My husband purchased us land in Scotland — our journey to ‘declare’ it

In January, my husband and I have been within the early phases of planning our first large factors and miles redemption journey. We had earned nearly 112,000 miles by way of our Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card and had 164,872 American Airways miles earned by way of flights and spending on our AAdvantage® Aviator® Pink Mastercard. We have been able to see the place these factors and miles would take us.

Selecting our factors and miles vacation spot

We narrowed our choices right down to Scotland and Costa Rica. Did we need to discover rainforests and laze on seashores, or did we need to stroll cobblestone streets and absorb medieval historical past?

Scotland has lengthy been on the prime of my journey want checklist. Towering castles, intimate historic pubs, layer cake mountains and majestic coastal cliffs captured my creativeness for so long as I can bear in mind. Nevertheless, it was a Valentine’s Day reward from my husband that in the end helped us resolve — a plot of land within the Scottish city of Fife.

He bought our land title by way of Scotland Titles. Though I had by no means heard of it, buying land in Scotland is outwardly a preferred novelty reward. The swag bag for 2022 Oscar nominees even included the title of Lord or Woman of Glencoe, together with a small plot of land in Scotland (doubtless impressed by Denzel Washington’s greatest actor nomination that yr for “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” (The bag additionally included a $50,000 three-night keep at Turin Fortress in Scotland, which positively didn’t include our land buy.)

We obtained our official Certificates of Disposition and Proclamation confirming that we have been now proud homeowners of land inside a Scottish property. And by “land,” I imply a 10-foot-by-10-foot patch doubtless solely suited to a picnic or a small tent. Irrespective of the scale, our land buy earned us the titles Lord Joseph Andrew Tolley and Woman Kristy Lea Tolley of Blairadam. Our certificates additionally included the deal with of stated property in addition to Google Maps coordinates.

Our land buy additionally got here with a Certificates of Tree Planting, which declared us supporters of the Tree Planting Mission. It wasn’t clear on the certificates the place, precisely, the bushes are planted, but it surely was good to know we had a small half in a bigger conservation effort in our new homeland.

Moreover, the packet contained an especially informative booklet explaining the historical past of Scottish estates, kilts and tartans, and whisky. Scotland Titles additionally has a Fb web page, so we will sustain with the comings and goings of our fellow lords and girls.

This newly acquired property sealed the deal. We’d redeem our hard-earned factors and miles on a visit to Scotland. We determined we might spend the majority of our time in Edinburgh and plan a daytrip to Fife to go to our property, tacking on a aspect trek to St. Andrews for my golf-obsessed husband.

We booked a weeklong keep on the Crowne Plaza Edinburgh — Royal Terrace, an IHG Lodge for 97,831 miles by way of the Capital One Journey portal. (The resort not too long ago grew to become a Voco property.)

The resort was simply outdoors the principle vacationer space of Edinburgh’s Previous City and the Royal Mile, so our factors went a bit additional right here than at lodging extra centrally situated. It was a straightforward 15-minute stroll to the Royal Mile and really handy to different Edinburgh sights.

Associated: spend 1 day in Edinburgh

For our highway journey to Fife, we booked our automobile by way of Enterprise, ensuring it was an automated automobile. I figured driving on the left aspect of the highway could be sufficient of a problem with out including the stress of driving a stick shift with my non-dominant hand.

Enterprise gives drivers with a brilliant yellow bracelet to put on on their left wrist to remind them of the driving patterns right here. Though I felt a bit like a preschooler on a area journey, the bracelet did the trick for me. It additionally helped that I repeated the phrase “Look proper, drive left” about one million instances through the journey.

I booked the automobile utilizing my Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card. I had not too long ago signed as much as make the most of a 60,000-point sign-up bonus (price $1,200 by TPG’s valuations), and this might go towards my required spending to earn the bonus factors.

The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked card additionally presents major rental automobile insurance coverage, which covers your entire loss, harm or theft of your rental automobile with out going by way of your insurance coverage firm. Moreover, the Sapphire Most well-liked waives international transaction charges, usually saving you 2.7%-3% on each buy overseas. It was our major card for our whole Edinburgh journey.

