I left on May 7. The flight was so long, it was depressing. I could only
imagine how rough it was on my friend Joan, who I met via the Internet. She
lives in Canberra Australia and her flight was 26 hours! That's the only
reason why I didn't complain too much about mine. We had never met before
putting our heads together to plan this trip. It was a bit scary because
you hear horror stories about people who get along well through the
computer and despise each other in person. I'm very glad to say that wasn't
the case here. Liquor on international flights is free. I was onboard with
a bunch of Brits who loved their drink. Once the booze kicked in, they
quieted down.
I took a Globus tour called the "Highlands and Islands". We started in
Glasgow. The weather was fair that first day, no rain at least. That
started the next day when we headed south to Alloway, birthplace of Robert
Burns. The best part about the Burns cottage was the gift shop! Wonderful
to say the least and I dropped quite a few pounds Sterling there. We
encountered hail with intermittent rain, and between the showers, the sun
actually came out. The tour guide was knowledgeable and interesting. I had
to laugh when he asked the group if we knew who wrote "Auld Lang Syne" and
one of the ladies piped up, "Yes! Guy Lombardo!" After the shopping I did
there, whenever we stopped along the remainder of the trip, I had to show
everyone on the bus what I bought. <G> I think that was one of the biggest
highlights for them because they were convinced I was trying to buy out
Scotland. Alloway is a lovely village and I wouldn't mind going back to
explore it a bit more.
We got back on the bus and headed for Carlisle castle, with a stop along
the way at the Moffat woollen mill. This place was great. It had everything
you could imagine all under one roof. We arrived at the castle in Carlisle
amid light rain in the early afternoon. The guide was wonderful and he took
the time to answer my numerous questions. He shared things with me that
others on the group missed. I tucked all the information away for future
use. We walked to the top of the keep to King David's chamber. Behind glass
doors that once was used as his chapel, are carvings by prisoners when the
chamber was used as a prison. Joan and I were about the only ones brave
enough to go up to the battlements. It was worth the climb, even if we did
get rained and hailed on. The view of the city is magnificent and should
not be missed. The dungeons or prison is also not to be missed. It gives
you an eerie feeling to see the holes in the walls where shackles were once
embedded. The most eerie sight of all is the "Licking stones". Prisoners
were cared for very poorly in years gone by and no water was given. The
prisoners licked the stones for moisture. There are three deep grooves in
the stones and it gave me the chills to realize those were made by human
tongues. Within the quiet walls of this prison the song "Loch Lomond" was
composed. It's an old Gaelic belief that if a Scotsman dies outside of his
country, his soul travels the low road (underground) back to the land of
his birth while the one who lives must take the high road (overland). The
song was composed by two brothers who, on the morrow, one would live while
the other perished. Hence the lyrics "Ye tak the high road and I'll tak the
low road, and I'll be in Scotland afore ye." Sheds a whole new light on the
song.
