From Scotland … With Love ...

Do you remember that scene in the movie, "The Queen," when Queen Elizabeth's (played beautifully by Helen Mirren) Range Rover broke down and she was sitting on the rocks waiting for someone to come. As she sat there, she turned to see the most glorious stag on the hillside, staring majestically at Her Majesty.

Helen Mirren, "The Queen"
Photo Courtesy of Zu Guide

For a moment, the two - woman and wild beast - were locked in powerful gazing embrace, when The Queen heard a stalking party in the distance. She whispered 'shoo' to the animal and turned away to see where the stalkers were, and when she turned back, the stag had disappeared as if he had never been there at all. It was one of the most emotional, foreshadowing moments in the movie, and an experience that many of us may likely never have.

But, in Scotland, you never know.  I was lucky enough to encounter a majestic stag on my very first trip to Scotland about a decade ago. It happened so fast that there are no photos except for the vivid memory etched in my mind. But first, how did I end up in Scotland? It had never really been on my radar …

Monarch Country ...

Ardverikie House played Glenbogle
on Monarch of the Glen.
Photo Courtesy of Laura Franz.

As a fan of the now-ended BBC program "Monarch of the Glen," I became enchanted by the beauty of the Scottish countryside. I already had planned an elaborate four-week adventure to London and the surrounding counties after an absence of quite a few years.

At the last minute, I decided to add four days in Scotland to visit 'Monarch Country.' When I changed my airline ticket to accommodate this, the agent told me that I would never regret adding these few days in this magical place. She was so right …

Now, those who read this blog, know I'm a big city girl, and while both Edinburgh (correctly pronounced as Edin-borough not Edin-burg) and Glasgow (correctly pronounced Glazz-go not Glass-gow) are amazingly beautiful cities - I skipped my urban hiking in favor of the Cairngorm Mountains of the Scottish Highlands, where most of The Monarch of the Glen was filmed. The entire Cairngorm area is a National Park, and in fact, the views are so breathtaking that they could turn me into a country hiker.

View of the Cairngorms
from Aviemore
Photo Courtesy of Cairngorm Images

Staying at a wonderful B&B just outside of Aviemore, I was treated quite royally, as I was the only guest in the house - it was December after all - and no matter where I went on my four days, I was often greeted in the same manner by shopkeepers and restaurateurs. The train service was my taxi, as I explored the many towns up and down the road from Aviemore.

My hosts at the B&B were delightful - he manufactured dentures and his wife was a Cordon Bleu chef who made traditional Scottish fare something extraordinary! Yes, I had haggis and I never knew that it could be so divine - but we'll save that for a food post!! Just know that some of the best food I've ever had while traveling was in Scotland! As well, I'm not a big fan of blended Scotch, however, my host gave me the most wonderful lesson in drinking Single Malt Scotch (SMS) and I have been a SMS fan ever since - what a treat!

Now, The Stag …

The first day I arrived in Scotland after traveling on a Caledonian sleeper overnight from London, it had turned frosty and wet following a weekend of 70+ degree balmy sunshine. As my hosts prepared my evening meal, they asked a long-time friend, Danny, who was visiting them to take me on a drive around the area. It was grey and overcast with a light drizzle and that same kind of fog that rolls along the ground that you'll see in London and my hometown, New Orleans. To say it looked like a scene out of a movie is an understatement.

Scotland's Red Deer
Photo Courtesy
Tamshee's Photography

The road was twisty and the views spectacular as we climbed higher up the mountain. As we came around a curve, there he was … a 12 point buck standing majestically in the middle of the road, the fog dancing around his legs like fairy dust.

He stood there staring us down - by now we had come to a complete stop - Danny and I were both so awe-struck we could barely talk. In the field to our left, sat an entire mob of deer, perhaps 100 or more -- all watching the big buck, who was obviously the 'leader of the pack.' Danny explained in a soft voice, that as it becomes colder, the stags and deer begin to come down from the higher elevations, and so it's possible to see some spectacular wildlife right in front of you, as we were witnessing at this moment.

The buck continued to stare us down. We stayed put. To our right was another open field only it was surrounded by what looked like a 10 foot fence.  We saw the buck look over at the open field and then back to the mob - he dipped his head once and then in a flash he turned and began to head straight for the fence. Almost from what seemed like a dead stop, he was up and over the fence in less than a breath. To our left, the entire mob, rose up in unison and proceeded to follow him. We sat there stunned - it was an amazing sight and so quiet - and an experience I remember as clearly as if it happened moments ago! (Yes, I have goosebumps just thinking of it again!)

I didn't see anything else quite so miraculous as this during the rest of my stay - but the one thing I can tell you is that if you have the chance to visit Scotland - whether to see its beautiful cities, to hike in the Highlands, to drive the byways of its quaint villages or to skip around its glorious islands - don't miss the opportunity. It has become one of my favorite places on earth and that's saying a lot for a girl who does most of her hiking in big cities!!

