2 Weeks!!

Well, it's almost here. For one of us, a return to an old friend, for others, the trip of a lifetime. But for all, a true adventure. Scotland is an old land full of beauty and intrigue, highland and lowlands, castles and towns, pubs and distilleries, mystery and romance, and above all a rich history that goes back thousands of years. It's hard to wrap my mind around it, but there are functional buildings in Scotland (that we will be visiting and staying in) that are literally older than the "United States", and not just a "little" older. Some of them date back hundreds of years before the founding of other countries.

I checked the weather this morning, which if you look at the 10 day forecast is the first time that a date from our trip is shown (Jan 31st). So far, it is just rain, but they have been getting snow and ice recently, so I would imagine that we will get to see Scotland in its true winter beauty. Better bundle up lads!!

If you have looked at our itinerary, then you know that we have several full days, followed by some days that are more "open". It's during this time that we are still coming up with things to do and places to visit. As an aside, I happened to check Balmoral Castle's visiting hours and was dismayed to learn that they will be closed for the winter season (this is typical). I had also originally looked up my ancestral lands for Clan Miller, but it turns out that they bordered near England in an area called Dumfriesshire. More than likely we won't be visiting there, but we have plans to visit a fabric store where I plan on getting tartan for Clan Miller. I would like to get enough for a great kilt, plus some extra to make a vest with, but depending on how much room I have in the luggage, I might have to cut down my quantity.

In the 2 weeks leading up to the trip, I will be making a checklist of necessary things (plug converters, Chapstick, etc), and packing and repacking my suitcase to find what works.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!