Travel Guide to Budapest with Dora's Fashion Blog

There are so many things about this country you should see, but if you seriously want to see everything you have to come here for a month at least. If you can only spend here a few days, then spend it in Budapest or somewhere by lake Balaton and enjoy the heatwave, the smell of the amazing food (it’s more like the smell of Hungarian paprika everywhere) and the beautiful view.

I am really interested in fashion and food, so when I went to Budapest with my sister our destinations were unique shops and cafes that you cannot find in Scotland anywhere. Here are a few special places you should visit if you come to Hungary. I don’t want to mention prices, as everything is cheaper in Hungary than in the UK.

1. Cat Cafe

This is the perfect place for cat lovers. You can pet cats and drink your coffee at the same time and enjoy a nice chat with your friend. You can also take photos and spam your Instagram with cute cats. If you are like me who doesn’t like cats then a visit is still recommended here, because we are talking about animals and amazing cakes!

2. Szputnyik shop

Number 1 destination for vintage fashion! Fashion is fashion and if you want to wear something different, then don’t go to the biggest shopping stores, go to shops like Szputnyik and choose from the shop’s own collection of tops, skirts, jumpers, bags, jewellery and accessories or choose something old and fashionable, you’ll definitely be the coolest Fashionista in your squad with something no one else can get.

3. Chain bridge for the best photos

The most beautiful bridge on Danube that connects Buda and Pest and also the busiest, but it looks amazing from every point of view, so just choose your favourite, take some photos, upload them and then walk through the bridge because you can never know what surprise is waiting for you on the other side.

4. Buda castle

This is one of the surprises which you can see from the other side of the Danube. It’s a perfect background for your selfies, but it is worth the walk up to the hill. If you are there Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion is also a must see! Actually, go and see the whole area there because there are no words to describe how beautiful is it.

5. Sugar shop

Lovers of sweets and candies, this is your shop! Grab a small box and fill it with jelly beans or gummy bears or whatever you want and enjoy your cheat meal or choose from the special Hungarian cakes, ice creams or milk rice with many different tastes. Milk rice is a special Hungarian thing so don’t even think about missing it!

6. Ludwig Museum - Women in Chanel exhibition

A temporary exhibition in the museum of modern art in Budapest with the most beautiful Hungarian, Polish and Czech models wearing clothes and accessories Chanel Ready-to- Wear, Couture or Resort collections for photos taken by the Farago couple.

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Check out Dora's other guest post for us here.

6 Epic, Non-Touristy Things to Do in Scotland with Angus and Vivian Adventures

Hi, we’re Angus and Vivian. This is our second time writing for Scot Bloggers, and we're excited as ever to talk to you about our favorite non-touristy things to do in Scotland. On our first guest post, we talked about jumping off hidden cliffs on the west coast and chillin' (or should we say steamin'?) in homemade hot tubs. We thought we would keep the theme of adventure and travel going and telling you of the secret places that we know and love about Scotland. Because, let's face it. You only really get to know a country's culture when you explore hidden, non-touristy places, meet the locals and adventure on your own, without the surplus of tourist traps.

6 Epic, Non-Touristy Things to Do in Scotland:

1. Camp in the Isle of Tiree. Bring your power kite!

From the mainland, hop onto a CalMac Ferry and make your way to the Isle of Tiree, known for being one of the sunniest and windiest places in Britain. Only 10 miles long and 5 miles wide, it's small enough to rent a bicycle and cycle your way around the entire island. Not to mention, its abundance of wind keep the midges away, so you can camp to your heart's content without worrying about getting bitten every umpteenth second. Trust us, the lack of midges makes a huge difference for Scottish camping experiences. Use the wind to your advantage and bring a power kite; you'll have loads of fun just trying to keep yourself from flying about! It's the perfect getaway in the Scottish Isles, filled with friendly locals, Scottish culture and beautiful beaches. 

2. Kayak your guns off in the Fairy Isles

Don't get this mixed up with the Fairy Pools in the Isle of Skye, the Fairy Isles by the head of Loch Sween in Argyll, west coast of Scotland, is far from touristy. It's a part of the Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve due to its copious amounts of coastal birds, seals, otters and plants. It's the coolest, non-touristy out door place to escape to. Rent a kayak and take a day trip out to the Fairy Isles, breathe in the fresh, crisp air and keep an eye out for the occasional curious seal that wants to play. 

