When we started our tour, our guide explained that Insight Vacations prides itself on “rare authentic experiences and meaningful interactions.”  He reminded us that our tour was called Country Roads of Scotland on several occasions. We didn’t realize until today that...

We have reached the northern shores of Scotland and will travel by ferry to the Orkney Islands today . . . that is if the ferry is running.  Weather forecasts are predicting winds so severe that all fishing vessels have returned to port.  Our tour guide explains that...

The parting words from our tour guide as we left the bus were,”You’re on a tour called The Country Roads of Scotland.  That means we are going to some remote places with limited hotels.  And you Americans won’t share a bathroom, so our choices are limited. And make...

This morning’s adventure started with a trip to Loch Ness in search of the Loch Ness Monster.  Turns out, there are professional Loch Ness Monster hunters and there is a million dollar reward for anyone who can capture a “Verifiable” photo.  I was game to try as that...

Day 3 of our tour takes us out of the city (note, the name of our tour is Country Roads of Scotland, could it be we actually head out into the country?) and to the quaint town of St. Andrews.  St. Andrews is known for hosting William and Kate in their university...

If you are ever going to visit Scotland, there are a few things you need to understand before you go. To begin with, you are probably going to visit, hear about, be pointed towards, or stumble across the city of Edinburgh, and you will need to know how to pronounce...

Well it has finally happened.  Gene has connected with his 17% Scottish roots.  Only one day in Edinburgh and he has joined a clan (we call them gangs in the US).  We sit down to our first group dinner and every time the waitress walks behind Dad, I start...

You know how sometimes you get so focused on your goal that you forget to look around?  Gene and I were visiting Buckingham Palace and enjoying the beautiful weather and sightseeing.  We were both getting a little tired of walking and still had about a mile to get...

We have traveled enough now that when Gene leans over the table and says, “Considering where we are, you might want to just order Vodka on the rocks,” I should heed his advice.  Did I listen? No. Once again, I ordered the nearly impossible drink for anyone under 50 to...

We truly played tourist on our last day in London.  We hopped on the “hop on hop off” bus and went to the Tower of London and explored the grounds.  We did not see the royal jewels because the line was over 2 hours long.  We did, however, see the royal crowns and...