The Journal of Kelly the Brave: Past Adventures, Current Thoughts and Future Plans

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." Helen Keller

Tag: travel

  • An Irish Adventure – Prologue

    An Irish Adventure – Prologue

    In September 2022, I took my first solo trip to Ireland. I planned the entire trip myself and found that not only do I love planning trips, I love traveling. This trip turned me into Kelly the Brave and I’ve been looking for Grand Adventures ever since.

    A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them.

    I originally shared my travel journal with a select group of friends, but want to share it with everyone. I hope you enjoy An Irish Adventure.

    The photo above was taken in Bantry, Ireland at sunset. More photos can be found here.

    Kelly the Brave
    March 2026

  • Prologue – A New Adventure

    Prologue – A New Adventure

    (Originally posted with friends and family on September 1, 2025. As with my other travel journals, I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. The above is a photo of me and Tara in Glasgow, Scotland).

    Hello friends!  Once again I’m (almost) off on a Grand Adventure and once again I’m sharing my travel journal.  The biggest upgrade to the journal is now that I have an iPad, I can update photos and thoughts while I’m there ~ no more waiting weeks or months for the next chapter.  I take hundreds of photos so the full photo gallery might take some time to complete, but I’m excited to share the journal while the adventure unfolds.  I’ve created a new photo gallery that you can find here:  Photos

    Welcome to my new adventure!

    24 May ~ It’s semi-official – I’m heading to Scotland in September and I’m taking Tara with me!  Just got approval for my UK visa, now have to finalize the itinerary and get airline tickets and insurance. I’m so excited!

    I’ve thought of going to Scotland before – maybe doing a joint Ireland-Scotland adventure, but when Tara mentioned that she would want to go too, it seemed like a wonderful idea to go somewhere neither one of us have been to and experience the joys of discovery together.

    We’re still looking at tickets and will probably fly into Edinburgh.  When I initially started planning for this trip earlier this year, I was drawn to Inverness and liked the idea of flying into and out of Inverness to have a true Highland Adventure.  We might have to fly to Heathrow and have a half day layover then fly to Inverness.  While I like the thought of a direct flight to London, I’m not so keen on making a connection at Heathrow or having a long layover.  I’m still playing with logistics and hope to figure it out within the coming days.

    I’m again using booking.com for accommodations and have doubled or triple booked places depending on where we fly into.  Thank goodness for free cancellation!  Our dates are September 13-26 which gives us recovering time before heading back to work.

    We want our trip to be relaxing so I’ve booked extended stays at places.  We’re going to rent a car (I’ll drive) and would like to explore off the beaten track places, experience pubs and perhaps a few distilleries, and take long walks.

    So far the only ‘must do’ things are the Jacobite steam train and staying at the old church by the sea in a small village.  We’re not going to the Isle of Skye or Edinburgh, which might be a controversial choice, but that gives us a reason to return!

    30 May ~

    We bought our airline tickets and I’ve secured a car! Eeep!

    We’re flying Delta (yay!) and we splurged and got Comfort Plus seats (yay!).  No direct flight but it’s pretty long – 10 hours-ish total, I think.  Going there we’re flying to JFK, then Amsterdam, then Glasgow.  The way home is Glasgow, Amsterdam, Minneapolis, then Nashville.  (Our flight home leaves super early but I’m so excited!)

    I’ve hired a car through Celtic Legends car rental and the customer service has been great!  We’re getting a SUV car (whatever that is) and I’m hoping it’s more Pierre than Charlie.  We’ll pick it up on Tuesday then drop it off at the airport on the 25th.  We’re allowed to take it on ferries so we might drive through the Isle of Skye after all then cross the Skye bridge to Drumnadrochit.  We’ll see. 

    21 June ~ 

    I’m getting excited.  12 weeks, 56 days (work days).  I can’t wait

    I created a Google Map of our trip and where we’re staying and driving routes.  I hope I haven’t overextended ourselves.  

    Some more activities we want to do have popped up.  I really want to see the Highland Coos (cows) and I think I found a place.  And I want to maximize our time in Glasgow.  Delta changed our flight back home.  Now we’re flying into Atlanta :(  But at least it’s coming home and not going!

    1 September – Today is September, or as I’m calling it the Month of Scotland!  I’m ready and even did a trial pack.  I think I can do carry on only and still have enough room in my rolling carryon for a collapsible duffel that we can check on our way back.  I also picked up a stuff-able neck pillow that I can fill with socks and things.  I’ve invested in wool clothing, too, which doesn’t take up as much space.  All of my under scrub tops have a high wool blend content so they are coming and I picked up some wool dresses and leggings for the trip.  I’ll also take a pair of pants and my hiking shoes.  And of course my Barbour.  And foldable rain coat. And my Irish hat.  I’m not taking my Bento bag this time.  I’m taking my SMV backpack instead.  It’s technically too big to be considered a personal item, but if I don’t fill it up, I should be able to get away with it.  Fingers crossed!