3. Breathe in the fresh air at the Isle of Bute

If getting to Tiree is too far, take a short weekend or day trip to the Isle of Bute. Only 33 miles from Glasgow with a short ferry trip ride, it's an accessible island with plenty of things to see, eat and do. There, the grass is lush and green and the beaches are shallow and perfect for dipping your feet into. It's the perfect place for families and anyone looking for a relaxed holiday with a Scottish vibe. 

4. Get your spook on and visit Poltalloch House... at night

Built in 1849 by William Burn and formally the seat of Malcolms of Poltalloch. Once a large Victorian mansion, Poltalloch House is situated in Lochgilphead and is now catagorised as a ruin. Its roof removed back in 1957, its easily one of the coolest urban adventures we have even been in. It's not categorized as an attraction, so you never see tourists and it's completely free for you to explore. You still see the remnants of old wine bottles and furniture underneath the mass of moss and lichen, so you get that eerie feel of being in a slightly haunted house. Give it a go at night, when the house feels 10 times creepier, maybe 100 times if you're down in the dungeon/cellar/basement area. 

5. Dip your feet in the clear seawater

  

Yup. That's my feet in the water. You can't even tell that my feet are submersed because it's so clear!

Hit the road east or west of Scotland and you will eventually hit the coast, where you have an endless playground to explore. If you're feeling extra adventurous, you can do what we normally do every time we explore a new place off the coast of Scotland: take a dip in the sea. Put on a wet suit or do without one, and just jump in. You can swim almost anywhere that isn't in a big boat pier, and although it's not necessarily warm, it's a great way to awaken your senses. Who knows, you may find some sea urchins or starfish along the way! 

6. Hike in Loch Carron

Loch Carron is situation about a 45 minute drive from Isle of Skye, so it's not the closest place from any of the main cities. However, the distance from the cities is what makes Loch Carron beautiful. It's a small town with friendly locals and is surrounded by mountains and lochs. Head out here and take yourself out to a 9 mile hike just off the town. You'll be rewarded with amazing views like the one above. Trust me, it's well worth it.

If you're from this beautiful country, do you have any suggestions for non-touristy things to do in Scotland? If you're not, check any of these places out, we promise they won't disappoint!

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7 Reasons Your Next Holiday Should Be A “Self-Catering” Holiday! with Glen Moyer

You love to travel. You might even travel more often if it didn’t mean laving the comforts of home behind. What if I told you there is a way to travel AND enjoy the comforts of home? Consider the self-catering holiday!

Self-catering cottages come in most any imaginable size, shape, and style from refurbished croft buildings to purpose built bungalows.

Hotels and B&Bs have their place, but if you’ve not considered a self-catering stay, you may have missed the key to unlocking the perfect holiday. In the past year I’ve spent 7 weeks traveling around Scotland and most of that time in self-catering accommodations – yet I HATE to cook. So don’t turn up your nose because you think a “self-catering holiday” means you’ll be spending all of your time in the kitchen, far from it! Here are a few of the many advantages I’ve found to a self-catering holiday…

Variety – Like Scotland itself, there is something for everyone. From the ultra-chic to country-cozy, there are literally thousands of self-catering properties across Scotland. Whether you are raveling solo or as a couple looking for a romantic getaway, with family or a group of friends, you’ll find properties to suit every need. Cottage, chalet, villa, castle or city flat – Scotland offers them all.

Location (location, location) – Self-catering accommodations can be found virtually everywhere, from city centre to the seaside to a Highland or Island retreat. Oh the places you can go!

Economy – self-catering properties are generally a less expensive option because the let price is determined by the size of the property and its amenities, regardless of the number of people staying.

Flexibility – At a hotel or B&B you often find yourself restricted to certain meal times (breakfast 7-10am), Lunch (11am-2pm) and so on. Likewise the menu may be limited. Your favorite beverage may not be stocked, or the kids’ special cereal unavailable. When self-catering you can fill the fridge and pantry with all your favorites and plan menus according to your preferences (and times), not the chef’s. Of course you always have the option of popping down to the local pub, going out to a fancy restaurant, or grabbing a takeaway without everyone in the hotel lobby staring as you walk to your room with pizza and curry in tow. Enjoying that late night snack requires just a short walk to the fridge instead of a call to room service, if available.

