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This is insane. It's kind of weird to stare at them all. What's up, buddy? I come in peace. I offer some grass. Yeah, but it's kind of scary. Look at this horse right there. I'm Kobe. Okay, sick. Road tripping around Scotland with my boy Brian. What job? I've had a lot of perceptions of Scotland. I've seen from movies and TV. Like the interesting accents, the wilderness, and interesting food. And we've been all over. Edinburgh to Loch Lomond. Lowlands to the Highlands.
Haunted hotels to ancient bodies. Now, we're out here on the edge of the world on the islands of Harris and Lewis to discover more about the idea of belonging and finding a sense of peace. Gosh, look at the water. Look how beautiful this is, man. Lochacois Village sits right on the edge of the Atlantic. A line of old stone holding its breath against the sea. It's been standing here for centuries using nothing but local stone, turf, and driftwood. Taking whatever the weather throws at it and not moving an inch.
This literally feels like this is like the tip of the earth, bro. It is pretty cool being able to kind of just drive through this. Now, you always ask those questions uh would you go back to the past and if you could just kind of view it from the outside? This is exactly what that is. You're just kind of like flying through this time capsule. But the real question is when did me and you move in here? Have you seen how low those roofs were? Yeah, yeah. Let's uh see how that works for us. It's easy to see why people would call it um kind of stuck in time. That's why people come here as well.
People come here to experience this. It's nothing but sea on sea. As beautiful as this place is, out of all places in Scotland, why'd they choose to settle and make a little community on the coastline? This is the road. This is how you get in and out. And you've got unlimited amounts of food there. Fishes are a source of constant food that's going to kind of grow itself. Of course. If you look out to that rock over there, there's a bird with his wings out. You see it? Mhm. Yeah. It's called a cormorant. They're fishing birds, but they don't have oil on their feathers, which usually keeps them waterproof. So, they have to dry. So, they'll just go on land and they'll hold
their wings out and they'll let the wind dry them. That's so sick. Full commando move. Like meteor shower, just Got that. If I looked out, like no lie, like a month ago, 2 months ago, and someone said, "Oh, this is Scotland." I generally wouldn't believe it. Yeah. A lot of artists come to the Outer Hebrides to try and capture this like mix of shining, glimmering waters and the colors that go through the mist in the skies. Really kind of dramatic, especially when thunderclouds and rainclouds pass by and really uh really cool aesthetic. Harris has a way of slowing you down.
Life here has a different rhythm, shaped by the land, the often harsh weather, and by the people. It's a close-knit community built on trust, where stepping away from everyday life helps you notice what really matters. Honesty, simplicity, and a deep connection to the place. Feeling hungry? Of course, man. Always. So, where are we heading to, though? It's a little shed. We call it like a little chicken coop, but inside is usually just some goods for people on the road. So, you're meant to pull up to it, see what price is. Leave that in cash.
Grace's bikes. Ooh. This looks banging. It's wholesome the fact that it's just left out here for people to be honest about. It makes you feel a little tighter to the people that live here. So, these are quite cool. Scottish notes are a little different to English notes. And one of the best things about them is we've got animals on them instead of people. Red squirrels for a 20, otters for a 10. I guess it's our take and our connection to nature. Scotland's big on rewilding and big on our animals and preserving them. So, you know, having them immortalized on our notes is a nice
little nod to what Scotland's all about, I think. Here we go again. Back at it now. Now, a couple hours on the ferry to get back to the mainland. Or back to the Isle of Skye first since we had to divert. With our original ferry back to the mainland cancelled due to bad weather, we had to reroute and head back south. It's a perfect example of how these wild parts you have to adapt to nature's flow. To make the most of our diversion, I've decided to take Colby to meet some fellow expats on the shores of Loch Fyne. Where are we going now, mate? So, now we're heading to this little town called Inveraray.