    I think the weather will be in the low 60s and though I hope we’ll have sunny days, I’ll be equally as content with grey misty or even rainy days.  But of course I hope we’ll have beautiful weather.

    I want to come up with a good title for my journal.  When I started, I jotted down ‘A Highland Adventure’ but I don’t want to reuse words – I want each tale to be as unique as the trip itself.  So no using ‘Path’ either.  After a bit of thought and some research on Scottish terms, I think I found it – ‘A Highland Stravaig’.  (Stravaig means to roam or wander about casually).  I think it’s perfect.

    Attached is the Google Map I created.

    Scotland 2025
    https://maps.app.goo.gl/3XnLubfL1fGFTGeX6?g_st=ic

    Stay tuned for Chapter One of A Highland Stravaig, coming in two weeks!

    Love,

    Kelly

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter One

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter One

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 14, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries). The above photo is of me (being silly) and Tara at Sherbrooke Castle in Glasgow, Scotland. More photos can be found here.

    14 September ~ 16.21, Sherbrooke Castle Hotel

    What an eventful day. We arrived in Glasgow this morning after another blissfully uneventful flight from Amsterdam. We headed to our hotel (of course I’m staying in a castle!) and after dropping off our luggage and getting my camera gear together, we headed to the City Center for a bus tour with afternoon tea and gin. The bus was a classic red double decker, and the tour was very interesting. We had a classic English Tea and the tour guide, Helen, was very funny. The tour lasted an hour and a half and was topped off with a gin drink that was served in a tea pot!

    After the tour, we walked around a bit then headed back to the hotel via train. When we arrived, we discovered that they had checked us in and put our luggage in the room. The room isn’t in the castle proper, but it’s on the grounds. We have two twin beds and a nice view of the front garden. The bathroom is spacious but doesn’t have a tub. It does have a towel warmer though so that will be a nice treat after a long shower. We’re both tired so look a little nap before heading to dinner. I think it will be an early night tonight.

    Dinner at the castle was underwhelming. Or I was very tired and the room was extremely well lit. Most likely, a combination of both. Tara had a burger with fries for dinner and I had tomato soup with truffle fries. I’m usually not a tomato soup lover but this soup was amazing! Lots of texture and flavors with a hint of heat.

    It’s now 19.47 and time for bed. I’m very tired but very happy to be here, and to share a new experience with a friend. Tomorrow, we’re going on a hop on hop off bus of Glasgow. I definitely want to check out the Glasgow necropolis. 

    The weather today was overcast and cool – around mid 50s I think. Tomorrow, rain is in the forecast. We’ll have to get some whisky to warm us up!

    More to come, but for now, good night.

    ~K

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Two

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Two

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 15, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries). The above photo is a mural of St Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow. More photos can be found here.

    15 September, 0749 ~ Sherbrooke Castle

    I slept very well last night and feel completely on Scottish time.  The weather forecast is calling for rain today, but at present, there is a blue sky peppered with white clouds.  Maybe we’ll get lucky. 

    We’re heading back to Glasgow City Center to catch the Hop On, Hop Off bus.  It promises to stop at all the major attractions, and we can take our time exploring.  The only ‘must-do’ on my list is the Glasgow Necropolis.  I love old cemeteries!  Yesterday, I picked up a map of Glasgow, so I’ll make sure to grab that before we head out.

    Not sure if we’re taking a cab to the City Center or taking the train again.  In hindsight, I should have bought a return ticket for the train yesterday, but I wasn’t thinking straight because I was so tired by then.  Tara is in charge of transportation today, and as I write, she’s looking at options.  We decided we will take the train back.  

    I’m conflicted about taking my Nikon today.  The greatest chance of rain today is 50% at 1 p.m., which is good odds overall.  I have a rain cover for the camera, but experience has taught me wearing the camera in an urban setting is a clunky at best.  I’m also not sure about which coat to wear— my Barbour or my lighter rain coat.  Oh, decisions, decisions.  

    I just popped outside, and it’s drizzly and cool.  It doesn’t really help me with my decision because I hate being cold, and our room is very toasty, as we have the towel warmer on to help dry our clothes that we washed.  I’m thinking it’s a Barbour day.  It’s definitely an Irish hat day, too.