After a late night at the pub, on the town, or at the theatre, maybe you’d prefer to sleep in. There’s no worry of housekeeping rapping at the door just when you decide to get that extra 40 winks. Go ahead, enjoy a lie in!

Comfort – Regardless of budget I never feel as comfortable and relaxed anywhere as in my own home. However, the self-catering cottages I’ve let, in locations as diverse as Glasgow, the Highlands, and the Isle of Skye, have come close. I spent the last week of my most recent visit to Scotland at the same cottage I used on my first visit to the country. Despite a gap of almost 10 months between visits, it was as if I’d never left. Home away from Home, it’s a comfort level unique to self-catering that can’t be matched by any hotel or B&B.

Privacy – This can’t be overstated. Unlike at a hotel there are no noisy neighbors in the room next door, no kids running down the hallways at all hours of the night, doors slamming or elevators chiming. Likewise there’s no worry you’ll miss Top Gear because another guest has the telly occupied. And you don’t have to dress to go to breakfast, or dinner for that matter. Hang out in your jammies and bunny slippers and no one will be the wiser.

Even if traveling with family or friends, most everyone will have their own bedroom or private space where they can get away, while you enjoy the convenience of all being under one roof – not down the hall or one or two floors up.

Versatility – Traveling by hire car? Many self-catering properties will offer convenient parking (for no extra fee). Looking for a special amenity – a pool, hot tub, game room, easy access to public transport, pet friendly – again it requires just a bit of research. I have bad knees and prefer single level accommodations – easily found with a bit of time on the Internet.

In short, self-catering accommodation allows you to live life at your own pace and isn’t that the way you want to travel?

So how do you get started? You’re self-reliant right? Where else? The Internet. A simple Google search for something as generic as “Self-Catering Scotland” will get you started. You can narrow that search to, say, “self-catering Glasgow” or “self-catering pet friendly” and so on.

Some specific sites to consider might be www.embracescotland.co.uk run by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers. Established in 1978, its members own and manage over 3,000 self-catering properties of all types – from rural cottages, city flats, Highland retreats and even castles. The membership sets, and complies with, a set of universal quality standards that can be reassuring.

Tourism sites such as www.MustVisitScotland.com are also excellent resources where you’ll find reviews to help answer questions about specific properties. In many cases you deal directly with the property owner or in some cases an agent may be a go-between. One such agency is www.Sykescottages.com. On their site you can filter your search by date, location, number of guests, children, pets accepted, and more.

Finally don’t worry about having to pack essentials. Most self-catering properties are fully equipped. You’ll find cookware and dishes, towels and linens, even cleaning supplies and logs for the wood burner if so equipped. Likewise you’ll generally find laundry facilities, freeview TV packages, assorted DVDs, books, games and more for entertainment. Often they’ll be stocked with brochures and maps to help you plan visits to area attractions. You may even be greeted with a hamper of basic staples to get you started and perhaps a welcoming bottle of wine or whisky.

Decor can be found to fit any lifestyle whether it be luxurious, modern, or country cozy…

In a word, to quote William Wallace, self-catering accommodations offer FREEDOM! So before your next holiday, check out the self-catering options and unlock the perfect holiday.

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Hiking is Sexy! with Two Scots Abroad

Never did I think I’d see the day that I would be writing that. In fact, I’ve just bought my first pair of Teva SANDALS. Seriously, my motto used to be - never sacrifice style for safety, speed or sl*tdropping, maybe hitting thirty has changed me? I would beg to differ, I’ve been touched! I’ve seen Glencoe and now my life will never be the same again. 

Last April, my best friend, Helen, and I, took on the 96 mile challenge of walking the West Highland Way (WHW). Now, we are no strangers to Topshop; dance floors and chips ‘n’ cheese, so this may have come as a surprise to our families and friends. We never even dabbled with the idea of a week in the sun; we wanted the outdoors; the scenery and the rain that comes with it.

