SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

I have heard so much about the beauty and romance of the Scottish highlands from tourists who had returned from that place. But the hardcore skeptic that I am, I refused to believe in the eulogies and sky high praises till I went on the Highland explorer tour myself. And oh my! What an experience it turned out to be! I am, unfortunately not a poet. I am not that gifted. But in the little bit of prosaic prose that I strive to write each day, I have tried to paint a vivid word picture of the amazing experience I went through.

Scottish Highlands

Edinburgh serves as the gateway to the Scottish highlands – famed all over the world for its virgin charm and resemblance to Switzerland. You can either book a conducted tour with Rabbies or drive up to the Scottish highlands yourself to get a real slice of Scottish natural beauty at its exotic and mysterious best.

The innumerable lochs (narrow, needle shaped lakes) and glens (sharp valleys), the hills and dales are treats for tired eyes and the endless, ceaseless, verdant rain soaked greenery can leave any human speechless with wonder. Meandering brooks, springs and tiny little waterfalls, criss-crossing across weeping mountains with the tops shrouded in low hanging grey rain clouds, make a stunning impression on the mind.

The gentle hills and craggy cliffs roll away into emerald valleys to fade in the oblivion provided by a veil of white misty fog. Short spells of light drizzle will continuously pass over your head, followed by intermittent cloud breaks when dazzling sunshine will bathe the whole landscape in golden warmth.

Some of the more famous lochs in the Scottish highlands are Loch Lubnaig, Loch Rannoch, Loch Aber, Loch Ness (no, I didn’t catch sight of Nessie anywhere) and Loch Lomond whereas Glen Coe has consolidated its place in the tourist itineraries by virtue of its mysterious rain drenched charm.

In spite of being littered with lochs and glens - some big and some small, each loch and each glen and each hill is unique in terms of looks and beauty. A catamaran cruise down Loch Ness in the heart of the Scottish highlands is a must for appreciating the deep, dark, shadowy black waters of the Loch Ness. The murkiness of the water is partly due to the high peat content and this opaqueness has magnified and aggrandized the myth of the Loch Ness Monster, I guess. While sailing past the banks of the Loch Ness, you will find the medieval UrquhartCastle peeping at you from behind trees.

Scottish highlands are enchanting; they mesmerized and captivated me and left me fascinated. I probably reserved my loudest ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ for the views we came across when our coach traveled parallel to narrow lochs flowing down beside the hill on which we were driving in the midst of a light drizzle. It was what they say – a profoundly romantic pristine paradise, nestled in the lap of nature, far away from the hustle and bustle of middling city life. As they often say, its time to bring out the superlatives.

Rest assured, the breathtaking enigma of the Scottish highlands is enough to turn an ordinary mortal into a poet and I burst into sustained gasps of ecstasy at periodic intervals as we traveled up and down through the meandering roads that cut across the hills and lochs.

The greatest charm of the Scottish highlands is perhaps mile after mile of highland beauty wrapped in tranquil solitude, at times broken by the shrill cries of unknown birds or by the gurgling sound of fast flowing brooks and dancing waterfalls. The only signs of life that will give you company are the highland goats, sheep and cows grazing on the glens.

The best way to appreciate the beauty of Scottish highlands is to try to become one with nature and you will be able to hear the soft sound of gentle loch waves lapping against a pebbly shore. Look into the waters of the loch and you will find the myriad shapes of white and grey clouds – floating across the sky – being reflected in the clear waters.

Stop for a moment in a green glen beside a little known loch and draw a deep breath within you while taking in the lavish beauty with your visual powers – you will realise the definition of ‘heaven’! Today I am not afraid to say Scottish highlands are divinely beautiful – it was almost a profoundly spiritual experience for a non-believer like me!