Entries about braw

The journey was coming to an end. The weather was way more than I bargained for, as was the terrain. Rain, rain, more rain. Even when it didn't rain, the wind in the Highlands was powerful and at that altitude, it was brutal. I was completely over the weather, but I could never be over the scenery. If you stand in one place, you can binge watch nature for hours since it changes constantly. The broody clouds cast shadows on the mountains; the fog and mist drift in and out; the water in each loch has its own color and movement and it is all quite braw*. The Cullin mountains of Skye cast a spell and, although I am the first to admit I am a wimpy rough traveller, my small taste of the inner Hebrides islands of Scotland left me wanting to see more. There is something compelling about being in the middle of nowhere, in nature, in silence, surrounded by water. I am a water person. I can't be too far away from a sea, or at least a lake or a river. Scotland is surrounded by water on three sides and within its boundaries lie 38,000 lochs. Along the edges lie clusters of islands: the inner and outer Hebrides, the Shetlands, and Orkney. I need to explore them. Next time, I'll bring warmer, water-proof clothes.
Here are some final views from Loch Lubnaib. Tomorrow it's back to Edinburgh for one final fling.

*braw-fine, splendid, beautiful

It turns out there are many words for bad weather in Scottish. Shocking. Don't let the bad weather keep you away. The scenery and the people are grand. Here are a few descriptions of what you can expect to find:

Dreich — This is the most common word to describe Scottish weather. Wet, dull, gloomy, dismal, dreary or any combination of these.

Fret — A cold, wet mist from the sea.

Oorlich — Raw, bleak, depressing.

Smirr — Drizzle.

Snell — Freezing cold and wet.

Stoating — Rain bouncing off the ground.