Ode To Bonnie Scotland

Dear Diary,

I came here to stay.

Every story starts with a dream. Mine started 18 years ago.

The Question

When I tell people that I moved to Scotland, there’s this one question I get asked every time. Why Scotland? Followed by many more confusing questions.

Is it not rainy and windy all the time? I mean do you ever see the sun? I bet you’re cold all the time. There’s even a famous quote by Billy Connolly about that: “There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter.”

And the accent, how do you even understand people? And men wearing skirts. Seriously?

Also, they eat weird stuff. Is there, not something called Haggis, made of all the sheep has to offer? And fried Mars Bars? Ew.

Got it, you’ve moved there because of the whisky. That’s the reason, right?

Let me tell you my story. You could call it a love story. How it all began. This is my ode to bonnie Scotland.

The Story

It’s always easy to blame your parents. I know. But this time it is all because of them. Believe me.

I first set foot on Scottish grounds at the age of 10. My parents had decided to do a round trip. Starting in the highlands and finishing off in Edinburgh.

At that age, I hated going for walks or hiking. I thought nature is boring. I wasn’t interested in anything related to history. I would have much preferred our usual holidays on the Canary Islands where I could stay in the pool all day.

Though, I was proven wrong. There was something about this country that captured me from the first moment. I loved every bit of our trip (and all the other ones that followed).

One of the highlights was our visit to the Royal Highland Games in Braemar. Guess that was when I first realised that those Scots are indeed a strange species. I mean, why on earth would you toss a caber? But what really fascinated me was waving to the Queen. They have a real queen, how cool is that?

There is one souvenir that I got during our trip and that I worship today. A tote bag from Edinburgh University. In my head, I could see my future. One day I would come back to study here. Of course, no one seemed to believe me back then. I was 10…

Oh boy, they were wrong. I came back. 15 years later, to study.

The Answer

Until today I can’t really put into words why Scotland has such an appeal to me. I would describe it as a grounding feeling. A homely feeling. A comfortable feeling.

And Scotland has so much to offer.

Scottish history is fascinating. The culture is rich. From kings and queens. Clans and castles.

Nature is simply stunning. From mountains to lochs to the ocean. The landscape will always take your breath away.

The people are welcoming and so down-to-earth. Simply fun to be around.

And Scotland is mystical. I mean, their national animal is a unicorn…

It feels like the right place for me to be. And sometimes there is no one reason. It is just the way it is.

What’s Next?

So let me take you on my Scottish journey.

But be warned - you might fall in love as I did.