Westward to the Isle

I am here in Fort William, sitting in a café under the watchful eye of the largest mountain in this country, Ben Nevis. Yesterday, I paid a visit to a distillery that was named after this mountain, and this was my first scotch distillery tour. And oh what a wonder. The tour of course reminded me of all the science that I have forgotten, and then the tasting itself... they were clearly pushing their newer items, but the last scotch in the tasting was fashioned using a recipe meant to resemble their 1880s scotch, the kind that first garnered the attention of the queen. And I must admit that the balance was very nice, offering the flavor of the smoky peat without overwhelming the taste. I am kicking myself for not picking up a bottle, but we have not yet left the city, so I still have some hope of dropping back by there once more.

I met a fellow doctor last night who had his own similar complaints about this nation's medical system and training placement. Difficulties abound.

Update: I picked up that bottle of scotch along with another smaller single cask one, and then traversed by car through the mountainous highlands to reach Portree in the Isle of Skye. Though famous for its natural beauty, when asked what there was to do at night here, the hostel worker replied "it's pretty quiet". So it appears that our time here will be spent hiking by day and boozing by night, just as my ancestors did in days of yore.

Our room here houses just me and my friend, making it the closest to a standard hotel room that I have yet had on this trip. Maybe my next trip here will afford me nicer accommodations. I previously enjoyed hostels for meeting people, but perhaps because I have companionship throughout this trip... I mostly desire to experience these places in a solitary manner. Seems like it can hit harder if done in such a way. And if we are being honest, I dislike people more than I once did. Medical school and the pandemic have revealed to me just how selfish people are at heart, how unwilling most people appear to look beyond their own interests if it becomes at all inconvenient for them to do so. Ah, the power of an education to make someone so very negative.