Scotland trip report part III: after Edinburgh

After the better part of a week in Edinburgh it was time to visit some of the more laid back places in Scotland. So my parents, aunt and uncle and I loaded up the cars and headed out for Oban on the Western coast. The trip across was serene and very scenic. Some people enjoy traveling to meet interesting and stimulating people of ancient cultures, and kill them. That can be nice, but I really enjoy seeing the different textures of earth.

Oban is a quaint little fishing village with a harbor, a whiskey distillery, and not much else. Except of a little masonry folly on the hill that looks a bit like a miniature colleseum from outside. Aparently a local banker commissioned its construction during a period of unemployment. Nice guy.

We took the scenic route back across the country. We drove up past the Nevis range then up the west coast of loch Ness. No monster sightings, except for the beast in the 58 inch kilt throwing stones at Drumnadrochets highland games. The games themselves were disappointing, poorly attended and organized.



The last portion of the drive was across the Cairngormes - almost unpopulated purple mountain highlands (purple from the blooming heather which covers the treeless landscape).

This was a very relaxing vacation for me. Lots of good scottish food beer and a little whiskey. and reconnecting with family. My parents commented that it was gratifying to them that their children, now grown up, voluntarily choose to spend vacation time with their parents (myself in Scotland coming not too long after a trip through some of the parks of Utah that was joing by my brother and sister). Well, it is gratifying to me to be lucky enough to have family worth spending my vacation time with. Getting a couple rounds of golf out of the deal is a nice bonus as well.

The week at my folk's timeshare was dominated by golf. We played



Cullen Bay - a unique course on the north coast, the seat of Scotland. It was right on the beach where a cliff and some rock formations made for some almost cartoonish holes. Also surreal was the wind whipping through the rocks. Cullen is famous as the home of Cullen skink, a potato seafood chowder, it's delicious.



Aboyne, Ballater, and Tarland - nice courses. I don't have a whole lot to say about them.



Braemar - A most distinctively Scottish course. Nestled in the highland mountains it is beautiful and frustrating.

Finally it was time to get back to Korea to finish the last month of my contract. It took three days to travel what with 2 stopovers and a delay -> missed connection -> night in a posh heathrow adjacent hotel paid by the airline.