LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELFHi, I'm Anna! I love to travel and eat good food, and I've been to Europe several times. On the regular, I'm pretty risk-averse and like to stay home with a good book or a craft project. But I also have a vacation alter-ego ("Vacation Anna") who loves adventure & trying new things - and she's never afraid to go it alone! This was my 4th Rick Steves tour, and I've done them all as a solo traveler. It was also my first time traveling to Scotland. And while good food might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Scotland, it did not disappoint!
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WHY SCOTLAND?It is always hard to choose my next destination and Rick Steves tour. There are so many wonderful places to choose from! This year, I wanted to combine my tour with a visit with friends who were living in the UK. While I'd visited England before, I had never been to Scotland, so that decided it for me. The trip between Scotland and London is only a few hours by train, which was easy to manage!
I was especially drawn to Scotland for the scenery and history. Obviously, shows like Outlander have made Scotland a pretty popular destination, but I was also interested in learning more about Scottish history. This trip certainly did not disappoint in either area! We happened to get a rather unique view of the country, too. A few years ago on my Rick Steves' Southern Italy tour, I joked that I had pictures you've rarely seen - the Amalfi coast and much of Italy in the rain. Well, on this trip, you might not believe I was really in Scotland because in over 2 weeks of travel in the UK, it never rained once! But I can attest that I was really in Scotland despite the sunny weather. (We joked quite often that maybe the Scots just tell everyone it's rainy and gloomy to keep the tourists away, but we were reassured that it really does rain a lot despite evidence to the contrary!) Although we saw a lot of kilts in Scotland (our guide, Alasdair, wore one almost every day), I'm calling this scrapbook Scotland: Unkilted in the hopes that I can show you some more about this beautiful country aside from Outlander (sadly, no Jamie sightings on this tour) and the tartan tat (cheap, tartan-themed tourist goods, often sold in shops decked out in kilts & blasting bagpipe music into the street). |
WHY RICK STEVES?
I've had a great time on all my Rick Steves tours! Here are some of the reasons I keep coming back:
1. Solo No More!
While I sign up for a Rick Steves tour as a solo traveler, I'm always among friends. Rick Steves travelers make wonderful travel companions. They are always open, welcoming, and up for a good time. It's also a treat meeting other "solos" on the tour! All of this makes for a great mix. Want some time to yourself for reflection, a quiet walk, or a peaceful lunch? You got it! But if you want to plan activities with others, that's an option too. For me, the joy of travel is experiencing it with others, but many of my friends aren't at a time in their lives where they can travel. So, I'm always happy to know that I have 24-28 "friends" on every trip.
2. I'm Not in Charge.
I like that I can plan some free time activities, but Rick & his team plan most of my trip. It's the best of both worlds. If I don't have any solid plans, I can often ask around to see what everyone is doing in their free time and see if I can join in! It's also nice to have a vacation where I'm just responsible for getting there.
3. All the Little Extras!
Rick Steves' tour guides are like no other. They all add their own flavor to the tour and they each receive a discretionary fund to add in the little extras that their group might enjoy. I've had guides organize extra happy hours or meals, add in a stop that wasn't planned, etc. It makes for a great tour because I know our guide can add their special touch. (Alasdair organized a special seafood lunch for us in Oban!)
4. Being a Temporary Local.
While tours often cover some of the big tourist locations, I also feel like each tour gets off the beaten path by visiting less-frequented locations or adding in local flavor where possible. I like to feel like I'm part of the place when I visit, not just someone passing through and watching through a window. I feel like the places we stay, eat, and travel to on a Rick Steves tour have meaning, interest, and purpose (beyond snapping a cool travel picture).
While I sign up for a Rick Steves tour as a solo traveler, I'm always among friends. Rick Steves travelers make wonderful travel companions. They are always open, welcoming, and up for a good time. It's also a treat meeting other "solos" on the tour! All of this makes for a great mix. Want some time to yourself for reflection, a quiet walk, or a peaceful lunch? You got it! But if you want to plan activities with others, that's an option too. For me, the joy of travel is experiencing it with others, but many of my friends aren't at a time in their lives where they can travel. So, I'm always happy to know that I have 24-28 "friends" on every trip.
2. I'm Not in Charge.
I like that I can plan some free time activities, but Rick & his team plan most of my trip. It's the best of both worlds. If I don't have any solid plans, I can often ask around to see what everyone is doing in their free time and see if I can join in! It's also nice to have a vacation where I'm just responsible for getting there.
3. All the Little Extras!
Rick Steves' tour guides are like no other. They all add their own flavor to the tour and they each receive a discretionary fund to add in the little extras that their group might enjoy. I've had guides organize extra happy hours or meals, add in a stop that wasn't planned, etc. It makes for a great tour because I know our guide can add their special touch. (Alasdair organized a special seafood lunch for us in Oban!)
4. Being a Temporary Local.
While tours often cover some of the big tourist locations, I also feel like each tour gets off the beaten path by visiting less-frequented locations or adding in local flavor where possible. I like to feel like I'm part of the place when I visit, not just someone passing through and watching through a window. I feel like the places we stay, eat, and travel to on a Rick Steves tour have meaning, interest, and purpose (beyond snapping a cool travel picture).
SCRAPBOOK FEATURES & NAVIGATION
I've organized this scrapbook by the main locations we stayed in during the tour. Some pages combine a number of sites near a large city or town where we stayed, while others might just be one day if we had a quick 1 night stop. On each page, I include a write up of our main activities with some of my favorite pictures from those days. In addition, pages also feature:
- Traveler Tips. Tips for new(er) travelers or things that I've learned on this trip or other Rick Steves tours
- Fun Facts: I love learning new things, so I've shared a few things I learned this trip
- Laugh a Little: I also love a good laugh. Each page features some funny things I saw or heard on this Scottish adventure.
- Picture This: If you love photos and want to see more of my travels and learn more about the places I visited, I've included a slideshow at the end of each page. The slideshows also include pictures of my hotel rooms if you would like to check out the temporary traveler digs on a Rick Steves tour.
- Navigation Buttons. You can navigate through this scrapbook using the header tabs for each main city/town we visited. At the end of each page in this scrapbook, I've also included buttons that will take you to the next stop on the tour (like the one below!).
- Eat Scottish with Me! Scotland gets a bad rap for food (I quite liked haggis, to be honest!), but I had a lot of delicious meals on my trip. To highlight the wonderful food, I've created a separate page to peruse the places we eat and enjoyed on this tour.