Because my partner (the other half of Two Scots Abroad), Craig and I have been planning an 18 month career break to travel The Americas for a while, seeing more of Scotland has been high on my agenda. This year I’ve ticked off Tarbert, Islay, Ballater and Skye. The WHW was the catalyst for this increased desire to explore my homeland – we began in Milngavie, just outside of Glasgow on the Monday and finished in Fort William on the Saturday. Madness, I know. Have you heard of the saying ‘peaks ‘n’ troughs’? It means the highs and lows and I think it’s apt so here we go.

Peaks

The Views

Walking up, and over, then around Conic Hill was immense (day one Milgavie to Balmaha). My eyes were greedy for the loch and sky, Helen said that this view was just the gateway for what was to follow.

Glencoe – I imagine the mountains to be monsters, so imposing. I love that feeling of being inferior. The unphased family of deer at Kingshouse are photogenic too. 

Balmaha – The calm water is almost chocolate like with its brown tones. 

Kinlochelven – Sleeping in a valley then the sun shining as we looked in on it from the top of the hill. 

Pal Time 

When else do you get to spend a full week with your friends and all the laughs that come with it? There were various people who joined us along the way. Originally we started off as a trio but Julie’s feet let her down, she left us on day one and returned with three other friends (and a Mum and her friend) for day five (Kingshouse to Kinlochleven). Another friend completed day one with us and then Helen’s sister-in-law joined us for day three (after picking us up from the water boat taxi – see below…) My parents met us with Buck’s fizz in Fort William to motivate us for the last (awful) stretch.

Hot Tub

Best idea ever. The Bay Cottage has got it right, they offer WHWers the use of their hot tub, this is just what the doctor ordered after the first 20 mile trek.

Beer (at the end of the day)

That beer is the best beer you are ever going to have. You’ve just walked 19 miles, you deserve it. And the steak pie, go on…

Troughs

Getting lost! 

On day two Helen and I walked for about two hours out of Balmaha to be faced with a choice and a fight with construction works. We made the wrong decision and spent two and a half hours playing The Hunger Games and wasting daylight. In the end we admitted defeat and jumped on a water boat taxi to Inveranan where Helen’s in-laws collected us *hangs head* 

Injury

I had to sit out on day 5 (Bridge of Orchy to Kingshouse) because of Achilles pain. I’ve never broken anything so, vom inducing pain was new to me, and not welcome. The BnB owner at Bridge of Orchy watched me hobble in, using my walking sticks as crutches and advised me this was a good place to stop if ill, as there was a bus that takes you to the next stop. So the following day I put my feet up, hopped (hobbled) on the bus and met the girls at Kingshouse, Glencoe. Tip: well-worn walking boots, are the only answer to avoid injury. I’ve now opted for high quality trek trainers. 

Crappy gear

I was envious of the raindrops patiently balancing on top of the girls’ North Face jackets as my Trespass was drenched through. I was never wet but you could see the difference in quality between the £150 coat and £25 TK Maxx special. Commit! I am now rocking a very bright blue Marmot Precip shell that folds into its own pocket (for hiking whilst travelling). Stylish and functional, never sacrifice style for getting soaking!

Don’t let the troughs put you off, it’s an adventure and you can learn from my mistakes (eh, packing list here). I’ve already got our next trek lined up – The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu (in Peru!) Come with us! Follow us at Two Scots Abroad.

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Foreign Travel from a Scottish Perspective with Borders and Burpees

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Hi. My name is Emily and you can find my blog over at Borders and Burpees – where I talk about my twin passions: travel and fitness. Lately I’ve been thinking about how being Scottish affects my perspective as a traveller, so today’s post is all about that – with some advice for newbies along the way!

The Scottish Perspective

Scotland is a small nation. Just look at a map of Europe and compare its land area to, say, Finland. But while we’re pretty tiny compared to a lot of other places, there’s one major advantage: it means that if you want to become a traveller, you don’t have to go all that far and you’re on foreign soil. Even a relatively short flight can take you to places that have a massively different language, culture and cuisine. The same time in a plane across the US and you’d barely have crossed three or four state lines!

