My trip to the Isle of Skye was filled with beautiful weather, an energetic tour guide, and a few hundred pictures! Even though I was still recovering from my spring break trip, I thoroughly enjoyed every second of our travels through northern Scotland, including one of the most picturesque islands in the world.
On Friday morning, 110 students studying with the IFSA-Butler exchange program hopped on three buses and ventured out of Edinburgh. Led by an energetic tour guide born and raised in the highlands, we headed N/NE to Inverness, making various photo stops. One of the greatest aspects of the trip (at this point) was the variety of Scottish music playing on the bus speakers. The Celtic sounds, bagpipes and such, were great compliments to the fantastic scenery. Once at Inverness, we turned west and cut through the country, ending up at the Isle of Skye. Our group took over the town and the hostel on the coast, although I wouldn’t be surprised if there was only one hostel on the entire island.
Saturday we took the entire day to explore the island. Surprisingly enough, we still had sun and clear skies (quite unheard of in the northern parts of the country). With lunches in hand, we climbed up the side of a mountain, above the tree line, to dine with a spectacular view. Our itinerary stated that we would take a “hill-walk,” so not many were prepared for the 45 minute vertical rocky climb. Watching our tour guide scale the mountain side in a kilt and flat shoes, I didn’t think of the path as being treacherous or rough. Heh – my mistake entirely. Due to knee problems I was not able to make it entirely up to the top of the mountain, but I am proud to say that I did climb quite far up the mountainside. Perched on one of many rocks and unpacking my lunch, I was startled as a sheep casually walked 10 feet in front of me, simply wandering around (this shouldn’t be a surprise considering that there are approximately ten sheep to every one human walking around in Scotland.)
After tiredly making our way back down the mountain, we jumped back on the bus and headed for yet another castle, finishing the day back at our hostel. I have no problem admitting that I was in bed by 9:30!
Eilean Donan Castle
Sunday morning we woke up to yet another amazingly beautiful sky. Our tour guide as well as locals were simply amazed at our luck in weather. The first stop on our last day was the famous Eilean Donan Castle – the most photographed castle in Scotland (however not many of the photos are taken with a clear sky). We then headed to one end of Loch Ness (home of the Loch Ness monster), and although I took many pictures, none of them show any signs of a monster lurking beneath the still waters (yet). Our guide informed us of a couple of theories regarding the sea creature, a few of which seem very legitimate. The creature has been seen about 1,000 times since 1930, but the amount of whisky consumed by witnesses at the time of the sightings is yet to be determined.
After leaving the west end of Loch Ness, we drove along the fault line of Scotland, which spans the entire width of the country, viewing remarkable and unique mountains. We made a stop to see the tallest peak in Great Britain – Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis only has an average of 13 clear days per year, and as luck would have it, we arrived during one of those 13 days – I feel quite honored.
Making our way back through Stirling and finally arriving in Edinburgh, I was happy to head home to my own bed. The music playing on the bus was a treat for the first day, but after hearing the same songs for the 27th time in a row, I was ready for a change of tunes. Our energetic and fantastic guide provided us with a large amount of history and information throughout the weekend excursion, and by Sunday evening, my brain was ready to rest.
I am so thankful that I got a chance to travel into a part of Scotland which I had not previously touched. We had a great time looking at the bens and glens, (mountains and valleys), as well as the newborn sheep roaming the fields. Most importantly, I was able to see a few hairy coo (cows) as well, although I couldn’t grab a picture). I have seen mountains before, but there is no way to accurately describe the unique landscape which I saw this weekend. So different, and incredibly majestic.
Returning to my flat, I was glad to know that I would be spending at least a week in the same room with the same bed. Traveling has been absolutely incredible, but it has been trying, both physically and mentally. My body is crying for a long couch to lay on while watching television, as well as a few solid nights of sleep. Even though I was in bed for 12 hours, screeching seagulls perched outside of my window prevented me from even relaxing for at least three of those hours. I know that someday I will look back and miss the seagulls, but until then, I will find it hard to appreciate the annoying little things.
Mentally I find myself in a very awkward position. I only have three weeks before I am done with finals. A friend from home will then visit, immediately followed by the arrival of my family. I understand that I only have weeks left of my experience here in Scotland, and I am still trying to appreciate every second. I am excited for my friends and family to visit, but I am not ready to go home yet nor am I missing home. I know I will be more than ready at the end of June, but until then, I am focusing on my time here (yes, including exams).
Now, at this point, many of my friends (who will be leaving sooner than later) are completely focused on home and on getting home – away from Edinburgh. In fact, they have already mentally removed themselves from Scotland, and are happily counting down the days until they leave. Each situation is unique and different, so in no way am I saying that this is a bad thing. If only one friend was in this position, I would be fine. However, since I am surrounded by this mindset of returning to the U.S., I am feeling quite frustrated. Not only am I completely surprised that I am still not homesick, but I am trying to stay positive while being constantly faced with individuals who are, which is a very difficult situation to be in. At the beginning of the semester I was with many people who were anxious to share new experiences with me, and together we would embark on adventures, excursions, and explorations. Now, I find myself experiencing things alone, and then searching for individuals to share them with. I am perfectly fine, just disappointed in the small number of other students who are also doing well. Luckily I have a few things to keep me occupied, but it will be interesting to see how the following weeks turn out.
So now as the numbers begin to dwindle, and as fellow students start to disappear from Edinburgh, I will work on studying for exams, and I will continue to appreciate my fleeting time in Scotland, even if I am appreciating it by myself. Never did I imagine that I would be the one attempting to live every moment of this experience while watching others deal with a growing need to return to their homes. But, since this is the case, I will do my best, as the end to my journey is in the not so distant future.
Most likely, the next time I will write will be after the completion of my first exam . . . wish me luck!