There is an age old rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh, my private Scottish tour guide (and um, boyfriend) tells me as we drive the short hour between the two. The two have long competed in art, sport, innovation, industry, and tourism. The cities’ residents are fiercely proud and quick to tell you why theirs is the…

… And the journey begins. After an astronomically expensive cab ride, a mad scuffle at the airport to avoid excess baggage fees, three semi brutal plane rides, and a car ride through the Scottish countryside with a breathless sighting of a highland cow, I have arrived safe in Irvine, Scotland. I feel like my 9 hours…