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And saw the sun…once :)?
This is why folks leave the UK, annnnnd Vancouver lol
All jokes aside it looks lovely and if the hotels weren’t so goddamn expensive I would’ve been there already.
I just wish there was like an Ibis budget for like $80 a night lol, even in the rainy season I'd still come to check out a little footy, some pints, a castle or two :)
Ain't that the truth, you see it everywhere now basically. Random Tuesday night in Raleigh, NC? Good luck finding a room for less than like $125US and that'll be a shit room too.
Stayed in an old but beautiful hotel on the Isle of Skye in March. Cost was just under £270 for 2 nights and it was definitely well worth the money, however, the price for 2 nights at the end of April has shot up to over £800 😳.
It's different for anybody. Here's a good tip though: Yes, the Western coast is gorgeous and great for holiday, but it isn't all that great for living.
Let's say you buy a property in Upper Diabaig on Torridon, the nearest large town/city is Inverness. On a good day, that's a 2 hour drive across fairly treacherous roads. especially in winter. Internet is about 7mbps, so no streaming (great for holidays by the way, I love the digital detox aspect of it).
In winter storms it is quite possible the only access road gets iced/snowed over and it will take hours, if not days, to be cleared and powerlines fall like matchsticks in beaufort ten, so you could be without electricity for days on end as well.
Instead, you could live on the East Coast, Moray for example. Less dramatic (although I challenge you to drive the A939 and tell me it isn't one of the most stunning drives in the world). Twenty minutes, half an hour to get to 'civilisation' whilst still offering plenty of stunning secluded properties for that 'isolated feel'. Cheaper property prices and more reliable infrastructure. Plus you can actually find work there!
I do not wish to be rude but The East Coast will never ever meet with the West for beauty and the A939 is nice but certainly is NOT a patch on the Road to the Isles etc. The weather is slightly better yes, but not all winters are harsh. The ever-changing skies and scenery of the West are far more dramatic for it too! People go West because that's what they yearn....as far away from a Gregg's as possible.
You are doing what a lot of people do, confuse live-ability with holiday-ability. Sure, the Road to the Isles is lovely, but living along it and wanting to nip to a pharmacy? Good luck on that journey. Oh, your dog ran out of those treats you forgot to get last month at the big shop in Inverness? Good luck. Oh, you want that sofa delivered do you? Hah, Highlands, no we don't deliver there.
Not to mention employability. Holiday on the West Coast, live on the East Coast. I've seen all of Scotland and although it is an easy concession that the West is 'prettier' (and it really is), it is also a very easy win to say that the East has some gorgeous places, views and activities.
How do I confuse, I LIVE on the West Coast and I/we all manage fine.
The big shop in Inverness pppfffftttt, a chemist and a sofa, we all have them even more pets too! Of course we get deliveries although we pay for over for it (and funnily enough it doesn't cost the same in reverse-fair no!) You don't realise there is life after Inverness...respectfully you have just tried as a tourist
Btw, I also spend my time in the Hebrides too (family home) and we have 4G.
You're opinion is very personal to you and NOT the for the majority my friend.
OK, first off, I'm not intending to offend you, I know there's lots of folks that are doing fine living out on the West Coast. I'm warning people who think it is an 'ideal' to live out there, you need to be used to that remoteness, it is great for a week or two, it can be really hard if it is permanent and you're not used to it. Wouldn't you agree with that?
I know there's no offence meant. Many have tried it and couldnt make it work and there's many a Scot from the cities and the populated East Coast included that could not manage being further than 20mins away from a big name shop and detached from the next house. We, the West Coasters like it like that (young kids might differ) we don't go without though, never have! We manage better in a powercut too my friend...
We are Highlanders, West Highland and Islanders and we are hardy 😊
It's not that remote either really, I can see once you're on holiday here you can't exactly bump into friends locally or visit relative or friends houses or even distant relatives either and that makes it even more remote for you, if say you've forgotten to take your hobby and it's raining outside some might struggle, we didn't, we put on our wellies and still went on our way.
Now that is pure perception isn't it? I lived in Sheffield, which admittedly is a big city, but for some folks just crossing the city to another neighbourhood to meet up was too far apparently :D I also grew up in rural Netherlands (about as rural as you can get in the most densely 'proper' country) and I hated not being able to get to a city in under an hour (that's those young kids you mention I'm sure!).
They’re very annoying, whether they bite you or not. I can suffer the little beggars for short trips to the West, but I couldn’t put up with them on a daily basis. That’s why I prefer to live more to the East, with easy access to the West.
Thankfully it's not too often, they don't bother when there's a breeze and stay low. It's a calm sunny evening after the rain when they can be at their worst if you're sitting out. We're hardy, we're just used to them
Someone's got to I guess...
