Our family has been travelling the world together since the kids were born. Lexi travelled with us to Banff, Alberta when she was four months old, beginning a tradition of summer family adventures. We know that our time as a party of five is fleeting, as in the near future, the dynamic will change when the kids have partners, who will be invited to join our travels. This year, we headed to Scotland for a hiking holiday in the Scottish Highlands. It was the first trip to Scotland for all of us.

Recently, Paul and I have been having fun researching our ancestry using the AncestryDNA website. Following DNA testing, we now know our heritages and through the website, we have been building our family trees and making many discoveries. My heritage is mostly Irish and English, with a hint of Scottish. My great, great, great grandparents Donald Kennedy and Mary McCallum (my mother’s side, Swinton line) were born in Argyll, Scotland. They immigrated to Ontario, Canada in 1802. Paul’s family tree is full of Scottish roots, with seven of his great, great, great grandparents coming from Scotland. Paul’s Scottish family names include MacDonald, Burgess, Thomson, McIntyre, Comrie, Burry and Shierlaw. Paul’s great, great, great grandfather Hugh McDonald, was the first cousin of Canada’s first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald. Yes, the last names are spelled differently, yet they were first cousins. Interestingly, the spelling of MacDonald changed many times in Paul’s tree. A trip to Scotland was an opportunity to spend time as a family, to explore our roots and to see another beautiful part of the world.

We arrived in Edinburgh after an overnight direct flight from Toronto and as luck would have it, all three of our hotels rooms at the centrally located Sheraton Hotel were available. After a quick breakfast, we took a disciplined two-hour nap, ready to hit the ground for a full day in Edinburgh commencing at 11 am. The weather was perfect that day- 25 c and sunny, quite likely the nicest day of the year in Edinburgh. We hopped on a city tour bus, sat on the top deck in the sun and began a relaxed tour of the beautiful capital city of Scotland. Edinburgh is a small city, with a population of 500,000 people. The hub of the city is Edinburgh Castle, built on an extinct volcano. On our tour, we heard about some of the famous people from Scotland including Robert Burns (poet), JM Barrie (author of Peter Pan), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter), Robert Louis Stevenson (author), Andy Murray (tennis player) and Alexander Fleming (penicillin). That day, Edinburgh was packed with locals and tourists, many in town for the Fringe Festival, the big rugby match or The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

We hopped off the bus at Chez Jules, a French restaurant packed with locals, that came highly recommended by one of Lexi’s friends. We all enjoyed a delicious lunch, delighted with our find. Lexi and I felt rejuvenated, so left the boys, who went off in search of a pub and jumped into an Uber to take us to the base of the Arthur’s Seat Hike. This hike is listed on TripAdvisor as one of the top activities to do in Edinburgh and we did not want to miss it! This small mountain is an extinct volcano and is part of an extensive parkland. Edinburgh is the greenest city in the United Kingdom. Arthur’s Seat is an easy hike and the reward at the top is a stunning panoramic view of the city below. With Lexi setting a brisk pace, we reached the top in no time. Our short nap, delicious lunch and beautiful hike, pushed away any jet-lag we might otherwise be feeling.

A friend at golf, who shares my love of travel, suggested months prior to our trip, that I purchase tickets for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. She and her family had attended this show a few years ago, and it was a highlight for them. We could not have asked for a nicer night for an outdoor performance. Located in a stadium against the backdrop of Edinburgh’s historic castle, we settled into our seats, not sure what to expect. The Tattoo is an extraordinary performance of marching pipers, highland dancers, drummers and performers from around the world. Bright lights, fireworks and special effects added to the pageantry of the 1200 performers. The show capped off an extraordinary first day in Scotland.

The next day, we headed to Inverness on a Scotrail train. We initially thought that this would be the easiest way to get to Inverness, so we booked our seats several months prior to our trip. Getting onto the train, with large suitcases in tow, along with a huge crowd of other travellers, was like a scene out of The Amazing Race. Scotrail had changed the train at the last minute, our reserved business class seats became a joke and the food service we were promised did not arrive. We were packed into a full train, knee to knee with strangers as we could not get seats together. Every few stops, someone would come along and say, “Hey you are in my seat” and we would explain that the assigned seats were out the window. It likely would have been more comfortable and much easier to hire a driver. Months later we received a reimbursement cheque in the mail for 170 pounds to repay us for our troubles and our lost seats… I guess Scotrail isn’t too bad!