    Tara acquired train tickets there and back.  And we’re off!

    0852 ~ Dumbreck Station
    My optimism has no bounds!  I left the Nikon but grabbed my sunglasses!

    Our Hop On, Hop Off starts at ten, so we’ll have time to explore on our way to the pickup point. 

    1021 ~ Hop On, Hop Off Bus
    At Drumbreck station, we met a lovely Englishwoman named Sally.  Our train trip was short as it was only one stop to the city.  On our walk to the station, we followed two couples who also stayed at the castle.  When we got off the train, I asked them where they were off to, and they answered the Hop-On Hop-Off bus.  I said we were too and asked if we could tag along. They said of course and introduced themselves. I only remember half of each couple’s names ~ Gary and Denise. So I called one couple Ottawa and the other couple BC as they were from British Columbia.  They seemed very nice, especially BC.  

    Sally had directed us to the Hop-On Hop-Off bus picked up, but Ottawa (Denise’s husband) had asked someone else. The two instructions didn’t match up, and Ottawa was determined to have his way, so we all fell in line and promptly realized we were lost.  Tara got her phone out, and we eventually found where we needed to be and caught the bus, after having walked about two miles.  

    Sally had recommended a place for breakfast as we hadn’t had any. She said they had a nice tea that was a little expensive but worth a treat. I wasn’t hungry, but Tara was, so the plan was to find the bus, get off at the next stop, and walk back to the restaurant for breakfast. Unfortunately, by the time I realized where we were, we were several stops away. Worse still is that the Hop-On Hop-Off bus only goes in one direction, so in order to get back to where we started, we would have to make the whole loop. I could tell Tara was getting hungry, so after saying goodbye to Ottawa and BC, we got off at the Transportation Museum stop.  We found the café and had a lovely breakfast of toasted croissants with ham and cheese and coffee.   We then walked around the museum for a bit, but I was getting anxious as the rain was coming, and I wanted to see things before the showers came.  We stopped at the gift store where I bought a magnet, and Tara helped the Scottish economy and bought herself a lovely scarf.  We then headed out and caught the next Hop-On bus. 

    While we were on it, it started to rain. We were upstairs in the double-decker but found a seat over the cover and just enjoyed the rain.  We decided to wait out the rain by continuing on the loop.  The rain finally let up, so we eventually made our way to the Glasgow Cathedral and Necropolis. 

    The cathedral was beautiful and had amazing stained-glass windows. I made my way into the nave and had a silent moment to myself.  Then, I found Tara, and we made our way to the Necropolis. 

    The Necropolis was amazing.  It’s on a hill overlooking the cathedral and the city.  The graves were beautiful, and I’ll have trouble figuring out which Celtic cross is my favorite. 

    We then just walked around the city. We made our way back near the train station and are now in a cozy bar, sipping local ale (St Mungus) and waiting for our pub grub (steak and ale pie for me, Balmoral chicken for Tara).

    We’ll eventually make our way back to the train station and then back to the hotel.

    I’m not sure what we are going to do tomorrow morning before we check out.  Dinner is here, more later.

    1943 Central Station, Glasgow
    Dinner was mighty yummy, and afterwards, we walked around in the City Center.  We spied an establishment called The Chocolate Hotel, and of course, we had to investigate.  Walls of chocolate treats greeted us, and the only responsible thing was to buy some, especially after Tara mentioned the antioxidant properties of dark chocolate. We also got a wonderful hot chocolate (ginger and chocolate for Tara, salted caramel and chocolate for me), with cocoa whip on top.   Delish!  We walked along some more, but the stores were mostly closed.  We headed back to Central Station and are waiting for the train. 

    Tomorrow morning, I think we’re going to ask for a late check out so we can take the train back into the city center and have breakfast at the tea shop Sally mentioned. Then, we’ll check out and  pick up the rental car.

    The plan is to head out of Glasgow towards Dalmally, which is where we’ll spend the night.  I had previously mapped out some stops on the way that looked interesting.  Hopefully, rain won’t be too big of a factor.

    I’m really quite fond of Glasgow and would come back in a heartbeat. It reminds me of Dublin but is more enjoyable.  I can’t say why that is exactly, though. 

    Tara seems to be enjoying herself, which makes me quite happy.

    2047 Sherbrooke Hotel
    I think we had a wonderful first full day in Scotland.  We saw a lot, and my watch says I had 17,517 steps.  Not bad for an old lady!

    Once I’m home, I’ll download more photos to my site, but this is a taste of Glasgow!  I will definitely be returning.

    Good night!

