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.

View My Work

Recent Blog Posts

Scottish Wanderlust Book Forum

If you struggle to find time for a calendar based book club, the new Scottish Wanderlust Book Forum might be for you.

Cows and Cupmarks

"How are you with cows?" This was the response from a chainsaw wielding farmer near the Moray Coast when I asked if he’d mind...

An Ancient Cairn in Dumfries & Galloway

My favorite adventures usually begin with an OS Map, and on a chilly April day I once again found myself eyeing out a route through...

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

Yellow Bold Minimal Book Reviews Youtube Thumbnail.jpg

On Scottish Books

A series of book roundups and author interviews.

Postcards from Scotland

Photos from my wanders

About This Site

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
A database of Scottish bookshops
The newly launched Scottish Wanderlust Forum
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:

"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.
Hate, gatekeeping, discrimination
Trip planning services - there are many capable people offering these. Gemma at Hiya Scotland. If you book with her I receve a small commission which means you have benefited 2 small businesses.