After settling into the lovely Kingsmill Hotel in Inverness, we drove our rental car 40 km south to Leault Farm, part of Dunachton Estate in Kincraig. This estate is home to 2,500 sheep and is 11,000 acres in size. As a side business, the shepherd, Neil Ross, runs sheepdog demonstrations and shares his passion for farming with city folk. Our beloved family dog, Scout, is a border collie, and it was incredible to watch border collies work their magic on herds of sheep. So much of this breed’s behaviour is instinctual and we were all fascinated to see the same intensity, focus and body positions in these farm dogs as we see in our Scout. It was a gorgeous, sunny and warm day and it was so worth the drive to this highland property to see this demonstration. If this show had taken place closer to home, we likely would have brought home an irresistible puppy to add to our pack!

We had a day on our own in Inverness before meeting our Backroads group. As golfers, we could not go to the home of golf without at least one round. Paul, Jack and I headed to Castle Stuart Golf Course, just 15 minutes from Inverness. This stunning, rugged links course overlooks Moray Firth and provided the perfect Scottish golf day for us. We walked the course, giving our legs a warm-up for the hiking holiday ahead. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and the scenery was outstanding. Meanwhile, Lexi and Ross had their own adventure, going in search of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, on a speed boat tour with Beastie Boats. They did not see Nessie, yet had a blast on a wild boat ride, that they said I would have hated. Later on, while the kids rested from our activities, Paul and I took the opportunity to walk the high street of Inverness. That night we ate at a fabulous spot in central Inverness called Rocpool Restaurant, for what was the best meal of our trip. It is amazing how much you can cram into a few days!

At 10 am the next day, we met our Backroads group at Inverness Train Station. Our group included two couples from New York City, one woman from Virginia, one woman from Pennsylvania, a couple from Hawaii and three male guides (English, Scottish and American). Our kids were the only “young” guests, however they fit-in just fine. In no time, we loaded into three vans and we were on our way to our first adventure in Kinlochewe.

Food is very important on Backroads trips and our first meal did not disappoint. We gathered in a small church in a remote village, where a delicious buffet of homemade Scottish food was presented to us, while we heard an overview of our trip. As we began to get to know our fellow travellers and guides, we all relaxed because we knew that we had great travelling companions.

The warm weather was still with us as we began our first hike along a lakeside trail, amongst Scottish estates around Loch Claire and Loch Coulin. Near one property, two adorable black lab puppies came bounding out towards our path. I got my dog fix of the day and had a good snuggle with one, despite the cloud of midges (tiny mosquitoes) surrounding the pups. Lexi, Jack and Ross quickly established themselves as the lead group, smartly marching at the front of the pack. I did not mind them going ahead, happy for them to have time together. I took my time, so pleased to be hiking, after a summer of recovery, waiting for a stress fracture in my knee to heal. Last April while hiking the Bruce Trail, I slipped on ice and sharply banged my knee. In the weeks that followed, as I trained for the Sporting Life 10 km, my knee got sorer and sorer. Finally, at a tennis practice, my angry knee said enough was enough and gave way. An MRI revealed that I had in fact been exercising all spring on a broken leg! My goal all summer was to be ready to hike at the end of August on our family trip and here I was, hiking- hurray! Proper study hiking shoes and hiking poles gave me the stability and confidence that I needed to keep up with the group.

Our lodging for the next two nights was my favourite of the trip. We stayed at the Torridon Hotel, a small castle (formerly a grand shooting lodge built by the Earl of Lovelace in 1887) surrounded by 60 acres of parkland in Wester Ross. Our rooms were elegantly decorated and very comfortable. I loved the large, old fashioned bathtub in the oversized bathroom- perfect for soaking sore and tired muscles after chilly hikes in the rain. We opened our windows at night once the lights were out and happily, we were not bothered by midges.

