Scotland June 2018

Summer in Scotland!

So, what inspired this trip?

Gordon Brown is an excellent sea kayaking coach who lives and teaches on the Isle of Skye. I've taken classes with him several times at sea kayaking symposia in Oregon and California. I've only made it out to Skye to learn with him once a number of years ago. Turns out he and his family are moving to Canada in August (wow!). I realized that this summer would be my last opportunity to take classes with him again paddling the waters off the coast of Skye. So I took it. 

Of course, while I was Scotland I got to see old friends in Edinburgh and Glencoe. It was great to hang out with all of them. 

Over the weeks I was there I got out kayaking eight days, relaxed in Glencoe for a few days, and had a number of days to really enjoy Edinburgh. I took a few pictures that I'm posting in these blog posts:

Edinburgh June 2018

Heading to Skye

Kayaking on Skye: Kilmaluag Bay

Glencoe June 2018

Traditional Music in Plockton

Paddling along the Strathaird Peninsula

Sunny day for getting wet

Kayaking Loch Bracadale

Kayaking to Loch Coruisk


To start these posts, I'll repost my real-time FB account of the journey to Scotland: 

Right now I'm still at Heathrow waiting for my connecting flight to Edinburgh. So we start with a couple pictures of SFO and Heathrow...


International Terminal at SFO. I don't get here very often.

And Heathrow Terminal 2. I'd forgotten just how big Heathrow is.

My flight from Heathrow to Edinburgh was on a local airline called FlyBe using this plane. I'm not a fan. The views over the countryside were nice tho.

Finally got to Edinburgh and made it to the Airbnb flat I'd rented in Marchmont, a neighborhood near the University where I'd spent lots of time when I lived there. The neighborhood is filled very nice flats with high ceilings, bay windows, and cozy fireplaces.