At the beginning of February, I had the chance to visit Scotland for the first time. My sister and I travelled to Inverness for the wedding of our beautiful wee cousin. My blood family is very small, and it’s not often that we’re all together; the last time I was with most of the guests was for my mum’s funeral in 2018, and so it was wonderful to be gathering for a happier occasion.

After the wedding (which was an absolutely joyous kilt fest with a superb Scottish Ceilidh!) my sister and I stayed on for a few more days with our mum’s cousin, to get the chance to explore.

Anybody I’ve ever talked to (and not just the Scots!) has said how magical parts of Scotland are, and I was keen to see for myself. I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Ian (my mum’s cousin) is the most fantastic tour guide, and curated a wonderful itinerary; we really got the feel of the Highlands, with excellent local knowledge and commentary. This coupled with a nightly ‘wee dram’ from Ian’s fine collection of whiskies, made the whole time feel like a proper holiday.

I’ve always been drawn to the Highlands and to the Hebrides; the setting of many a folk song, for me there has always been a mythical air which infused my imaginings of these parts. Even in the depths of winter, there was a richness in the muted colours, and the light felt completely different to home.

We were surrounded by snow capped mountains, and treated to stunning wildlife at every turn. My favourite sighting was the pod of seals which were hanging out across a bay, lounging in the late afternoon sun. But a very close second was the huge herd of deer that bounded up the hill along aside us as we were driving home over the moors.

Below are some pictures of the Clava Cairns, one of the most important prehistoric sites in Scotland. They are a cemetery complex of passage graves; ring cairns, kerb cairns and standing stones all well-preserved from the Bronze Age, in a stunning setting. When the light from the setting sun illuminates the perfectly-aligned stones, it is not difficult at all to envision the site as a portal into another time, reminiscent of the wonder I feel at Stonehenge. You can learn more here about the origins and history of the Cairns here.

The journey was just as much a treat as the stay, as I love to travel by rail. We had originally planned to drive (to have the freedom to explore and offer up lifts to the other guests), but after some very swift second thoughts, we knew the journey by car from London would be completely overwhelming! The train journey (albeit still well over 6 hours) was the perfect opportunity to take in the scenery.

Now I’ve ticked my first trip off the list, I can’t wait to plan the next! Hiking will definitely be on the agenda. It would be great to explore more on foot. I’ve been told that Killicrankie, in Pitlochry is absolutely incredible when you catch the turning of the autumn leaves, so I can only imagine how gorgeous doing some walks there would be. Also, the Orkney Folk Festival is held every year in May, and would be a wonderful chance to experience a Hebridean island and catch some great music along the way.

Till next time, Scotland!