As we planned our trip to Europe this spring, we knew Ireland was a country we both wanted to visit as we had heard so many great things from our friends and family. By default of proximity, we decided to add Scotland for a few days as well seeing as we didn’t know if we’d be back in the area any time soon. It’s not that we weren’t excited to visit there, we just didn’t know much about it. So we arrived ready for anything and I’ll be the first to admit that I had completely underestimated it and was absolutely blown away! By the end of our trip, Scotland ended up being the most scenic place we visited and trumped Ireland without question!

Edinburgh was our first introduction to the country and it’s quaint charm made us feel right at home. But the real amazement began once we drove outside the city limits (on the opposite side of the road, no less – all Rob, I didn’t touch that wheel!) and began to see the countryside. I hate when people say, “you just have to see it to understand,” but I really feel like this is one of those situations! As a photographer, I don’t often find myself proclaiming that pictures cannot do a place justice but that was absolutely true in Scotland. We were literally stopping the car every 15 minutes to take picture after picture of the incredible landscapes. In just four days, we were able to see everything from grass-covered valleys to snow covered mountains and even their beautiful beaches!

Their weather was perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the country – within the span of an hour, we saw it change from rain to snow to hail and then back to a bright and shiny sun! We were blessed with mostly the latter and had an amazing journey that we were certainly sad to leave.