To start off, I’ve never seen Highlander (the movie), but I hear is great so it will be on my list of movies to watch before visiting the Highlands.
But I’m so stoked about my trip to Scotland, mostly because my experiences of Scotland have been through novels. Understandably, I won’t be finding hot Scottish men with brogues and kilts (oh, I so hope I see some).
With titles as Scottish Brides (Julia Quinn is like my romance writer idol), White Mist (takes place in Isle of Skye and is an absolute beautiful retelling of Jane Eyre), Love Me Forever (Joanna Lindsay was my go-to writer as a kid), every Julia Garwood book that takes place in Scotland, and of course, on the heels of finishing the first Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, they are enough to spin a thousand Highland dreams. Don’t forget classics like Sir Walter Scott, all the Sherlock Holmes tale written in Scotland, even Harry Potter!
Did I mention, the neighborhood I grew up in is called the Highlands (although it’s not as romantic in dreary working class city, Lowell, MA)?
Mystical isles with mythical animals like the monster at Loch Ness and the red lion and unicorns on its royal coat of arm, Scotland is a place I imagined to be drenched in foggy mountainous pass, draped in rolling green hills entrenched in mystery, mayhem, danger, and utter romance. It’s enough to toss one’s skirt over and have a wild heady torrid affair!
Madness indeed!
But I’m so excited about the trip. I’ve my rain boots ready on the side for some drenchy wet weather, pen and paper to draw, and imagination to take me away. And not to forget my wonderful Lumix camera.
I’ve booked a special tour with Vacation Scotland (I found their information from Diana Gabaldon’s website) to visit Skye and did several research for Edinburgh itself. Hopefully, we’ll meet some locals to give us some advice for places to eat and be a real local.
All images are credited to WIkipedia and Free-Foto