Beautiful photos, Carolyn!  Thanks for sharing.  *sigh* Like Holly, I'd love to do a hiking trip but The Hub would never go for it.  Hey - Maybe us running ladies need to get together for a hiking trip some day.  Leave the other halves at home to do their couch potato thing.  I know someone who lives in a really neat place called "Alaska." Just sayin' . . .

Thanks for the kind responses! 

 

Mari, I had to smile at your question about "youth hostiles."   We didn't actually see many "youth" at the hostels - mostly older folks who probably started hosteling, like us, in their youth.  The hostels are cheaper than hotels or B&Bs, particularly because they have kitchens so you don't have to eat out.  Tent camping would be cheaper, and we do that on a lot of trips, but Scotland can be rainy, and tenting out in the rain...  sucks. And with hostelling, you don't have to carry a tent or stove.  You generally only need a day's worth of food because there are stores in the little towns along the way, so packs were pretty light.  Great way to travel!  One down side:  we booked private family rooms because we're way too old to sleep in dorms, but even so, we had to sleep in a bunk bed most nights.

 

I'm lucky that my DH and DD like to hike.  (Actually, with DH, it isn't luck - I wouldn't have married a non-hiker.  But with DD, it's luck, or good upbringing.)  That being said, they thought some of my planned hiking days seemed overly ambitious.  On the Great Glen Way, we did 10 miles on day 1 and 11 miles on day 2.  Day 3 I had planned for 12 miles, but they were tired, so we hiked 6 miles and caught a bus the last 6.   Oh, well, a good compromise.  Then on the West Highland Way, day 1 was either 6 or 12 miles depending on how far we took the  bus, and they opted for the 6 mile option.  Day 2 was 14 miles, with no bus option at all, and they both found that kinda long.  Day 3 I planned a day hike to climb Ben Lomond, 8 miles RT, 3200 ft climb, but it was pouring rain so we all bailed.  If it had been nice out I would have gone alone, I think.