As you can probably imagine, my travel bucket list is miles long—and what’s at the top seems to change all the time.
Lately, I keep thinking about Scotland, Wales, and Ireland.
I’ve been to Ireland, but it was many years ago, and I’d love to go back with my family. And for once, I probably wouldn’t have to do much convincing to get Doug there. His family is very Irish, so Ireland is one place I think he’d happily agree to.
Scotland is another place he’d like to see, which makes combining the two pretty tempting. And if we’re already over there, my travel-planning brain immediately thinks, “Well, Wales is right there…” Surely we could squeeze in a couple of days.
And yes, England is right there too. But even I know when I’m pushing it. I’ve been to London, and next time I’d want to see more of England outside the city, so I think that deserves a trip of its own.
There are no dates. No reservations. No actual plan. Yet.
But Scotland, Wales, and Ireland are definitely taking up a little more space than usual in my travel brain.
🏴 SCOTLAND
The Scottish Highlands, the Loch Ness Monster, Edinburgh, Glasgow, castles, fresh seafood, and Scottish whisky—these are the things I think about when I dream about Scotland.
I picture a road trip with incredible scenery, plenty of castles, small towns, local pubs, and at least one serious attempt to find Nessie. And, of course, trying some Scottish whisky along the way.
I think 7–8 days would be enough to see the highlights without trying to see the entire country in one trip.
No itinerary yet. No reservations. Just a place that keeps moving higher on my list.
🏰 WALES
I’m a castle girl, and Wales certainly isn’t lacking in them—with more than 600 castles and castle sites packed into this relatively small country. I’d especially love to see the grand Caernarfon Castle in North Wales.
While castles might get me there, I’d love to experience some of the Welsh culture too. Taking in a rugby match would be amazing—even though I don’t know the first thing about the rules. I figure I can cheer when everyone else cheers and probably get by just fine.
Add in the rugged coastline, little villages, mountain scenery, and a few good pubs, and I think 3-4 days in Wales could easily turn into me wishing I had planned for six.
🇮🇪 IRELAND
I’ve been to Ireland once and loved it. The lush green pastures, stone walls, castles, Dublin, and those incredibly narrow roads—although Doug might leave the narrow roads off his list of favorite things since he was the one driving. The Cliffs of Moher were easily one of my favorite places on the entire trip.
I wouldn’t mind returning to some of the places I’ve already seen, but this time I’d really like to explore more of the places we missed. The Aran Islands are definitely on that list. The rugged scenery, stone walls, tiny villages, and chance to experience a quieter, more traditional side of Ireland sound exactly like something I would love.
I also want to head north. When we were there before, unrest in Belfast meant we didn’t spend much time exploring that part of the island. Giant’s Causeway is a must for me this time around, and I’d love to finally experience Belfast and more of Northern Ireland.
Ireland is one of those places where going back doesn’t feel like repeating a trip. It feels like there’s still a whole lot more to see.
Maybe this time Doug won’t have to do all the driving. Who am I kidding? We both know he will.
