Keegan Finnerty: Wordless Moments in Scotland
Ever since returning from my semester abroad at the University of Stirling, I have found it extremely difficult to put my time in Scotland into words. Family and friends asking about my travels are provided with a lackluster “It was really fun” or “The country is so beautiful.” These things don’t even begin to encapsulate my experience, yet I still lack a better way of describing my time.
When reflecting on my semester in Scotland, the time I spent outdoors stands out amongst all other experiences. Throughout the semester, I made consistent efforts to step away and immerse myself in nature. On the weekends I took advantage of the country’s extensive train network. Every weekend a different city. I walked along the jagged coastal cliffs of Arbroath and climbed up the rolling hills of Luss. In Stirling, I spent hours biking out of the city into the neighboring countryside. One morning I walked for miles to a secluded cove where I swam underneath a rushing waterfall. Every afternoon was spent reading up on the hill behind my flat or exploring the lush forest behind the University.
Never in my life had I made such consistent forays into the outdoors. With that in mind, it seemed like I had the perfect answer to the question, “How was Scotland?” However, stating an action and describing the impact these actions had on me are two very different things. While it’s easy to describe my adventures and the things I saw, the feeling that accompanied these experiences is extremely difficult to put into words.
When trying to explain this loss of words, one specific example comes to mind: my very first hike in Scotland. Early into the semester, I decided to join the university’s mountaineering club as a way to explore more of the country and meet some new people. As I got ready for our first hill walk in early February, I didn’t know where we were going or who was going to be there. I met up with the group in a parking lot outside the university, and after an hour of driving to our destination, I set off on this adventure with ten complete strangers.
Our journey began through a dense forest near where we parked our cars. A blanket of cushiony green moss enveloped the forest floor, welcoming our group as we took our first steps into the unfamiliar landscape. Entire trees were turned green from the veils of moss draped over them, filling the air with a damp, earthy scent. Even in the winter, leafy ferns dotted the ground and travelled up the bark of surrounding trees. As we walked along, the babbling of distant streams filled our ears. And when the clouds parted overhead, sunlight peeked through the cracks of the intertwining branches, casting a warm glow over the green of the forest. In here, there was no indication of the snowy world that would await us. However, as the trees became sparse and the forest began to clear, the rugged snowcapped mountains came into view.
We exited the forest into a large valley, dustings of snow and ice topping the surrounding hills. As we began our ascent up the mountain, it became clear that there was much more than a sprinkling of snow awaiting us. Using our ice axes for security, we scrambled up the steep mountainside. Occasionally, one of us would take a bad step and find ourselves knee deep in patches of thick snow. In other, well-travelled areas the snow became packed flat, creating a slick surface that surprised the unsuspecting step.
As we climbed, the clouds that once hovered peacefully overhead began to surround us, engulfing the world in a sheet of pure white. Where we were once able to look back and see the mountains below, we were now greeted by an overwhelming sense of nothing. The clouds had erased any evidence of a surrounding landscape. Scattered around us, fluffy pillows of snow balanced on the tops of boulders. Enormous icicles reached out from rock faces, threatening to poke the ground below. The wind picked up at the top of the mountain, whipping against us as we trudged onward. It found its way into pockets of loose clothing, sending ripples of cool air through our pants and jackets and chills down our spines.
When we finally reached the peak, all of us slumped down onto different rocks in complete silence. Occasionally, the clouds would part and we could sneak a brief glimpse of the stunning scenery surrounding us. We were all freezing, but nobody talked about it. Socks drenched from the snow and fingers too numb to move were left unspoken. In this moment none of that mattered.
There was something incredible about sitting up there, surrounded by this apparent nothingness. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. On top of that mountain, ten complete strangers were united in the same sense of awe and wonder. Although the entire ascent was full of cheerful conversation and laughter, at this moment all of us encountered the same loss of words. Our appreciation came not from speaking, rather from the silence that was shared as we all desperately tried to take in the beauty encompassing us. Words were unnecessary, as they could never truly capture what we were experiencing.
Throughout the semester, I found myself in these wordless moments, where the capabilities of language simply fell short. I can go into great detail describing the beauty of the places I got to visit, but the indescribable feeling that accompanied them can only be experienced.
Keegan Finnerty is an Environmental Science major at Lander University. He studied at the University of Stirling in the spring semester of his sophomore year. He plans to graduate in May 2026, after which he plans to attend graduate school.