I've got DSL, and I'm not talking about high speed internet

After three days on a bus in the Scottish Highlands, I feel as though I've really gotten to see the best parts of this country. USC paid for us studying in the UK to take the trip -- my tuition dollars at work -- and it was a great time.  Luckily Lilly was able to go too, and she was my seat mate for the journey. If we had seen six more white horses, she could have been The One -- I'll explain later.

We left early Tuesday morning from Edinburgh in a bright yellow Haggis Tours bus. In addition to being bright yellow, the bus had WILD & SEXY written on the side, so there was no way we wouldn't attract attention. Our tour guide, a hip guy named Matt, assured us we would, in fact, have a wild and sexy time.

[caption id="attachment_311" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Lilly and I showing what wild and sexy is."][/caption]

There were 23 USC students to begin plus our director, and the bus was almost completely packed - I joked it should be called the "Chain Smoker Express" since it seemed many people were often late due to their smoking habit. The first stop was the tiny town of Dunkeld, not too far away from Edinburgh. The main site there is the Dunkeld Cathedral with its adjacent ruins. Plus some ancient murderer is buried behind the altar. I'm blanking on his name, but I know it contains "wolf." He was a bad guy -- so bad, Matt said, that most tours don't mention him.

[caption id="attachment_312" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="da ruins"][/caption]

Then it was into the Highlands! We stopped first at Aviemore, a ski resort village, for lunch, and then made our way to Culloden Battlefield, the site of the massive 1745 battle between the Jacobites and the Hanoverian British Government. It's a very solemn place -- just an empty expanse marked by flags. 

[caption id="attachment_313" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Culloden Battlefield"][/caption]

Next was Loch Ness, time numero dos for me, for some Nessie hunting. I'm an honest-to-God Nessie believer now; we didn't see anything but Matt  went through the different theories and told some very convincing stories. The lake is 23 miles long and as deep as 900 feet -- plenty of room to hide for a  friendly monster!

[caption id="attachment_314" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Bonny Loch Ness"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_315" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Copping a feel -- es war sehr kalt! (But that didn't stop a couple guys in our group from swimming in it)."][/caption]

 We drove along the shores of the loch, stopping for photo ops, and then moved very quickly to make our way to the Highland culture presentation. We sat in a recreated Highland dwelling and watched a guy explain how Highlanders lived -- what they ate, wore, and did. He needed people to demonstrate traditional Highland dress, and when no other girl volunteered I stepped up to bat, after being assured I would not have to strip completely, as Highland women did. 

[caption id="attachment_317" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Undergoing the intense tying and folding process."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_318" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Me as a Highlander woman! Notice the red wig: 95% of Highland women were gingers!"][/caption]

Don't I look great? Funnily enough, Highlander dress was very versatile. Think one of those things from American Apparel that you can twist into a million different outfits. The basic piece is just a super long strip of tartan fabric that is folded, tucked in, and wrapped many different ways depending on the occasion. No undergarments allowed, which I think could be very freeing. One other great thing about being a Highland woman was that the bigger your butt was, the more beautiful you were considered. Later that night, we ran into the the man who gave the presentation at a pub and he said he knew it was me from across the room because of my bottom! I should have lived in the Highland times.

We stayed that night at a nice hostel near the loch in a sleepy village.  A search for dessert later at night turned into quite the experience for Lilly, another USCer, and me: We met some interesting English chaps who had a penchant for dissing everything American. I held my own, but Lilly tells me making fun of Americans is many an English person's favorite hobby. Gotta seep in the culture, right?

The next morning it was up bright and early to hit the road again. First stop: Eilean Donan Castle, the most photographed place in Scotland. For the ladies reading this, Made of Honor was filmed there. The castle is on a small island connected to the main land by a stone bridge, and it is a lovely sight indeed.

[caption id="attachment_320" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Eilean Donan Castle"][/caption]

Then it was on the road to the beautiful Isle of Skye. We first made a quick pitstop by a river to hear the tale of the one-eyed woman. It's too long to recount here, but basically a woman who had her eye ripped out dipped her face into the river's water and was made beautiful again. Lilly and I dabbed water on ourselves in an attempt to preserve our 20-year-old looks, of course.

[caption id="attachment_321" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Hip tour guide Matt recounting the tale."][/caption]

We crossed over the Skye Bridge, a very expensive work of engineering that caused a public protest, and were greeted with amazing coastal views. Ahhh the sea! I must go down to the seas again...

Skye is commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Scotland, and it's easy to see why. Why don't you take a look:

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="In Portree, Skye's main town, hoping the seagulls don't poop on me."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_323" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The most commonly photographed image of Skye."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_324" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Sheep!"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The lovely, lovely sea."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_326" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Oh, Skye."][/caption]

A night at Saucy Mary's, our hostel/pub combo, was a good time. Saucy Mary was a woman who back in the day would flash ships passing by. There are many imitators, but no one in our group got saucy (at least as far as I know).

On to day three (I was exhausted by this time)...We left Skye and made our way west to Glen Coe. Matt stopped for several photo ops on the way - the road traveled through a very scenic mountain range.



 



 



Glen Coe was the site of the intern trip many weeks ago, but it was great to go back. I think it's now officially my favorite place in Scotland. Matt took us on a different route through the "valley of the weeping," so I was able to see more of the Glen's amazing scenery. 

[caption id="attachment_331" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Moody, wonderful Glen Coe."][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_332" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="da bridge in da glen."][/caption]

I was sad to leave Glen Coe, but I'll be back one day, I'm sure. I've got DSL, Deep Scottish Love. Matt talked about DSL throughout the whole trip; he says everyone on his trips catches it and it definitely happened to me :) The other thing Matt talked about alot was what happens when one sees 30 white horses on a trip to the Highlands. 30 white horses spotted, and the person sitting next to you is your true love.  We got down to 6, so there is no Insalata/Moser wedding - at least not yet. JOKES!

The final two stops of the trip were Hamish and Stirling. Hamish is a Highland cow, Stirling is a town. Hamish was awesome!! Except he has Bovine herpes, so no mouth-to-mouth allowed, shucks. In Stirling we went to the William Wallace monument aka Braveheart. I still haven't seen the movie, shameful I know.

[caption id="attachment_333" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The most photographed Highland resident. "][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_335" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="The tribute to the man who had a very brave heart."][/caption]

After what felt like an eternity on a bus, we rolled back into Edinburgh Thursday evening. It was a great trip, but it's good to be back. The Lillycat spent one more night here with me; it was fun showing her the Parliament and of course a trip to the Elephant House was necessary for us Harry Potter fanatics. 

Only three weeks to go in the land of haggis and whisky. Time has flown by. From Scotland, with love.