Our Scotland 2027 tour is live! + Learn how to decolonise your travels
Published 23 days ago • 8 min read
Hi Reader,
How are you doing?
It's already August and I am in full preparation mode for my the trip to Australia, New Caledonia and French Polynesia. I have already been to French Polynesia before, I spent new year's there more than 10 years ago, so I am keen to return and enjoy the beautiful beaches and the rich Polynesian culture again.
It will also be my first time in New Caledonia, so if you have any suggestions, send them through!
Keen to join us in French Polynesia? Join the waitlist here.
This week we are announcing yet another 2027 trip: Scotland!
Our 2027 Scotland trip is live!
On this week's podcast episode is one I enjoyed to record because this is a conversation that we should have more and I was lucky enough to share it with someone who has the vocabulary and articulation to give words to things that have felt uncomfortable for a while. Don't miss this episode, I guarantee that it will make you reconsider a lot of the ways you speak, think and view travel and the communities you visit. PS Enjoy 50% off from The Rise travelers pathways course to take your awareness and learnings further on your travels
This is an exclusive women-only trip hosted by our local guide Naomi.
We will start and end in Edinburgh to make life easier when booking flights, and travel by minibus to the Highlands.
Castles, castles, castles!
We will visit stunning castles filled with history some of which actually saw history made.
We will go on a walking tour of Edinburgh's Castle, Stirling Castle (where Mary Queen of Scotts was coronated), the fairytale Inveraray Castle and Eilean Castle, probably the most photographed of all.
Whiskey distilleries and whiskey tasting
You know I love visiting wineries, after all I grew up in one.
When in Scotland, whiskey takes over from wine and is at the center of culture and tradition. We will visit the oldest distillery in the country and learn how it's made, how to taste it and how to mix it.
We will also go on a journey through Scotland's female history by the hand of our host Naomi and taste several whiskeys from female owned or led distilleries whose stories are weaved into that of the country's witches and legends.
The Highlands
The Highlands landscapes that have been made famous by epic shows such as Outlander, Game of Thrones et al are truly breathtaking. I kept pulling my car to the side of the road to take it all in when I did my scouting.
We will spend 4 nights in the Highlands, enjoying the views and the surroundings that make it special.
Isle of Skye
This majestic island is the perfect combination of heritage, incredible nature, panoramic views that make you go "wow" and coloful villages.
We will savor it, go on amazing hikes and enjoy it through the various beautiful sights. We will visit a family owned and run sheepskin tannery, drink from the river whose waters will guarantee you eternal youth and take cold plunges in ponds after sauna sessions.
We have booked individual luxury mountain pods on the hills above Portree for everyone, so you get to enjoy two days of me-time with the best views.
For Harry Potter fans, we will stop at the Glenfinnan aqueduct famously crossed by the Jacobite train featured in the movies for a photo op and to take it all in.
We have scheduled the stop to coincide with the passing of the trail, so you can see it hum-hum and smoke out, just like in the books.
Scottish traditions
We will visit some of Edinburgh's female owned stores to learn about patterns, tartan, leather and more from the shop owners themselves.
We will also participate in a Clansman demonstration at Loch Ness' Fort Augustus, where you will certainly feel like you are in Outlander, and a sheep skin tannery that sells the softest clothing and spreads.
And of course, there are also the cooos!
4x4 off road adventure on Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond marks the boundary between the Highlands and the Lowlands and is a beautiful lake dotted with cute villages.
We will visit some and then jump on a 4x4 adventure by the hand of experienced drivers to explore the national park and Scotland's best viewpoints. Take the wheel if you feel like it and learn how to drive off road yourself too.
All about Edinburgh
Of course, we will learn all about Edinburgh through the eyes of its food, its female entrepreneurs and store owners and the legends that make it so mystical, especially during Halloween month.
There will be free time to enjoy the many museums and galleries and an afternoon tea at one of the most opulent places in the city.
Top the day off with a visit to the hidden Mary King's Close to learn all about the stories that didn't make it onto the history books.
Hand-picked accommodation
As always, we have selected only the best, starting with the boutique 5* Virgin Hotel Edinburgh which is located just off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town, in a historic building.
We will then spend time at Ballachulish Hotel, a great lodge in the Highlands surrounded by perfect mountain peaks and deer, and end in Skye at the stunning luxury pods of Bracken Hide.
Bracken hide is getaway above Portree that has great food, incredible views and an Estonia sauna and cold plunge we have booked for the group on both days.
Plus, you will have a cabin all to yourself in Skye, even if you booked a shared spot, everyone gets their own private cabin at Bracken Hide.
Episode #18 - How your travels show your colonial mentality, and what to do about it
This week is one of my most favorite podcast episodes and the type that inspired the creation of our podcast.
I am talking with Dr. Vincie Ho, is a mission-driven educator and social change leader who engages university students, tourism professionals, and travelers in critical conversations around social, animal, and environmental justices and systems change. She founded the RISE Travel Institute in 2020 and this is how I came across her work which I used to write my newsletter a couple of weeks ago about Decolonising travel.
In this longer than usual conversation that could have gone on for a few more hours, we talk about the many ingrained thoughts, perspectives and ways of seeing the world that are encased in a colonial mentality.
As someone from the Global north, I catch myself with colonial thoughts every day, despite my constant efforts to avoid this mentality.
I hope that this episode will bring awareness of the ways we view the world, we speak and we describe places that are institutionalised and subconsciously ingrained in a colonial perspective.
Offer for the community
You will hear me and Vincie talk about the Rise Traveler Pathways education program and a discount they have generously extended to our community.
This an online course that answers the questions we hear asked a lot: How can I do better? How can I learn? How can I be better aware of my bias?
Use discount code SFTCommunity at check out to get $50 (which means 50% OFF with launch prices). Use this specific link to enrol in the discount code will already be applied.
Check out all the details of the podcast here, listen to the episode and start following us [Solo Female Travelers Podcast] on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss an episode:
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I hope you have a great rest of the week wherever you are.
Hugs from our global team
Solo Female Travelers C/ Europa 18 5-2, Sitges, 08870
