Pam Buchholz
- Dec 8, 2023
- 4 min read

Catching Pam's Wave....from a rather snowy Scotland💕

Halo (no, not a misspelling - it's Scottish gaelic for hello) from my Atlantic life in Scotland!!

Wakened at 3:45am by my trusty alarm....it was time to get up (and now you know why I booked a hotel right next to the airport 😉) and get ready for my flight to Scotland.

Surprisingly I was wide awake, most likely due to the fact that back home in Hatteras it was 10:45pm, so I headed down to grab breakfast - the hotel started serving food at 4am, which was awesome....although we will NOT be instigating those hours at the Atlantic Inn anytime soon - having to wake up at 5am during spring/summer/fall is quite early enough thanks!

Breakfast in Iceland is very like breakfast in much of Europe (not so much Scotland, where they are more likely to have fried eggs, bacon, sausage, potato scones and tomatoes), where various sliced cold meats and cheeses are served, along with scrambled eggs, baked beans, toast, yogurt and fruit.....then it was a brisk, (well as brisk as it can be with my enormous pink suitcase....and it wasn't that I had brought too many clothes - it was because it held Christmas presents for Mom and Dad 😊, my smaller cabin luggage, and my backpack), five minute walk in the frosty, dark morning to the airport. Check-in, luggage drop off, security etc. were super easy with the same calm and friendly efficiency that I had experienced throughout my brief stay in Iceland.

Although flying is no longer as enjoyable as it once was.....airports are simply too busy, long lines for everything, stressed out travelers, stressed out airport staff, overbooked flights, delays and cancellations to name but a few challenges faced.....But, I have to say that there is definitely something rather magical when you stand in an airport departure lounge and look at all the departure gates, with the names of so many different places all over the world posted above them - like portals to so many possible adventures 💕

Keflavik Airport Departure Lounge

Icelandair flight path to Glasgow over the Scottish Hebrides

With only a 2 hour flight, it was still dark when we took off, and due to the frost and condensation there was not a lot to see out of the window until we got closer to the Scottish coastline......then the world below looked incredible. Unfortunately I had a seat close to the wing, so it was more difficult to get good pictures, but the ones I did get will show you the little miracle of nature that is my homeland💕

The flight path took us over one of my most fave parts of Scotland - The Hebridean Islands: These wild, rugged and beautiful archipelago islands are just off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebrides. These islands have long been inhabited, and they have been successively influenced by the cultures of Celtic-speaking, Norse-speaking, and English-speaking peoples. From the air you can see why I fell in love with them....

Now, I won't have time to visit any of these spectacular islands on this trip, I can merely admire them from the air.....but most definitely will include them when I plan my next Scottish adventure 😉.

Just to give you a sample of their awesomeness, I thought you may like to see some pics of what they look like on the ground:

Yes, this really is a beach in Scotland.....on the Isle of Lewis, which is in the Outer Hebrides,

and although technically the gulf stream passes this way.....the beautiful water is a whole lot chillier than in balmy Hatteras 🥶Being rather acclimatized to our wonderful, warm Hatteras ocean, I'd now need my wetsuit to swim in Scotland!!

Standing stones are found all over Scotland and its magnificent islands

This is the charming town of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, which is in the Inner Hebrides

The closer we got to Glasgow, the more snow was evident below us, and by the time we landed the surrounding countryside was blanketed in white. It made the landscape around us look so pretty...❄️

Before I left the inn back in Hatteras, I had put an apple airtag in my luggage, as I have a fear of my luggage not accompanying me on my flight, which the airlines say shouldn't happen, but with my history of many, many flights, I know this is not the case (sorry I couldn’t help it 🤪), and luggage can easily be parted from its owner! So, having this little tag that I can track on my phone is a great comfort for a control freak like me! On landing at Glasgow , I could instantly see that my huge pink suitcase had made it with me and was rapidly making its way to baggage reclaim. It seemed like only minutes to clear passport control, customs and pick up my baggage……and as I walked through the arrival gate, my heart leapt...my Mom and Dad had just arrived, their timing was perfect 💕🙏

The 50min drive south of Glasgow to my hometown of Ayr, nestled on the Ayrshire coast, was delightful……snowy hills and farmland surrounded the car, luckily my Dad is a phenomenal driver (he was actually was an amateur rally driver back in the day!), so no matter the road conditions, I knew I was in the safest of hands, and could therefore sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful snowy, Scottish scenery.