I just returned from a relaxing weekend of relaxation in Scotland. It was packed with activity: two concerts, two castles, three pub lunches, and four hikes in just four days. But with my best buddy by side and stunning scenery all around, it was a perfect way to unwind from London. Of course the company was the best part of the trip, but here are some other highlights.

Aurthur’s Seat
First thing on the ground in Edinburgh, we clambered up this great hill in the middle of the city for a great view of the town. After climbing to the top of the hill the city feels very small and accessible as you’ve had a good look at the layout. It was the perft way to get introduced to the city.

Shooglenifty
Our first day ended with performances by Beolach, Dannsa, and Session A9, a great show to be sure. But then we headed across the country to the minuscule town of Glenuig to see Shooglenify play – and that was a real treat. People came from all the small surrounding towns to pack the little hall with hundreds of people and boundless energy. The following day, 3 hours drive away we found that our B&B owner’s neighbor had even made the drive across the country to see the show. And it was that good. For 3 solid hours Shooglenifty had people jumping up and down and dancing all around. After, the band claimed it was one of their best shows ever. Even if they are half as good on other nights, it would be well worth tracking them down if you want to good taste of Scotland.

Castle Tioram
Pronounced Chur-um we headed here the morning after the Shooglenifty gig thanks to a tip from some of the members of the band. Not even listed in our Lonely Planet, this old ruined castle was tucked away up an unmarked single lane road. As we rounded the bend and first saw the castle we emitted a simultaneous “whoa!” The scenery is beautiful enough on it’s own, but with the ruined castle on the rock which becomes an island at high tide just makes the whole scene one of the more magical corners of the earth that I’ve stumbled across.

The sum total of the trip was fantastic, but I did have two learning points worth sharing. 1) It rains in Scotland. We only got drenched once, and it was on a tranquil walk through the woods on our last day so were lucky enough to just be able to pack up the wet clothes and head home. But if you are planning on walking in Scotland (and you should), pack a completely waterproof suit. 2) Take time to make sure your film is loaded properly. I was lucky I took some pictures with my digital as well, because all 30-something of my film pictures were never recorded to the film.

World Hum has put together a list of the 40 greatest travel songs. Well worth checking out as there is a embedded video for each one. Of course one is always going to have disagreements with this sort of list, like that Metallica’s wherever I May Roam not being included, but over all it’s pretty comprehensive. City of New Orleans isn’t number one on the list, but I think it’s my favorite of the 40 so I’m sharing it here (better version than the on they put up too).

Hat tip: The Adventure Blog