Backpacking in the highlands of Scotland during my spring break while studying abroad was one of the highlights of my trip.  My friend and I hiked over 80 miles.  The trip was challenging and  exciting, and completing the journey was one of the most fulfilling things I have done.  We planned very little for the trip, and in some aspects, were quite unprepared for what we were doing.  Luckily, the weather was beautiful, and every two or three days we came across little towns where we could restock our food and water supply.

In Scotland, tent camping is legal anywhere, so long as you don’t disturb anybody.  We camped on a few farmer’s sheep fields, next to a small river, on a lake (or loch), in forests, amongst scott’s broom, but always under the stars.  The nights were cold, and during the day our tired feet ached, but we kept going and going, and going, and our perseverance led us through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen.  We started at Inverness, at the tip of Loch Ness, and hiked the entire great glen way, along some of the longest and thinnest lakes in the world, until we reached Fort William, home to Ben Nevis, the UK’s tallest mountain.  It was an incredible journey.