The next day, we had our longest hike of the week, 16 km in total, between Liathach and Beinn Eighe. Beinn is the Scottish word for mountain. This remote hike would be a challenge on the best of days, however add some Scottish mist and you have a very slippery trail. Lexi lead the charge, the boys turned back when given the opportunity, while Paul and I cautiously plodded along, determined to complete the end-to-end hike of the day. We arrived back at The Torridon, completely drenched. Even our Gortex waterproof hiking shoes were saturated! Thankfully, the hotel had a drying room to dry off all of our wet gear that night. The bathroom also had two heated towel racks that were great for further drying and laundry. Yes, it rained a lot! It came as no surprise when I heard that the raincoat was invented in Scotland! I made a beeline to my bathtub for another long, hot soak, my numb fingers tingling as they came back to life!

We greatly enjoyed spending family time in the hotel’s lounge. We nestled into the comfy couches, reading, playing games, drinking tea, enjoying a glass of wine before dinner and a wee dram of whisky after dinner. We ate dinner both nights at Torridon’s main restaurant called 1887. The food was excellent! On Backroads trips, there is always one dinner that you have on your own. What luck that this dinner fell on Ross’s birthday! We had the best table in the restaurant, ate a gourmet meal and the chef baked a delicious chocolate birthday cake to celebrate. Ross often has his birthday on our family holidays and I hope he forever remembers the adventurous day we had in Scotland when he turned 21.

The next morning, the skies briefly cleared and we went on a fabulous “out and back” 12 km hike from the hotel. There was a change in the itinerary due to an incoming storm, and our leaders did not want us to be caught while hiking in the remote Highlands. Our modified hike was wonderful with easier terrain than the previous day and continued spectacular views of the Torridon Mountains and Loch Torridon. We refueled at The Torridon’s Pub, put on dry clothes and hopped into the vans for a two-hour drive to Portree on the Isle of Skye and the Cuillin Hills Hotel. Despite the rain, I would return to the Torridon Hotel in a heart-beat- it was magical!

We quickly settled into the Cuillin Hills Hotel, thrilled to once again find heated drying racks in our bathrooms. This hotel is recognized on TripAdvisor as the nicest hotel on the Isle of Skye. It was transformed from an early 19th century hunting lodge and is located a 10-minute walk from the town of Portree. From the hotel’s restaurant and from our rooms, we had a stunning view of the pastel row-houses in town, Portree Bay and the Cuillin Mountain range. On our first night, we were treated to a Gaelic music demonstration and were serenaded by a talented bag piper and harpist.

Early the next day, in order to beat the crowds, our vans headed to a peninsula on the northeast end of the Isle of Skye to my favourite hike of the trip, along the Quiraing Cliffs. The out and back trail was well trodden, with easier footing, which allowed for more gazing at the remarkable 50 shades of green landscape. Our gang took countless pictures, trying to capture the incredible beauty and hoping for the perfect Instagram moment- we were travelling with three 20-somethings, after all! As we made our way back to the vans, we saw hordes of other tourists, many inappropriately dressed in flimsy footwear and light clothing, coming for the view (not the hike) and snapping away! What a good call to get to this hike early!

We were damp and chilled, yet extremely content after our morning of hiking in this scene out of a landscape portrait, when we arrived for lunch at my favourite lunch spot of the trip- The Skye Soul Soup Café, in the Flodigarry Hotel. If we ever return to the Isle of Skye, I would stay at this remote, hip and stylish boutique hotel and this is where I would eat lunch every day! Paul and I love soup and it is a staple of our lunch diet during the ski season. I own two Vitamix machines, ready to make soup in Caledon or Toronto, whenever the spirit moves me. We warmed up with pints of Guinness, then devoured hot bowls of French onion soup and decadent scones. When amazingly one bowl of the rich soup was not enough, Paul and the boys ordered seconds (Paul had pea soup, while the boys had second bowls of the French onion soup). Yes, it was that good!

