First Day in Scotland

I can usually look at my vacation prep as a gauge of how happy/bored I am with my life. In college, I was def hit some lows and when I had vacations, I would want to pack and prepare for it a month in advance. On the other hand, my trip for Scotland kind of snuck up on me and less than 24 hours from my departure I still hadn’t even packed. To be frank, I wasn’t even feeling this trip until I landed in Edinburgh. The excitement I got upon arrival helped to fuel me through my late night trek up hills and stairs to my hostel (really wasn't prepared for that, and my legs already had an action packed week between the gym and volleyball so I was feeeeeeeeeling it) I can’t even think of the last time I was this excited. This morning I was fully cheesing as I was walking down the street (probably looked a little crazy but whatevs) because of how excited I was to be in Edinburgh. It helps that the morning was the culmination of how I imagined Scotland in my head (picture fog and a morning chill, if you can’t, look at the uploaded pics below!) I decided to book a guided tour so I could see the most of Scotland possible without the stress/expense of booking a car (good thing too because I forgot they drive on the left side of the road here). It was also my attempt to alleviate some solo-traveler anxiety and hopefully make new friends. So far, I’ve only talked with one person from Singapore but it’s not even lunch time so it’s a good start!

Checking back in, after finishing seeing some of the Highlands, Loch Lochy, Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, and the Isle of Skye. The Highlands were absolutely insane and mesmerizing. Mountains above 3000 feet are considered Monroes and there were a lot that we encountered. The Lochs were ethereal and so cool to experience. I decided to pay for the Loch Ness cruise because, really, when is the next time I'll be in Scotland? (although very open to the idea of living here, I really love it. I do acknowledge the fact I've only been here for a day though) The cruise was actually really informative. The staff said that a university research team from NZ analyzed the DNA that exists within the lake and that (if I remember correctly) 16% of the DNA was unidentifiable. As in, some of the DNA in the lake belongs to an extinct species the human race never had a chance to encounter or a species that we have yet to discover. INSANE!!!! I gotta say, after learning that, and knowing how much of the ocean we haven't explored, and the fact that only two people have been able to reach the bottom of Loch Ness, I won't refute (but also won't believe without proof) the existence of Nessie. The castle was pretty, our tour guide said that typically the weather isn't good so we were very lucky to experience it on a clear day. We finished off our day on the Isle of Skye where we'll explore for the next few days which I'm pumped to experience. I went to the grocery store with another tour person and then we managed to find a budget meal (also picked up a cheap umbrella!) then sat by the water to watch the sunset, although we couldn't see much, before heading back to our accommodation for dinner.