A trip to remember: 7 uniquely Scottish experiences

All travel is by definition quixotic — the most seasoned globetrotters can be led on wild goose chases, deceived, and/or just plain make huge mistakes all by themselves about what's around that next corner. Trekking up to the Scottish highlands to look for "Nessie," aka, the Loch Ness "monster," allegedly "sighted" — perhaps even several times — a half-century ago in the Highlands' breathtakingly gorgeous 23-mile-long freshwater lake just south of Inverness, is an epic, decades-long wild goose chase.

Chaotic schedules, safety issues, and lack of negotiation are a few reasons why aviation unions across Europe are striking. 

As I bowled along the roads linking Herefordshire’s ‘Black and White Villages’ (named in honour of their two-tone buildings), I believed, for a second, in time travel. Here, in one of England’s least populated counties, little appeared to have changed for decades, centuries even.

It’s no longer something to keep hidden.

The news came in a text—a link to an article announcing that “Scotland’s Leopard Man” had died. I blinked. I paused. And then I remembered the hermit who wanted cookies, and how my encounter with him 20 years earlier taught me one of the most important travel lessons I’ve ever learned.

Enter the SmartSource.com “New Year, New You” sweepstakes by February 29, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a seven-night trip for two to Freeport, the Bahamas, including air, hotel, and on-premise meals.

Enter the AFAR Media “Glasgow Getaway” sweepstakes by March 14, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for two to Glasgow, Scotland, including air, four nights’ hotel, airport transfers, tours, one dinner.

Enter the Cupcake Vineyards “Treat Today” sweepstakes by March 15, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a five-day trip for two to the 2016 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, including air, hotel, airport transfers, and event passes. Runner-up prizes include $100 and $50 gift cards.

Last week, I wrote about my upcoming round-the-world trip, which I had been planning for several months (here’s the story). My friends and family were concerned about me going to Asia amid the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Of course, I had some concerns, too. After asking for answers to the question “Should I cancel my trip to Asia?” on both my website and my Facebook page, I was shocked by how many people said that I should cancel. Some of the comments were coming from big-time travelers, including executives of Asian airlines.

Italy’s Riviera di Ponente, or Western Riviera, has long attracted travelers—in the late 19th century new rail connections made it easier for well-heeled and titled English and Russians to escape their dreary winters, but before and after WWII, destinations on the Côte d'Azur and Riviera di Levante (the Eastern Riviera), like Rapallo, Portofino, and later, Cinque Terre, stepped into the spotlight, drawing celebrity names and eventually flocks of tourists.

The well-trodden western coast of the northern Scottish Highlands is a common road trip destination for visitors to the United Kingdom. But to escape the crowds flocking to the Isle of Skye, head to the east and north, where far fewer visitors venture and you can actually enjoy a bit of peace and quiet at the top of Britain. These five spots along the North Coast 500 route will make for an unforgettable road trip, that can be easily extended even further west should you want to continue the journey. You may even have the winding roads to yourself along the way, except for the occasional flock of sheep crossing the road.

The massive red sandstone St Magnus Cathedral  looms over Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands. Inside lie the bones of Magnus Erlendsson, the Viking Earl of Orkney who, in the early 12th Century, was murdered on the island of Egilsay on the orders of his cousin, a rival chieftain named Haakon.