Dries Buytaert

A number of years ago, my friend Klaas and I made a pact: instead of exchanging birthday gifts, we'd create memories together. You can find some of these adventures on my blog, like Snowdonia in 2019 or the Pemi Loop in 2023. This time our adventure led us to the misty Isle of Skye in Scotland.

For a week, we lived out of a van, wild camping along Scotland's empty roads. Our days were filled with muddy hikes, including the iconic Storr and Quiraing trails. The weather was characteristically Scottish – a mix of fog, rain, and occasional clear skies that revealed breathtaking cliffs and rolling highlands. Along the way, we shared the landscape with Highland cows and countless sheep, who seemed unfazed by our presence.

Our daily routine was refreshingly simple: wake up to misty mornings, often slightly cold from sleeping in the van. Fuel up with coffee and breakfast, including the occasional haggis breakfast roll, and tackle a hike. We'd usually skip lunch, but by the end of the day, we'd find a hearty meal or local pub. We even found ourselves having evening coding sessions in our mobile home; me working on my location tracking app and Klaas working on an AI assistant.

Though we mostly embraced the camping lifestyle, we did surrender to civilization on day three, treating ourselves to a hotel room and much-needed shower. We also secretly washed our camping dishes in the bathroom sink.

At one point, a kind park ranger had to kick us out of a parking lot, but decided to sprinkle some Scottish optimism our way. The good news is that the weather will get better …, he said, watching our faces light up. Then came the punchline, delivered with the timing of a seasoned comedian: ... in April..

Would April have offered better weather? Perhaps. But watching the fog dance around the peaks of Skye, coding in our van during quiet evenings, and sharing sticky toffee pudding in restaurants made for exactly the kind of memory we'd hoped to create. Each year, these birthday trips deepen our friendship – the hugs get stronger and the conversations more meaningful.