SCOTLAND by Will Krieger

By Will Krieger

Edinburgh

After meeting up with Jenna and Nick in Atlanta, we flew to Edinburgh. We toured Edinburgh castle and walked along the Royal Mile to see the Palace of Holyroodhouse. For great views of the city, we hiked up to Arthur's seat at the top of Holyrood Park, and in the evening we joined a literary pub tour.

Glen Coe and Glen Etive

From Edinburgh We drove out into the Scottish highlands and through the Glen Coe region. Through the rain, wind, and fog, we took a quick detour to Glen Etive, where parts of Skyfall were filmed. The road was single-track and the landscape was incredible.

Jacobite Steam Train to Mallaig

The Jacobite Steam train is the same one seen in the Harry Potter movies. In the morning, we rode out toward the coast, passing over the Glenfinnan viaduct. The train stops briefly in Glenfinnan, and longer in the coastal town of Mallaig. We had a great seafood lunch before heading back on the train. Later, we drove back out to see the Glenfinnan monument.

On the Road

After visiting Glenfinnan, the weather became rainy and very windy. We decided to buy food to cook and stay inside our cabin, which also had a coin-operated sauna. By the morning the weather had cleared up, making for a beautiful sunny drive down the coast. We stopped in the small towns of Kilmartin and Tarbert along the way.

Islay

After driving down the coast, we boarded the ferry to Islay, the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides. Our hotel rooms were just across the road from the beach in the tiny town of Port Ellen. We drove around the island to see the American Monument, some Scottish Highland cattle, and the Kildalton cross (carved in the eighth century).

Whisky Distilleries

Though the island is just over 200 square miles in size, its eight distilleries produce all of the characteristically peaty and smoky whiskies of Islay. From Port Ellen, we walked along the coast to nearby Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig. At Laphroaig we toured the distillery, and Nick and I treated ourselves to a premium tasting. As a "friend of Laphroaig", I claimed ownership of a 1 square foot plot of land in the Islay peat bog with an American flag, and collected my rent - a wee dram of whisky.