Scotland

We just got back from six days in Scotland. We drove for at least two million hours, and we still only saw a very small part of Scotland! It's huge and beautiful, and somehow we have to go back. It was such a lovely place to travel. Driving was WAY easier than Wales. People were so nice (we think - if we understood what they were saying). Food was great. Nothing was too crowded (other than Edinburgh). Hiking was some of the most beautiful we have ever done. We started in Edinburgh, went up the Cairngorms area, through Loch Ness to Isle of Skye for three days then spent a few days in Edinburgh.

We took the train to Edinburgh (£97 each way for OUR ENTIRE FAMILY - so incredibly reasonable - and on the way home our train was delayed a half hour, so we get £48 back - what???), 4.5 or so hours. At the Edinburgh train station we grabbed a quick lunch and picked up our rental car. The only automatic they had left was this fancy Mercedes 7-seater - score! (Though Sam said the back seats weren't comfortable). We navigated up to Carrbridge. I think it was meant to be something like 2.5 hours. It was at least 4.5. But we made it. 

At 4pm  on the largest road we were on, this 4 lane divided highway below, a car FLIPPED over. They closed traffic altogether going our direction, and for a while they closed it the other direction while a HELICOPTER landed, took the person (body? there's no way someone survived - it was really awful) and took off. Super sad and super long. 1.5 hours stopped. Kids were amazing. Not one complaint.

We were probably 20 cars back from the accident

We finally got to our hotel around 7:45pm. We had left our house at 7:45 that morning and had been traveling since. They stop serving food at 8:30, and a large party had just came in. They said they weren't sure if they could feed us too. There was nothing else in the little town that was open. We begged. The food was awesome. Little pub that has been there for hundreds of years, below the rooms. Phew.

The next morning, we had VERY SLOW but lovely breakfast and headed to Cairngorms National Park. It was raining. Not pouring but definitely bot drizzling. The entire morning. We did an easy 3.5 mile walk around a gorgeous lake. Reminded me a bit of Algonquin - pines, lake, green, lush, but also very hilly (not like Algonquin). And there was a castle (ruins) on an island.

One of them suggested this pose (I'm not sure what it is?), and they both went into it at exactly the same time. That's the loch in the background.

cool tree roots

Sam's never the happiest on a hike (to say the least)

here elie is jumping - we got him in the air. At least Sam looks happy here.

After the hike we drove to Loch Ness and had lunch at another super old pub. I bet it would have bene lovely if it wasn't raining! Loch Ness was big - Matt had really wanted to see it, so we went. There isn't much to do there, so we found a beautiful 4.2 mile hike in the woods next to it. Sam stayed in the car. 

GORGEOUS forest walk

Then we drove drove drove to Isle of Skye. This castle was on the way so we got out for a minute to use the bathrooms (they were closed. it was still pretty). After a lot of hunting, we found a restaurant on the Isle of Skye that was open and had space on this Sunday evening - actually it was a bar. Luckily the only nasty shit they serve was the same nasty shit our kids love to eat. Win.

on the way to hour house - 1 min away, we pulled over and saw these guys. hairy coos. highland cows. photo credit to sam.

We got to our airbnb around 9. This is the view outside the living room! The boys were like puppies.

Sam just outside the front door of the house

Next morning we went on this gorgeous walk that was outside our door. Didn't have to drive. It was one of my favorite hikes I have ever done. Every step basically had a new and amazing view.

when we first got to the water

the view back to Portree, the town we were right near (5 mins drive, 30 or so mins walk)

this was so beautiful and so tiny - the size of a small finger!

we took a small detour to make the hike longer, through this cow pasture. the black bull was trying to get it on with the lady next to him. kids were so into it. had a million questions. we watched for a while. he mounted her three times, but i don't think he was totally successful while we were there. we later learned that they have one bull for 45 females. if there are 2 bulls, they get aggressive. but just one is fine.

on our way, on that extra part of the trail, a guy came in a 4x4. he asked if we were the family staying in the cottage. apparently he was andrew, our airbnb host. he was so lovely, though hard for us to understand. this white house is where we stayed.

went back for a quick lunch and had a vote on what to do in the afternoon. Another hike or a castle? Boys voted on hike, and Sam voted on staying home. We drove north for 15 minutes to the Old Man of Storr. It was the first hike that was marked "hard" that we did. Truly we saw no other kids on the hike. It was indeed hard. And gorgeous. this above was the way up 

the way up

getting closer. Elie taking a pic of Koby holding up old Man of Storr's thumb. I was watching.

