It was one of the boring spring afternoons when one begins to think
about their plans for the summer holiday more intensively than on any other
day. I can’t remember the exact time and place when it was said by my
boyfriend, but the intention of the sentence was clear: “Láďa is going to visit
Scotland with his travel agency this summer.” Firstly, I don´t believe that
there is anybody who really doesn’t like travelling. Secondly, I don´t believe
that there is anybody who would not want to go to this area, induced from the
amount of enthusiastically expressed sounds of aaah’s and ohhh’s when I
mentioned this destination. Thirdly, I study English, dude, so visiting
English-speaking countries should be nothing but my daily bread and public
duty. So from that moment on, we knew what we were going to do during the first
sixteen days in August.
All over the world there are hundreds of travel agencies, offering you a
smooth and comfortable way how to spend your holiday. All inclusive or just with
breakfast, with everyday entertainment, near the sea, luxurious… Láďa´s Euthanasia (the name of the travel
agency) is unique and nothing of this kind. He is a traveller - an important
difference from the tourist! Mountains and wild nature belong to his main
passions, so you can go with him for shorter weekend trips to the Alps or for
longer trips to Iceland, north of Norway, Greenland, South America or Madeira.
No people, no cities, no traces of civilisation, cooking with your supplies,
sleeping in a tent, staying in harmony with the countryside, hiking with your
backpack, in the rain, snow, frost or burning sun. This is exactly what I and
my boyfriend longed for.
Do you need anything special when you want to survive in Scotland? Good
waterproof boots, a waterproof jacket and anything else that can be waterproof.
It rains a lot there; and if not, it drizzles or you can experience
rain-showers. Here, the Sun lives in a different place! If you like your knees,
buy hiking poles, they can help you a lot when crossing hundreds of marshes and
moors... And when I say hundreds, I really mean
hundreds. Have you heard about the midges? Not yet? Well, nothing can spoil
your perfect experience from the historic castles, big lakes and beautiful
countryside more than these little annoying insects! Before the rain, when
there is no wind, in the morning and in the evening, thousands of them can
spend their free time with you. Don´t bring any repellents or mosquito nets
from the Czech Republic, they are useless. All you have to do is to buy an oil
body spray Skin So Soft from Avon and
the mosquito net made specially for the midges in Scotland (it has smaller
holes) or a special spray called Smidge
on the internet and pray that it would work. The Avon spray makes you laugh,
right? Well, it has something among its ingredients that can repel these little
bastards, more or less. And as a bonus, your skin will be smooth and hydrated
during your stay there. Anyway, most of the time you are forced to stay at the
beginning and ending of a day in your tent and I highly recommend long sleeves.
Because if not, they (the midges, that is) can bite you in the flesh and you
can be sure that although you may not like souvenirs, the photographs of the
midges’ pinches definitely belong to something you are going to show to your
relatives.
More useful tips: Do not call the Scottish “English” - you may really
offend them. Forget your knowledge of English; you will not understand their
language even if you succeeded in the Mr. Volín’s exam. They pronounce a
consonant “r” really strongly and have a wide scale of different vocabulary. In
case you do not understand them at all and get desperate, keep calm - they may
speak Gaelic. This language is mainly in the Hebrids islands still vivid and
you can often see there the names in both languages – on the islands, it’s
Gaelic first. But most of all, enjoy the splendid varieties of countryside
which is so different from its English neighbour!
Other memories from the past are famous
castles. Scotland without them wouldn’t be
Scotland, so our first must-see place was Eilean Donan Castle - according to
the guide and people, it is the most famous and beautiful one. Well, crowds of
tourists and buses forced us to flee to the Isle of Skye. The largest
and most northerly large island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
radiate from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillins
Hills (Picture below).
Our first three-day hike took place there,
the rocky slopes provided some of the most dramatic mountain sceneries in the
country. Apart from that, we also experienced common Scottish weather - cloudy,
windy and with the temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius, in comparison to the
Czech Republic, which was hit by the heat at that time around 30 degrees and
more! If you happen to be there, do not forget to taste local variety of beers
from the Skye Brewery. From the Cuilins Hills we moved to the northernmost peninsula
of the Isle of Skye,
Trotternish, where we have been hiking for two days. It contains one of Skye's
most famous landmarks: the Old Man of
Storr, an isolated rocky pinnacle.
The next aim of our journey was to discover
also the Outer Hebrides and (to be more exact) Scalpay. This island, which‘s
population is only around 300 people, is home to many Gaelic singers and psalm
presenters. Then we travelled to Harris and Lewis, together
forming the largest of the Outer Hebridean Islands. Why go there? To see
the Blackhouse Museum, a village reconstruction of
the traditional thatched houses peculiar to the Highlands and islands, to learn
how the famous Harris Tweed is made at the Lewis Loom Centre in Stornoway on
Lewis, experience the unique Callannish Standing Stones, which date back to
around 3000 BC. We also reached the Great Bernera, being on the
north-west coast of Lewis
and linked to it by a road bridge, and also Butt
of Lewis (don´t giggle, it is its real name!). It was a splendid combination of
beaches, sea and mountains, and on the top of it all, having seen seals and
dolphins in their natural habitat turned this area into one of my most
favourite places in the world. Our last days in Scotland were spent in Glen
Affric - the area south-west of the village of Cannich
back in the Highland region of Scotland,
some 15 miles (24 km) to the west of Loch Ness.
It is often described as the most beautiful glen (valley) in Scotland,
has milder weather and contains one of the largest ancient Caledonian
pinewoods in Scotland as well as lochs, moorland
and mountains.
We mostly slept near the loch (lake) or at least a stream, which was much clearer than in
the Czech Republic - it was possible to drink water from it. Between the islands,
we travelled by ferries. We saw hardly anybody on the islands and only little
people in the highlands. And we enjoyed it a lot. A brief summary: Driving on
the left is cool. Driving on the left on the British roundabouts is not so
cool. Driving in miles can be sometimes confusing. Seals are friends, midges
are enemies. The prices of food are rather good, at least lower than in Norway.
And sorry, but I have no photo of me and the Scottish
with a kilt and as you may know already, this is a must... So, see you next
time in Scotland!
- Adéla Lavičková
- Adéla Lavičková
