We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation. -Voltaire

There is something magical about walking through a place and knowing that people have walked through the same place for centuries. But I will admit, that I am also somewhat attracted to places with something unusual, and today Dingwall, Scotland wins that award.



Tracing my family lineage back to Mary Queen of Scots I have always been drawn to the castles in Scotland and Wales (of course assuming they would hand me the key to one). But since the last time I went to Europe I spent the entire trip on the tourist map. And while that was a good starting point, I have wanted to return since then to see what life is really like when there aren't millions of cameras clicking and flashing around you on the subway. Scotland has a unique beauty. Its rolling green hills and astonishing historical architecture draws me in every time. It is also only partially a tourist attraction for Americans traveling overseas. The appeal also lies in a country with a coastline as well as a beautiful landscape, something I feel severely cut off from living at the bottom of this large country.



Facts:
Population ~5,000
Dingwall dates its history back to Norwegian Viking Settlers
It is speculated that Macbeth was born here
It once boasted one of the largest castles in its area
It came under Scottish rule in the 1200s
Called the Viking Capital of Scotland



All of life is a foreign country. -Jack Kerouac