Elie is holding it up now.

closer to the top - we were in the clouds

this was the summit. it was so windy. pretty miserable, but what a view. the other direction was water and more mountains.

me at the summit

on the way down

we went to a beach where there are dinosaur footprints. we didn't see them. but we looked. it was pretty and fun to scramble.

boys created one out of sand

what a view while playing lost cities. after two hikes we had a lot of games to play.

flights climbed over the month. the mountain was high!

next morning we woke up and matt, koby and I went on the same circular we went on the day before. GORGEOUS. and fun to be with only koby. 

wildflowers!!

we went the other direction, and it was a different hike! there was a HUGE holland america cruise ship and there were hundreds of 60-75 year olds on the trail in their colorful raincoats. it was kinda funny. the town was teeming with them as well. i'm sure there are WAAAAY more people on that cruise ship than live in the town.

on the way back to our house. sheep. horses. cows. all andrew's!

after lunch we drove to Dunvegan Castle, on the other side of skye. There was a lot of road that had space for one car and passing spots - not a lot of traffic, but unlike Wales, there were no hedges, so you could SEE everything. Few spots with sheep on the road.

photo credit: Sam

the castle gardens were lovely

but don't stand on the toilet seats

back to the view outside our airbnb.  i couldn't get enough. if it was over 47 degrees, I would have sat outside the whole time. this was a RARE moment of sun.

the last morning, matt and i did the circular one last time (fast w no kids!). then we made it to edinburgh! including our stop for lunch it was about SEVEN HOURS. the hardest driving was finding the car park to return the car and making it through all of the turns in there without hitting anything (mission accomplished). this was the street of our not cute at all hotel (that was half the price of other ones - and it did the job ad had great location but no charm).

koby wanted his pic with every fake dude around edinburgh

the architecture in edinburgh was amazing! we walked and walked

matt and i went to king arthur's seat. a lot of climbing. about 2/3 of the climbing of the hike from skye. none of the kids wanted to go. BEAUTIFUL view of edinburgh and all around it.

our last day we walked more around edinburgh - this was the Scott Monument. we also went to the castle. we had a few great meals and some "eh" meals. we watched A LOT OF football - euro 2024 is going on. people were insane during the Scotland game.

and we schlepped our stuff the 5 mins walk to the train station.

all appreciating the ocean view on the train

In other news, we had a birthday party for Koby. Kids finished school. Elie finished lower school - middle school next year! Eek! End of school year excitement. Been a LOT going on.

Sam's hair looks like mine circa 1998

koby's birthday party - we went to the park w 8 friends. then we had pizza and decorate your own cupcake. gross.

koby was dead by the end of his party

the conference i was working on planning happened at the start of June. My cousin Tessa works for the org I did work for - it was SUCH A TREAT to be together. the conference went super well.

sam at her friend's bat mitzvah. jewish friends are hard to come by here. this is one of three other b'mitzvahs that sam went to (I only know of one other in her grade).

koby chose din tai fung for his birthday dinner. YUM

our table had a great view of an arrest in the courtyard at tottenham court rd

he poked holes in his bao. felt sacrilegious

koby won his football team's "players' player" award. there are 5 special awards (18 kids). 4 the coaches choose. one the kids choose. i am so proud of him - they see him as a positive leader on the team.

the barclays in st john's wood - where the kids go to school - was vandalized bc of their ties with israel. red paint all over and all the windows broken.

then, the next day, after koby's award, elie won "manager's player" on his team. this is the one that the coaches choose as the player who always showed up, gave 110%, positively influenced and encouraged friends, etc. again, couldn't be more proud.

elie, his teacher and his good friend

we went to the wellcome collection the day after school ended (with elie's friend). wasn't as weird as we expected.

crazy exhibit - this was cool

we went to a cricket match with friends we met here who live in Newton (and are also returning there). and we brought elie's friend (who happens to live next door to the cricket stadium!)

the kids collected cups and brought them back. £1 per cup. unfortunately it started pouring in the game, and we left rather than waiting until at least 9pm to see if it started again (it did - but we go to bed earlier than that!)