An American Woman's Scottish Wanders
Hi, I'm Lilly! I'm a freelance writer, book lover, Pictish nut and wanderer of Scotland's history and landscapes. In 2016 I traded my high heels for hiking boots, leaving the world of corporate Boston behind to explore Scotland and trace my Highland MacKenzie roots.
That trip changed my life, and led to many more wanders in Scotland. I now live off grid in the Maine woods with the love of my life, my husband Andrew Vietze, a park ranger and writer, and I return to Scotland whenever it calls me back.
Recent Blog Posts
Books, Books, Books!
As you may have gathered, I love books. And I like to help writers and publishers gain exposure for their work. Getting books in the mail is so exciting, (and I'll always say yes so feel free to get in touch!) but unfortunately I don't always have time to read all of them - or at least not in a timely manner. So I have several additional ways I try to give exposure.
Book Club
Scottish Wanderlust Book Club Forum
Bookshop Directory
A database of independent Scottish bookshops
My Writing
Hot off the press from yours truly
On Scottish Books
A series of book roundups and author interviews on Substack *
*Substack is free to sign up. I will always appreciate free (and paid) subscribers, but you can also just click "no thanks" to have a look around and read posts.
Postcards from Scotland
Photos from my wanders
About This Site
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Blogs about wandering in Scotland and the country's rich history and cultureLots of book talk! I love books, and am working on revamping the Scottish Wanderlust Book Club
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A database of Scottish bookshops
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The newly launched Scottish Wanderlust Forum
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Recommendations - Any recommendations I give are the result of independent reviews and my own personal experiences.
What you will find here:
What you won't find here:
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"Top 5 things" type posts - my wanders are typically off the beaten path and to protect these places from excessive footfall, I don't usually share exact locations.
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Hate, gatekeeping, discrimination
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Trip planning services - there are many capable people offering these, such as Gemma at Hiya Scotland. If you book with her I receve a small commission which means you have benefited 2 small businesses.