The dramatic scenery is where Scotland’s beauty lies. The natural beauty of the jagged mountains, the sparking blue lochs, and the lush green glens, begs to be explored. The small villages we explored were filled with brightly colored homes and shops alongside harbors. Michael and I explored the Lowlands and ventured into Edinburg and Fife and then made our way into the Highlands where we explored Fort William and the surrounding countryside.

Scotland is scattered with lochs (the Gaelic word for ‘lake’ or ‘fjord’) with over 31,000 such bodies of water in the country. Several of the lochs are so still that the mountains above are perfectly reflected in their mirror-like surface. Glen is a Gaelic word that means ‘steep-sided valley’, Scotland’s great glens are one of its most endearing natural features. Fun Fact: The glens also provide water for a lot of the Scottish distilleries. The distilleries use as much of the surrounding natural resources as possible to bring all of the nearby flavors into their scotch.

Michael and I have a goal to hike the tallest peak in Scotland, England, and Wales. Ben Nevis was the first of the three and is 1345 meters tall. The name Ben Nevis is an anglicization of the original Gaelic name. Many people translate this historical title as meaning ‘Venomous Mountain’, but its original purpose may be more complicated than that. Beinn is easily translated as the mountain. While Nibheis can be translated as ‘malicious’ or ‘venomous’, it could also refer to a god’s name, specifically the Celtic god Lugh, whose place of worship was said to be on mountain tops.

We started our adventure around 5 am and we were the only ones on the trail for a few hours. It was so amazing to only hear the sounds of nature, uninterrupted by others’ steps and conversations. The winding trail went through farms where we were surrounded by sheep, also enjoying the morning. The air was crisp and the lingering cloud brought some moisture but we had a pleasant surprise at the top. As we hiked into an inversion, the peak was clear and sunny. The sun was everything that I needed.

Although we prefer nature over city adventures, Edinburgh is the greenest city in the United Kingdom so it was easier to explore. The national animal for Scotland is the unicorn. That fact alone provides enough charm for me to want to visit. Some other fun facts are that JK Rowling wrote many of the Harry Potter books in Edinburgh so it was lovely to explore the streets and cemeteries that inspired her. Edinburgh Castle sits on Castle Rock, a 700 million-year-old extinct volcano. Who would have guessed? Also, The Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage site was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1995. Moreover, there are 900 listed buildings in Edinburgh! This is way more than any other UK city, except for London. I felt the magic the entire time I was in Scotland.

During this trip, we also celebrated a friend’s birthday! Traveling with friends is fun! We explored Edinburgh, successfully obtained autographs at The Open, and learned a lot about distilling, Many laughs were had and smiles were from ear to ear.