Being from a small nation is also interesting for another reason – since there are fewer people around the world who share your nationality compared with the bigger nations, it makes you feel that little bit more unique. And of course people the world over do seem to know a bit about Scotland, due to the high profile of our country’s unique national symbols – the kilt, the haggis and the whisky. Not to mention the deep fried Mars bars and the square sausage!

Breaking language barriers

Being an English speaker can be a real advantage when you travel. In quite a few countries (for example Germany and Holland), it seems that most people not only speak English – they’re also more than happy to converse with you in it and not be offended that you aren’t speaking their language.

The downside of being an English speaker is that – due to the language’s popularity worldwide, it often feels as if there’s a reduced need to speak foreign languages while overseas. In one notable example, I tried ordering in Dutch from the menu while in a restaurant in Amsterdam. The waiter (without being rude about it) instantly steered the order back into English – probably because it was going to be quicker and easier all round!

However, despite English almost being a global lingua franca, and that a small amount (or more, if you can manage) of the local language seems to go a long way. Just those few key phrases in Italian or Portuguese (or Russian) have worked for me as a kind of social lubricant – a sign to native speakers that I am fully engaged, paying attention, and culturally immersed in my location.

Staying safe and healthy

Okay, so you won’t run into any deep-fried haggis while overseas, but there are a number of very important health points to note. (This is kind of the dull-but-must-know stuff so I will keep it brief!)

1. If you’re out and about in Europe, get an EHIC. They don’t cover everything though, so make sure you also have the right travel or international insurance. For an idea of the cost of certain operations if you were going to pay upfront, check out this infographic. In other words, not cheap!

2. Research your destination. If there are scams or pickpockets (or anything else we’d all prefer to steer clear of) then the chances are there will be some information online. Travel sites, Rough Guide type traveller resources and online forums should be a good help here.

3. If you have dietary restrictions – or if you take prescription medicines, it’s important to check with your doctor before you go overseas. Don’t be shy – your doctor is there to help!

Making the leap abroad

While there are plenty of us who are seasoned travellers, with dog-eared passports and a whole suitcase of stories to tell, I’m sure there are also likely to be some people out there who have never travelled. If this is you, I have two pieces of advice: the first would be (of course) Just do it! And the second would be: don’t be scared.

Whether you’re heading off on an extended round the world trip or are just heading to an unknown destination for a short break, it’s worth remembering that line about journeys starting with the first step. And even a short trip somewhere can mean making new friends and seeing new things, which can in turn lead to life-changing inspiration. And even though I am safely ensconced back in my Scottish city, I am all the richer for having taken the plunge and gone off on my occasional international adventures!

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A Wee Knackered Numpty: the Language of Scot tourism with Glen Moyer

I’m Glen Moyer, one of the estimated 50 million Scot Diaspora living worldwide. When 2014 was declared a Scottish Year of Homecoming I decided it was the right time for me to visit and explore my Scottish ancestry. As with any overseas trip there was a lot to do –develop an itinerary, book a flight, find accommodations and so on. As an American preparing to visit Scotland for the first time, there were also a number of practical issues to consider. For example,

• Currency conversion – figuring out the Pound to the Dollar.

• Driving on the left – and doing it from the right hand side!

• Haggis – to try or not to try, that was the question!

Not high on my list of concerns though was language. After all, the Scots speak English, right? Then I remembered George Bernard Shaw having written, “England and America are two countries divided by a common language.” Could the same be true of America and Scotland?

I vowed to pay particular attention to the language of those ‘locals’ around me. I kept an open ear for any words or terminology that might seem foreign to me, in spite of our shared use of the Queen’s English.  I was not to be disappointed! Herewith then is a list of a few of my favourites gleaned from my travels…

• Wee – a seemingly universal term for anything tiny, or small, or insignificant, as in – I’ll have a wee sample of that, or there’s a cute wee lad or lass, and of course as in, a wee dram.

• Pished – intoxicated, or what happens when you’ve had a wee dram too many.

• Weesht – When someone says, ”would you just weesht?!”, they’re asking you to be quiet, to hush, or shush!

• Blether – rhymes with tether but means to gossip or to just ramble on in conversation.

• Bonnie – pretty or attractive, as in, it’s a bonnie day, or even Bonnie Prince Charlie.