The sun was shining when we returned to the Cuillin Hills Hotel, so we strolled into town to pick up some souvenirs and visit the outdoor adventure store to purchase some rain pants. Before dinner we attended a fabulous Scotch tasting in the hotel lounge. Backroads is great at providing neat experiences and we were in the home of whiskey afterall! We tasted five different Scotches, learned how the barrels (rum or red wine barrels) change the flavour. We contemplated the smokiness and whether we prefer light peat or heavy peat. The whiskey sommelier was an entertaining young woman from Isle of Raasay Distillery. She made us laugh when she said that when she moved away from the Isle of Skye, she missed the rain and then moved back to Portree. Thankfully, we opted to eat at the hotel’s restaurant (aptly named The View) that night and needless to say, it was an early night for all!

It didn’t come as a surprise that it was raining again the next day. The warm and sunny weather that we had experienced at the start of our trip had been an anomaly. Back in the vans, we headed towards Armdale for a beach-side hike. I am not usually one to bail on a hike, yet we had a long day in front of us and I did not want to get soaked, again! Most of our group were of the same mind, so our leaders made other plans. Serendipity kicked in and we found ourselves in a café on the grounds of Armadale Castle, the spiritual home of Clan Donald. There are over 300 castles in Scotland and we just happened to stumble upon this one. Paul’s Mom’s maiden name was MacDonald. MacDonald means children of Donald. The Clan Donald is one of the oldest and biggest of all Scottish clans. While the rain poured down, we greatly enjoyed a walk through the museum and gift shop. I asked Paul to strike a pose next to a portrait of one of his ancestors. As my Mom used to say, “When given lemons, make lemonade!”

Soon it was time to board our private ferry boat and leave the Isle of Skye. The water was rough and to combat seasickness, I chewed on a ginger candy, wore wrist bands and had a shot of Scotch. We saw dolphins, seals and whales and enjoyed the beautiful views. Paul and I are frequent visitors to Newfoundland and we felt like we were off the coast of Newfoundland because the landscape felt so familiar. Millions of years ago when the world was a supercontinent called Pangea, this coast of Scotland, near Inverness, was connected to Newfoundland.

Our final hotel destination with our group was a lovely spot called the Isle of Eriska Hotel, on a 350-acre private island overlooking Loch Linnhe and the Morvern Mountains. The crackling fire in the lounge welcomed our chilled bodies, as we checked into our beautiful rooms. Paul and I made our way to the spa for rejuvenating massages, while the kids relaxed. At cocktail-hour our group met to raise a glass of champagne for a farewell toast. Another delicious gourmet meal followed, where we chatted with our travel mates like old friends, wondering how the time had flown by so quickly!

I met some of the group for an early morning coastal walk around the hotel’s property, enjoying the warmth of the sun, that had finally decided to shine. Paul, Jack and Ross took the opportunity to go skeet shooting and greatly enjoyed their lesson and competition with the shooting guide. Lexi relished a final sleep-in, anticipating a busy week back at work in a few days.

At last, it was time to say good-bye to our travel mates and head to the train station in Oban for our train trip back to Edinburgh and the start of our long journey home. The 15-km drive to Oban was beautiful and inspired me to think about exploring this area another time. Embarking the train was another chaotic race, everyone scrambling to find a seat and a spot to stow our luggage. When we arrived in Glasgow, we had 90 seconds to race to another platform for a train to Edinburgh or wait 90 minutes for the next one. Instead we jumped in a cab and drove the final 45 minutes to our airport hotel in Edinburgh. We had had enough of Scotrail!

On our last night in Scotland, we headed to the heart of Edinburgh to a trendy neighbourhood and a rustic-chic, award-winning gastropub featuring Scottish fare, called The Scran and Scallie. This was another recommendation from one of Lexi’s friends and a fantastic finale to a wonderful holiday. The restaurant was packed with locals and even allows guests to bring their dogs to dinner! We reminisced about the highlights of the trip and began the discussion of where should we go next. Finally, we each raised a glass and toasted another fantastic family trip- slainte!