Bonnie Scotland

 

Bonnie Scotland

June 2023

 

            Scotland has been mostly missing in our European travels. I had some stops in Scotland at the beginning of a Viking Ocean Cruise with brother Doug, wife Ann, & daughter Katie before continuing to Norway & the Arctic Circle. But Marjorie is eager to go there, and I’d like to see more. Interest prodded by recent TV highlighting Scotland: Outlander, a time-travel romantic adventure I got hooked on during the COVID pandemic; The Crown, which includes views of Balmoral Castle, Scottish home of the Royal Family; a “Wildheart” episode of Nature focusing on 500-year-old pines in the Highlands; The Traitors, a reality show promising “backstabbing and treachery” hosted by Alan Cumming in a Scottish castle; we stream the 3 seasons of very enjoyable Ted Lasso. So it seems the planets are aligned for a trip to Scotland.

Gate1, with whom we’ve had a number of happy trips, has a few options. Though it

does not include the Orkney Islands I enjoyed, Marjorie opts for the somewhat shorter “10 Day Classic Scotland,” which looks quite comprehensive enough. This continues a very busy travel year: Cruisin’ down the Mississippi in January, Florida in March,  Orient Express London to Verona coming in September.

A couple weeks before departure there’s an “Uh-Oh” moment threatening the trip: Marjorie tweaks her knee during early garden work. Ortho doc confirms a torn meniscus, but should heal in 6-8 weeks. A brace stabilizes the knee and things improve. Also helped by a cane that belonged to late friend Jerry, a reminder of enjoyable travels with Jerry & Diane. 

Marjorie asserts the garden is in good shape, planting complete. A stretch of summer weather, up to the 90s. We’ll plan for more spring-like weather in Scotland. Thankfully, packing this time doesn’t entail jumping thru COVID hoops. But one complication: a CBD tincture helpful for Marjorie’s joint pain and my restless leg (she says I “sleep like a baby,” not kicking her) has THC, not legal in the UK. We’ll take a similar product without THCWed., June 7: “Canadian Smoke”