• Braw – beautiful.

• Dreich – if it’s not bonnie or braw it’s likely dreich – miserable, cold, gloomy.

• Drookit – if you’re out on a dreich day or night chances are you might get drookit – meaning drenched or soaked through.

• Knackered – my favorite of all the words I brought home with me. It means exhausted, or to put it in American slang, “plumb wore out” or “rode hard and put up wet!”

• Numpty – an idiot or a fool – usage can vary from very gentle, almost endearing, as in – “Oh you big numpty!”, to quite harsh, as in – “you idiot, you numskull, you numpty.” It’s a very expressive word and in fact, in 2007, it was voted Scotland’s favorite word!

• Eejit – not difficult to figure this one out – it is as it sounds – idiot!

And what’s a travel blog without travel photos? Here are a few that illustrate how I learned the proper use of my newfound vocabulary…

 

Upon my arrival in Glasgow, while adjusting to driving on the ‘correct’ side of the road, I turned what should have been a 15-20 minute drive from the airport to my first week’s accommodations, into a 3-hour tour of the Clyde Bank area. Finding my way eventually, a fire and a wee dram from the welcome hamper made everything OK. I did not know it then, but I was indeed a “wee, knackered, numpty” at that moment!

On the one day I set aside to tour Edinburgh, the weather was indeed dreich!

Nevertheless, I pressed onward to find the historic Forth Road Bridge. Thanks to the dreich weather, I call this shot, “The Bridge to Nowhere.”

 After taking the bridge photo, I parked nearby to enjoy a light lunch. Being ignorant of Scottish parking meters, I was rewarded with a £60 parking ticket. Right, that’s me sorted – feeling like a right eejit!

Fortunately there were far more braw and bonnie days than dreich ones during my three-week Homecoming visit – like this one that had me feeling like a real “Monarch of the Glen."

My final hours in Scotland were passed as they should be, with friends at a pub. Well, with a newly made friend at the airport hotel bar anyway. My #Scotlandhour friend Sam Kilday joined me for a goodbye toast. When we finally parted I was far from pished, but I was able to close my eyes for a final time in Scotland with a smile on my face and a wee buzz in my head!

During my visit I also learned that a number of Scots still speak Gaelic – an entirely different linguistic challenge – and one I shall leave for another time!

For more about my Homecoming 2014 visit to Scotland, see my blog...

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Why I love travelling Scotland with Locomotion Scotland

I’m Neil, a travel blogger covering all things Scotland. Since finishing university, I travelled like a man possessed. For years I was always on the go, seeing the world and working odd jobs along the way. Being away from my home months on end though just became too tough and I realised increasingly how much I missed Scotland. It’s my favourite place in the world. So for the last year or so I have exclusively covered Scotland with my writing and aim to help newcomers to these parts to get the best out of their visit through Locomotion Scotland.

Why I love travelling Scotland

Road trips 

I think Scotland is ideally suited to getting in the car and going. There are endless great driving routes that are a trip in themselves. Charging up and down the west coast is a definite personal highlight but I feel as though there are spectacular options in every direction. Stunning peaks, beaches and lochs make Scotland one of the world’s best outdoor playgrounds.

Food and drink 

Being surrounded by water has the happy benefit of ensuring that some of the best fish and seafood in the world is never far away. It’s the perfect accompaniment to those road trips – knowing a first class restaurant along the way that has fresh local produce on the menu. It’s a glorious treat having such fantastic natural resources to cook with. The fact much of it gets chucked into deep fat fryers are mere details. And then there was whisky. Right up there on my list of reasons to be happy.

Scotland’s Munros

With 282 Munro peaks to choose from we should be one of the fittest countries in the world. While I love climbing in Perthshire and around Loch Lomond in particular, the drama to be found at the likes of Glen Coe, Skye and Torridon is just about as good as it gets.

History

People flock to Scotland to revel in our colourful past. Dozens of atmospheric and picturesque castles and ruins say it all. We liked a good fight. Southern Scotland definitely saw the brunt of centuries’ worth of conflict but I love nothing more than a loch-side ruin that has me scrambling for the camera and cursing that persistent wall of cloud that is the scourge of the Scottish photographer.

