glasgow. I was in a hurry and pulled out a plug via the American plug, and not the adapter, and left it in the room. I didn’t notice it until we checked in at Dalmally. Luckily, it wasn’t an issue because I had a back up adapter, and two of the places we stayed at had adaptors in the room. Still, it was a stupid mistake, but I’m glad I had a back up adapter. The second hiccup was cramming in too much on the last day, when we drove from Drumnadrochit to Glasgow, and had to make last minute arrangements to get a late drop off for the car. I was nervous about the length on the drive when I scheduled our trip, and we lingered whenever we stopped. I have no regrets on lingering, but should have been mindful with the distance.
It’s hard to say which place we stayed at was my favorite, as they were all so different. The hosts at Torbeag House were so kind and hospitable, but I especially loved the little apartment we had at Arisaig (Kilmory). I think Sherbrooke Castle was my least favorite place.
Next time I go back, I think I would spend one week in Glasgow with the intention of visiting Edinburgh and Sterling via train during the week, and then one week in the Highlands, using Kilmory or Torbeag House as a base. I really want to go to Iona, as it is steeped with spiritual history, but it’s a bit of a pain to get there, which is why we didn’t go this time. Next time, for sure.
I drove 870 miles in nine days. The rental never gave me a name (not how Pierre and Charlie did, and once I got used to all the bells and whistles, it was a fun SUV to drive. However, I think some of the ‘safety issues’ were a bit distracting as I’m not used to them in my car. If I went one mile over the speed limit, it would beep. If I got over too far on the shoulder, it would beep a different beep. I’m sure if I was motivated, I could have figured out how to turn them off, but I wasn’t motivated enough to go through the manual. Instead, I had daily goals when I drove: No beeps (going downhill or uphill didn’t count) and no stalls (the first few days, it was difficult for me to find first and second gear, for some reason). I managed the roundabouts pretty well, and only got honked at twice. I also tried to convince Tara that parking backwards is superior to parking forwards, but she isn’t buying it.
Tara was a good passenger, but the first few days she was nervous, as it was a completely new experience for her to be on the left hand side of the road. She also wasn’t a fan of my mountain driving (lines in the road are decorations!). Sometimes her gasps and spoken prayers were another distraction but we worked it out. I had to make a rule that there was to be no talking during a busy roundabout, only silent prayers. She became a good navigator, too.
I’ve lived with Tara for over a year, but underestimated her love of walking. We ended up walking quite a bit, but next time I plan a trip for us, I will incorporate more hikes. I had a Scottish Highland Walking Map app that I used a few times, but it was not always very helpful.
I had more aches and pains this trip than during my previous trips, but I am older, too. It wasn’t anything that ibuprofen and whisky couldn’t fix, but my right hip and left foot would at times let me know they were displeased with my activities. I also felt more cautious maneuvering paths. In the past, I would hop along but this time I was much slower and almost fearful of taking a wrong step.
It’s so unnatural spelling ‘whisky’ and not ‘whiskey’. ‘Whisky’ is the Scottish way while ‘Whiskey’ is the Irish way. The ‘E’ stands for excellence! (So say the Irish, but I tend to agree with them!)
I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make another international trip in 2026, though there is some talk about going to Ireland to photograph renewal vows for a friend sometime in 2026. I hope that happens because it would be an amazing trip for all involved.
I had an amazing time and I’m so thankful that Tara was able to come with me. It was so nice to experience a place that was new to both of us and to travel with a friend. I’m sure this isn’t the last time we travel together.
Here are some travel notes that might be of interest. We flew Delta roundtrip from Nashville to New York to Amsterdam to Glasgow. The trip was long but we upgraded our seats and I was comfortable with my long legs. We didn’t have any trouble with connections and the journey was non-eventful. On the way home, we flew from Glasgow to Amsterdam to Atlanta to Nashville. Again, it was a non-eventful flight in comfort. However, when we return one day, I think I would prefer one less connection on our flight.
I hired the car through Celtic Legends and they were super. I especially liked that we could take our car on a ferry – something that is a big no-no in Ireland for some reason.
For this trip, I purchased for both of us stuff-able neck pillows for the flights. I put my wool shirts in mine and it worked like a charm, especially since we were ‘carry on only’ on the way there. I had a foldable duffel bag that we fit in Tara’s rolling carry on and used it on the way back as a checked bag. It was a good arrangement and a much needed extra bag as we had so enthusiastically helped the Scottish economy.
Most of the clothes we both brought with us were wool so we were able to wear them a few times without having to wash them. I did take Soak laundry detergent with us to have, and we did do laundry at least once in Arisaig. Wool clothes pack so well and dry so quickly and I’m a big fan!
I had all the bells and whistles for international travel, but one thing I wish I did was put washi tape around my plug converter so it stood out more. Yep, I unplugged a charging cord but didn’t take out the converter from the wall. This happened in Glasgow, and by the time I realized it was missing, we were in Dalmally. I called Sherbrooke Castle to see if they found it, but it had walked away. It wasn’t a big deal, but we had to get creative with charging all our devices, especially since Tara didn’t have anything with her. I now have a back up that’s ready for my next trip.
Tara got an International Plan for our phones so we didn’t have to worry about our cell phones not working in the United Kingdom. It was so convenient.
I exchanged some dollars for sterling but didn’t need cash at all. For my research for this trip, a lot of people on social media recommended having cash, especially in the Highlands, but it was a non-issue for us. I used Apple Pay almost exclusively so I rarely had to pull out a physical credit card, which was nice.
Thank you for sharing my adventures. It was an amazing experience and I hope my journal gave you a real idea of each day I spent in Scotland.
