Scotland – Mist, Mountains and a Few Unexpected Moments

Hi everyone,

After another early start we found ourselves heading back to Luton Airport, ready for the next leg of the adventure — Scotland. The flight itself turned out to be more entertaining than expected thanks to a very lively cabin manager who seemed determined that nobody would be bored. At one point he discovered it was one of the steward’s birthdays and made the poor girl walk the length of the aisle while the whole plane sang Happy Birthday. Not exactly the quiet flight we expected, but it definitely made the trip memorable.

Once we landed at Luton the travel shuffle began again. First a bus into Baker Street, then the Underground across to Euston Station where we would catch the train north to Glasgow. Euston is absolutely enormous and still feels very new, with electronic boards everywhere telling you everything except the one thing you actually want to know — which platform your train is leaving from.

Apparently they don’t reveal that little detail until 20 minutes before departure, and then the gates only open 10 minutes before the train leaves. As soon as the platform number flashes up on the screen the entire waiting area springs to life. Everyone suddenly moves in the same direction at once. The announcements repeatedly say “there is no running in the station,” but what you do see is some very creative speed walking, skipping, and what can only be described as a Cliffy Young shuffle as people try to get through the gates before they close them two minutes before departure.

When we finally reached the train, we thought we were losing the plot. Our tickets said Carriage F, so naturally we followed the alphabet down the platform… A, B, C, D, E… and then suddenly the next carriage was U. We both stopped and looked at each other wondering if we’d somehow boarded the wrong train. A few steps further down though, there it was — Carriage F. Still not sure how that system works, but at least we found our seats.

The luggage racks were tiny, but after a bit of rearranging we managed to squeeze everything in. The seats weren’t exactly luxury, but the upside of a long train journey is you can stand up and wander around when you feel like it. Just under five hours later we rolled into Glasgow where we were greeted with a surprisingly pleasant 8 degrees — which actually felt quite warm after Iceland. Our motel was only about 200 metres from the station, which was a very welcome sight after a long day of travelling..

Glasgow has always had a bit of a rough reputation, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. First impressions were actually quite good. There’s a lot of construction happening around the city, which makes it feel like the place is really reinventing itself.

Naturally our first stop was Macca’s for a coffee. As we sat there waiting for that first sip — which is always the hardest until your tastebuds adjust — we noticed four police officers talking to a man who looked like he might have been homeless. For a moment we thought things were about to escalate, but instead they simply straightened his coat, pulled his beanie down properly on his head, and sent him on his way. It was oddly gentle and not quite what we expected.

One thing we did notice though was that many of the takeaway places and grocery stores had security guards, including the McDonald’s we were sitting in. Not long after we arrived we saw why — the guard politely escorting another fellow outside explaining that unfortunately he couldn’t sleep inside the restaurant.

After that we wandered around the city for a while. Glasgow has this misty morning fog that hangs in the air and gives the place a slightly moody feel. It actually suits the city though, especially with all the murals painted on the buildings and the mixture of architecture — some grand older buildings sitting beside modern ones.

One quirky thing I liked was seeing bike lockers you could rent for the day to safely store your bicycle.

Eventually we jumped on one of the Hop-on Hop-off buses to get a feel for the city. The route winds through quite a few interesting areas and passes three different universities, which explains why the city feels so busy and youthful. Glasgow also hosts a lot of conferences, so there’s always a bit happening.

One stop that really surprised us was the Riverside Museum, which has an enormous collection of transport history — cars, trains, bikes, even old trams. The way they’ve displayed everything actually makes it quite fun to photograph as well. The best part? Like many museums in Glasgow, entry is completely free.

The next morning it was time to pick up the hire car and start heading north into the Scottish Highlands. When we collected the car the staff seemed very serious about reminding us the tyres had to come back in near perfect condition. At the time we thought it seemed a bit excessive… but once we started driving those Highland roads we understood exactly why.

Some of the potholes were enormous.

The drive from Glencoe towards the Isle of Skye was spectacular though — exactly the sort of landscape you imagine when you think about Scotland. Big open valleys, dark mountains, mist rolling through the hills.

Somewhere between Armadale and Portree we suddenly found ourselves stopped in traffic that wasn’t moving at all. Eventually word filtered back that there had been a fatal accident ahead and locals were saying it could take eight hours before the road reopened. Not exactly what you want to hear when you’re halfway along a single narrow Highland road.

Luckily about an hour later someone had the bright idea of reopening the walking track beside the road to let people through. The funny part was learning that this walkway used to be the original road, but it had been closed years ago because there were too many accidents on it.

Scotland does have a sense of irony sometimes.

The Highlands themselves were exactly as I had always imagined — dark, moody, windy, a little cold and slightly mysterious. It’s beautiful in a rugged sort of way. But then you open up to sweeping plains and then coastal views.

We were also about three weeks too early for the main tourist season, which meant some of the big attractions weren’t running yet, including the famous Harry Potter train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct. On the bright side though, it meant we could actually find a car park, which apparently becomes nearly impossible later in the year.

On the Isle of Skye we drove both the main loops around the island and saved the trip to the Fairy Pools for last. That involved a 2.8 kilometre hike across the hills. Was it worth it? Possibly more so on a sunny day. The weather was a bit grey while we were there, but we’d come that far so of course we finished the walk anyway.

The following day we headed east, stopping first at the beautiful Eilean Donan Castle, probably one of the most photographed castles in Scotland, and then continuing on to Urquhart Castle near Loch Ness.

Along the way we were determined to get that classic Highland Cow photo — you know, the shaggy hair and the long horns. Unfortunately the cows were not particularly interested in posing for tourists that day. The birds, however, were much more cooperative.

Me trying to get that classic Hairy Coo shot!

From there we continued around to Inverness and then down to Pitlochry, a really charming little town that feels like it belongs in a postcard. I imagine during peak tourist season it must be incredibly busy because it’s exactly the sort of place visitors love.

**The Kelpies -** **https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kelpies**

FUN FACT: Digby Brown is a major legal firm in Scotland.

And finally, after several days winding through mountains, castles and lochs, we made our way back to Glasgow for the final stretch of the trip.

As it turned out, we had timed our visit rather well. Not long after we left, a major fire broke out near Glasgow Central Station, right where we were staying, disrupting train services across the city. By pure luck we had already come and gone before any of that happened.

Sometimes travel works out like that — a mixture of planning, surprises, and a little bit of good timing.

Scotland definitely lived up to the image we’d always had in our heads — rugged landscapes, misty mornings, castles everywhere, and roads that occasionally keep you on your toes. And despite the potholes and unpredictable weather, it was absolutely worth the journey. But keep in mind the words of the famous Billy Connolly "There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter".

Next stop Ireland.

SCOTLAND 2026

Me trying to get that classic Hairy Coo shot!

ICELAND 2026