City life

There is nowhere in Europe that can match Edinburgh during the Festival or for New Year pandemonium. Getting kilted up and braced for the inevitable Hogmanay bad weather is one of my highlights of the year. As for my home city of Glasgow the Commonwealth Games this year have showed how much we’ve got going on. Amazing architecture, bouncing nightlife, world class food and drink and warm and friendly locals. With Stirling boasting some of our very best historical attractions and Dundee another city on the rise, we have plenty to boast about.

Golf

In a year where we’ve been showing off all over the place, the Ryder Cup is the latest major event choosing Scotland as its host. Not being rich enough or good enough to play at the big courses regularly myself, I still love a game on a quiet day. Coastal courses at the likes of Arisaig or on the Western Isles would be my first choice but Fife’s courses are a great, more accessible for most, option as well.

You can read more about my travels around Scotland through my travel blog page:

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6 Things I've Learned from 6 months of Travel Blogging with Adventures around Scotland

In August my blog is 6 months old and what started out as an enjoyable hobby has now grown to such a point that I feel I have earned the right to call myself a travel blogger. I am not a full-time blogger as I balance my travelling and writing with my day job which pays my bills and funds my trips. However, I now believe this is something I could do, and more importantly want to do full-time and have started to build the foundations towards that dream. I'm no expert but my blog has received some recognition and gained some achievements lately, it has also opened doors to new travel experiences which I would not otherwise have gotten the chance to do. Everyone has their own ways of building their blog but I thought I would share what has worked for me so far and perhaps you might find a little bit of inspiration to help you and gain an awareness of a few of the traps to avoid.

1. It's hard work

Okay, it's very, very hard work if you actually want your blog to get noticed. Expect to put in alot of hours in your spare time either writing, doing admin, social media, design, guest posting, making contacts and improving the SEO of your blog (to list just a few of the many hats a blogger has to wear). Add in your actual travelling, working your day job and trying to have a life and your days seem to pass by! I want to do this for a living so I am prepared to make the sacrifices and I treat my blog as a start up business and put in time investment rather than money. If you don't want to make a living from your blog then keep it as a hobby. In the beginning research and teaching yourself the 'behind the scenes' bits of blogging will take up more time than writing but once you have laid the foundations for your blog you won't have to do it again. This is the stage I'm at but I'm assured by blogging professionals that investment at the beginning will pay off later and that makes sense to me! Many people that start out enthusiastically in the beginning soon realise that to get your blog noticed in a sea full of blogs is not as easy as they first thought and the novelty wears off. If you blog about your passion then you won't mind the hard work and are more likely to keep going until that all important breakthrough moment.

2. Social media is about quality not quantity 

Social media is currently where most of my blog readers come from and I have never got hung up about the amount of followers I have and truly believe that 10 followers that read your blog are worth way more than 100 that don't. I engage with my followers, always reply to or acknowledge a comment, I'm always polite and I try to post a range of things from photos, reviews, news stories and any other helpful travel related advice. I don't just bombard people with links to my blog posts. I do interact and have tried to become an approachable expert in my subject (Scottish travel). I genuinely appreciate every single person who takes the time to follow me and read my posts and you should too.
There are ways of measuring how influential you are on social media and companies can quickly find out if you have 10,000 followers that never interact or 1000 followers that do and this is why you should focus on quality not quantity.

Deciding on what social media channel works for you is a bit of trial and error, Twitter works great for me so I concentrate on that, I don't really enjoy Facebook as I find it limiting and I'm currently starting over on Pinterest as I had been neglecting it and needed to revamp my ideas. I'm also looking into Google+ and Instagram to decide what has the best potential for my purposes.

3. Be original 

When starting out it is a good idea to study the top travel bloggers and find out what type of things they post about, what elements they include in their blog and what form they write their blog posts in. What you will learn is they all have their own individual style, even though they are likely blogging about world travel they have found a way to stand out from the huge travel blogging crowd and most specialise in a particular genre e.g budget travel, luxury, backpacking etc. Get inspiration from those at the top but don't copy other people or compare yourself to other travel bloggers. Find your own voice and learn from the best but don't try to be like them. People will follow you because you're different; people won't be inspired to follow you if there is already an established blogger out there that has been doing the same thing longer and probably better. Finding your own travel blogging personality will make designing your blog easier as it will be a true reflection of your style and your writing will be more natural. Then find an area you can become an expert in and make yourself known as the blogger to go to for advice on that subject.