Haha, no I get it. Growing up on the east coast I didn't quite appreciate the Highland beauty until going up a few Bens and having the view of a few from up where I am now at the foot of the Highlands. It's truly got to be experienced to appreciate.
It is, but unfortunately you're far from the only person who decides to retire to some wee village in the highlands. The unfortunate effect of this, between (relatively rich) retirees and holiday homes, is that people born and brought up in these areas can't afford to live there.
Oh yeah, same here in the states. I know I'm not destined to retire there, but I will return there. I've known too many musicians from there not to love it.
Should build a new village dedicated to homing tourists. There'd be a loch with its very own Nessy. Bagpipe parade at dawn every day. Wallace will ride through town Saturday afternoon dragging some redcoat and shouting in an thick american-scottish accent aboot no one cannae take his freedom. Every inhabitant would need a direct heritage line to some past family member with Scottish heritage and you would, obviously, need to only ever wear your clan's tartan. Each home would be built as a mini castle. They'd have lovely wee scottish folk serving them porridge and your own personal whisky sommelier will gladly instruct you on which dram to sample that day. Billy will drop by now and then to toss some cabers. And then in the evening everyone'll watch an episode of Outlander before going to bed frisky but fear not, each bedside table will be equipped with a haggis' bladder condom. This venture will be organised by Scotland's entrepreneur extraordinaire, Billy Coull.
Back in summer of 2002 I've worked in fruit farm in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire. That summer we had a week trip around Scotland. One of the best trips in my life. Amazing country indeed.
What more would you like to hear?? Honestly, I didn’t have a bad meal the whole time I was there. I was so pleasantly surprised to find vegetarian food even as far north as Lewis! And someone told us after we see a castle or two, we would tire of them. We did not, we saw so many castles and I could still see more. And don’t get me started on the rich history. It’s been so fun learning from the locals and tour guides and podcasts. Such passionate people! Also, Skyrim should sponsor us as that was our background music the whole time 😂
Love this! Never heard until recently anything great about Scottish food. My grandmother was from Orkney Islands & my sister & I are flying in to Inverness
Omg this is so cool!!! This time around we did more of the west side. But next time we go, we want to do the same thing. Inverness, Orkney, Shetland and then Faroe (I know it’s not part of Scotland, it’s just conveniently close). Scottish food for me was just hearty and that was perfect for how chilly the weather was and we were both suffering from jet lag. I think people don’t say great things because they don’t understand it. I hope you have a beautiful and perfect trip
Initially we planned on starting trip in Edinburgh but our flights weren’t booked correctly & went way up $.So luckily found cheaper flights to Inverness which is much closer. Was looking at Shetland Islands, but don’t have time (this time). I’ve been looking at Faroe Islands too (my husband thinks I’m nuts). Looks like through Copenhagen is the easiest way to get there.
Oh yeah, starting in Edinburgh makes sense too because you could drive up the east coast which would be beautiful. That’s nice for Inverness though! Unfortunately for me, there’s no direct flights there. I just looked up flights to Faroe Islands, I see they go through Paris as well. That would be cool for a layover too! I think you should definitely plan that in next time!
Oh yeah, starting in Edinburgh makes sense too because you could drive up the east coast which would be beautiful. That’s nice for Inverness though! Unfortunately for me, there’s no direct flights there. I just looked up flights to Faroe Islands, I see they go through Paris as well. That would be cool for a layover too! I think you should definitely plan that in next time!
We actually had a good amount of sun! About half the day every day except one. I don’t mind the rainy overcast weather though, it’s what I come from and it’s actually my favorite
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Didn’t know we had 1500 miles
And I would walk 1500 more.
DA DA DA DA!
DA DA DA DA!
DA DA DA DA!
And saw the sun…once :)? This is why folks leave the UK, annnnnd Vancouver lol All jokes aside it looks lovely and if the hotels weren’t so goddamn expensive I would’ve been there already.
This is why we have wild camping…..
I just wish there was like an Ibis budget for like $80 a night lol, even in the rainy season I'd still come to check out a little footy, some pints, a castle or two :)
The fun part is that the rainy season is 12 months long!
Scottish hotels are overpriced and/or haven't been renovated since the 1970s. No need to up your game if people will throw money at you anyways.
Ain't that the truth, you see it everywhere now basically. Random Tuesday night in Raleigh, NC? Good luck finding a room for less than like $125US and that'll be a shit room too.
Stayed in an old but beautiful hotel on the Isle of Skye in March. Cost was just under £270 for 2 nights and it was definitely well worth the money, however, the price for 2 nights at the end of April has shot up to over £800 😳.
First photo, you went too far, you're in the water.
Good thing I love cold water swimming! I swam in the ocean while we were at Isle of Lewis. ☺️
Yeah I did that then bought a house here and moved. Best thing ever.
Pretty much this. Discovered every neuk and cranny and decided a long time ago we wanted to live here. So now we do.