We stayed the first night in the beautiful English village of Wetheral. A
short walk from the hotel is a railroad bridge you can walk on that gives a
magnificent view of the river Eden. The next morning we headed back toward
Scotland via Hadrian's Wall. It was very windy there but definitely worth
the time. We stopped at the border for photos with the "Mad Piper." He
wasn't mad, really, just a drunk who plays his pipes at the border for the
tourists. If you photograph him, you have to leave him some change. I left
him 50 pence. I didn't know it until after I got my photos developed, but
the guy stared at my chest the entire time I was beside him. They have
boulders that mark the border. Our guide said they used to have small signs
up but the Scots kept stealing them and moving them further into England,
to claim a bit more ground. <G>
We stopped in Jedburgh for lunch. Joan and I investigated the Abbey through
the bars. We were too cheap to pay the admission fee. We did miss out on
Mary, Queen of Scots house, which I regret. Then we went on to Abbotsford
House at Melrose, home of Sir Walter Scott. Don't let the word 'house' fool
you. This place was a bloody castle! I didn't care for the lady doing the
tour; thought she was a bit staunch. This castle was my least favorite out
of all the ones I saw. Anyway, we ended up in Edinburgh. Of course the
lovely Scottish weather wasn't what the forecasters in the States
predicted, so I in turn packed all wrong, caught a nasty cold because of
all the stinking rain, and had to buy a new supply of winter clothes. My
umbrella decided it liked Edinburgh and disappeared on me. Probably found a
Scottish umbrella with one of those killer accents and headed for the
hills. <G>
I was a bit disappointed with Edinburgh castle and Holyrood Palace, not
with the fortifications, but with our 'local' tour guide who tried to rush
us through everything. I did have about 10 minutes to shop at the gift shop
at Edinburgh castle and I got a wrap that, with my sweater, provided a
little more warmth. They rushed us once again through Holyrood and tried to
give me only 5 minutes in the shop there. I wasn't feeling well and snapped
at the guide that he'd just have to wait. My sister is fascinated by Mary,
Queen of Scots, and I wasn't about to leave there without something for
her. He waited.
We did have a free afternoon our last day in Edinburgh. Joan and I had a
ball walking the Royal Mile and doing our best to buy out the shops. <G> I
had most of my stuff sent home so I wouldn't have to fool with it. Being
out in the lousy weather didn't help my cold, but the free afternoon did
wonders for my nasty disposition. <G> I did find a heavy wool wrap with a
scarf attached for a reasonable price, so I nabbed it.
The next day we went to Culloden battlefield and had a peek around. The
battlefield is pretty much as it was during the era of the battle. There is
a croft erected on the edge that shows how life was in that era. I was
really sick by then. I made it through the 20 minute tape about the battle
and what led up to it. I left the theater wondering why the Scots stood
behind Bonnie Prince Charlie. The man was a jerk who never even thanked the
Scots for their efforts on his behalf. Religion and politics had a lot to
do with it, I'm sure. And, because of the Culloden incident, a clearing of
the Highlands started, the wearing of the kilt and playing of the pipes
were banned, and they did not regain these latter rights until like 70
years later. The guy was a definite jerk and, if not for the Scots risking
everything for him, the Bonnie Prince would have died on the battlefield.
Enough on that.
After the battlefield, we went on to Dundee and toward the town of Brora
where Glamis Castle is located. Ticked me off because none of these places
allowed photography of any kind inside. I did manage to film the dining
room before I got caught. <G> Glamis was pretty neat and it is the most
haunted castle in all of Scotland. I think I had a brush with a spirit
myself. I was standing in Malcolm's bedroom' which they now use to display
china and other mementos. I felt something tug on my skirt. I looked down
and saw I stood close to a chair and thought I'd just caught the hem on
that, so I moved away a couple steps. It happened again. Again I looked
down and knew I wasn't close enough for it to have caught again, but I
moved away again anyway and tried to listen to what the tour guide was
telling us about the room. I'll be darned if it didn't happen again! After
we went into the following room, I noticed stone benches built just inside
the doorway and into the wall of the castle. Once everyone was inside, the
tour guide said there's the ghost of a page who likes to sit there and trip
people as they come through the door. She also said if he didn't get you
here, he'd usually get you in Malcolm's room!
We spent a night in Aberdeen. Joan and I went in search of warmer clothes,
since most of what I brought with me were casual dresses. We didn't find
anything affordable, but we did find a tote that I could put most of my
souvenirs in. The toilets were really bad in the hotel, and this was in the
Holiday Inn! I was really sick and went to bed after calling for a plumber.
The hotel sent up a porter and he told Joan that we just didn't know how to
flush a toilet! Good thing I wasn't well or he'd of gotten a piece of my mind.
