Happiness Is Just Around The Bend

So let’s say you have about 2 days in Glasgow, or just a weekend to do the must-see Glasgow attractions. What exactly is it that makes this city a contender for the best in Scotland? If I was planning your Glasgow 2 day itinerary, this is the highlights that would be on it! I should probably start this off by stating that I’m a little embarrassed to admit that it took me 2.5 years of living in Scotland before I spent any quality time exploring Glasgow and all it has to offer. Oops. I’m so glad I finally discovered the awesomeness of this city! Living in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has always provided me great cultural experiences through all the festivals on offer, the beautiful architecture to admire and lovely hidden gems to discover. However, I’ve continuously heard the rumour that Glasgow offers something both a little more, and different. More culture, more nightlife, and different things to see and do. And now I can confirm the rumours are true! Some might say th...

Over the past 6 months or so, I have fallen in love. Not with a person, though, but with a place. And that place is Scotland. After spending a couple of weeks last summer exploring Scotland's major cities and experiencing the beauty of the Highlands, I knew I was in danger of developing strong feelings. And then I got invited back for a week around New Year's to take part in Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations. After that, it was all over. I've got it bad for Scotland ; the country is now in my list of “Top 5 Countries I Love the Most,” and a place I'm already dreaming of returning to soon. I blame most of this on a tour I took in early August with a company called Haggis Adventures. 5 days. 22 international travelers. 1 sexy yellow bus. And the whole of the Scottish Highlands at our fingertips. My “Highland Fling” tour was, hands-down, one of the best guided tours I've ever been on — and one of my most memorable travel experiences from last summer. ...

Hogmanay Torchlight Procession Edinburgh, Scotland Each winter thousands of people march through the streets of Edinburgh with flaming torches to celebrate the Hogmanay New Year. What could possibly go wrong? Actually, nothing goes wrong. Complete strangers join together to walk side by side. Everyone is polite and courteous to each other. When we visited, 35,000 people from around the world showed up to enjoy the spectacle. Hogmanay New Year Celebrations The torchlight procession marks the start of celebrations for Hogmanay , Scotland’s traditional New Year festival. The word Hogmanay means “end of year”, but rather than just one day of merrymaking, this party lasts 3 days. The roots of the holiday are not certain, but it likely has to do with the Norse winter solstice celebrations and the Gaelic festival Samhain that marked the end of the harvest season. Shetland’s Up Helly Aa’ Vikings (Photo By: Off the Path) Torchlight Procession Held each year on Dec...

More often than not, when foreigners discover that Craig and I (Gemma, Two Scots Abroad) are from Scotland their automatic response is “ahhh, Braveheart; whisky and Edinburgh!”. Fair play to our capital which does indeed have a castle on top of a volcano but Scotland is so much more than Mel Gibson (he isn’t even Scottish), castles and booze (although unfortunately alcohol does play a large part of our culture!). Scotland also has rolling hills, fierce lochs (lakes) and blue skies* all of which can be experienced by trekking The West Highland Way. Last year was the year that we all turned thirty. What did you do/plan to do for your thirtieth birthday? Shopping trip to NYC? Party time in Ibiza? What about a 96 mile trek through the West Coast of Scotland? Not something I had considered before either but this is what my friends and I chose to do to celebrate three decades of living, and I gotta tell you, I have never felt so alive! My good friends Helen, Julie and I set off from ...