Commonspace columnist Ian Dunn suggests there’s no need to ever holiday anywhere else…
I’VE had a lucky year.
I’ve ventured down through the rolling hills of the Borders and delved into the darkness of Galloway Forest Park to gaze at the thousands of stars of stars shimmering above.
I’ve felt the wind rip in off the sea as I cycled along the Ayrshire coast, then gone up, up and over the hills to see Glasgow sprawled up before me in the sunlight.
I’ve driven up through the west coast, a tiny travelling tin between the vastness of the mountains and the expanse of the sea. I’ve reached the raw majesty of Skye then gone on by boat to the Western Isles and beyond, to see St Kilda rearing out of the sea, strange beautiful and alone.
I mention all this not to boast, though you should be jealous, but to say this; Scotland is glorious.
I mention all this not to boast, though you should be jealous, but to say this; Scotland is glorious.
Of all the corners of the earth, there are very, very few that come close to this one for raw natural beauty. The more I see, the more I am in awe of it.
We all know the Highlands are magnificent, but an hour’s drive from any of Scotland’s major city will find you hills and lochs and sights to gladden the heart and lift the mind.
I’d never discourage anyone from foreign travel, not least because it gives you a fresh appreciation of home, but there are treasures scattered across Scotland to ensure the success of any holiday.
Granted you won’t get wonderful weather, but endless days of 30-degree heat are massively over rated in any case. They make you irritable, sweaty and pine you within tiny shady enclaves nervously reapplying sunscreen for the umpteenth time.
The advent of cheap flights opening up foreign holidays to everyone is a massive social positive, but it should not obscure the fact that we have one of the greatest holiday destinations on earth right here at home.
It’s all too easy to take this for granted. I’ve spent spend long, half wasted years, barely venturing beyond Glasgow. We all let the horizons of our lives shrink from time to time, forget that we live in a big beautiful country.
The advent of cheap flights opening up foreign holidays to everyone is a massive social positive, but it should not obscure the fact that we have one of the greatest holiday destinations on earth right here at home.
All the negativity and fear in our politics, and the real problems of poverty, inequality and stagnation can blind us to the fact that this is a wonderful, magical country.
You can go all over and find stunning beauty and warm, warm welcome. It’s small enough to get around easily enough and big enough that there’s always something else to do.
If you’ve moved here you are wise, and if you were born here you’re incredibly lucky.
If you don’t exploit that luck it’s a terrible, terrible waste. Don’t just exist in Scotland, live in it. See every inch of it you can.
Picture courtesy of Chris Combe