Glasgow from Queen's Park
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Scotland is Magical …

As it so happens, my friend and colleague at Freedom Tours, Jennie Alwell spent seven glorious days this past Fall exploring amazing Scotland and got to experience a bit of her own Scottish magic. She is leading a tour there later this Spring - Scotland: A Magical Discovery.

Jennie will take you to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and The Highlands along with the most delightful Blue Badge guide she could find - yes, he's a charmer!!

Here's your chance to see a stag of your own, and if not, I promise you that you'll have no regrets - it is one of the most magical places you'll ever visit.

Wouldn't It Be Loverly ...

It seems that I write about Paris most of the time when I post. But, it was London that first won my traveler's heart. Just before I turned eight, I was treated to my first trip to Chicago with my Aunt Rose, my godmother and a kindergarden teacher, with whom I always traveled during my childhood. She above all is most responsible for my love of and passion for travel.

Photo Courtesy Paramount/CBS

It was on this trip that London became alive for me as I sat in a darkened theater in Chicago's Loop and watched, 'My Fair Lady' - a wide-eyed child on her first travel adventure. A year later, my idol, Audrey Hepburn, created Eliza Doolittle on the screen, and I would fall in love once again with the glamour, pomp and circumstance of London. 

It would be more than 30 years later that my own feet would walk the lanes and boroughs brought to life for me by Eliza Doolittle. Now, there is never a time that I visit London that doesn't include what is my personal 'My Fair Lady' stroll through London Town. During my 2001 London trip, I was fortunate enough to catch an exquisite revival of 'My Fair Lady' with Jonathan Pryce as Higgins and Martine McCutcheon as Eliza, and it once again cemented my love for this most enchanting city.

We forget how often movies and television inspire our deepest feelings and evoke a spirit of adventure in all of us. How many times have we seen a film or program and wondered what it might be like to live in another time period, a foreign city or a completely different life? 

Travel, like movies, gives us a glimpse into another world, and often, let's us have a taste of the past, the present and the future all at the same time.

Traveling to the Movies ...

So are you ready to take a trip of a lifetime to the movies? 

Are you ready to walk in the footsteps of 'Downton Abbey's' Lady Mary Crawley or Lord Grantham at

Highclere Castle, Newbury

Highclere Castle in Newbury? Or stroll though the Versailles-like gardens of Boughton House, Northamptonshire, which represented its French counterpart in Les Miserables? Perhaps you'd prefer to follow 'Alice In Wonderland's' White Rabbit or revel in the wizardry of 'Harry Potter' at Christ Church, Oxford? 

Does the sleuth in you cry out for the clues so craftily laid out by Agatha Christie or deduced by Sherlock Holmes at Hatfield House, Hatfield? Or shall you look through Hatfield House in search of Colin Firth ready to make 'The King's Speech'? 

And if these are not enough to remind you how film and video help to create our world, step back in time to watch the investitures of kings and queens at Buckingham Palace - think 'Young Victoria', the first British monarch to reign from this magnificent palace. Watch the British monarchy break with Rome at Westminster Abbey - think 'Anne of A Thousand Days' or 'A

Boughton House, Northamptonshire

Man for All Seasons'. And finally, these same historical characters and many others were imprisoned and executed in various ways at the Tower of London.

Yes, London and the countryside that surrounds this magnificent city has long been the 'set' for some of the greatest films and television series of the past century. And, while you can enjoy some of these places on your own, there's nothing like having a knowledgeable British guide to lead you on a behind the scenes tour of all these real life movie 'sets' on England: A Tour of British Movie Production Sites, hosted by Freedom Tours LLC.

As many of you know, in addition to my consulting and coaching business, I work as a travel architect with my 'travel partner in crime' - Annie Collins at Freedom Tours now based in Alexandria, Louisiana.    By doing this, I am able to indulge my own passion for travel, while sharing my travel experience with others to help fan the flame of their wanderlust. 

I am thrilled to see this new travel adventure that has been added to the roster of hand-tailored travel adventures FT is offering. I've been lucky enough to spend so much time in the last almost 20 years in and around London and Scotland. 

Cairngorms, near Aviemore Scotland

There's nothing like the English countryside in the summer and Scotland is breathtaking anytime of the year. Scotland had never been on my radar until I became a big fan of the BBC series, 'Monarch of the Glen'. On one of my trips to London, I took four days and visited 'Monarch country' in the heart of the Cairngorms mountain range. Those four days are among my most memorable in all my years of travel - but that's another post. 

I love movies because they have taken me places that I'm not always able to go. But, even more important, they have encouraged me to explore my independent travel spirit in ways that I might not have imagined on my own. 

I hope that some of you will think about joining FT on what promises to be a delightful jaunt through the English countryside with some of your favorite movie characters, and maybe, even me as your FT guide. Wouldn't it be loverly??