Imagine Alba - bringing Scotland to you
About
I'm Michelle, an American in the Highlands. I'm an anthropologist, journalist, storyteller and tour guide originally from the southern United States. Over the course of my career, I've worked from the Mississippi Delta to the Levant to the Hebrides, following stories wherever they happened to lead.
Then I met a Scotsman.
I moved to Scotland to be with the man I loved, fully expecting we'd marry and eventually head back to the States. Instead, more than thirteen years later, I'm still here.
These days I live in Argyll with my husband Rab, where life is a mixture of guiding visitors through Scotland's history and landscapes, tackling projects in our 300-year-old cottage and trying, with varying degrees of success, to keep a garden alive through the west coast weather.
When I'm not working, you'll usually find me travelling, cooking, planning the next cottage project or behind a drum kit.
As An American in the Highlands, I share the history, folklore, landscapes and everyday realities of life in this corner of Scotland through the eyes of someone who came here for love and stayed for the life that followed.
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Welcome!
Scotland is full of stories. Some are carved into standing stones and castle ruins. Others turn up in old folklore, local traditions or conversations overheard in village cafés.
After more than a decade of living here, I'm still finding them.
Here you'll find history, myth, travel, culture and everyday life from the west coast of Scotland.
Part of this site is about Scotland itself. Part is about what happens when an American builds a life here. Consider it my ongoing answer to the question friends and family back home keep asking: "So... what's it really like?"
Whether you're planning a trip, tracing family roots or simply curious about this corner of the world, pull up a chair and stay awhile.
Welcome!
Contact Me
Fancy working together or looking to book me? Get in touch and let’s start the conversation.