Losing it in the Highlands

The Highlands are just as beautiful as you think they’ll be and far more so than you can truly capture in photographs or on video. On the West Highland Way, before you get into the Highlands you walk through Trossachs National Park, along Loch Lomond, which was incredibly beautiful, lush, and green. Some of us continually compared it to walking through a jungle, something none of us has ever done, so likely a poor comparison. 

I planned this trip for two years to happen the year of a big birthday. When you’re planning something out that far, there’s a good chance it will not live up to what you had in mind, so I tried hard to check my expectations. I did not anticipate not being able to complete a 7-day hike because I felt like I was well prepared, and I don’t typically get blisters and I had broken in boots. So yeah, it quickly crumbled around me as I could barely walk after three days. I found other things to do during the day that I wouldn’t have otherwise done, and moved through the last half of the hike route by bus to get to each hotel. 

If the trip was just the hike, I would’ve thought about just going ahead and dealing, but I still had another week in Scotland after this and wanted to be able to walk. 

My parents were quick to ask if I liked Scotland more than Ireland. I still don’t know how to answer that. While people assume the two countries are similar, they aren’t. Their history crisscrosses and gets entangled at times but they are so different. 

I can’t wait to go back and do the whole walk, and many others.