May in Review
life unfolds / in pools of gold
May was actually the first month of our time here that we didn’t leave the mainland of Scotland (either for isles or other European locales). We still had plenty of reasons to explore, though, as we had multiple rounds of visitors! It’s been really encouraging to see more familiar faces recently—the lack of deeper relationships for such an extended period has definitely been trying. But Micah’s sister, Sarah, and our friends Nate and Hailey came through town, and we had a fantastic time with them (and more friends arrive in just a couple days)!
Before the adventures, some more Scots slang for your edification: a new favorite word is “peely-wally.” As heard from the lips of an actual doctor: “He looked a bit peely-wally when he came in, and then he fainted!” It’s a colorful term meaning pale, wan, unwell-looking, sickly, feeble, you get the idea. Said with a thick Scottish accent, it does sound quite dire. Apparently it can be applied medically, though the second time we heard it was at a distillery. The Dictionaries of the Scots Language gives examples of it as far back as 1904, and one internet source says it’s specifically Glaswegian, though we haven’t confirmed this with any locals. Next time you’re unwell, tell your doctor you’re feeling peely-wally and see what happens!
Sight
At the start of May we got invited to a service at Rosslyn Chapel (famed for history and bad pop culture reasons) and were pleasantly surprised to find it’s accessible via Edinburgh city bus. Also fun: photos aren’t allowed in the chapel—unless you’re there for a service, and as our friends were being confirmed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, everyone present was encouraged to take pictures. So please enjoy a couple of rare shots that we can share:
While Sarah was visiting, we traveled up the east coast of Scotland to Dunnottar Castle and then made our way to Speyside and the Cairngorms National Park. Hands down Dunnottar is the coolest castle we’ve seen in the country. It was a great find by Sarah; we hadn’t even heard of it. It’s perched on a large outcropping of rock that’s connected to the mainland by a narrow spit, and it features a huge network of ruins, which we explored thoroughly.
The Cairngorms was also pretty magical, and the weather, while threatening to storm, remained pleasant enough for some hiking. We hiked to An Lochan Uaine (aka The Green Loch). Local myth says that the waters get their emerald tone from the fairies washing their laundry in it. A stretch, perhaps. But the loch’s beauty was undeniable, as was most of the area, with its massive plateaus, lush forests, and huge hills.
Along with more must-see touristy sights, Nate and Hailey’s trip gave us another good reason to climb up Arthur’s Seat, which we’d only achieved once before, in September. And just like the first time, in our moment of triumph at the top, the wind picked up and a frigid rain started. Classic Edinburgh. But the gorse is blooming, making for a lovely scene of vibrant yellow.
Later in the month, some sunnier, warmer weather gave us a chance to explore a nature preserve at Corstorphine Hill, which offered a small network of trails full of Scottish bluebells. The warmer temperatures and long days have been a huge gift—the sunset is already close to 10 p.m.! A recent “heat wave” in Edinburgh did have us chuckling at the drama of news headlines—words like “scorching,” “sweltering,” “possible heatstroke” were thrown around for highs of … wait for it … 75 degrees.
Taste
Along with the national park, Speyside is a region known for Scotch (really, which region here isn’t?), so our trip there involved a few stops at Glenfarclas, GlenAllachie, and Macallan Distilleries. We’ve enjoyed deepening our Scotch knowledge this year!
It’s taken nine full months of life in Edinburgh, but we’re finally starting to get familiar enough with the city to have favorite restaurants and bars.
Brown’s of Leith: An open warehouse space with great pizza, seafood bites, and a good wine selection. Plus the option for a pour of an obscure, old-school amaro!? Micah is in heaven.
Eleanore: A tiny, fancier restaurant that has an affordable set lunch menu on Sundays. We went there with Nate and Hailey, and already have our next reservations!
Voyage of Buck: Sarah’s visit also resulted in the discovery of the best cocktail bar we’ve tried, with a really extensive menu and inventive drinks themed around different global cities.
Sight pt. 2
With class essays done, I’ve got a lot more time for writing reviews and essays. (Who needs to worry about a dissertation, anyhow?) I’ve been watching a lot lately, but most of my reviews have focused on 2026 films or late-2025 films that have only recently been widely released.
In the drama genre, there are relatively quiet new films from Bradley Cooper, Steven Soderbergh, and Christian Petzold (a German director who really should be on more people’s radar). Cooper’s Is This Thing On? is way better than his previous effort, Maestro, and features magnificent performances by Will Arnett and Laura Dern. We were quite underwhelmed by Soderbergh’s The Christophers, despite anticipating a great Ian McKellen performance. Miroirs No. 3, on the other hand, is a soft but sly film that considers how we project on others.
Horror continues to be on a strong run with Damien McCarthy’s Hokum, a creepy story that builds its horror on Irish folklore and McCarthy’s tight control. I also caught up with Sam Raimi’s Send Help—which further proves that Raimi’s style is just not for me.
And then there’s Sirât, which… how to describe? A divisive movie out of last year’s Cannes, Sirât begins in a Moroccan rave, turns into a desert caravan, and ends up somewhere far more traumatizing and explosive. Some seemed to love it; some hated it. It really worked for me, but it is a constant exercise in tension.
Sight pt. 3
