I Could Live Here: Northern Scotland

There is really nothing quite like the magic I experienced in Scotland this October. It’s like a country made for Halloween lovers, spiritual mystics, and people who appreciate the power of nature. The richest autumnal color palette of leaves lies over the green moss. Fog hung over the landscape like a thick clot of cream, and layers of mud and dirt clung to my hiking boots.

We rented a van and did a loop from Edinburgh, to Loch Lomond, to Glencoe, to Fort William, to Isle of Skye, and then all the way back to Edinburgh, spending most of our time in the Highlands and Skye. Scotland is known for its Celtic roots and spirituality, and I felt that as I walked through the tree cathedrals and inhaled the thick scent of pine. The Cailleach, the Gaelic goddess of winter known for shaping the landscape of Scotland, felt present at every sunrise as we trekked past the sweet sheep and the wet moss and passed through golden trees.

Coffee and a Pastry

I really enjoyed sampling all of Scotland’s treats, including the famous shortbread. A common brand is Walkers, and you’ll see it sold in all of the tourist shops. Hot tip: you can get it for way cheaper in a grocery store, and it makes a really nice gift or souvenir. Another really good Scottish treat is called “millionaire’s shortbread”. It’s shortbread on the bottom, layered with caramel and chocolate on top. It’s said to be called “millionaire’s” because it’s so rich.

Another unique food in Scotland is oat cakes. Oat cakes have been documented as existing in Scotland since as early as the Roman conquest of Britain in AD 43. They stodgy, oat cracker. In the van, we spent a few nights snacking on beer, oat cakes, and cheddar cheese. Heavenly. I also noticed a lot of oat bars at coffee shops, but stuck to the heavy butter.

There is an amazing coffee company on Skye called Caora Dhubh Coffee Company that seems to stock all of the nice bakeries and restaurants on the island. They have a small café just outside the Talisker tasting room. I really enjoyed their decaf roast and sipped it outside in a rare moment of sunshine just before our tour. Not to mention, the branding and design are stunning, and the company promotes ethical coffee consumption.

My favorite coffee shop was the Bog Myrtle Cafe in Skye. It was designed by Banjo Beale after being featured on a BBC TV Show called Designing The Hebrides. The stained glass breaking up the room into two, on a sunny and warm October morning, brought the coziest vibes as I sipped on my Coara coffee and munched on my cheddar and chive scone. I could have hung out here all day.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing seafood in Scotland. My husband tried cullen skink - the national seafood chowder of Scotland - and said it was delicious despite the funny name. One of our favorite things we ate our whole trip was a three-cheese grilled cheese sandwich from IJ Mellis with chili jam on it. Don’t underestimate the power of Scottish cheddar.

Adventure

Waking up every day and hiking for two or three hours was transformative to my mood, mindset, and creativity. I wish I could organize every day to be like this. We had the benefit of sleeping at or near the trailhead most nights, so we were often the first people on the trail at sunrise.

At Loch Lomond, I saw lots of people wearing wetsuits and organizing stand-up paddleboard trips at the visitor center. We also saw tons of locals on the trails with their dogs. Never have I seen more beautiful dogs than on the trails in Scotland.

Here are my favorite hikes that we did:

Conic Hill in Loch Lomond - the top of the trail was completely foggy and the incline was tough, but the views of the lake were breathtaking.

Three Sisters / Coire Gabhail in Glencoe - I loved this hike. It ends in the “Lost Valley” which looks like something out of Jurassic Park. I felt like there would be a dinosaur that popped out at any moment.

Steall Fall near Fort William - Lots of people stay here to hike Ben Nevis, which is a tough hike, and we took it a bit easier and did a three-hour hike of Steall Fall. I felt like I was a character in Lord of the Rings. Sunset at our campsite had an absolutely gorgeous view.

The Quiraing in Skye - My favorite hike of the entire trip. I think we hiked to the ends of the earth. The green, lush, mossy ground literally juts out to the sky in asymmetrical shapes. A landslip over 60 million years ago, followed by more landslides, ice sheets, and glacial activity, led to large layers of rock sitting on top of lava since the Jurassic period. It is a wild view.

The Fairy Pools in Skye - waking up with the sheep was so sweet and charming! Watching the sunrise over the valley was absolutely breathtaking. You can do the short trail or continue onwards. We went a little past the pools and turned back for our Talisker visit.

As a side note, I had no idea that so many locations in Scotland were used for shooting the Harry Potter films. If you are a “Potterhead” like me, you can see where Voldemort’s grave was filmed, the Glenfinnan Viaduct where the “Hogwarts Express” passes, and where Hagrid’s Hut was filmed. I really geeked out at these spots!

