Scotland my spiritual home, A story (true)

i am a new person to the board and have read some posts from a lass whose other half wont or cant go to Scotland let me tell you a story (a true one) I was sent to Australia as a young lad of 9 yrs to a home and my dad thought he was giving me a better life.
I was in that home for 7  1/2 yrs and when I left it was see you later.I married quite young brought up 3 children but my ex wife could't understand the pull of the heather to put it kindly although I was in Australia Scotland was and still is my spiritual home
i tried to give my kids something I didn't have, a home,I tried to go back a few times but it was always put of for some reason or other, but when my children left home it was go back dad you deserve it ,and by this time in 1994  i was determined to find my roots,my Ex wife point blank refused to go so i went on my own and can you imagine finding family after so many years,
I visited my  mum and dads graves, and learnt from family over there I had 2 halfbrothers and 2 halfsisters,for 8 yrs I tried to track them down and a goverment agency has succeded.
They are over the moon they have another brother.
Well to cut a long story short my partner and I fly out of Australia on the 21st August 2002 to meet my new family and we just cant wait. and we are to be married over there
 regardless how long you have been away from from Scotland the pull never wavers only gets stronger in my case 50 yrs. yes my first trip cost me a divorce but the lass I am with although Australian  loves scotland as much as I do and reconises it is my spiritual home and encourages all things scottish and celtic
So to the lass who posted abuot going even if you have to go on your own and share your experience with your loved ones on your return and cherish your memories even with a tear in your eye I know I did
Thank you all of you
regards
George Harper
highglen@ozem

Welcome

Your story was truly wonderful, a bit like a fairy tale in our days.
I think everyone has a spiritual home. Mine is Scotland too. I wasn't born there, I have no roots to this land but somehow I felt something that drags me there for all of my life. I usually spend all my holidays there and I really plan to live there one fine day. I didn't work out this summer but I really hope to do it. It was my wish from the first step I set onto scottish ground.

What a wonderful story to share with us HighGlen! For myself I have never been to Scotland, but reading your experience confirms my belief too that there is something about the country. And you don't necessarily need to have an ancestor there to believe in the country and want to learn more.

My 2 oldest kids will be going to Scotland in a few years, part of their School. I am probably going to send my wife with them, and while I would love to go, (more than love to go), I am going to send them first and I will watch the toddler at home.

Keep on believing and marry that fine lass you found! Congrats!

Hei there I can so feel with u that u regard Scotland as ur Spiritual Home; lucky u that u actually came from there, different to me. But let me share my story with u, if u like ... 7 years back our radio station in Germany played the scottish group runrig up and down and nobody could think of the listeners charts without them and very often they were on number one. Intrigued by their music and lyrics i finally found my way to Scotland the year after. I absolutely was moonstruck by the energy and feel of the country; not to say by the friendlyness of the people. Well, since then i ve been back so many times and the periods between holidays got shorter and shorter. 3 and a half years back i moved to north yorkshire but of course that was not where i felt home ... I came up to Scotland as often as i could afford. Time passed on and i got known as "Mac" in my workplace as my love for Scotland was so obvious. In the end it came as it had to and about 10 months back i took my courage and moved to the place i loved the best ... the Flower of The West. The place where i always felt home strongly called me and now i am here ... I can t believe it ...I have come home.

Flower of the West,

It is so good to actually hear people living their dreams. Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Even though I have never been to Scotland, it will always be my spiritual home. When some people get angry and need to calm down, they go to a "happy place", either physically or mentally. My "happy place" is sitting in a pub, drinking a pint, in a small town in Scotland, preferably in the Highlands.

What radio station? I was in love with runrig and scotland by the time when SWF3 played "Loch Lomond" in their "Hörercharts" (listener-charts).

I also have never been to Scotland, but more than anything I want to go there. I did get to see it when I flew over it on my way to Russia, and I think I scared the guy next to me when I caused a commotion trying to get up without spilling my food tray so I could run across the plane to where my friend was sitting by a window. It looked a lot like every other bit o land from 39000 feet in the air but the point is that I got to see Scotland. I do have some family roots over there, and I am now beginning a process of trying to find even one person I'm related to. It's not easy!

I'm jealous that oyu got to go to Russia. One of my obsessions is Russian culture.