Scotland beyond the Bagpipes

The author is one of those travel writers who makes her way around the globe scribbling about what she encounters.  Having been to Scotland, or bits of it before, she decided to take an 3 month trip and 'discover Scotland' for herself, at least the Scotland far from tourist sites.  

That is the  basic idea at least, and she works her way around the country, Berwick, Edinburgh, Fife, and so on, describing what she sees, mentioning a bit of history or a story re a place, and eating scallops and lobster and drinking whisky.  She loses me at the eating I must say.  Boiling a creature alive is vile, and shellfish is not for me.  Fish much have fins and scales I say.  Whisky, we soon discover, is something she likes and personally I begin to understand why the whisky industry is doing so well, she is a major customer!

The travel details re eating, hotels and B&Bs etc is as good as you would expect.  Those following in her footsteps (by car) would find helpful info here, though she did travel during 2017 so much may have changed.  Brexit and Covid will have worked their hindrance.  

One complaint was too much time was spent describing eating and drinking, and the other was her tour through the Isles.  Helen clearly loves island life, and indeed the people were helpful and friendly. However, for me, chapter after chapter on the island description, the glowing sunset, the water, the hills, the ancient standing stones, and the whisky became very boring as it was repeated page after page.  Having seen such sunsets, enjoyed the hills and occasionally the people, I thought this bit was over done.  The lassie did however, find many distilleries there and managed to obtain bottles from the shop.  I wonder if these bottles are empty yet?  I was beginning to think she is in a van, not a car.

The overall tone of the book is of a woman who has almost no understanding of Scotland, but was intent to seek out the place for herself.  Did she discover Scotland or not?  She discovered acceptance in spite of the accent, joy and happiness from the people she met, but was this real Scotland?  There were no trips into Livingston, no sights of the Foodbanks that were beginning to rise up, far to little contact with the 'everyday' Scot.  

Clearly the hotels and B&Bs were good to her, not just because of the cash.  Scots tend to be friendly usually.  However, while attempting to miss the bagpipes she was mostly visiting tourist sites and interesting places, no visits to factories or warehouses, police stations or those nasty areas we all wisely avoid.  

The result is a good book that will encourage many English to visit Scotland, and they will enjoy themselves.  But it is a holiday Scotland they will meet, and that is no bad thing.

One point I note, her lack of understanding re the relationship between the nations is clear.  The author refers to the 1707 Union of Scotland and England as a 'union of equals.'  Nothing can be further from the truth.  It is to be hoped that now she has loved Scotland so well that she has forced her husband into buying a flat in Glasgow (Not Edinburgh?) that maybe she will come to understand much more clearly the falsehood of a 'United Kingdom.'

However, that said, I recommend this book.  Any chapter can be taken on its own and read as an essay.  This will be fruitful and well worth reading.  With climate change the nation might even be warmer and the sunsets more glowing today!  Visit now, while you can!