The challenge of writing about an uncharted experience intrigued me. I've needed some time to reflect on this one. As I thought about it, I was immediately taken back to one of our most favorite trips to Scotland. And, remembering this time was a good reprieve from everyday life.
My husband worked a lot in Scotland, so we planned a 10-day trip after one of his meetings. Because many of his co-workers live in Scotland, he was able to plan a fabulous, off-the-beaten-path trip. The itinerary was made, reservations locked in, and off we went.
One of the most memorable places was on the Isle of Mull. This far western region is about a 4-hour drive from Edinburg. Getting there was tricky. You have to traverse some seriously winding, one-lane, and treacherous roads, get on a ferry, and make your way across the Isle. And, you'd better be paying attention as the large, woolly cows would often block the road, just daring you to pass by them.
Our destination was Glengorm Castle. You could see the majestic building from miles away. As we approached, we were completely blown away by its size, the enormity of the property, and the stunning views of the ocean. I was pinching myself that we were going to be staying in that castle!
While the castle itself was stunning, my desire was to get out onto the property and explore the area. I wanted to hike down to the beach, which looked like a fairly easy hike. What we ended up discovering was that it was quite a distance to the ocean. My husband said I put him on a death march.
We headed out across the peat, which was just like I had imagined, spongy and mushy. The slope down to the water was dotted with hundreds of sheep. The grass was vividly green and lush.
In the distance, we spotted some standing stones that were set in a circular pattern. Because I am a fan of Outlander, I was thrilled to make this discovery. The closer we got to the stones, the larger they became. When we finally arrived at the stones, I was in awe at making this unexpected discovery.
There were no tourist markings, no signage, nothing. There these stones sat in their original setting, undisturbed and majestic. We stayed in this area for a bit, just imagining the history surrounding these stones.
We did finally make it to the beach. It was a grueling hike, but even more so on the way back because now it was all uphill back to the castle. We earned our dinner that night for sure. Mainly, though, because we took a chance to get out and see the land, we were rewarded with the coolest find.
This part of the trip was definitely uncharted. We felt like we had stumbled upon an ancient secret. The whole experience was worth every blister and sore muscle. I'm glad that we took a chance off the beaten path.
Thank you for this challenge. This was a fun memory to dig up. One of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
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