scotland
July 2021
A legendary land.
Everyone knows something about Scotland: the rounded peaks, the unique accents, the bad weather, the long history. We went for two weeks in mid-summer to climb some mountains and explore some caves.
The weather was awful most days, but worse were the midges. Midges are a tiny, aggressive flying insect found in most wild places in Scotland. They go in your eyes, your mouth, bite your hands, ankles, and drive you mad in minutes. In fact, Scots say that the reason the Highlands aren't populated is because no one want to deal with the midges!
Bugs aside, we had a great time exploring this small, wealthy nation. It's horribly expensive, but hitchhiking and wild camping are doable enough. Though formally it's the United Kingdom, Scots see themselves as different, and many still want independence. Let's see what the future brings.