Highland Adventures Day 2

Today is my second day of the Highland Adventure tour. A group of some 43 people, mostly Kiwis and Aussies, in a group going to the Scottish Highlands! Our tour guide is awesome and really funny. He's really young too but he knows a lot about Scottish history, and we love listening to the accents. I reckon I'm getting pretty good myself actually. He wore a kilt too, or a "man skirt". At the beginning we had to do an ice-breaker activity so we had to ask the person next to us 1) what animal they would be and why, and 2) whether they were a "scruncher" or a "folder"! I already knew the girl next to me because she was also staying at the same hostel as us the night before, plus we get along because she's Wellingtonian too! Also did you know that every time somebody puts recyclable things in the non-recyclable bin, a baby dolphin is punched in the face? True story.

Anyway we have been seeing the most amazing, picturesque views.. ever. The highlands are truly beautiful. I've never seen such green, misty hills and clear water. Pebbles visible deep down underneath in Glencoe Valley, with the occasional old ruined castle floating around. 

Today we took a ferry from the port of Mallaig, towards the Road to the Isles. We also saw Glenfinnan Viaduct, the bridge there is the famous one featured in Harry Potter for the Hogwarts Express.

We also went to a whiskey distillery and I thought I'd suddenly love whiskey cos like we're in Scotland and I could pretend to be rly rly cultured, but alas no - the stuff is disgusting here too.. But do appreciate how these things are family-owned and really treasured. The people are the friendliest I've met, and so simple and happy. A lot of them even believe in faeries, which I think is the cutest! Our tour guide was telling us about a millionaire wanting to buy a simple estate here, and was outright refused by the owner. They're not slave to materialism.

Can't say I'm very happy about the fauna though. Yesterday we were having fish and chips just by the pier, and as I was putting fish in my mouth, a seagull stoops down out of nowhere and takes it away!! I was really sad because it was a big piece too..

Last night we went to a Scottish pub and listened to some pretty awesome live Scottish music and did lots of traditional dances. Lots of fun for everyone, and I have a new favourite drink -strawberry and lime cider! Where we are now, the sun doesn't set until past 12am. I've been having so little sleep every night in Europe. Backpacking is not a holiday. Okay it is.. But I guess it's good because I always have something to do so I don't think about my own tiredness all the time, but at times you can really feel it.