Of all the traveling that I'd done in my life, my 6 day trip in Scotland this past fall has so far indeed been the most adventurous. It's not saying much, to be honest, but I like to regard it as the start of something new; an experience that has established the introduction of more adventure in my future travels. It was a trip more exciting than your guided tour, than your yearly family holiday, than even your solo trip where you spend a few days on your own checking out the local culture in a city you've never been to.
The journey began with a first class train ride to Glasgow on a Saturday afternoon after attending a talk given by Chinese writer Wang Anyi (her most well-known book is The Song of Everlasting Sorrow) as part of the annual Manchester Literature Festival at the Anthony Burgess Centre in Manchester. First off, it was my first time riding first class anywhere; train, plane, you name it. I bought it because it was the cheapest ticket I could get, even cheaper than your regular ticket for the class of average Joes. They served hot drinks, a snack packet, then more snacks, and a mini bottle of water at the end. Also, you're guaranteed a mini table with an electrical outlet (which I suitably used for my laptop) and more legroom. I was prepared for a comfortable 3 and a half hour journey to Scotland on a late autumn afternoon.
At some early point in the train ride, this man (in his late thirties, I'm guessing?) sits opposite me, and I can't help but think he looks vaguely familiar. He opens up his laptop, working ferociously on some document. The train attendant, noticing something on the man's laptop screen, asks him a question. From what I can gather, this man is working on a full-length feature screenplay via his laptop, and so I ask him a casual question about whether the train provides internet service or not. This quickly evolves into friendly chit chat where I learn he's a playwright and actor currently working in London. Too cool, I think. What's also cool is that he's a polite, sociable, and friendly guy who knows how to talk to people. This is part of what I love about traveling, especially solo. You get to meet people, namely strangers, from different places and different backgrounds. You make a connection, no matter how long or short it lasts, with people you have never met before in your life and whom you will probably never see again. It reminds me that there is this inherent human need to connect with others, especially when we are, or feel, alone. And many times, in these connections, you learn something from these people you don't know, whether it's about a city, a country, a viewpoint, or simply life.
After the man opposite me learns that I'd just finished my MA in Creative Writing at the University of Manchester, he reveals more about his life as an artist and enthusiastically encourages me to pursue my artistic endeavours. It's refreshing to meet someone who shows artistic support (I meet more people than I'd like to who question my education and career choices), and even more so to meet someone deeply involved in the arts. After he gets off at his stop, I manage to strike up a conversation with the train attendant, who is not only friendly and accommodating, but also turns out to have a passion for the arts. He tells me he's written several feature-length screenplays on his own and is currently working on a performance project, collaborating with other artists. My trip to Scotland was already off to a good start, and I hadn't even arrived in Scotland yet!
After getting off at the Glasgow Queen Street train station, I meet up with my friend, to whom I shall refer as 'S', who is currently living in Glasgow's West End as an architecture undergrad. It's dark outside, being night-time, but we take a walk around West End anyway, going through one (clearly popular) crowded street of restaurants and then moving on to the University of Glasgow's campus. From what I saw (didn't get to see all that much because it was late and dark), it's a beautiful campus with old classical architecture that reminds me of parts of Fountain's Abbey in North Yorkshire, especially the low rounded arch ceilings (my architecture friend told me the term for it but my memory fails me).
The next morning, at around 7 am or so (too early for my taste), we take a bus ride from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye. Even if you don't drive or have a car, it's still possible to head up to a remote place like Skye from a big city like Glasgow. Of the ways that I know, it can be done via the Scottish Citylink bus (there are concessions for students, and even if you can't buy a ticket in advance, you should be able to pay in cash upfront) or by train to Mallaig, a small port town on the west coast of the Scottish Highlands and from there you can take a ferry to the town of Armadale in Skye. Next time I travel to Skye though, I'm going to try taking the train to Kyle of Lochalsh, and then take the Scottish Citylink bus from there (should cost under 2 pounds) to cross the Skye Bridge onto the village of Kyleakin, Skye. And I'll tell you why.
The bus ride to Skye was the most stomach-wrenching, head-aching, throat-gagging, vomit-inducing bus ride I've ever endured in my life, which is saying something for someone who doesn't normally get sick on buses. As the bus went up north of Scotland, the regions quickly turned mountainous and remote, making the ride bumpy and...wavy, if that makes any sense. Imagine the road as the body of a snake, and that's the road this bus is going along, in curves and waves. It didn't help either that the ride from Glasgow to Skye was 5 hours long. So if you are someone who gets even remotely sick in buses or cars, I'd highly recommend taking the train instead.
Not even an hour into the ride and I need to lie down. The nice thing (even better if you're not feeling sick) is that's about the same time some nice scenery starts showing up.
Here's the first picture I managed to take from the bus, having already crossed into the Scottish highlands, complete with a Scottish flag, proudly waving in the wind:
