Today’s episode of Hayley vs The Highlands begins with me moving to new accommodation near Loch Lomond… after a luxurious 3–4 hours of sleep. Nothing says “road trip vibes” like delirium, caffeine, and the Scottish sun trying its best to impersonate the Sahara. Honestly, I’ve never known heat like it. Scotland is broken.

I always plan to leave work on time. I also always don't, so naturally my Scottish adventure began with me finishing later than planned and starting the drive north later than planned. Normally i do the full 7-8 hour drive slog straight to my dads in Inverness/Forres. But this time i decided to be sensible and break it up with a layover in Falkirk. Spoiler alert: Best decision ever. I checked into my hotel, opened my messages, and immediately got a text from Dad:

Welcome back to the chaos that is my Scottish adventure. Last night’s briefing from Dad, the man, the myth, the timetable menace. It went something like this:

Right, so… where did we even leave off? I think it was Handa Island, but honestly at this point my brain is just a collage of beaches, forests, and animals I failed to photograph. Classic.