What I love about Scotland

I know that it’s only my third day in Scotland, but I’ve somehow managed to come up with a list of all the things I love about Scotland so far. So here it goes:

1. Bagpipes

Since Scotland is a comfortable 50 degrees at night, my hostel room window always remains open just a crack. This means that you can hear everything going on outside. At night it’s drunk people shouting. In the mornings it’s bird calls (I’m starting to question the turkeys by the way… I think I may have been wrong…) Anyway, this morning it was bagpipes. I had just gotten out of bed when I heard the OUTLANDER THEME SONG being played on the bagpipes!!! I couldn’t help but smile and think “aah, Scotland ❤️”

2. Delicious food

Breakfast: americano and a pastry from The Milkman

Lunch: mussels, a Mediterranean vegetable & goat cheese sandwich, and an Innis & Gunn beer from The Orchard

Dinner: the BEST fish n chips EVER from Malt Shovel Inn 

Drink: strawberry & lime cider from Greyfriar Bobby’s

No explanation necessary… everything was, once again, 10/10. Good job Scotland.

3. Environmental sustainability

Today I walked to the Royal Botanic Gardens, where I not only saw many beautiful flowers but also learned a lot about Scotland’s efforts in environmental sustainability.

Part of the garden was dedicated to growing fresh fruits and vegetables, and the signs read “please do not pick, as these fruits are not yet ripe and need to be used for the harvest festival”. So, the plants being grown in the garden were not just for show but were actually being used in the community. There were also a bunch of signs with helpful tips on how to grow your own food and the importance of doing so.

What I thought was one of the best parts, though, was the medicinal plant section of the garden. There were many signs with interesting information about which plants can be used to treat various illnesses. This reminded me a lot of the book Braiding Sweetgrass and the lessons I learned about using and respecting the gifts of nature. The information at the Royal Botanic Gardens is just one of many examples of how Scotland is trying to get people to adopt more environmentally-friendly habits.

4. New people!

Yes, that’s right. I met even more people today!!! When I came back to the hostel in the early afternoon to change clothes (I got sauce on my pants… oops), I got to chat with one of my hostel mates for a bit. Then, I went on a whiskey tasting tour and met three more female solo travelers! We ended up having so much fun together at the tour that we went out for dinner and drinks afterwards. It was fun to share stories about our different experiences! One girl was from Australia traveling all over Europe between her undergraduate studies and medical school. Another was from the US doing an internship in London. And the other is in the US military on a short trip away from her base in Poland. It’s crazy how something as simple as a whiskey tour led us to spend the entire night together!

5. The wonderful hi(stories)

One of the best parts of the whiskey tour, aside from tasting scotch and making new friends, was the storytelling that went along with it. In between drams of whiskey, our tour guide told us stories involving the Scots and their whiskey. One story that was exceptionally interesting to me was the story of Maggie Dickson. Maggie lived in the 1700s. She did not have a happy marriage and ended up falling in love with someone else. She then got pregnant with her lover’s baby, which was a capital punishment. After her baby was stillborn, Maggie tried to bury the body to cover up any evidence of the illegitimate child. However, she was caught and sentenced to hang in the Grassmarket (the part of Edinburgh where I’m currently staying). The town gathered around to watch her hang, and after she was put in a casket the people started to drink lots of whiskey.

This is when my tour guide said:

“a Scottish funeral is more fun than an English wedding”

Anyway, she ended up coming back to life!!!! Since she had technically already hanged for her crimes, the town decided to free her. She lived a very happy life and had many children. Now THAT’S one hell of a story.

A great bedtime story if you will….

Until next time,

Clara