Scotland 2020

A nine-hour drive but totally worth it! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

I had an absolutely fantastic holiday with my boyfriend earlier this week. He was incredible doing all the driving, and we had one stop in Southwaite which was about halfway there. We stayed in Invergordon and it was absolutely stunning (you can see what I got up to in the Scotland 2020 Highlight over on my other IG account @thailainthesky) 

I used to get so anxious about long car journeys with a stoma, but it was totally fine. I took spare supplies with me in case I needed them, and I only had a small breakfast in the morning so as not to have a very active bag during the journey. By the time we stopped off at Southwaite, I was very ready for a wee and to get some lunch (sandwich, crisps and a cheeky chicken & mushroom slice for towards the end of our journey). I had no issues at all on the way there, nor on the way back. 🥳

The days out were fine too. There was a public toilet near where we parked when we had a day out in Forres, and there were facilities at Urquhart Castle so I always had somewhere to stop if needed.

I have to say, having a colostomy is much easier to manage than an ileostomy. I do think that if I still had my ileostomy, there would have been way more stops along the way. But even if that had been the case, it’s all in the preparation. If you’re thinking of going on a long road trip, your best friend is Google Maps. See what service stations are on the way and plan stops, even if you don’t end up using them. And always take spare supplies, just in case. Don’t ever let your stoma stop you from exploring new places! 

I had a truly lovely break with a very understanding, patient, caring boyfriend. He’s bloody lovely.