Inveraray is a rugged fishing town on the western shores of Loch Fyne. Also known as the capital of Argyll. Here we're going to meet a pair of Italian fishermen who've made this part of the country their home. Hello, guys. How's it going? Good morning. Colby, what's your name? Claudio. Nice to meet you, Claudio. Brian. What's your Ivan. Nice to meet you. Ivan, head of the What is it you guys do? So we go out and in this watery and look fine for langoustines. Bring them to the shack, cook them, and that's as fresh and local and zero mileage produce that you'll get.
Our new Italian friends were planning on taking us fishing out in the lock, but the bad weather has kept us on dry-ish land. So, I've been tasked with the glamorous job of prepping bait. Lovely. Ooh, smell of Ooh. It takes someone with a strong mentality to say, "You know what? Screw it. We're going to leave our cushy jobs and sell fish from the ocean with my best friend." So like were you nervous about that or You know, back home we say "Chi non risica non rosica." Which means basically if you don't take a risk, you'll never get kind of happiness, if you will.
Yeah. It's a risk that's that was definitely worth taking. Chi non risica non rosica. That's the one. Chi non risica non rosica. Yes, bro. And like dirty smelly high five. Hell yeah. With Colby braving the slippery boat deck and pungent aromas, I was in charge of prepping lunch. So right now I'm generally in the queue. Brian's in the chef's hat right now. So we're waiting for this delicious food, bro. Seems like a lot. Are you guys local to the Like you guys don't come to this place a lot? Like is it your favorite? Yeah.
I do love these guys. It's cold. It's rainy, it's wet, and you're still here waiting for your favorite seafood. That would show how really good it is. I want to get a bite so bad. Colby, we got a 1 minute 30 seconds. This is going to be the longest 1 minute 30 of my entire life. Mary, you are a queen. No, no, mine's coming. Are you sure? Of course. I'll be honest, I don't even know how to open this.
Suck the head. Suck the head? Yeah. I guess I got to try to suck the head. You got to suck the head. I'm an invertebrate. Sucking heads in the Mary. Next time I go to Mary, sorry husband, but Joe? Mhm. No, no. They don't like her. Let's wait a while. Yeah. And then you can get like there's meat in the claws as well. Oh my god. It's like a crab on steroids. Yeah. What the hell?
Oh, sorry. They want some, too. Hey, back off. Waste of nothing. Kobe. Yeah. Over here. Oh, buddy. All right, the only thing is we kind of have to share this one. That's all right. Yeah, cool. But I'm going for the focaccia. Yeah, see this is like drowning in butter over here. You can get into that part. Oh my gosh. Slumdog Millionaire. That's so good. Insane. Are you happy, Kobe? Bro, I'm in heaven. Never thought Generally, bro.
Tell me that's not perfectly salted. Bro, it's insane. Yeah. No, no, no, seriously. Did you do that? I added the salt. Of course. Perfect, bro. Having sucked the finest this the loch has to offer, Brian insisted it was time I brave some more iconic Scottish cuisine. See, usually you get uh like little haggis balls. I guess But you just got like a full out Yeah, I was going to say that's a big bag of haggis.
First time ever trying haggis, and then Brian gave me the great idea to get it uh deep fried. Oh, boy, I can It's It's a strong smell. You know what? Good thoughts only. It's going to be lit. Thoughts only, yeah, of course. Smells like a meatloaf or a meatball. Almost like American school lunch. Yeah, it's just meat. As you get into it, it was hot, moist, and it was very gamey as well. And I think as you ate it, the pepper filled the aroma of your nose. The more you chew, the more it kept happening.
Mhm. Bad? No. No? You sure? Let me try. It tastes like deconstructed meatball meets pepper spam. And you can definitely tell it tastes like mystery meat. You're like, "What is this? What is haggis?" To be fair, you done it in the right order. You try it first and then you find out what it is.
