You know when you’ve had a great weeks holiday and you go back to work and feel like you need another holiday? Well that’s me right now, we came back from hols at the weekend and went back to work yesterday and we both definitely have the post holiday blues.
I’m sure we can all relate to getting to a stage when you’re ready for a holiday, everything annoys you, no one can do anything right and you just want to pack up and leave it all behind. That’s where we were at, we hadn’t been away for over a year so we were really looking forward to heading up North.
We went up to Scotland for a week to catch up with my sister in law, her hubby and their little bubba who will turn one in September.
Now it has to be said, when you live south of Norwich, Scotland is a bloody long way away and it’s not like you hit the border and you’re there, Scotland is huge! That false sense of relief when you pass the Welcome to Scotland sign and then the realisation that you have another 3 hours to go. We were heading for near Forfar which is close to Dundee. We did cheat and split up the journey a bit and stayed in Roslin for the first night. If Roslyn rings a bell, there is an amazing chapel there as featured in the Da Vinci Code film with Tom Hanks. It’s a beautiful place and we had a bit of jaw drop moment when we walked in. You’re not allowed to take photos inside the chapel so here’s a few from the outside, you’ll have to visit yourself to see the inside properly or watch the film again!
We stayed in a traditional Scottish Bothy which is a small cottage which were traditionally used by farm workers or kept for use as a mountain refuge so they are generally fairly remote and come with great views!
Ours was really sweet, all that we needed and I’m sure we’ll rebook the same place next year. We chose this location as it was a 20 min drive from family and near a couple of walks we had ear marked to do.
So Scotland isn’t known for its good weather, it’s pretty much renowned for being wet, grey and moody. The last time I saw sun in Scotland was my first trip there around 15 years ago which was my first holiday with Splendid Chap.
This time however, it did itself proud, the heat wave that has hit the country has spread so far north that even the glens and lochs have felt the warmth of the sun. Scottish scenery can look very dramatic whatever the weather but seeing the sun basking down on such a spectacular landscape can be a little awe inspiring.
We were recommended by the Bothy owner Sue to do a walk at Corrie Fee and she said that it had real wow factor. It involved an hours walk up through the forrest which was a slow burn uphill which my Norfolk legs aren’t used to and I’m not particularly fit but with hubbys motivation I kept at it and boy was it worth it!
This to me is Scotland at its best. This kind of view makes everything else disappear, your worries, your gripes, your insecurities – they all pale into insignificance when looking out at something so beautiful.
We had a brilliant week and it was just what we needed. The great outdoors, sun, family – it was the perfect way to recharge our batteries. Thank you Scotland.
norfolkgal 