Days 3-5: The Highlands to St. Andrews
Our amazing bus driver, Chris, did the bulk of her driving work in days 3 through 5. We left Inverness, which broke my heart more than a little bit because Inverness was so wonderful and I couldn't imagine the rest of Scotland comparing to this beautiful and delightful little city.
Well, buckle up, because the rest of Scotland definitely held just as much history, wonder, and delight as Inverness.
We continued to step inside history in ways that deepened our understanding of this wonderful country as we made our way south.
Spoiler if you are considering Scotland: It's extremely beautiful.
Day 3: The Rugged, Romantic Highlands
Tour of a Woolen Mill
We got a behind-the-scenes tour of Johnstons of Elgin, a fabulously interesting woolen mill that processes wool and textiles for some of the largest brands in the world. This was one of my mom's very favorite activities from the whole trip!
Tour of a Whisky Distillery
We also got a tour of a whisky distillery. Note - you may think I have misspelled "whiskey" but I have not, because the Scottish people spell it without an E and they are sort of in charge of whisky so they get to decide.
#MOMDOT
Trip Highlight Alert:
Neil the Shepherd and His Sheepdogs
Possibly the happiest moment of my entire life.
What was listed simply as “Sheepdog Demonstration” in our agenda became one of the most memorable experiences of the entire trip.
First of all — Neil the shepherd. The moment he walked toward us, it was clear he belonged to that land. The dogs’ eyes were fixed on him. When he called out commands across the hills, what sounded like nonsense to us sent the dogs into motion, calmly gathering sheep we hadn’t even noticed and guiding them toward us with quiet precision.
And then… the puppies. Oh, the puppies. I truly don’t have words.
But what stayed with me even more than the magic of the dogs was Neil himself. He told us about his life as a shepherd and shared that in his lifetime the number of shepherds has dwindled to very few. He worries the tradition may not survive another generation.
Watching him move across the field — confident, patient, deeply connected to the land — it felt like we weren’t just observing a demonstration. We were witnessing a way of life being carried forward, even as it quietly fades.
Culture doesn’t only live in artifacts or castles. Sometimes it lives in muddy boots and in the bond between a shepherd and his dogs.
Disclaimer: Puppies not guaranteed on all Scotland tours.
Day 4: Crannogs and Hermits
The rain held exactly long enough for us to get in a mostly-dry visit to the "Hermitage" - a beautiful little waterfall in a park. We also explored the charming little village of Dunkeld for lunch.
Visiting the Crannog Center
After lunch, we went back in time to the Iron Age and learned about crannogs — conical dwellings built in the middle of lochs, connected to land by narrow wooden bridges. The center brought the era to life with reconstructed crannogs (pictured above), each staffed by a docent explaining a different aspect of Iron Age living.
Standing inside those structures and imagining what daily life might have looked like thousands of years ago was unexpectedly humbling. Looking at relics of ordinary life — fragments of pottery, simple buckles for clothing — made the people who once lived there feel less distant. History didn’t feel abstract in that space; it felt amazingly human.
Day 5: Charming St Andrews
Castle Ruins
A Rainy Scottish Day
St Andrews surprised us — not just with its stories, but with how weather and stone seemed to belong together. The more famous cathedral was closed for repairs when we were there, but there was still plenty to do in St Andrews. We toured the St. Andrews castle ruins which included a very exciting mine that some people were trying to dig out and a COUNTER-mine that people were trying to dig in.
We had thus far on our trip had very little rain, but it unleashed itself on us while we were at the castle. Most of the castle area no longer has the benefit of a roof, so we had the opportunity to utilize our carefully selected travel umbrellas. I found that the rain made the experience feel more authentic and memorable.
We found this statue of a cat named Hamish McHamish. Absolutely delightful. Little moments like this reminded me that some of the sweetest parts of travel are unscripted and unexpected.
I LOVE YOU GILLIE!
Trip Highlight Alert: Gillie McNab and the Bagpipes
One of the most incredible benefits of doing a Rick Steves tour is the specially curated experiences they provide.
This is Gillie McNab, a glass-ceiling-smashing superstar of bagpipes. She was the first woman to join one of those elite bagpipe bands and it caused all kinds of controversy at first. But she is GILLIE FREAKING MCNAB so she persevered and now it's like 60 years later and she has all these amazing accolades and piped for the Queen's jubilee and all these other important world events.
She is a living treasure and I cannot believe I got the privilege to hear her in person. Listening to her music as well as her stories felt like the sound of Scotland — a sound tied to identity, not performance.