How to plan a delightfully romantic honeymoon

Scottish castles are rugged and stark. There is no fairy tale quality about them, but visitors can conjure up visions of knights in shining armor who fought the good fight for their clan and country. Scottish castles were built mostly for defense and frequently sit atop cliffs overlooking lochs and ocean, making them seemingly impregnable. These stone structures today evoke a sense of grace and peace. They are awe-inspiring, to say the least. Dunnottar Castle has a high wow factor, sitting as it does atop a cliff overlooking the northeast coast of Scotland. This medieval fortress is now in ruins, but has a rich history connected to Scottish persona such as William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and Charles II before he became king. It is perhaps most famous as the site where a small garrison held out for eight months against Cromwell’s army, thus saving the Scottish crown jewels. Couch potatoes may want to avoid this castle, as getting there involves a steep walk with many steps. Dua...

Scotland is one of my very favorite travel destinations in the world. Even after several trips there in the last few years, I keep find myself dreaming of going back again and again. (And planning trips again and again!) Because, even though Scotland isn't very big, there's a LOT to do there. For example, did you know that Scotland has nearly 800 islands? Yes, EIGHT HUNDRED! Not all of them are inhabited or worth visiting – but a lot of them are. And while I've visited other islands like Skye and Lewis and Harris on my own in the past, I knew that I had to wait to visit the island of Islay until I could take my husband, Elliot, with me. You see, Elliot is a very big fan of Scotch whisky. And Islay is a very big producer of Scotch. In fact, many people just refer to it as “Whisky Island.” We finally made the trip to Islay in 2019, and even this non-whisky-drinker ended up falling head over heels for the island. Where is Islay? The island...

I remember when my mom first told me about the “Outlander” books. I was in college, I think, and we shared an interest in historical-fiction-with-some-fantasy-thrown-in; I had just recommended that she read “The Historian” (still one of my favorite books), and she told me that I should read “Outlander,” about a woman who time-travels 200 years through some standing stones to the mid-1700s in Scotland. It sounded intriguing, but I didn't have time during college to invest in a series that was already 7+ books long. It wasn't until they announced a TV show based on the Diana Gabaldon books that I finally decided to read them. I was immediately hooked, and have since read all 8 of the currently published books in the series. Glencoe “Outlander” has everything I love in a series: interesting characters, a story based on real (and well-researched) history, and some romance and a little bit of magic thrown in. Plus, the early b...