Last summer I was lucky enough to go to Scotland for 17 days. My grandma, aunt, sister, and I were able to stay in the house in Islay, an island right off the mainland, where my grandma lived during World War II before she came to the United States. It was an amazing vacation and it was incredible to explore Islay as well as places on the mainland like Inverness, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and St. Andrews, to name a few. While I was there, I took over 800 pictures, so these are just some of my favorites that really showcase the breathtaking beauty of the overall country and the amazing trip I experienced!

1. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

Right after we got our rental car in Glasgow, my family and I were headed towards the west coast of the mainland so we could catch a ferry to Islay. As we were driving, we went through Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. This national park was the first national park in Scotland and it has many mountains and lochs, or lakes, and is one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever been through.

2. My Grandma’s House

This is my sister, grandma, and I outside of her old house in Islay that some of our cousins now own. When she lived there it only had one bedroom and a living room/kitchen. Our cousins have remodeled it to be more modern and it was perfect for my family while we were there.

3. Nerabus

This picture was taken from the cemetery were some of my family is buried. It’s a fairly small cemetery and is right next to the sea.

4 & 5. Portnahaven

I took these two pictures from the rocks that are in between my grandma’s street and the sea. It was so nice being so close to the water and breathing in the fresh air every single day.

6. Claddach

This was taken from a small beach made up of stones a couple miles from my grandma’s house. When I went, there were some fishermen along the bigger rocks hoping to catch something for the day!

7. Queen Street

This picture captured from my grandma’s street, featuring a beautiful rainbow.

8. Thistle

I took this picture of a beautiful thistle I saw while walking around Portnahaven. The thistle is the national flower of Scotland.

9. Portnahaven Parish Church

This photo of the church in between Portnahaven and Port Wemyss was taken right around dusk and legend has it that one door of the church was for Portnahaven residents exclusively and the other door was for the residents of Port Wemyss.

10. Lagavulin Distillery

My inner Ron Swanson fan was so so so excited to visit the Lagavulin Distillery. One of the most memorable things about my visit was that the air around the distillery smelled of the peat that was being used in the whiskey.

11. Paps of Jura

Right to the northeast of Islay is the island of Jura. When my family and I were driving around Islay visiting the different whiskey distilleries, and once we got north enough, we could see Jura and its mountains very well.

12. The Tràigh

The tràigh was like a little inlet and beach area in between Port Wemyss and Portnahaven. At any given point throughout the day, you could look out over the tràigh and see tons of seals floating among the rocks.

13. Cows

Seeing the cows every single day was definitely a highlight of the trip for sure. The Highland cows with the long hair and big horns were my favorites!

14. Fishing Boats

We stayed in Islay for 11 days or so and throughout our stay, the fishing boats would come and go regularly. It was always fun seeing what they would bring back for the day.

15. Sunsets

The sunsets were so beautiful every single night we were in Islay. I took this picture from the rocks in front of our house the last night we were there as the tide was coming back in.

16. Currie Sands

Currie Sands was another small little beach on the coast that my sister and I hiked to one morning. We packed a picnic and climbed on the rocks and just enjoyed the waves crashing on the shore.

17. The Rolling Hills and Mountains

Once we got back to the mainland, we drove all over the place site seeing. This picture was taken as we were driving to St. Andrews to see the famous golf course.

18. St. Andrews Old Course

My sister and I were fortunate enough to be able to go out onto the course and take a picture on The Swilcan Bridge where the winners of the Open Championship receive their trophies.

19 & 20. Edinburgh

In the first photo, you can see the Scott Monument, a Victorian Gothic monument to the Scottish author Sir Walter Scott as well as the Festival Wheel which is a giant Ferris wheel. The second photo is down a winding street just off of the High Street.

21. Palace of Holyroodhouse

This is down the High Street in Edinburgh and I just so happened to stumble across a ceremony for the Queen of England as I was walking past the palace!

22. Forests

As my family and I were driving up to Inverness I took some photos of the gorgeous trees that were along the road. I felt like Merida in Brave!

23. Loch Ness

Unfortunately, I didn’t see the famous monster that’s supposedly lurking underneath the murky waters, but I’m sure she was there somewhere!

24. Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle is located in Inverness, Scotland, right along the banks of Loch Ness. There’s a lot of rich history that occurred on those castle grounds.

25. Tennent’s Brewery

My dad, a big fan of Tennent’s Lager, insisted that we visit the brewery before we left Glasgow. The brewery was massive and was surrounded by brightly decorated brick walls promoting their brand.

Overall, my entire trip to Scotland was incredible. I was able to visit where my grandma was from and learn about some family history around the way as well. I really hope I can go back sometime soon and see even more of the breathtaking country. For now, I’ll keep these top photos in mind to remind me of the lovely summer vacation I had.