It was May of 2019, and Lisa and I were assembling an itinerary for our upcoming Scotland trip the following May. We would land in Edinburgh and extensively tour Scotland, looping through many country areas. There were dozens of points on our custom Google Map of places we would visit. We booked our flights and waited until we would touch down in Scotland for the first time.

And then the new year rolled around and ruined it all. It was March 2020 when we cancelled. That year was the only year over the past decade that we have not travelled anywhere extensively. 2020 was a year of uncertainty and waiting. Three years later, we are finally set for this journey to Scotland.

The possibility was discussed for weeks, but a strike involving WestJet airline mechanics began this past weekend. As many factors can influence flight delays and cancellations, a strike was a significant concern, especially this close to our departure date. On the first day of the strike, 200 flights were affected. Fortunately, it was resolved in less than two days, and with mechanics returning immediately to work, things are looking to be back on track. However, as of yesterday, flights are still being cancelled, and the total number of flights affected is over 1,100. Delays or cancellations are always possible, but getting the strike behind us six days before departing is good.

Our original itinerary for Scotland was completed over four years ago. Because of its age, we have revisited it and made some alterations. The map and points of interest have been revised as we hope to make the most of our eight days in the country.

This trip will involve a significant amount of driving from point to point. I find it similar to our Iceland trip, although not as much distance to cover. However, that trip was back in 2016, and my gear of choice has changed. I brought my Canon 5D Mark II to Iceland as my primary camera, with the Fujifilm X-E2 as the secondary. That combination worked very well. I also brought my tripod. I am delighted I did, as the tripod was necessary for some photos. However, a tripod is a pain to travel with. It is not coming to Scotland.

Further contemplating what gear to take to Scotland, I considered what would serve me best with the least camera equipment. I considered taking more than one camera and incorporating more range, but I decided to forego the 5D Mark II and 70-200mm to free up space and weight. We will be walking a lot. I’ll be limited to prime lenses without range, but I hope having the 23mm will help capture the expansive nature of Scotland’s landscapes.

Here is what I have:

Gear

• Fujifilm X-H2 with 2 batteries

• 35mm f/2

• 23mm f/2

• K&F Concept 43mm Polarizing Filter

• 2 x CF Express (1 x 256GB, 1 x 128GB)

• 4 x SD Cards (3 x 128GB, 1 x 64GB)

• Thule Aspect Backpack

Miscellaneous

• Travel Adapter

• Orange Travel SIM card with 10GB of data

• Headphones

• DJI Osmo Pocket 3 with 256GB Extreme Pro SD Card

• MacBook

We are leaving tomorrow! For us, Scotland has been four years in the making, and it would be fantastic to get to see the country as planned finally. Everything is packed, and we await our trip. See you when we get back!