Back to my roots

Scotland.

It's been a long time since I've explored any of the Highlands - and oh boy, what have I been missing...

I drove today from Aberdeen to Tomintoul via Aboyne, then over to Nethy Bridge and Loch Garten

What an amazing country - what a fabulous variety of scenery. It was just stunning. There was a weather front coming in from the west which brought a big change of air mass and loads of dramatic clouds and showers, and it showed off the scenery to its best. I have forgotten how dramatic the Cairngorms are...

The far west is where I really want to go, though. The Dee Valley and the Cairngorms are truly beautiful and wonderful and Scottish and all that stuff, but for utter desolation and drama and pure imposition and sci-fi and other worldliness, the North West is place to go.. Ullapool, Poolewe, Torridon, Skye - not in any order of course!

I was glad to have spent the day reminding myself of my roots.

But it left a strange mix of feelings as I lived in Aberdeen about 7 lives ago, and have a range of emotions about the place, good and bad, happy and sad. Most of the places I went to today were places that I'd been to before, with people who are now no longer in my life.

I sometimes feel that Scotland is full of ghosts from my past... most of whom have forgotten me.