Leaving Skye and the Road Home

We have a five-hour drive ahead of us today, so we rise early, get our shit together, and hit the road. We've got to get back to Edinburgh and return this godforsaken rental car before 5:00 p.m.

Taylor drives on the left like a pro now, and we make good time on the road. We're taking a new route instead of retracing our old steps, and are hoping to see some new scenery. We still haven't shot Smoking in the Park, so we discuss possibly returning to Doune or Stirling to do it there, but we keep our eyes peeled along the way for any other interesting places.

As the guide book warned, this more western route is indeed a bit crowded and we deal with a lot more traffic in general, not to mention several slow caravans. Of course, the landscape is magnificent along the way, but we don't see any obvious parks or pullouts that aren't completely full of other tourists. Crowds are not ideal for trying to shoot video using very amateur equipment.

Sunlight and clouds at play on the hilltops

Cloud cover over an empty road

One of many green gorges along the west coast

A wrinkled, cloud-topped hill in the sunshine

Since we make such good time, we stop in Callander for a quick lunch at a friendly cafe, and then head into Doune. The quiet walking path behind it, which runs along the River Teith, will be great for both visuals and sound. Despite it being mid-afternoon, the place is almost deserted and we're able to park easily and wander onto the grounds, uninterrupted by crowds. The castle stands there gorgeous as ever and the river flows by lazily. We even spot several fish jumping.

The less famous rear facade of Doune Castle

A relaxing time next to the River Teith

Once we've had saunter and a smoke, we get on the road again and into light Edinburgh traffic. We return our car to a different rental office than the one we picked it up at, as this is more convenient to us, and complain passionately to the very apologetic staff there. Only time will tell whether this results in a refund of the money we paid [a note from the future: it did].

After we've abandoned the hunk of junk, we take an Uber into the city. Taylor suggests we try a pub he has been interested in, so we get dropped off there. Alas, as we have encountered so many times here, they are fully booked for the evening. We find another place just down the block and dine there instead.

Sated with some nice Asian fusion cuisine, we decide to head back to C.C. Blooms, the fun gay bar next to the Edinburgh Playhouse. When we get there, it's much more lively than on our last visit, and we sit down for drinks. As we observe the goings-on there, we notice they're about to host a pub quiz on the main floor and a screening of Drag Race in the basement at the same time. A tall buxom blonde drag queen has showed up for the latter occasion.

We inquire into whether we can join in the pub quiz and are invited with open arms. It is an excellent, fun quiz lasting about two and a half hours, and we perform solidly average, winning nothing. It doesn't matter though, the atmosphere is cheerful and it is a nice end to our trip. In the morning we depart.

Scotland has been endlessly beautiful and its people welcoming and kind. I didn't really know what to expect prior to coming and am leaving feeling very fulfilled, missing the place as soon as the plane takes off. My only regret is that I didn't get to spend more time chatting with Scottish locals because most of them seemed very open, amenable, and naturally funny. Taylor is a great travel companion and discovering this new place with him has been so special.