I Heart Scotland - this is a long one!

So, I have decided two things in my time in Edinburgh. One: that I love Scotland, especially the Highlands and two: Scottish men in kilts are about the hottest thing I have ever seen. While there I came to the conclusion that I will have to do one of two things: start going to Scottish pubs in NZ to find a Scottish man or move to Scotland to find a Scottish man. Choices, choices...
As you can tell, I have really enjoyed my time in Scotland.
I arrived on the 30th of December from Durham. The train was excellent and I really enjoyed travelling that way. I got to see a bit of the countryside and took some photos before finally arriving in Edinburgh.
Now, I had come prepared with a printed Google map of where I had to go and yet maps do not in fact tell you how many exits a trainstation has nor does it tell you that the road you are looking for is actually bridge you just walked under. Huh. I walked out of the trainstation and within two minutes was horribly confused. On the upside, Edinburgh was packed with tourists all with maps out looking for their hotels and hostels. I walked around the streets for a bit with suitcase in tow before finally asking a true local for help. They pointed me in the right direction and success! I found my hostel.
The High Street Hostel is just off the Royal Mile which is the oldest part of Edinburgh. I absolutely loved it and the hostel was this tiny little doorway that led into a lounge area. I arrived at around 1pm so I left my things and went for a walkabout. It was while doing this that I realised that I had become that little bit more confident. At the beginning of this tour I imagine that I would have been afraid of going out on my own but I felt safe in Edinburgh, there were lots of people and I had just spent the last 30mins walking around getting lost with suitcase. I now had a firm grasp of where I was on the map and so away I went.
I walked around for a while and went into some of the very many tartan tourist stores before heading back to the hostel.
I was told I would be in a room with others who were on the tour and I thought 'Great, I will get to meet some and make connections.' I met some, and then some more. There were 18 of us in one room! However, not one to complain or care, I just shrugged, used my increasingly common mantra of 'Shit Happens' and dumped my stuff by my bed. And that is when I heard it: the sweet, dulcet, quiet tones of another kiwi. I missed that accent. 2 and a half weeks of aussies, canadians, americans and brits had made that sound so much more than it should have been. They are all ex-pats but for a couple.
I also meet this wickedly funny aussie chick called Beth who has been travelling for a bit while she waits for her english nursing registration to come through.
31st December: New Years Eve! We were all starting to get to know one another fairly well. It is hard not to when 18 of us sleep in the same room, share the 2 loos and the 2 showers and there is no proper dressing area so much as there is the put your bra and knickers on so you don't flash anyone and then proceed to get changed with everyone else. Eye averting become common really fast.
Hogmany was alright. I won't lie. I had heard great things and had great expectations. I went out during the day and hunted down a kilt, a hat and a blanket/shawl. I couldn't find either the MacNair's nor the Graham's so I went with the purple Heritage of Scotland tartan (a made up one more than anything else - but really pretty). I later found out that the MacNair's are a subname of the MacNab's but I had already secured said tartan so =(.
Me, Beth and a guy called Austin headed out to the sreetparty early but no one was there so we went to the pub for a few before heading back out. We were right near the stage and so that meant we were sandwiched in between those moshing, those dancing and those pushing further to the front. Not so much fun as really, really annoying. They had to stop the party at around 10pm because people were being squished and they didn't restart until 1130pm. Midnight came and went with might fireworks that were amazing and shortly after that we headed out of the street.
One of the things that was really gross about the way they had set up the Street party was the lack of portaloos. Imagine 20,000 people with about 100 loos. Yeah. I went with another girl to the loos and the lines were so long that the guys were peeing in the phonebooths and so were many chicks. The girl I was with had to do the same behind the phone booths because there was no way she could hold it. I held up my blanket and then she asked me if I needed to go. I decided to hold it. Hooray for Camel bladder is all I can say. The streets were wet and it aint water that we were all walking in. When I got back to the hostel I cleaned my shoes.
1 Dec: Recovery. Coffee and snacks, and a free walking tour. It started at 1pm and finished just after four. The tour guide, Ronnie (another hot Scot) took us around the various sites of Edinburgh and told us stories and history. I learnt a lot and took photos. I can't wait to write them all down.
That evening we chilled out. It was really cold outside (when hasn't it been) so we (myself, Cat and Mary) hunted out some food and chilled out.
2 Dec: Highlands!!! I, as mentioned earlier, fell in love with the highlands. We went up through Glencoe and past many Lochs. I would really love to move up there. Our tour guide (wearing a kilt - need I say more) explained about the clan histories and his people. He lived up there and it took every ounce of self will not to beg him to take me home with him.
We stopped for the night in Oban and chilled out up there. We found this game from the 1990s that asks all sorts of random questions so we did that for a while, bearing our souls. I felt really connected to some of the guys from the tour, especially Beth and Austin. I might only have just met them but I will miss them. They are good people.
3 Dec: Back to Edinburgh: We were meant to head up further and then back down but alas, the severe weather conditions on the Highland roads made it impossible so we headed back a bit earlier. However, I got to see Loch Lomond and some old churches beside Lochs. I got to see 'harry coos' aka hairy cows and mountains. I had a bout of homesickness when I saw a bunch of sheep. Sad, but true.
We got back and it was at that point that I was going to write this blog but some of the others were going out for drinks so you can guess where I went.
Right now, I am sitting in the home of Uncle Ian and Aunty Pauline. I have been talking with Jill and have met the gorgeous Ethan who is hilarious. Such a little, assertive man. I felt honoured when he was all excited when I arrived. No better reception could be given than a three year old shouting 'Aunty Deborah!' and jumping up and down. Loved it.
And so now, we are up to date once more. Till next time...