Scotland captured my imagination long before I ever traveled there. We went back in June, for two wonderful weeks before the busy-ness of summer set in at home. We had some cool, showery days that would feel good right now!

That’s me below, in the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh. The gardens are a fantastic place to walk off an overnight flight across the Atlantic. Joe and I had scones and tea overlooking the gardens. His brother and sister and their spouses arrived the next day and the six of us dived in to our Scotland adventures.

From Edinburgh we drove to Pitlochry, where we did the Lin of Tummel walk on a rainy morning.

The serious rain held off until we ducked into a cozy restaurant in town for lunch. I had fresh salmon with local peas in a sauce I’m still thinking about. The rain subsided and we did more walking around the pretty village that afternoon.

In the morning we were off to the Isle of Skye. There’s a bridge, so it’s easy to get to, and it’s well worth a visit. We stayed in Portree and hiked a bit of the breathtaking Trotternish Peninsula. I’d love to jump on a ferry and see more of the Hebrides. One day, maybe.

After Skye, it was up to Inverness for a couple of days, then back to Edinburgh and home. My in-laws live in San Diego and Chattanooga but hope to see them again soon!