Exploring the World as a Roving Retiree

My head is spinning at how expensive everything is in Scotland (okay, I'm not there yet and buses and museums will probably be very cheap)! A private room in a "youth" hostel is $75/night! A hotel room is costing me $161 to $175! Divided by 2 people is not bad but for a solo traveler, it is very costly indeed.  Maybe I won't be eating out more than once every two or three days! A scone and tea for dinner? But it's not just me experiencing the solo traveler syndrome! "Plunging Dollar Leaves American Travelers with Less Buying Power This Summer" https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/us-dollar-value-spending-power-travel-aeae581a

 I am excited and nervous about my upcoming 5+week trip to Scotland. At my age, it seems quite daunting to be gone that long. I have never been there. And it is so expensive! Not compared to Iceland, maybe, but certainly about the same as Ireland and Paris, my recent trips. And I only know one person there, a woman from Seattle who lives with her son in Aberdeen (and so she can't offer me lodging). We weren't good friends and I only saw her once or twice when she got sick.  I hope I will be able to take the ferry over to see Catherine in Belfast! I will be Couchsurfing as a guest for the first time, fingers crossed, and housesitting for two cats and their parents, staying with some women from Women Welcome Women WorldWide, so those will all save money, and cut down my possible isolation/loneliness. From Scotland of Old Clan Names Map  The crests are the emblems on the top of the helmets. Ancient territories of Scottish clans or considerable families, with arms of their ch...