    ~K

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Three

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Three

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 16, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries). The above photo is of the Rainbow we saw at Firkin Point, Scotland. More photos can be seen here.

    16 September 0803, Sherbrooke Castle

    I forgot that my roommate is a nurse. This morning when the alarm went off it was lights on, get moving. No snoozing, no easing into the morning. Yet at home, sometimes she does sleep in!  Tara must be on holiday mode

    We’re checking out today and heading to the City Center via train for breakfast (BC had said breakfast at the castle wasn’t very good).   The hotel is going to store our luggage since we can’t get a late check out. After breakfast we’ll come back here, grab a taxi to the rental place, then on to the next adventure

    0833 Dumbreck Station

    We’re headed back to the City Center via train for breakfast at the tea room Sally recommended yesterday. The castle hotel is storing our luggage for us.  The stay there was pleasant but Louth Rynn Castle doesn’t have anything to worry about. I’m not sure I would stay there again next time, even though the room was comfortable and the walk to the station was easy.  When I return, I would probably opt to stay closer to the City Center.  Hopefully I can return sooner rather than later

    1002 Willow Tea Room, Glasgow 

    We just had a wonderful breakfast at the Willow Tea Room, the establishment Sally had recommended.  We got a pot of the house Macintosh tea (which was very nice) and Tara got scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and I had the Scottish breakfast.  It is almost exactly like an Irish Breakfast but the black pudding was more moist and more delicious 

    I think we might walk around a bit and then head back to the hotel.  It’s a beautiful sunny day and I hope the sun sticks around all day.  Fingers crossed 

    1122 Central Station 

    Just exchanged $40 for £22.23.  Ooof. But I think having local currency in the Highlands would be beneficial, even though I’ve mostly used Apple Pay without issue.  At the Willow Tea Room I bought myself a rose necklace modeled after the motifs of Charles Ronnie Mackintosh.  It’s very pretty.  I almost bought a journal with the same motif but didn’t.  Tara bought us a thistle tea pot cozy and a necklace for herself that has a watch built in.  It, too, is a Mackintosh motif and to Tara it looks like a rose but to me it looks like a thistle.  Regardless, it too is very pretty.

    1743 Dalmally 

    Made it to Dalmally with only some white knuckle moments.  Off to find food.  More later

    1857 Crianlarich Scotland

    As I wait for the Famous Fish and Chips at the Real Food Cafe, I’ll catch up on my journal.  

    We picked up the rental without issue. We were given a burnt orange Nissan SUV that has all the bells and whistles.  Though I’m confident in my driving abilities, getting started was a little stressful.  I had trouble getting it into first and second gear.  It also took me a minute to sort out Apple Car Play, get the mirrors aligned and feel comfortable. Tara was a great help with navigation and eventually everything came back to me. 

    We headed up the A82 towards Dalmally.  The drive was beautiful and there was only a few drizzles. We stopped at Firkin Point to view the lough, and saw a beautiful rainbow along with the beautiful landscape.  After walking around a bit, we headed out again and eventually ended up at the Falls of Falloch, which is on my Google Map.  The Falls were very active and there were even some young men swimming and jumping off the cliffs near it.  By then, the rain had stopped and the sun was out, but the paths were very muddy.  I told Tara that we were a couple of bad asses because we were basically hiking while wearing dresses.  But I was impressed that we stayed mostly out of the mud.  The guys made their way to the top of the falls with the intention of jumping off into the water below, but we didn’t stay to see if they did or if common sense overruled their bravado.

    We continued up A82 to A85 then into Dalmally.  Our bed and breakfast is beautiful and sits next to a lazy creek.  The grounds are lovely and the room is very comfortable.  It’s a shame we are only here for one night.

    Tara and I found a restaurant twelve miles that promised Famous Fish and Chips.  We ordered that and they did not disappoint us.

    2048, Orchy Bank House

    We’re back in our room, relaxing.  The drive here was beautiful.  I remarked to Tara that one of the reasons Scotland and Ireland is so beautiful is that there aren’t any billboards disturbing the scenery.  No ‘Buc-ees’ signs, no fast food signs, just beautiful scenery.

    Tomorrow after breakfast we’re heading towards Fort William, where we’ll stay two nights.  I want to explore this area as there are many points of interest I found in my research.  Tomorrow might be overcast with rain.  Hopefully it will add to the ambiance, but if the sun comes out and stays out, I’ll be happy with that, too.

    ~Kelly

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Four

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Four

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 17, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries). The above photo is of the rainbow we saw when we entered the beautiful Scottish Highlands. More photos can be found here.

