Sterling and Glenlyon: The Scottish Adventure *Really* Begins

The thing I remember about the picture above is that we took it right before descending on Sterling Castle's cafeteria where I really wanted some of their potato leek soup and then they told me they had just run out and then I proceeded to have a minor emotional breakdown at our table because I was so, so starving and nothing else they had looked even remotely edible (because....pregnant?  I guess?) and in a small way I thought I was about to die.

BUT, it was still a notable stop in our Scotland tour because 1) it was our first big stop outside of Edinburgh and on our way to the highlands and 2) battles and history and castle stuff.

Ehh, Paul really should be writing this one because really, when I think about Sterling all I can think about is soup and that there was a big marshy field that was important because a lot of people died on it...  And it was a cool castle, as castles go.  Way up on a crag.  Good views.  Strategic...walls...

Okay, moving on!

Earlier that day we rented a car in Edinburgh.  Which was very exciting for us because we rarely drove - just walked or biked.  It was a most excellent automatic (which we paid extra for so we both could drive) and we set off going past Bannockburn battlefield and Sterling with our final destination being a tiiiiiny tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny village tucked away in a hidden valley called Glenlyon.

If you know Paul at all, you'll know that Paul is super into Scotland because his maternal grandfather's line traces their way back there (as McArthurs) and so he grew up with a lot of bagpipes in his life.  And this little village of Glenlyon was one of the places his family actually knows their ancestors immigrated from.

I'm not going to lie, the minute we turned onto a remote mountain pass with just us and a bunch of sheep...I knew it was going to be good.

We got to stay on in a little cabin on a farm and Paul was literally in heaven.  Like, he says things like, "When I die, I hope I wake up in Glenlyon."  Like a ghost?  Or something?  I don't know.  It's a thing for him.

While we were there, we mostly went on little hikes and drives in the area.  Stopped once at the post office/cafe where they gave us ridiiiiiiculously large hot chocolates and cake pieces.  And generally cooked up some Scottish hygge with our little wood-burning stove and absolutely packed floor to ceiling bookcases.

No cell phone reception.  No internet.  No noises.

It was really nice there.  Lovely.  I'd go back again, anytime.  But not as a ghost.  Or something.

Play us out, highland sheep!