Ever since I started working in travel, Ethiopia settled itself in the back of my mind as the ultimate destination. Growing up on the opposite side of Africa, I was intrigued by this seemingly different and mysterious country that shared my continent.

The Scotland of our dreams is a shared one. A castle perched at the edge of a misty loch that ripples with secrets and tales of old. Wild heather blows in from the moors with its glorious hues of mauve. Cloud-softened light gathers in patches as thin rays make their way past the Highland peaks. A fjord crashes into a serene valley of green while a distant bagpipe skirls over daring cliffs.