The Fox and the Turtle: June 2015

Sunday morning we folded up our cots and packed our bags, then hopped in the car to settle down for the five hour drive back. We were worn out from the few days of psuedo-camping and desperately looked forward to a hot shower and real bed to sleep in.

But Scotland seemed to have other plans for us, in the best way.

As we drove down the coast (a view I had missed by napping through it during the first ride), Jon asked if we'd like to pull over to check out a nearby distillery. It had been one of Zach's dreams to visit a scotch whisky distillery, which we had previously thought wouldn't be possible due to logistical and monetary reasons. But now we had a ride and found out the admission was only £6! Obviously too good a deal to pass up. So a few minutes later and we were on the doorsteps of the Clynelish facilities. Winry held down the fort/car and we went on a quick tour and finally a tasting of their 14 year single malt. It was my first taste of Scotch and probably one of only a handful of times I've had straight alcohol, but I sipped with the best of them. One of the workers also gave us a taste of the pure spirits before it was allowed to age which was apparently 80% alcohol content (I just rubbed it on my hands). Zach also had an extra tasting of another variety, so we were all feeling pretty good by the time we made it back to the car.

Maybe the alcohol helped influence our next decision, because suddenly the dreams of a comfortable mattress weren't flooding our minds anymore. We were all having a great time watching the scenery and discussing Scottish politics when Jon hit us up with another offer. This time it was the chance to see the west coast, but at the expense of a two extra hours in the car. Zach hesitated, imagining the late night of studying he had ahead of him, so he turned to me for the final decision.

The only thing I could think of to ask was, "When do you think is the next time we'll be in Scotland?"

And it was settled. A few extra hours wasn't too bad of a price to pay to be able to oogle the other side of the country, so Jon made a quick call to Rebecca and we were off on the scenic route. It's still a little unbelievable that only two extra hours brought us some of the amazing scenery it did, but there we were riding alongside Loch Ness and suddenly in Glencoe (yes, where Skyfall, the James Bond movie was filmed).

What really stuck out to me on this drive, was the realization that I had no preconception of what Scotland, or any country we've visited, would look like. You never really think about the terrain or the flora and fauna of any certain country until you're there on the side of a mountain in Glencoe. Sure tophographical maps can get you close, but you really have to visit to understand how a country looks and feels. Otherwise I'd never guess that Pescia, Italy was nestled in the low mountain tops or the Loire Valley in France has some of the most organized forests around. It's a delight going into a new country and discovering what scenery you can find and Scotland surprised us with its variety. I think we made the right call though Zach was up until 3am doing his assignments...

To spontaneous decisions,

H W Z

Heading North

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Heading South

Heading North

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