Culture

We did not do a single castle tour or museum visit this trip, which is very unlike me. Our last twenty-four hours were spent on a quick jaunt in Edinburgh - enough time for a walking tour, a lovely dinner, and a comedy show.

Our host on the walking tour, Graeme Milne, was a wonderful storyteller. He recommended we visit the Writers’ Museum. Many people think of the Scottish poet Robert Burns when they think of Scotland, however he reminded us that one of Scotland’s biggest treasures is Robert Lewis Stevenson, who wrote Treasure Island, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and the poetry collection A Child’s Garden of Verses. Graeme encouraged us to read the poetry book, and I found this one and loved it so much. Just as a child can climb a tree to change their perspective, an adult can travel to get a different point of view.

Foreign Lands

Up into the cherry tree
Who should climb but little me?
I held the trunk with both my hands
And looked abroad in foreign lands.

I saw the next door garden lie,
Adorned with flowers, before my eye,
And many pleasant places more
That I had never seen before.

I saw the dimpling river pass
And be the sky’s blue looking-glass;
The dusty roads go up and down
With people tramping in to town.

If I could find a higher tree
Farther and farther I should see,
To where the grown-up river slips
Into the sea among the ships,

To where the road on either hand
Lead onward into fairy land,
Where all the children dine at five,
And all the playthings come alive.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

The downside to living in Scotland might likely be the weather. For a quick autumnal week in nature, it’s a mood. But for daily living, it is constantly grey - even the buildings of Edinburgh are grey due to the crazy fires that ravaged the city. Despite being a northern and grey city, I found Scottish people to be incredibly friendly and lovely. Everyone we met made small talk with us and was super helpful.

The values that I’m taking with me this trip are the importance of incorporating nature into my daily life, the awe and wonder of planet earth, and the simplicity of being couped up in a van with the love of my life and some cheddar cheese, reminding me that it doesn’t take much to make me happy.

Hotel Tips ($150 per night or less)

Scottish hotels were fairly expensive - it doesn’t help that the dollar is weak against the pound. Jimmy Kimmel stayed in the Fife Arms right after I was there, which would be a dream, but the smallest room starts at 350 pounds per night. Here are some tips for making Scotland more affordable.

• 🏨 Visit Scotland offers some unique-looking guest houses, B&Bs, and room lets directly on their website. In Edinburgh, “EdLet” also offers bnbs and guest houses.

• 🚐 We rented an Indy Camper, which worked out to be about $200 / night. We only had to stay at a campsite for three nights. We stayed here near Ben Nevis, here in Isle of Skye, and the last night we stayed here for only $18. The other nights we stayed in rural places where overnight parking was allowed, and most importantly, left no trace. So even if this is above the budget threshold, it’s counted as a rental car plus accommodation, so I’m letting it slide! Being able to wake up and hike on this trip was priceless, as well as cooking our own food to save money, or at least heating up our leftovers. Would you like an in-depth guide about renting a campervan for a holiday?

Other Tips

• Visiting Skye 🌲: I saw a lot of Rabbie’s vans taking people around Skye for a day trip. We spent three nights and two full days in Skye, and we definitely could have spent another day there, even in the off-season when most things are closed. If you don’t have a lot of time, it might be nice to do a van tour where you can see a lot of the highlights and nature from an expert who knows how to give you the most out of an experience.

• Favorite cafes ☕: Caora Coffee in Skye and Bog Myrtle in Skye, The Palmerston, and Cairngorn Coffee in Edinburgh (that’s where we got the grilled cheese of our dreams!). We missed Stiff Peaks Patisserie near Fort Williams and the Bakehouse and Crannog in Maillaig because they were already closed by the time we got there, but those were on my list as well.

Scottish Content Creators I love:

• Caroline McQuistin - I adore Caroline’s content. First of all, she loves the art of sentimentality and curates her home with intention and authenticity. Plus, she regularly reuses objects and doesn’t focus on buying new. Secondly, her content highlights the magic of Scottish nature and living close to nature. Thirdly, I love her outfits and style.

• The Glasgow Witch - I am going to be participating in her 13 Magical Nights tradition from 21 December until 1 January to keep the magic of Scotland going. Starting now, at Sahmain, you start writing down your hopes for the year, but stating them as if you already have them. For eg/ “I am a mother” or “I have a beautiful friendship community”. Then, you pick 13 of your most precious hopes and write them on a piece of paper. Each night, you burn a piece of paper and let the universe take care of you and bring this to you. On the last night, you save your wish for yourself and commit to your intention to take action to bring it to the world.

What about you? Could you live in rural Scotland? Could you live in a van? More about how I got into van life here and here, and my trip to Ireland in a van.

I made an Instagram account for this Substack, to help promote its growth! I’d love if you gave me a follow! Happy Halloween 🎃