    17 September 0803, Orchybank House

    I slept very well last night.  Because we are in the country, when we shut off the lights in the room, it was completely pitch black. No ambient lights anywhere.  The sky was cloudy, otherwise we would have gone outside to see the stars.  

    We’re having a very nice breakfast. Tara got the Full Scottish and I got poached eggs with hollandaise sauce on black pudding and spinach, on an English muffin. I’ll have to look up the name of what they called it.  It is delicious.  We’re sitting by the window with a view of the duck pond and ducks, and the bird feeders.  It’s so nice to watch the birds come and go.  

    Today we will stravaig the area as we head towards Fort William.  When I booked our stay here, and shared my itinerary on a Scottish Travel page, people said there wasn’t anything to do here.  I’m so glad I didn’t listen to them because this area is beautiful. My only regret is that we only had one night. 

    1817, Ben Nevis Inn and Restaurant 

    Today was amazing!  We certainly did plenty of stravaiging and didn’t t let the rain dampen our adventures. We stopped at almost every point I highlighted on my Google Map, and found a few more.  The Highlands are so beautiful and we saw another rainbow.  

    The only negative about today is that Tara somehow managed to catch a cold!  We’ll stop at the store after dinner so hopefully with medicine and a good nights sleep she’ll feel better soon

    We are staying the next two nights at Torbeag House outside of Fort William.  The home is beautiful and there is a great view of Ben Nevis.  I’m sure we’ll be comfortable  

    2019, Torbeag House, outside Fort William

    We are back at our room, in jams, and just relaxing and reviewing the day.  Tara and I both took a lot of photographs, and I haven’t even looked at most of them, as I was trying to hurry up and capture the next beautiful scene. 

    My rock collection is growing.  I found two heart rocks and several other interesting ones.  No official Charlie rock, though (the heart rocks don’t count), but I’m sure I will find one.

    Dinner was simple tonight.  We both got the same thing: Smoked haddock, potato and leek soup, with Parmesan and Truffle Oil fries.  Tara got a hard cider and I got Ginger Beer.  For dessert, I ordered a raspberry chocolate thing to share but we received a peanut butter chocolate thing to share instead.  Everything was delicious.

    We got some medicine for Tara, a day and night cold and flu medication, and it cost less than two pounds.  In the States it would have been about at least twelve bucks!  

    I’m glad we are relaxing this evening.  Today was beautiful and I loved driving in the mountains, but it was very stressful for some reason.  Not at all like driving in Ireland, but it should be the same.  Maybe because I have a passenger?  I’ve been having trouble getting into first gear for some reason.  My old Tercel had the classic ‘H’ configuration for shifting gears, and the Nissan is different.  Reverse is on the far right, next to first gear, but in order to put it in reverse, you have to pull up a ring to engage it.  I think subconsciously I’m afraid of putting the gear in reverse accidentally instead of first, which isn’t even possible.  As always, I am my own worst enemy.

    Tomorrow we are sleeping in.  Tomorrow afternoon is the Jacobite Steam Train with Afternoon Tea and I. CANT’T. WAIT!  Not sure what we are going to do before then.  I’m not sure what kind of shopping Fort William has but I would like to get something heavy, like a sweater or a hoodie.  But if the weather is nice, it would be nice to hike before the train.  I’m sure we’ll figure something out.

    ~K

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Five

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Five

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 18, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries). The above photo is of me and Tara in Mallaig, Scotland. More photos can be found here.

    1205 Fort William

    Our stay at Torbeag House might be my favorite thus far.  Our room is spacious, and we have a huge window that overlooks the garden.  We slept in, and Tara assured me that she’s feeling better.  We had a very good breakfast and then headed to Fort William.

    As soon as we got here, it started raining sideways (earlier this morning, there was a slight drizzle). We walked along the shops and helped the Scottish economy.  Now we’re back at the train station, patiently waiting for the Jacobite Steam Train. The sun is trying to come out, and the rain has lessened.   I think we lucked out because there is a notice that starting on the 20th, part of the journey would be via bus. I’m so glad we’re able to get the whole journey via steam train

    1425 The Jacobite Steam Train

    The train is everything I had hoped it would be. We are sharing a table with a couple from Australia and are having a lovely time together.  Our high tea came as a box lunch, which was different from what I had expected, but still good. We had a selection of finger sandwiches, pretzels, scone and clotted cream and jam, and a selection of cakes. One cake was a bar with a graham cracker base and caramel on top, a piece of carrot cake (not as good as mine, obviously!), and a chocolate cereal bar. 

