Well, I've decided I'm moving to Scotland!
I’m just kidding. But I really do love it here. I haven’t had a lot of time to blog since I’ve arrived, but I’m taking a little bit of time to sit and relax with a (free!) cup of tea so that I can document my trip so far. After a full day of connecting flights and
hectic bus stations, I finally arrived at my destination. My airport experience wasn’t terrible. At my layover at the Reykjavik airport, I accidentally bought an Icelandic smoothie for ten American dollars. Remind me to never do that again -- it tasted like spinach and regret.
Once I landed at the Glasgow airport and made it through the ridiculously long customs line, a sweet elderly Scottish couple helped me find the bus station. This was only the first example of Scottish hospitality that I’ve encountered. Everyone is so sweet and willing to help. I was surprised by how incomprehensible the Scottish accent was at first. I spent a lot of my first day smiling and nodding and pretending to understand what everyone was saying when they struck up conversations with me . . . it has definitely gotten better since I’ve been here for a couple of days.
I’m currently in the town of Inverness, which is near Loch Ness. (Hidden golden nugget for fans of Shakespeare: this is the same Inverness as in Macbeth!) Scotland is so beautiful and green -- the 4-hour drive from the airport was lovely and full of rolling hills, trees, and grazing sheep.
I think I was a little surprised when I arrived in Inverness -- I expected it to be smaller and quieter, but it’s actually a busy, thriving town! It’s right on the River Ness. There are so many pubs and coffee shops and small businesses.
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| A rare beautiful day in the Highlands. (Drumnadrochit) |
I think I was a little surprised when I arrived in Inverness -- I expected it to be smaller and quieter, but it’s actually a busy, thriving town! It’s right on the River Ness. There are so many pubs and coffee shops and small businesses.
On my first night here, I immediately met new friends at my hostel, which is conveniently sandwiched between the river and the Inverness Castle. I’ve already met people from all over -- Tomás from Spain, Stella from the Netherlands, some people from France and French Canada, Chile, England . . . luckily, my hostel has a cozy common room with a fireplace and free tea, so it’s a great place to meet people.
I spent my first full day at the loch. My new friend Tomás and I took the bus out to Urquhart Castle (and I am forever grateful to Tomas because he showed me how to navigate public transportation, which was like another language to a simpleton like me). This was the first “touristy” thing that I’ve done since arriving. It’s the most famous castle on the loch, and rightfully so -- the ruins are beautiful! This was my first experience with the unpredictable Highlands weather. It was warm and sunny when we left Inverness, and by the time we forked over a steep 9 pounds each (!!!) and meandered our way down to the castle, it was foggy and spitting rain. I didn’t mind, though, because rainy days are my favorite, and the clouds seem to suit the dark waters of the loch better than sunshine. The wind was WILD. I’m glad I brought my hiking boots, because my usual thin cardigans and ballet flats just won’t do the trick here . . .
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| Here I am at the staple Loch Ness landmark, Urquhart Castle. (It's pronounced "ERK-ert," depending on who you ask. I had no idea for most of my visit.) |
I’m really glad we spent the day at Urquhart Castle. I learned a lot about the history of the loch and the evolution of the castle, the first version of which may date back to as early as 580 A.D. It’s clear that this is a major tourist attraction; I encountered countless different people speaking countless different languages. The gift shop was ridiculous! There were souvenirs ranging from notebooks to clan scarves to tiny bottles of scotch (here, it’s just “whisky”). There was even a little theatre with an 8-minute movie about the history of the castle, so that made me feel a little bit better about the admission price.
The food here is delicious. I haven’t had something that I disliked. Everything seems to be hearty and filling -- think lots of creamy soups, chowders, gravy, buttery bread, and some really good coffee. Cullen skink (no, I didn’t just insult you) is a type of traditional Scottish soup, and it consists of smoked haddock, leeks, and potatoes. There are so many incredible restaurants around Inverness and in the other towns surrounding the loch. I’m not sure how I’ll ever go back to eating at the Commons again.
Yesterday, I visited the most touristy place of all: the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre, along with the famed Nessieland. I took the bus to Drumnadrochit, a town near Urquhart Castle. You should have seen the grin on my face when I approached the Exhibition Centre -- a whole exhibit about Nessie, and a parking lot filled with other dewy-eyed tourists like me? I was so excited.
However, interestingly, the exhibition was quick to shoot down everyone’s dreams. With a series of short videos, the exhibition navigated through the history of the loch and of Nessie sightings throughout the years. Newspaper clippings marked sightings and stories all the way from 1933, and there was a small section with information about water monsters from around the world. While the recordings and videos encouraged visitors to be "naturalist and detective," there isn't much of a case if, as the display claimed, there is not nearly enough food to sustain a creature of the "monster's" size. Sometimes it's more fun to ignore science and keep the dream alive. The end of the exhibition was marked with a giant gift shop. I may or may not have bought a Nessie key chain.
Nessieland, a separate gift shop near the Exhibition Centre, was a bit of a disappointment. There was one small alcove with monster souvenirs, and the rest of the shop was filled with other Scotland-themed tourist gimmicks. The outside of the shop was better -- there were three massive plesiosaur-ish sculptures for kids to climb and take pictures with.
That was how I spent my first couple of days. I'm trying to balance the life of a tourist (for the purpose of my project) with the life of a local -- after all, the culture of Scotland certainly is something that I want to experience in the most genuine way possible.
However, interestingly, the exhibition was quick to shoot down everyone’s dreams. With a series of short videos, the exhibition navigated through the history of the loch and of Nessie sightings throughout the years. Newspaper clippings marked sightings and stories all the way from 1933, and there was a small section with information about water monsters from around the world. While the recordings and videos encouraged visitors to be "naturalist and detective," there isn't much of a case if, as the display claimed, there is not nearly enough food to sustain a creature of the "monster's" size. Sometimes it's more fun to ignore science and keep the dream alive. The end of the exhibition was marked with a giant gift shop. I may or may not have bought a Nessie key chain.
Nessieland, a separate gift shop near the Exhibition Centre, was a bit of a disappointment. There was one small alcove with monster souvenirs, and the rest of the shop was filled with other Scotland-themed tourist gimmicks. The outside of the shop was better -- there were three massive plesiosaur-ish sculptures for kids to climb and take pictures with.
