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Destination: Scotland

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Video: Meeting a Crofter on the Isle of Skye

At the northern tip of the enchanting Isle of Skye, while updating my Scotland guidebook, I met a crofter named Mr. Graham (a.k.a. my friend and guide Colin Mairs, of Excursion Scotland). In his humble thatched cottage at the Skye Museum of Island Life, he took me back in time. Please join us.

This is Day 91 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: An Evocative Hike to Dun Beag Broch

The Isle of Skye is extreme Scotland: vast, inviting, marinated in clan lore, and luring the traveler ever-deeper.

I’ve learned when my guide, Colin Mairs, stops the car and asks, “Shall we hike up to see it?”…the correct answer is “Yes!” Today’s hike brought us to a stony remnant of a long-forgotten, proto-Scottish people. As the national flower — the beautiful-yet-tough (like the Scottish people) thistle — reinforced the image of this prehistoric fort, I took in the 360 degrees of deep-green views and felt I was uncovering yet another dimension of this fascinating land.

You can bet Dun Beag Broch will be in the next edition of the Rick Steves Scotland guidebook.

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This is Day 90 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: Enjoying the Wonders of Scotland in the Highlands

There’s something powerful about combining dramatic natural scenery with dramatic history. And no place does that quite like Glencoe, a lush and wild valley in the Scottish Highlands. I’m here now with my Scottish friend and tour guide Colin Mairs.

When I’m researching my guidebooks, I don’t have extra hours to take hikes like I’d like to. But simply walking a few steps into nature from a car park makes a huge difference. Get out, leave a few footprints, eat the wind.


This is Day 89 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: A Stag Party at My Highlands B&B!

For the easiest look at the dramatic Scottish Highlands, explore the awe-inspiring valley called “Glencoe.” And for your home base, it’s a B&B in the village of Glencoe. Here’s a blitzy clip from my “stocking-feet cozy” B&B there.

Staying in a B&B (rather than a hotel) is a good example of how you can experience more by spending less. These days, you’ll pay about $80 for a double room and two hearty breakfasts at good B&Bs, which you can find in your favorite guidebook or via Airbnb. You can count on a warm reception and a big breakfast…but being visited by stags is a bonus.

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This is Day 88 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.

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Video: My First Time in the Orkney Islands

I’m an Orkney virgin no more! While planning my itinerary, I decided at the last minute to snip two days off of London, which I’ve visited countless times, and go somewhere I’ve never been before: the Orkneys. (When all else is equal, it’s always fun to try something entirely new. I’ve been exploring Europe all my life…and there are endless amazing places yet to uncover.)

I flew into a tiny slingshot of an airport in the only sizeable Orkney town, Kirkwall, and I spent an entire day with a local guide. In this clip — just a moment of my time with Kinlay (Orkney Uncovered) — I’m learning the story of Scapa Flow and Orkney’s fascinating WWII history.


This is Day 87 of my “100 Days in Europe” series. As I travel with Rick Steves’ Europe Tours, research my guidebooks, and make new TV shows, I’m reporting on my experiences across Europe. Still to come: England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, and more. Thanks for joining me here on my blog and via Facebook.