    Our next stop is Mallaig, where we’ll be able to disembark and explore for about two hours, I think

    1547, Chlachain Inn

    Rain in Mallaig, so Tara and I popped into Chlachain Inn for a wee dram.  Martin, our bartender, picked out a lovely whisky for us, Highland Park 10, which is just perfect 

    1653, Jacobite Train

    We’re back on the train, waiting to return to Fort William.  We ended up having another wee dram, but it started to make us sleepy, so we ended with a coffee.  The weather has cleared, and I’m looking forward to different views on the way back.  I’m sitting by the window this time, as Tara sat by the window on the way out. We’ve reunited with Toddy and Pam, the Australian couple, which is very nice.

    2000, Torbeag House

    Back at Torbeag House. Very tired but very satisfied with the day.  Since we had tea on the train, we decided just to have a light dinner in our room.  We stopped at another grocery store and got some instant noodles.  I’m going to plan out tomorrow’s itinerary, but basically we are following the train’s itinerary. I hope to get some photos of the viaducts. As we went over it on the train, there were a ton of people watching and photographing it. It would be nice to capture the steam train, but I’m not going to plan out the day around that, just go with the flow. 

    ~ K

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Six

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Six

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 19, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries). The above is a photo of Tara admiring Loch nan Uamh. Additional photos can be found here.

    0749, Torbeag House
    I’ve really enjoyed our stay here and would definitely come back. The hosts are a lovely couple and very helpful 

    Today we’re moving on, heading to Arisaig.  It’s only an hour away so we have plenty of time to take in the scenery.  I downloaded a Highland Walks app so if the weather cooperates, we might be able to get good use of it 

    1246, Lochailort
    We are sitting g beneath a cairn that marks the spot where Bonnie Prince Charles embarked for France in 1746.  The sun is out and the scenery is beautiful.  Earlier today we stopped a Neptunes Staircase in Fort William during a downpour then headed to the coast.  We were going to stop at the Glenfinnan Viaduct but it was an absolute zoo.  The train was scheduled to arrive ten minutes after we arrived but it was so crazy crowded that we just drove on. Maybe tomorrow we’ll go back. We did stop along the side of the road and watched the train go by. It was fun to wave at the passengers and I was as giddy as a child seeing the train.  After that, we stopped at Dumbledore’s grave at Eilean na Mòine and now we’re here just enjoying the natural beauty of Scotland.

    1637, Kilmory, Arisaig 
    I’m getting an A+ from Tara for finding this place.  It really is beautiful and it’s probably my best find for all of my trips. It’s on the campus of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, and there is the old church bones (walls), and an old cemetery.  The view from our bedrooms overlooks the cemetery and the West Coast of Scotland.  Tara and I have separate bedrooms and will share a bathroom.  There is also a joint living room/dining room with a kitchen complete with washer/dryer, dishwasher and full size fridge.  We will be here for three nights and I already know it’s not enough time.

    We arrived to Arisaig before check in and found Kilmory, then found some lunch nearby.  We can actually walk to it if we want to go back tomorrow.  We both had Brie toastie with bacon (fancy toasted cheese Sammie), and a cup of sweet potato and coconut soup.  After lunch and before we checked in, we took advantage of Scotland’s ‘Right to Roam’ rule and walked about three miles in the country side.  The Right to Roam rule basically means walkers and cyclists can have access to land, with some exceptions.  It is understood that walkers will respect the land and land owners will respect that the natural beauty of Scotland belongs to everyone.  I think it’s a wonderful idea, and it’s unfortunate that it isn’t available in our country.

    1808, Kilmory, Arisaig
    We just got back from a grocery run.  We walked down to the local Spar and got bread, peanut butter, raspberry jam, deli ham, sliced cheese, a can of soup, Strawberry yogurt, fresh strawberries and raspberries, and Mac and Cheese.  We should be good for our time here. It will be nice to make our own meals.

    1951, Kilmory, Arisaig 
    Not sure what the plan is for tomorrow.  I purposely didn’t plan anything for the next couple of days because I thought the days will fill themselves once we arrived.  There is a ferry to a local island which might be nice to investigate, weather permitting.  I’m sure we won’t be bored.  I’m going to have Tara make tomorrow’s agenda.  I’m sure she’ll come up with something wonderful.

    Gonna turn in soon. Tara said we walked about seven miles today!

    ~ K

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Seven

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Seven

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 20, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries).  The above photo is Castle Tioram. Additional photos can be found here.

    0813, Kilmory, Arisaig 
    This morning, I am very introspective and perhaps a little melancholy. There is such great beauty and peace here, and I’m so happy.  I know most of the happiness is because I’m on holiday, but the peace I have is encompassing.  

