This section should really be called Scotland's Best because its purpose is to showcase special places I've encountered on my visits there. I'd like to say the idea was my own, but Devorgilla, the meddlesome but well-meaning crone who dwells in the pages of my MacLean books, has long been after me to share my great love of all things Scottish in just such a way. And those who know the twinkling-eyed cailleach will agree that she is not someone to vex, hence the title Devorgilla's Best.

She has also graciously offered to assist me in selecting the special but perhaps little-known places I wish to highlight here. Between us, I suspect she just wants to be certain I do not leave out any of her favorites. But whether hers or mine, each one will be somewhere I have lingered with pleasure and left with regret. Such places might be a particularly atmospheric but out-of-the-way castle ruin such as the one in the above photo which shall remain unnamed because it is that dear to me, or a really neat bookshop I may happen upon during my forays across the land. Or even a particularly cozy and welcoming hotel or pub. You will also find the occasional truly unique travel guide, a few recommendations for must-have Scottish cookbooks, and even my own favorite single malt.

Please remember that the Scottish places and things noted are merely my own personal favorites. Places that have touched my heart or made me sigh with wonder. Things I've found and appreciated. Scotland has so much to offer. Something for everyone, really. It truly is a special place and I hope to add to this section after each of my trips. For now, here is a sampling to whet your appetite and perhaps encourage you to visit Scotland, too.

Enjoy,

SE notes: Devorgilla wants me to emphasize that these bookshops are listed in no particular order. Each one is delightful, has its own charm, and is a place I've spent happy hours visiting.

A wonderfully charming and well-stocked bookshop located on a wooded hill in atmospheric Inverkirkaig near Lochinver, the Achins Bookshop also has a very inviting cafe. After purchasing a few must-have Scottish books, I enjoyed a leisurely cup of tea and a delicious piece of chocolate cake. I was fortunate to chat with a local man who suggested I extend my planned walk to the nearby Falls of Kirkaig http://members.aol.com/barbersasa/assynt/kirkag01.htm
another 1/2 mile to Fionn Loch. This I did, and was rewarded a thousand times over for following his much-appreciated advice. A spectacular vista opened up before me with sweeping views of River Kirkaig, the head of Fionn Loch, and the well-loved and distinctly-shaped mountain, Suilven, rising above the rolling moorland. I spent a good amount of time sitting on a large sun-warmed boulder here, indulging myself in a very special ohhh and ahhh moment.

To me, there can be no greater joy than when my Glasgow-bound plane touches down at Glasgow Airport and I know with absolute surety that I am there, really and truly in Scotland again. Private person that I am, and therefore making my trips solo, once there, I burn to slide behind the wheel of my hire car and head up the A-82, every precious turn of the wheel carrying me deeper into the Highlands . But I am practical, too, and do not wish to drive jet-lagged. S-o-o-o, I always spend my very first night in Scotland at the charming little Argyll Hotel in Glasgow .

http://www.argyllhotelglasgow.co.uk/hotel.htm

Located on Sauchiehall Street , it is ideal for pleasant city exploring (such as visiting Glasgow's magnificent cathedral) but, above all, lovely Kelvingrove Park is just across the road. And it is there, within this park's quietude and along its curving paths, that I relax and unwind, know peace again, and feel my soul filling with the joy of being 'home' again.

Just as I have my special Glasgow hotel for the first night of my Scotland trips, so do I cherish one hotel above all others for each trip's last night. Needless to say, my last night on Scottish soil is always, well, ... lancing. Even knowing I will be back does not make it any easier. But spending that dread night in beautiful and tranquil surroundings where, for a few very precious hours I can still embrace and be embraced by Scotland , well, that allows at least some measure of peace to slide over me.

So rather than head straight into  Glasgow , I stay outside the city, namely at the Lodge on Loch Lomond -  http://www.loch-lomond.co.uk/

Here I can walk just a bit longer in the 'Scotland-I-so-love' and here I can savor those last precious hours for as long as I can make each one last. If you'd like a special peek at this oh-so-dear to me place, you can visit this live webcam and see the very strand where I walk and ponder and dream on my last nights in Scotland :  http://www.camcentral.com/camviewer.asp?script=location&item=Scotland&page=1&id=4705

(And, yes, it is this very beach that I walk. I also stand for long moments at the end of the little pier, enjoying the inimitable beauty and searing the wonder of it onto my soul.)