I was naive, I admit it. After years of dreaming and hoping and planning, I finally got to go to Scotland for the first time

in 2002 and I just knew I’d see men in kilts – hunky, hot, highland men in kilts – just walking down the streets waiting to greet me with their wonderful Scottish accents. I’d even warned my husband that if one of those men did indeed speak to me in a voice like Gerard Butler, I would have him! LOL! Naive and hopeful, a dangerous combination to be sure…..

And then I arrived and searched every street for someone who looked or spoke like that! And it was almost ten days into the trip – a group tour – before I saw my first one — and he was an American along for a wedding in Scotland! NOT FAIR!

But I didn’t give up….and on subsequent trips in 2004 and 2008 and 2009, I continued my quest and usually found that the men wearing the kilts were tour guides or worked at concession stands at historic sites.  Like this visit to a ceilidh during the Gaelic Festival being held at Eilean Donan Castle. I’d met Alex MacKay before — with Sue-Ellen Welfonder on our 2002 tour! — and was surprised to find him and his coworker Ossian, having a quick wee dram and a cigar at the doors.  Alex had given Sue-Ellen and me a hand-drawn map to all the medieval castle ruins on Skye during our first trip….and what a help!

But, again, men-in-kilts were few and far between…. and since I won’t be getting back to Scotland until next year, I’ll have to make do with what I can find — Bookcovers and tv series!  I’ve been lucky because I’ve had some really hunky Highlanders in kilts on my bookcovers — like these:

And later this summer, we can all ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over the best known Highlander since Adrian Paul — Jamie Fraser from Diana Gabaldon’s OUTLANDER series …

So, in honor of our Scottish Affair and men in kilts, let’s all raise our wee dram and cheer them on…..and let’s go find them, too!

     Terri is thrilled to see the final story in her MacLerie Clan series as a May 2014 release from Harlequin Historicals! And, it will be available in a special edition, too, in print, featuring her UNDONE short story – Taming the Highland Rogue – in many retailers. Visit her website  or FB page for more info on all sorts of stuff!