    I dread coming home. I shouldn’t say that and will try to clarify.  Just thinking of returning to the US fills me with anxiety and sadness.  I know every country has its problems, but I feel the US is marching towards Fascism as the current administration is erasing what makes America so special: diversity, freedom of expression, pursuit of happiness, and basic common sense for policies regarding health, natural resources, and art.

    I’ve been thinking of Charlie Kirk a lot recently.  I don’t agree with hardly anything he said, but he had the right to say it.  It sucks that he was a victim of gun violence, but I don’t understand his martyrdom in the aftermath of his death.  It’s insulting to me that the American flag is half-mast for a man who didn’t recognize the value of certain demographics and belittled women, especially women of color.  It amazes me that there is such a public period of mourning for his death, but nary a peep when Melissa Hartman was assassinated in her sleep earlier this summer.  How can Charlie Kirk’s freedom of speech be celebrated but Jimmy Kimmel’s is vilified?  I hate how divisive our country is and how poisonous social media has become.  

    We haven’t talked politics much while we’ve been here, but when we have, without prompting from us, people have said how sad they are to see America’s decline.  BC said they will no longer visit America under the current administration, and several people have said they would like to visit but are scared to because of the gun violence.  I don’t blame them, but I couldn’t change their minds.

    Gotta snap out of this.  Tara made breakfast, and later we’re going to find a castle.

    1552, Kilmory, Arisaig 
    Tara made hot ham and egg sammies for us, then we headed out to find a castle.  Last night, after I gave her the assignment to figure out our day, she found a castle that was 9 miles away, but 50 minutes by car.  She wasn’t sure if going was a good idea, and I had to remind her that we were in Scotland and we HAD to see a castle.  So off we went.

    The drive was quite nice – very curvy, isolated roads, and the scenery was again breathtaking.  We stopped at least once to take photos and then soon found the castle.

    The castle was Castle Tioram and is located on a small tidal island called Eilean Tioram in Loch Moidart.  Happily, though, when we got there, the tide was out, so we were able to walk to it.  When we arrived, around 11 a.m., it was very deserted, though there were a few dog walkers about.  I found some more rocks – a heart rock and a piece of slate that looks like a mountain range.  I also found one that could be my Scottish Prayer Rock.  It feels good in my hand, but isn’t as natural a fit as my Irish Prayer Rock.  We took a lot of photos, and afterwards, I suggested going back to the Glenfinnan Viaduct as there was a hiking trail there in addition to the view.  We headed there, but again, the place was a zoo!  We’re going to try again early tomorrow morning, and if photographing the viaduct doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.

    Tara also found a nice garden that is within walking distance of Kilmory (Larachmhor Garden).  We walked there after returning from Castle Tioram and stayed there for about two hours.  Tara is very interested in the plant life here and often stops and inspects plants.  She is particularly impressed with the rose hips, and some of them have been as big as a cherry tomato!  I’ve noticed that Scotland has a lot of ferns – something that I didn’t notice in Ireland.  And there are a ton of rhododendrons, which makes this NC girl happy.  One of the craziest plants we’ve seen is a Chilean Rhubarb.  It is HUGE!  I’ll enclose a photo of one when I sign off.  And of course, there is lots of heather.

    After we came back from the Garden Walk, we had an early dinner (grilled ham and cheese sammies with Carrot soup).  In a bit, we’ll walk towards the coast.

    1845, Kilmory, Arisaig 
    Just back from a 3.4 mile blustery hike to the coast.  The wind was wicked but the scenery was worth it.  Now, I’m wrapping up my journal with a nice hot cocoa with a special mint additive.  We’re going to bed early because we (I) want to get to the viaduct before it becomes a zoo tomorrow.  Not sure what we’ll do afterwards, but I’m sure adventure will find us.

    Today was a wonderful day.  My melancholy went away and Tara did a great job planning the activities and meals.  It was so nice to explore together and I’m so glad the weather was perfect.  Hopefully we’ll have more beautiful days.

    Attached are some photos of the day and the photo of the Chilean Rhubarb 

    Have a good evening!

    ~K

  • A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Eight

    A Highland Stravaig: Chapter Eight

    (Originally shared with friends and family on September 21, 2025. A note about the format of this travel journal. I’ve shared the original dates in the body of each journal entry. In order to make the journal chronological, I had ‘fudge’ the dates of the bottom of each post. Please ignore them. Also, I adopted the Scottish use of military time throughout my entries).  The above photo is the Jacobite Steam Train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Additional photos can be found here.

