LEARNING TO LOVE SCOTLAND - Introduction

Technically I'm half Scottish, quarter English and quarter Welsh. Don't ask! But of course it doesn't really matter because officially they're all part of the United Kingdom which is just one country. Now I've never really liked my own country. In fact there have been times when I've hated it. In all fairness I can't really blame the UK itself. I've had some bad experiences growing up here but they could have happened to anyone anywhere. But for some reason I just can't let go of the grudge I have against my home country. In the past I've tried so hard to drop it and just enjoy myself but alas so far to no avail. Despite all efforts I've always had trouble letting go of my prejudices. Because I utterly despised my high school in Edinburgh I essentially ended up hating Edinburgh. This was of course a ridiculous state of mind to be in. Edinburgh is an absolutely beautiful city. Stunningly picturesque and unique in so many ways it would be hard for someone to visit the place and not be impressed. But old habits die hard and throughout my life I've always found it hard to change my mind, despite so many reasons to think otherwise. Eventually Edinburgh became Scotland, Scotland became all of Britain and soon enough I regretted ever being born in the UK.

For those who have known me for sometime and have perhaps grown weary of my constant bashing of Edinburgh and, to a lesser extent, Scotland and the UK as a whole, please don't judge me too harshly. I've tried to let go of my negative feelings, I really have but it's hard to do so. Whenever I return home to Edinburgh I seem to always become engulfed by a strange state of lethargy and depression that overcomes me and brings me down until I become cranky and irritable to everyone I meet. It isn't deliberate, it just seems to be the state of mind that takes control over me. I've always tried to fight against this tendency but in the past it's never really worked.

This time though, things will be different! I'm armed with a new sense of resolve and a plan. During my time in New Zealand I've developed a love for hiking and for mountains and wild scenery. With this in mind how I could I possibly fail to learn to love the Highlands of Scotland? After all they're famous for their mountainous scenery and stunningly beautiful glens, lochs and picturesque rivers. There are hundreds of old historic castles in picture perfect locations. Then there are the friendly highland people, the great local beers in wonderful old pubs and delightful little villages with old stone cottages that are far too small and isolated to have felt the vile taint of anything as ghastly as McDonalds or Starbucks.

I kitted myself out with some new equipment, most importantly, a tent. Other than a couple of other things though, such as a sleeping mat for my tent I was still relatively well supplied from my New Zealand trip so I was ready to go. The plan was to walk the West Highland Way, a one hundred mile (well, 96 miles) walk that starts in Milngavie, a small place just outside Glasgow, and finishes at Scotland's, and also Britain's tallest mountain: Ben Nevis. located just next to Fort William. After that I would make up the trip as I went along but I had a couple of other ideas of where I wanted to go. I had seen photos of Glencoe and the Isle of Skye and I knew I couldn't miss those. So I waited around for the weather to turn good and off I went.

I told myself I wouldn't come back until I had learned to love Scotland!