4. People want you to work for free

The one downside I have found is that blogging is not respected as a profession by many large companies who will send you e-mails filled with flattery about your amazing writing and your excellent blog and how they would love you to write for them blah, blah. Ignore this and skip to the part when they tell you unfortunately they have no money to pay you. I'm not talking about small businesses I mean big companies with big marketing budgets who are paying the person that has just sent you the e-mail! When you are just starting out you may have to write for free to build up a portfolio and guest posting helps get your name out there but choose who you write for wisely. Ignore big corporate companies wanting free marketers, instead work with small tourism businesses, travel sites that you respect or other bloggers and build a relationship with them. They will become useful future contacts and are much more likely to appreciate you and promote you to the right type of audience and they can open other doors for you. Guest posting for sites like this helps build relationships with fellow Scottish bloggers and I know ScotBloggers will actively promote me in return. Featuring on big sites and gaining a link will help with SEO but again look for the top travel bloggers and ask if you can guest post for them instead.

5. Don't compromise your blogging brand

Your blog is your business and your brand and if you are doing a good job people will want to work with you. I've turned down free gifts, sponsored posts and event invitations because they are not a good fit for what I write about. If something is not right it's important to say no, don't sell your soul or compromise the integrity of your blog for the sake of a freebie. It may be very tempting when press invitations come in for a non travel VIP event that has the added enticement of champagne and nibbles or someone wants to send you a free product to review that has a very tenuous link to travelling (yes these things happen!) but stop and ask yourself if it is really right for you. If not be honest and say no because if you say yes the company that has sent the product will expect a review and the PR that sent the invitation will expect exposure for their client. If you don't deliver you will earn yourself a bad name and especially in the close knit world of PRs this is not a good idea! If you do deliver for them you will be failing your reader, do they want to read about a fashion show where you enjoyed smoked salmon bites while viewing the latest collection for a high street store? The integrity of your blog is more important than any freebie, be patient and professional and the right offers will appear.

Also don't be fooled into entering competitions or posting press releases about places that you have not personally been to. This is a tactic I have seen quite often recently and disagree with; firstly you can't recommend something you haven't experienced, that goes back to the whole thing about readers trusting you. Secondly I refer back to lesson four, this company is wanting you to provide them free advertising, write a post about them for free all with the vague possibility that you could win their competition. It's a personal choice if you really want the chance of winning a prize but remember that what you publish reflects your blogging brand, be sure you're not compromising it.

6. Overdeliver

The more established my blog gets, the more opportunities I have been offered. Firstly, I did use the word 'freebie' above but this is where I should clarify that there is no such thing as a free ride, or free product or free anything when you are a travel blogger. Instead you have the opportunity to do an exchange or build business partnerships because anything offered to you is done on the condition that you will write about it. You get the chance to enjoy a travel experience and the company/destination gets some exposure in return. My pet hate is a travel blogger/writer who churns out a quick, bland and uninformative post in return for their 'freebie' and I read these sorts of posts time and time again by established bloggers and writers. If you are lucky enough to enjoy a great experience for 'free' then be professional and write a proper blog post, give the business the credit they deserve and probably expect, over deliver and people will want to work with you again. Don't just write a short trip advisor style review, add great photos and give people real information.

Most importantly be truthful, if it was terrible you have a choice, tell the company why it was not good, don't write a post but work with them by giving feedback on how they can improve things or publish an honest review saying you can't recommend it, just don't say it was great if it wasn't because your readers put trust in your advice. It is a good idea to let a company know your policy before working with them, personally I only post positive articles on my site. It is your blog and your brand, you decide what to publish, I take pride in having an honest blog and making sure I put at least 110% into every post.

I hope these lessons help you on your path through the minefield of blogging which I'm still muddling my own way through, hopefully I'll be back in another 6 months to let you know I've survived! Until then, love what you do, write with passion and follow your dreams :-)

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