Yeah. I'm So, uh traditionally it's the offal, the organs of the cow. Ooh, the organs. And it used to be wrapped in a sheep's stomach and boiled. But, it is the leftovers of the animals. It was given to the peasants. And the peasants had to find a way to make it good. And the best way to make something good is add spice to it. So, they would add oats and add some pepper, add some spices, and all of a sudden you've got this really hearty traditional meal that you can survive these kind of winters on. I got to give it to you, Scott. You guys are very, very creative. So, you know, Brian's loving this.
I can tell he's a proper Scottish man. Haggis, so good. Scotland's been amazing, but you know what? Not everything can be great. And when it comes to haggis, it definitely wasn't so great. Respectfully, there are greater things out there. Try it again. It's lunch time. We spent the day exploring the tastes of Scotland, but I want Kobe to experience something even more powerful. It's the sound that's connected our communities for generations. Our music. Good. Good to meet you, man. How are you doing?
Good to meet you as well, man. I'm doing all right, man. Oh, thanks for freaking playing for us. This is actually Honestly, this is awesome, bro. How often do you guys do this? Is this like an everyday thing or just Do you know what? Every time that I can get a chance, I do it. This is called a traditional music session. Okay. We come together and we enjoy it. And we've not like prepped up. We're not a band. We might have someone come through the door. They can come and join. Life has been a struggle for a lot of folk here until like probably the past 100 years or so. And even then it's a struggle for a lot of folk. So, there's still this kind of understanding of real like compassion, community, helping each
other, and supporting each other in that way. I think everyone in Scotland has got a really unique way of telling stories. It's always very uh enthusiastic. It's always really uh you know, interesting and uh funny. I think it's really part of who we are. Do you want to have a try of this? I was going to say I'm going to have a go on this. Listen, enjoy it. This is music. You know you're a musician. Okay. Let's go.
I'll be completely honest. I started to doubt the authenticity of Scots being inviting and open. And this is the fourth or fifth group of people that have the same message. It's inclusion. It does not matter. I've never beaten a folk drum my entire life, but yet the guy invited me to play. And that generally feels special. There's no barrier with Scots. It's just okay. This is our culture. This is you. No, you're coming along. You're not going to learn about it. You're going to be part of it. You're going to be immersed with it. And that's what I've
learned so far. Scotland, you have my heart besides the haggis. I'm so sorry. I'll keep mentioning that. The haggis. That was beautiful, bro. Another one. I know again All right, y'all doing something I never thought I'd do. Taking a poo in an outhouse. Here's my toilet. I'm out here. I'm really living my best Shrek dream.
Look at her. Absolutely beautiful. All righty. After a peaceful night's sleep and a bougie bath on the banks of Loch Ness, Brian and I were rested and ready to hit the road. After stormy weather set us south for a culinary and music detour, we were up and out early for the long drive east towards the largest national park in the UK, the Cairngorms. Home to breathtaking mountains, ancient forests, and abundant wildlife. It's one of my favorite places in all of Scotland. All right, Dad. Where are we going? [snorts] Cairngorms has mountains that are more like big rolling hills than sharp kind of jagged peaks.
Oh, yeah. This. Holy cow. Nah, this is mad, bro. This is straight clown. See, if we walked up there for 10 minutes, we would be on top of a mountain looking down all this cloud. It's the clouding version. We're in the clouding version right now. Trapped in a cloud. Don't mind us. With the storm having ruined our boat trip for some langoustines, I took Colby on an activity that I was sure he would love. Oh, yeah. I guess uh do you get any ideas what this might be? It seems very uh nature-esque. Go fishing? We're going fishing?
Yeah. I've been waiting for this day, man. You don't understand. And what type of fishing is this? I think it's going to be fly fishing. Fly fishing. Never fly fished before, but you know what? I'm always down for an adventure. So, I used to grow up on a bay and my dad used to take us fishing like almost every weekend. Dad, if you're watching this, hopefully you prepared me well. Hopefully. I'll get my wellies.