Our drive from Edinburgh to Fife took just below an hour. My husband/co-pilot used the useful Google Maps coordinates to information us whereas I continued to repeat, “Look proper, drive left!” in perpetuity.

We lastly reached a graveled nation lane marked “non-public highway” and drove to a spot with a well-worn aspect path up an embankment (we assumed, as landowners, it was technically our non-public property, too).

After a brief and barely steep climb, we have been there. Although there was no method to decide which patch of land was truly ours, we dubbed our humble property “Tolleywood” and took a number of pictures and movies to show we have been there. We additionally FaceTimed with our daughters to point out them the land they’d someday inherit. Visions of kilt-clad grandchildren taking part in within the yard with their pet Scottish terrier swirled round my head.

Once I caught sight of the little castles, painted rocks and mementos left by different landowners, I instantly chided myself for not having thought to do the identical. I thought of leaving my “preserve left” bracelet, but it surely simply did not appear to have the identical sentiment. We vowed to be higher ready for our subsequent land survey.

I notice the act of “proudly owning” land is only a novelty with no actual tangible profit (apart from being a enjoyable story to inform at events). Nevertheless, visiting our Fife property was considered one of my most treasured journey experiences up to now.

Facet journey to St. Andrews

Our subsequent cease was St. Andrews, the seaside city famously billed because the birthplace of golf. Although not a golfer myself, I’ve heard my husband wax poetic in regards to the storied Previous Course sufficient instances over the past 30 years of marriage to find out we could not go up the chance for him to see it in individual.

Of specific curiosity was Swilcan Bridge on the 18th gap. The bridge is believed to have been constructed over 700 years in the past for shepherds to maneuver their flocks throughout the Swilcan Burn. All through the years, it grew to become a convention for golf champions to pay homage to the bridge.

My husband’s prime precedence was to reenact Jack Nicklaus’ iconic pose on Swilcan Bridge on the 18th gap. Nicklaus gave his closing farewell to skilled golf on the 2005 Open Championship whereas standing on it.

After capturing the photograph, we walked alongside the highway by the seventeenth gap, higher often called the Street Gap. It has been billed as the toughest gap on the earth, due to the treacherous bunker on the left and the literal highway and out-of-bounds to the correct.

The highway led us to our lunch spot, Jigger Inn. The pub is by the Previous Course Lodge and overlooks the seventeenth Street Gap. Inbuilt 1952, it served because the station grasp’s lodge for the St. Andrews Hyperlinks railway station. It advanced right into a pub in 1974 when it grew to become a part of the Previous Course Lodge complicated.

1 of 3

KRISTY TOLLEY/THE POINTS GUY

Though I do know subsequent to nothing about golf, the restaurant’s atmosphere compelled me to need to be taught extra. Historic golf pictures and memorabilia held on the partitions. Fireplaces, although not lit, offered a homey environment. Tartan benches and wall coverings encircled wooden tables the place, all through the years, legions of golfers doubtless toasted to their success or failure on the course over a pint.

After lunch, we drove again to Edinburgh, following the Fife Coastal Route, a scenic route alongside Scotland’s east coast. We handed charming fishing villages like Kingsbarns, Crail and Anstruther alongside the way in which, stopping for ice cream in Pittenweem (I attempted Scottish pill ice cream for the primary time, and it was scrumptious).

When you’re primarily based in Edinburgh throughout your time in Scotland and need to go to St. Andrews with out having to hire a automobile, think about taking the St. Andrews Shuttle. It departs from Edinburgh Airport, and charges for a one-way journey begin from 30 British kilos (about $38).

Scotland made an indelible impression on me with its beautiful landscapes, wealthy historical past and beautiful folks. Although it was my first go to, I instantly felt at dwelling there. Perhaps it is as a result of I personal a small piece of it. Perhaps it is as a result of I do know it will not be my final go to. Who is aware of? Maybe a future journey to Scotland will embrace an appointment with an actual property agent.

Associated: The whisky drinkers information to Scotland