Day 16
The Highlands
I had never realized that the highlands were so… high up. Our guide had the perfect playlist for our journey through the highlands. One song that became a group favorite was “Far Side of the World” by Tide Lines. It took a good week after getting home to get the song out of my head.
I tried to sit by the window for much of the rest of the trip so I would not miss these views.
Hidden Valley Hike
Our hike was one of the big highlights of the trip for me. It was a little strenuous, but nothing crazy. It was difficult not to stop every few feet and take another picture. The hidden valley path was lush and green with waterfalls. A light rain was falling. I took my jacket off as I warmed up and ended the hike soaking wet. There was a trickling waterfall in our path that contributed.
I found some cool lichen near where we stopped for our packed lunch. There is nothing in my past experience to which I could liken that lichen.
Drive to Inverness
The hotel at Inverness was nice, but the wi-fi was non-existent in the rooms. I gave up on trying to watch biochemistry lectures. Instead, I tried again to find some live traditional Scottish music, but similar to Edinburgh, we ended up with a guy with a guitar singing popular songs. “Tennessee Whiskey” seems to be a favorite in more than on pub.
Key Moment of the Day: There is something special about Glen Coe. As I descended the trail, suddenly alone somewhere between the lead group and the trailing group, I couldn’t help singing to myself as I hopped from rock to rock. I was completely drenched and felt happy.