Scotland 2024--Introduction

Our trip to Scotland started over two years ago.  The impetus for this adventure was driven by the Clan MacDougall International Gathering 2024 scheduled at Dunollie Castle, Oban, Scotland in July/ and August of this year.  Going to Scotland for this event likely would not have happened unless I hadn't taken an Ancestry.com DNA test a few years ago.

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My family genealogy research earnestly started in the early 2000s.  It began with entering my family information into Family Tree software (back then, this was not an online database, but a software program). I used information in a booklet compiled by a distant cousin on my mother’s Bryan (paternal) side of the family.

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​My mother’s maternal grandmother was a MacDougall. My early research helped me connect to my MacDougall ancestor, Duncan MacDougall. Using early genealogy internet resources on various websites, such as rootsweb.com, I found he emigrated to North Carolina in 1775, having been born in Argyllshire, Scotland in 1740. At that time, I could not find the elusive connection to my MacDougall line beyond Duncan.

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Then, after taking my DNA test, an explosion of information occurred. As more and more information populated, based on my DNA and research, I was able to connect Duncan to his ancestors. Also, thanks to information on the website for Clan MacDougall Society of North America, I found that I descend from the 1st Chief of the clan and Somerled, King of the Isles (Hebrides) and Regent of Argyll.

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My MacDougall line was only a part of my DNA story.  The test revealed that I am 43% Scottish, 25% English & Northern European, 14% Welsh, 8% Irish, 6% Dane and Swede, 2% Germanic Europe, and 1% Norwegian.

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I was also able to connect my family to many other notable clans of Scotland: Campbell, Stewart, Lindsay, McClusky, McConnachie, McBride, Frazier, McAlpin, and others, as well as septs of clans.

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Originally, I had hoped that all three of my sons would make the trip, but as the date approached, that did not happen.  My oldest son had already traveled to Scotland and declined, and my middle son started a new job and could not take two weeks off to make the trip.

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So, over several months, Daniel (my youngest son) and I planned our airline details, itinerary, lodging, car rental, etc. We decided early that we wanted to “do our thing” rather than be at the mercy of a tour group. Both methods have their advantages but taking our time and rolling with the flow seemed best for us.

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It was a challenge trying to squeeze seeing as much as possible into two weeks and remain upright and sane. Because July/August is peak travel time to Scotland, we needed to make and finalize many of our plans months in advance.

We decided to arrive in Glasgow, spend the night, and drive to Oban, where we would attend the gathering and see three of the Inner Hebrides via ferry tour.  Next, we would drive to Skye, then on to Inverness, and finally to Edinburgh, spending various lengths of time at each destination. To return we would take the train back to Glasgow and fly home.

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​Also, as part of my planning, I created a notebook containing copies of travel documents (driver’s license, passport, insurance cards, credit cards, etc.) I also put in our lodging, flight, and car rental information, as well as personal data (health information, next of kin, emergency contacts, medication list, etc.). Another section of the booklet was dedicated to our planned itinerary. It contained a packing list as well.  Then I took the pages to Staples and had them put into a sturdy paper folder, that I cut in half to use as front and back of the binder. I added section tabs and blank pages for notes, then had the contents spiral bound. It was inexpensive, thin, and used throughout the trip.

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​Finally, the long-awaited day arrived.  Dan’s wife drove us to Indianapolis Airport, and we flew to JFK, with connection via Amsterdam, then Glasgow. After many hours of flying time, we had arrived.

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We cleared customs, exchanged our U.S. dollars for UK Scottish pounds, then grabbed a taxi and headed to the car rental agency. Interestingly, our taxi driver, a native Scot, had been married in Miami and returned to celebrate his 35th anniversary. His friendliness and welcoming attitude set the tone for our visit. 

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Our initial plan was to do a short walking tour of Glasgow, grab some dinner, then go to our Air BNB.  However, we were exhausted. We had to wait for our car rental, which was not ready due to an internal communication issue.  The staff at Budge Car Rental in Glasgow were great and corrected their error quickly with Glaswegian hospitality and efficiency.

​After driving away and while waiting for check-in time at the BNB, we found a local bistro near the apartment and had a late lunch. (BTW, Daniel did great the entire trip driving on the wrong side of the road!) At the bistro, he enjoyed a full Scottish breakfast, and I had a sandwich. We both had our first taste of the national soft drink of Scotland—IRN-BRU™.\​