Exploring the UK: Tain, Ross and Cromarty, The Highlands, Scotland

On our final day in Scotland, we decided to stay a bit closer to where we were staying and explore the town of Tain and the surrounding areas.

You can't visit Scotland without a trip to a whisky distillery can you? Luckily Glenmorangie was a five minute drive - if that! - from where we were staying in Tain so we had one on our doorstep. I'd been on a tour around a distillery before in Illinois so I had an idea of the process. But it was interesting to find out what separates Scottish whiskey apart from the rest. There's a reason why it's so sought after! Generations upon generations have worked at the distillery and it's such a fine art to make sure it's perfect. I always find the process of making alcohol fascinating - something you never really think about when you're ordering your voddy and diet coke in a nightclub.

After a couple of samples of whisky, we headed back to the town of Tain to find out about the history. We met a very enthusiastic lady who had moved up from Devon 30 years ago at the museum - she was a fountain of knowledge! Tain is pretty famous all over the world for it's production of silver. Who knew?! We marvelled at some pretty expensive artefacts before heading out to the St Duthac Collegiate Church to learn the story of medieval pilgrimage. King James IV of Scotland actually made 18 pilgrimages to this shrine.  As someone who doesn't particularly believe in God, I have a soft spot for religious buildings and often seek them out. St Duthac has the most amazing stained glass windows and is said to be one of the finest preserved medieval churches in the Highlands.

After exhausting ourselves with history, we got ready for dinner and headed to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse to watch the sun go down. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip. There's something therapeutic about climbing the rocks, breathing in the sea air and watching the sun set. I'd been promised there were seals in this part of the world so imagine my excitement when we caught them bobbing along in the water! In the summer they clamber on the rocks above so guess that means I'll have to plan a trip back.

Time flew and it was time to make our way over to Portmahomack for our dinner reservation at The Oyster Catcher. A seafood restaurant in what I can only really describe as someone's living room. The menu changes as they use local, seasonal, fresh ingredients with lots of emphasis on seafood. It was honestly one of the best dining experiences of my life. We had endless courses, good wine and quirky yet excellent service. I'm still dreaming about my lobster confit now.

It won't be too long until I'm back in The Highlands!

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Review: Haymarket Kitchen #takeonthetiger Burger Challenge, London

If you've been reading this blog regularly, you'll know burgers are what makes my world go round. As a result I've turned into a bit of a burger snob and am constantly trying out the next big thing. You can never eat too many burgers right? So when an email pinged in my inbox asking me if I was willing to undergo the #takeonthetiger challenge at the new Haymarket Kitchen in the uni favourite Tiger Tiger, I obviously emailed back a hell yeah!

I like to think I'm a greedy little monkey and can stuff my face with a whole array of different dishes without even flinching. But when this burger arrived? I did a little nervous gulp. It was huge, literally a monster! Filled with a juicy beef burger, succulent chicken breast, gooey cheese, crispy bacon, hot chilli sauce and a crunchy onion ring. Pretty spectacular right?

If you were still feeling peckish, the burger came with a side of yummy chips, a shot of Jack Daniels and a bottle of beer to wash it down. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Tuck into some delicious pancakes for dessert if you're feeling brave enough!

So how did I do? Well I managed to scoff every single bite. Just. I have to be honest and admit I dissected it to eat it bit by bit. There was no way I could eat it like a normal burger. I'm so glad I decided to have an very early, light lunch that day.

For £25, the burger isn't the cheapest in the city but for two drinks as well, the price point isn't too bad. It's a really fun challenge to take on with friends - so easy to get competitive! It's not the best burger I've tasted but certainly not the worst. To be honest, you pay more for the novelty factor of the dish so it's worth doing.

Thanks for letting me tackle the burger Tiger Tiger!

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Learning your self-worth

Confidence is a funny old thing. We often get our confidence from other people. Someone compliments our dress? We beam with pride. Someone notices we've lost a little bit of weight? Suddenly the soup diet seems worth it. But really everything is subjective. Different people like different things. That's what makes life worthwhile. You're never going to be everyone's cup of tea so why bother?

Your self worth isn't based solely on the number on the scales or how you look in a body con dress. Happiness isn't based on if you can fit into a size 8. It's based on what you can get out of this wonderful life we've been given. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to lose 20lbs and get back to my pre-20 year old weight. But I've also discovered the delights of the London food scene. So alas I'm not sure if that's entirely possible. We place far too much of our self-worth in other people. We thrive on how people perceive us. When really all that should matter is how you perceive yourself. No one should dictate how we feel inside.

We should strive to be the person we want to be. If people have something negative to say? Cut them loose. Don't get me wrong, it's hard. It's bloody hard. After being bombarded with magazines telling us what we can do to loose that stubborn five pounds and how life is much better when you're skinner, it can take it's toll on anyones confidence. Most people don't actually care what size jeans you wear, it's all in your head. So get that little gremlin out of your head. Start acting like a queen bee and soon other people will start treating you like one.

You should be proud to be you.

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