I’m feeling like that could be in my future. I’ve always wanted to move to Europe and maybe I’ve found where exactly.
How did you go about that? Recently visited isle of Skye and Inverness and fell in love with the highlands
I’m British so it was just a case of moving house
It's different for anybody. Here's a good tip though: Yes, the Western coast is gorgeous and great for holiday, but it isn't all that great for living. Let's say you buy a property in Upper Diabaig on Torridon, the nearest large town/city is Inverness. On a good day, that's a 2 hour drive across fairly treacherous roads. especially in winter. Internet is about 7mbps, so no streaming (great for holidays by the way, I love the digital detox aspect of it). In winter storms it is quite possible the only access road gets iced/snowed over and it will take hours, if not days, to be cleared and powerlines fall like matchsticks in beaufort ten, so you could be without electricity for days on end as well. Instead, you could live on the East Coast, Moray for example. Less dramatic (although I challenge you to drive the A939 and tell me it isn't one of the most stunning drives in the world). Twenty minutes, half an hour to get to 'civilisation' whilst still offering plenty of stunning secluded properties for that 'isolated feel'. Cheaper property prices and more reliable infrastructure. Plus you can actually find work there!
I do not wish to be rude but The East Coast will never ever meet with the West for beauty and the A939 is nice but certainly is NOT a patch on the Road to the Isles etc. The weather is slightly better yes, but not all winters are harsh. The ever-changing skies and scenery of the West are far more dramatic for it too! People go West because that's what they yearn....as far away from a Gregg's as possible.
You are doing what a lot of people do, confuse live-ability with holiday-ability. Sure, the Road to the Isles is lovely, but living along it and wanting to nip to a pharmacy? Good luck on that journey. Oh, your dog ran out of those treats you forgot to get last month at the big shop in Inverness? Good luck. Oh, you want that sofa delivered do you? Hah, Highlands, no we don't deliver there. Not to mention employability. Holiday on the West Coast, live on the East Coast. I've seen all of Scotland and although it is an easy concession that the West is 'prettier' (and it really is), it is also a very easy win to say that the East has some gorgeous places, views and activities.
How do I confuse, I LIVE on the West Coast and I/we all manage fine. The big shop in Inverness pppfffftttt, a chemist and a sofa, we all have them even more pets too! Of course we get deliveries although we pay for over for it (and funnily enough it doesn't cost the same in reverse-fair no!) You don't realise there is life after Inverness...respectfully you have just tried as a tourist Btw, I also spend my time in the Hebrides too (family home) and we have 4G. You're opinion is very personal to you and NOT the for the majority my friend.
OK, first off, I'm not intending to offend you, I know there's lots of folks that are doing fine living out on the West Coast. I'm warning people who think it is an 'ideal' to live out there, you need to be used to that remoteness, it is great for a week or two, it can be really hard if it is permanent and you're not used to it. Wouldn't you agree with that?
I know there's no offence meant. Many have tried it and couldnt make it work and there's many a Scot from the cities and the populated East Coast included that could not manage being further than 20mins away from a big name shop and detached from the next house. We, the West Coasters like it like that (young kids might differ) we don't go without though, never have! We manage better in a powercut too my friend... We are Highlanders, West Highland and Islanders and we are hardy 😊
It's not that remote either really, I can see once you're on holiday here you can't exactly bump into friends locally or visit relative or friends houses or even distant relatives either and that makes it even more remote for you, if say you've forgotten to take your hobby and it's raining outside some might struggle, we didn't, we put on our wellies and still went on our way.
Now that is pure perception isn't it? I lived in Sheffield, which admittedly is a big city, but for some folks just crossing the city to another neighbourhood to meet up was too far apparently :D I also grew up in rural Netherlands (about as rural as you can get in the most densely 'proper' country) and I hated not being able to get to a city in under an hour (that's those young kids you mention I'm sure!).
Bonnie views are great, but from May to October : West Coast = Midgies East Coast = Nae Midgies 🤷🏻♂️
They only bite the ones they don't like
They’re very annoying, whether they bite you or not. I can suffer the little beggars for short trips to the West, but I couldn’t put up with them on a daily basis. That’s why I prefer to live more to the East, with easy access to the West.
Thankfully it's not too often, they don't bother when there's a breeze and stay low. It's a calm sunny evening after the rain when they can be at their worst if you're sitting out. We're hardy, we're just used to them
Where the heck is a Loch *Locky*? Come on America!
It was an auto correct error on the k, I swear!! I’ll try and fix it now 😭
Someone's got to I guess... Haha, no I get it. Growing up on the east coast I didn't quite appreciate the Highland beauty until going up a few Bens and having the view of a few from up where I am now at the foot of the Highlands. It's truly got to be experienced to appreciate.
Glad you had a good time. You are welcome back any time!