    21 September, 2025

    0926, Glenfinnan

    Last night, when I was going to bed, I glanced out the window and saw a beautiful starry sky.  Tara was still up so we went outside in our pjs to admire God’s creation.  It was so peaceful, the only sound was the gentle song of the wind.  

    We got up early today and actually got to the Glenfinnan Viaduct!  It is such a beautiful time of day and the viaduct, I think, is more impressive without a train.  We hiked a trail to the station that we stopped at when we were on the Jacobite train, but will head back the way we came in a few minutes.  I’m sure as we get closer to the viewing points, it will be crowded. The Jacobite train is supposed to pass by at 1045 or so. 

    10.05, Glenfinnan Viaduct 

    We’re on the side of a mountain with a beautiful view of the viaduct so we decided to wait for the train since we’re here. It should arrive in about 40 minutes so I’m enjoying the views and the sounds of nature (with more and more human voices in the background), and catching up on my journal 

    Our original plan was to go back to Kilmory for breakfast/lunch but now I’m not so sure. There is a lighthouse Tara found on the coast that is about two hours away.  We’ve had gentle rain this morning that I hope stays away as I’m sitting on my Barbour on the hill. After the train passes, we want to go to the visitor center and the Highland Monument, which is across the street from the visitor center. It will probably be lunchtime by the time we’ll be ready to leave. I’m sure we’ll be hungry 

    1318, Fort William

    We ended up seeing the train!  It was quite fun to see and I hope my photos come out. As suspected, there were a ton of people there in the end.  But it was a fun experience.  Afterwards, we stopped at the visitor center and I bought a magnet and Tara bought two books on Scotland and on the Jacobite Uprising.  We then headed to Fort William to gas up and get lunch. Right now we’re in Ben Nevis Pub waiting for our lunch.  Tara ordered mussels at our servers suggestion and I played it safe and ordered fish and chips

    We want to head to the lighthouse afterwards so I hope we don’t linger too long for lunch. 

    2020, Kilmory, Arisaig 

    By the time we finished lunch and returned to the car, we realized that by the time we got to the lighthouse, it would be closed.  But we still could have walked around but I was actually glad that in the end, we decided not to go at all, because had we gone, I would have had to drive at night on the way home.  I don’t like driving at night at home and driving an unfamiliar car on the opposite side of the road, with deer likely, didn’t sound like a good idea.  In the end, we drove back to Glencoe to explore as when we first went through Glencoe, it was raining.

    The drive there was lovely.  We stopped, once again, to the Glencoe Visitor Center as I had spied a cloak the first time we were there.  I really loved it – it had wine, pine and brown colors (good Earth colors) with a Celtic design woven in.  I didn’t get it initially because it was rather pricey, but I kept thinking about it.  Tara encouraged me to get it so I did and I love it!  It won’t replace my Irish house coat, but will compliment it.  I can see myself wrapped in it sitting on the porch in the Fall with a cup of tea.  I also bought a few more things for gifts and ended up really helping the Scottish economy.  I didn’t feel bad for not paying for parking!

    After our shopping excursion, we stopped by a little park and walked along the river.  It was a nice hike (about 1.5 miles) and we both enjoyed taking photographs.  Then we headed back to Arisaig.

    When we visited Castle Tioram, we spied an abandoned home on the shore of Loch Ailort.  We fantasized about buying and turning it into an animal sanctuary for unwanted pets and farm animals (my dream vocation, if I’m honest), and decided to stop by to investigate it.  However, it came upon us quicker than I remembered and there wasn’t a nearby place to turn around.  I told Tara since we were on the road, we might as well go back to Castle Tioram and see it during the sunset.  She agreed that would be a nice excursion so we continued on.  When we eventually got to Castle Tioram, the tide was in and it was surrounded by water.  It was so beautiful and I’m glad we were able to see it with the tide in and with the tide out.  I took a ton of photos with my Nikon and can’t wait to share them when I get home.  

    Most of the photos I captured today were with my Nikon.  When I get home, I’ll work on the photo journal and let you know when it’s available :)

    I’ve really enjoyed my Adventure and it’s been great sharing it with Tara.  Tomorrow, we are taking the ferry to the Isle of Skye and then will head to Drumnadrochit, where we’ll be based for three nights.  Tuesday I think we’ll head into Inverness and Wednesday I have a date with the Highland Cows!  Then it’s back to Glasgow and then home.

    I think I’ve held up well with all the hiking and walking we’re doing.  I am a little more cautious than I have been in the past with steps (not stair steps, but hiking steps), and my hip has been a little grumbly.  But wine and ibuprofen sorts out all kinds of ailments so I’m not too concerned about it.