Things I've Learned about Scotland

Apparently there is some law that everyone must own sheep. They are
everywhere.

Be careful where you pee in the Glenlivet National Park. Stinging
nettle lurks.

Bathrooms: they are big fans of the hand dryer. Never once saw a
paper towel dispenser. All the sinks have one spout for hot and
another for cold.

You are constantly under surveilance. Remote cameras are everwhere. Every bar, every elevator, every taxi cab.

No tipping! unfortunatly we didn't find out until the last day that tipping is not expected. Service really has to go above and beyond to be warrented. Explains why every bartender was so suprised after each beer.

The people are incredibally helpful. Everytime we looked lost on a
corner with a map in hand, invariably someone would pass by and offer
to help.

Driving here is insane. The cities are less leathal because the
streets are wider and traffic keeps the speed down. On the narrow,
super winding highland roads, the average speed is about 75. Logging
trucks and tour buses make every corner an adventure. Nearly Stephen
Connor'd the car more than once.

Not every town has a pharmacy, but every town has at least 3 pubs.

The scotch whiskey flavors are as diverse as the landscape of
Scotland. We sampled from the harbors on Skye to the highlands of
Grantown to the Lowlands of Edinburgh. MacCallan, Talisker, Lagavulin,
Dalwhinney, Clynelish, Cragganmore, Cragganmore Reverve, Oban, Oban
Reserve, Singleton, and Glenkinchie. Hard to pick a favorite.

The rain seems to come every day. But it also seems to clear up each
afternoon. When the sun does come out, Scotland gets quite warm.

This time of year, dusk is about 10:30pm.

Slangavar! That's the Celtic toast to "good health".

August is a great time to be in Edinburgh. The festival alone was
worth the trip. They launch fireworks every hour with a finally over
the castle at midnight.

- jgt