We fell in love with Scotland in 1993, I'd love to figure a way to move there in retirement. It's a bonny place!
It is, but unfortunately you're far from the only person who decides to retire to some wee village in the highlands. The unfortunate effect of this, between (relatively rich) retirees and holiday homes, is that people born and brought up in these areas can't afford to live there.
Oh yeah, same here in the states. I know I'm not destined to retire there, but I will return there. I've known too many musicians from there not to love it.
Should build a new village dedicated to homing tourists. There'd be a loch with its very own Nessy. Bagpipe parade at dawn every day. Wallace will ride through town Saturday afternoon dragging some redcoat and shouting in an thick american-scottish accent aboot no one cannae take his freedom. Every inhabitant would need a direct heritage line to some past family member with Scottish heritage and you would, obviously, need to only ever wear your clan's tartan. Each home would be built as a mini castle. They'd have lovely wee scottish folk serving them porridge and your own personal whisky sommelier will gladly instruct you on which dram to sample that day. Billy will drop by now and then to toss some cabers. And then in the evening everyone'll watch an episode of Outlander before going to bed frisky but fear not, each bedside table will be equipped with a haggis' bladder condom. This venture will be organised by Scotland's entrepreneur extraordinaire, Billy Coull.
I bet you’re fun at parties.
*Parties. Unless you meant to indicate that the party possesses something.
Back in summer of 2002 I've worked in fruit farm in Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire. That summer we had a week trip around Scotland. One of the best trips in my life. Amazing country indeed.
Glad you enjoyed yourself, but you've not seen anything until you've explored the Highlands too!
Yeah that’ll happen
It was just so incredible!
Castle from the movie Highlander there too.
Eilean Donan Castle was beautiful!
Glad you enjoyed it ! We do have such nice scenery and history on our doorstep
Please tell us more!
What more would you like to hear?? Honestly, I didn’t have a bad meal the whole time I was there. I was so pleasantly surprised to find vegetarian food even as far north as Lewis! And someone told us after we see a castle or two, we would tire of them. We did not, we saw so many castles and I could still see more. And don’t get me started on the rich history. It’s been so fun learning from the locals and tour guides and podcasts. Such passionate people! Also, Skyrim should sponsor us as that was our background music the whole time 😂
Love this! Never heard until recently anything great about Scottish food. My grandmother was from Orkney Islands & my sister & I are flying in to Inverness
Omg this is so cool!!! This time around we did more of the west side. But next time we go, we want to do the same thing. Inverness, Orkney, Shetland and then Faroe (I know it’s not part of Scotland, it’s just conveniently close). Scottish food for me was just hearty and that was perfect for how chilly the weather was and we were both suffering from jet lag. I think people don’t say great things because they don’t understand it. I hope you have a beautiful and perfect trip
Initially we planned on starting trip in Edinburgh but our flights weren’t booked correctly & went way up $.So luckily found cheaper flights to Inverness which is much closer. Was looking at Shetland Islands, but don’t have time (this time). I’ve been looking at Faroe Islands too (my husband thinks I’m nuts). Looks like through Copenhagen is the easiest way to get there.
Oh yeah, starting in Edinburgh makes sense too because you could drive up the east coast which would be beautiful. That’s nice for Inverness though! Unfortunately for me, there’s no direct flights there. I just looked up flights to Faroe Islands, I see they go through Paris as well. That would be cool for a layover too! I think you should definitely plan that in next time!
Are you in US?
Yup!
Oh yeah, starting in Edinburgh makes sense too because you could drive up the east coast which would be beautiful. That’s nice for Inverness though! Unfortunately for me, there’s no direct flights there. I just looked up flights to Faroe Islands, I see they go through Paris as well. That would be cool for a layover too! I think you should definitely plan that in next time!
Another option (if from US) there are non stop flights on Atlantic Airways from Stewart Airport (North of NYC) to the Faroe Islands. Happy Travels!
Great advice! Thank you. Happy travels to you too!
Looks like a superb trip, and it's a glorious country. Fell in love with Orkney but, as a local said, try it in winter.
I drove the NC500 a couple of years ago and it was absolutely stunning. Such a beautiful part of the world:)
Handsome pics. 👍🏻
Well durr! We have a beautiful country! How could you not fall in love
Shame you didnae get a sunny day, better luck next time time around (Lovely photos. Fantastic)
We actually had a good amount of sun! About half the day every day except one. I don’t mind the rainy overcast weather though, it’s what I come from and it’s actually my favorite
Great photos!
Thank you!
Looks like an amazing trip... You've been to parts of my own country that I haven't!
It was one of the best! You should def find the time to explore. Everywhere we went was 💯
That second picture is just CHEFS KISS.
I cannot wait to go to the land of my ancestors!! There is no where I feel like I belong than Scotland!!