Nice to meet me. Brian. Kobe, nice to meet you, sir. What are you guys planning today? What If all goes well, hopefully catch some fish. Okay. This is our fishing hut. This is a Oh, wow. This is There's been a lot of fishing stories told over the years, yeah. It's It's pretty cool. And I've got a few jackets here. Oh, you Sorry about that. I didn't No, no, no. How we looking? The thing is it's just for putting some tackle and bait. Just for Yeah. And is fishing big in Scotland? Like is this like um I don't want to say a national sport, but is this like popular?
They say it's the biggest pastime in the UK. It's fishing. And also you've got so many different types of fishing. We're very lucky in Scotland. We have brown trout in almost every river. There's something for you to have a shot at this now. You want my first day? Why not? Very good. Why don't you try to deepen it? Are you right-handed? I'm right-handed, yes. So, you go right this way. Okay. So, just hold it like with your thumb up. Like watch that.
I got to make my dad, Brian, proud. All right. Come on, son. You got it. Thank you, Dad. Try to get the 1:00 and 11. That's good. Now you can get a laugh at Brian. This is Brian's turn now. I don't feel like it was coming back. No. Keep an eye Make sure the left hand is locked. Okay. When you're coming back. That's it. That's better. I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but like fishing is something I've done since I was younger.
Yeah, that felt fast. I am loving this. I generally feel in my element. It feels good knowing that Brian's normal. Even though he's this godlike of a man with perfect hair, but to see him struggle a bit, it's like, "Okay, you know what? Wait a minute. He's just a normal guy just like me." Just a little more handsome. Where'd Brian go? When he comes back, we can be country bumpkins. I got you a piece of straw. Well, it's the morning. Well, yesterday you should have seen it. Maybe we'll take over from uh what, Mortimer? We just go around fishing and talking about stuff.
Imagine coming here with your boys and just fishing all day. Vibe. How you doing, brother? You make yourself funny. You catch anything? Yeah, a big one. I lost him. Oh god. Have you felt anything? Felt any wee nibbles? Not even a nibble, bro. Ah. I got something. Yeah, I think I got something. A 6'5" North American male. I think I might put him back. If you hook me, I'm suing you. Hm? If you hook me, I'm suing Please don't. Please, brother.
You know when you're learning to fly fish, you throw anything like piles of line at your feet. Or I've seen a hook myself in the back of the head. What an idiot. Brian. What is he saying? I think so. I need something. Still have like throwing the rod just Sorry, so your wrist actually came just like He's such a vibe. It's man versus fish. Trying to outsmart the fish here. Are you just visiting Scotland or Yeah, just visiting. Yeah, me and Brian.
Well, Brian lives here actually, but yeah, we're both visiting this area. All right, Tony. Show me a good cast. Your name? Uh Kobe. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you, Tony. You're American? Yeah. I guess you like American football. Yeah, I do love American football. Do you play on a team? I do, yeah. I played at I'm retired now. 2'6"? 3' 6'5", Tony. Put some respect on my name. He's a little fish. He cheated.
Yeah, I see it, my brother. He's They're They're They're smarter They're built different. They're just really smart out here now. I think I've listened to Tony talk more than I can actually fish. He can't even leave the poor cameraman alone. No one's safe. I promise you that. Nobody is safe. But the best part about that is he's actually in his element. For us, this is a one-time experience, but it's so beautiful seeing This is his routine, almost his refuge.
The tough part is I couldn't really understand half the words he was saying, but he was so enthusiastic. So, him showing his passion for fishing is just really awesome to see. I have no rod in my hand, but staring at the waters makes me feel at peace, at ease. Even with Tony in the background, I'm still at peace. It's funny cuz fishing is technically a solo sport, but coming here has kind of changed my perspective on it. You have people kind of dotted all around, peacefully all in their own, but almost coming together as one. Who are you when there's nothing else
around? When there's no hustle and bustle, when there's no grind, because a lot of people put their self-worth in what they do, their self-worth in their jobs. So, here I'm just Colby out here in the woods fishing. That's just Tony. That's just Brian. That's what I'm getting back to. It was like I was starting to enjoy that. Then I'm just here right now experiencing it for what it is and nothing more.