Then we went to Balmoral Castle, summer residence of the royals and because
it is their residence, the only room we were allowed to look at was the
ballroom. It was really cold but at least it didn't rain and the gardens
are lovely. The river Dee is magnificent and we continued on our way along
a one lane road that wound through the Grampian mountains and followed the
river. I thought it was a one-way road, until we met another car! Yikes!
But we made it and toured a whisky distillery, which I passed on because I
was so sick. I sat in the coffee shop to wait for the others and one of the
guides brought me a "wee dram" so I could have a taste. Lord that stuff was
awful. I suppose it's an acquired taste. The only alcohol over there I
found I liked was their beer, Tenents Lager. I was quite disappointed to
get home to discover I can't buy it here. Bummer. We spent the night in
Aviemore. I really liked it there and felt well enough to try and find me
some more warm clothes.
Then we headed for what I consider the true Highlands, the area north of
Inverness. We toured Dunrobin Castle and it was absolutely beautiful. No
photography, of course, but I sure got lots of good shots from the outside.
It's a stunning castle that is still occupied by the Sutherlands. This is
one of the favorites on my list that I saw. The castle wasn't cold and
dank, as some of the others had been. It felt lived in and had a 'family'
touch and feel to it.
We headed on up toward Wick where we'd spend a couple days. We toured a
Caithness glass factory that was just fabulous. I now have a deep affection
for Caithness glass. <G> The next day we had our best weather yet. We
started at Dunnet head, the northern most tip of Scotland, and had a look
around. Bloody cold because of the wind, but it was the first bright blue
day we had. We followed the road through Mey and stopped at a Kirk where
the Queen Mum worships when she's in the area. One of the graves reached
right out and tripped me. Yep, I sprained my ankle. Not too bad, but I did
hobble around for a day or two. Anyway, after Mey we went on to John O'
Groats to wait for the ferry to take us over to Orkney.
Crossing the Pentland Firth wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, even
though it is one of the most dangerous waterways in Europe. The firth is
where the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea meet. As a result
the tide is pretty treacherous.
We had a different tour/driver while we were on Orkney. The guy made me so
mad I wanted to strangle him by the end of the day. When I think of Orkney, I think of Vikings. When this guy thinks of Orkney, he thinks of
WWI and WWII. There was a very nice chapel there that the Italian POW's
built from scrap material. Ornate ironwork is nothing more than flattened
out shell casings. The marble and stained glass is paint, but you'd never
know it if you weren't told. The guide said that the Italians make the best
POW's because they don't try to escape! In Scapa Flow there are battleships
that were sunk during the first war that the hulls and masts are still
visible along the beaches. The icing on the cake, as far as wanting to
smack the tour guide goes, was when, after complaining about how tight our
time schedule was, he stopped for a good ten minutes to show us a cat
playground next to this lady's house who owns 16 of the creatures. I
couldn't believe it! I can see cats in the States and, Scottish or not, I'm
allergic to them all. I finally had enough, stood up in my seat and yelled
"Who cares!" He got the hint and stepped on the gas.
We got to see Skara Brae, a Neolithic village that has been remarkable
preserved in its natural state. The path that leads to it, though, goes
through a cow field. Talk about stink! It was all worth it to see these
prehistoric ruins. We did get to linger there, so I had some time for my
temper to cool. Then we saw the Ring of Brodgar and, again, the guide tried
to rush us through that part. Tough. I paid a lot of money for this trip of
a lifetime, I was taking my time. I'm sure the urge to wrap fingers around
throats was mutual. We got to stop for a whole half hour in Kirkwall to use
the potty and shop. Yeah, right. Again, he had to wait because I refused to
rush. So I was pretty beat by the time we crossed the firth again and made
it back to our hotel in Wick.
The next day we took a drive through Thurso, simply because I asked our
regular guide and driver if they would. Otherwise we'd of just skimmed the
outskirts. After having my books set there, I had to see it and was glad
they accommodated me. We stopped at the Kyle of Tongue for photos and
toilets. The highlight was the Tongue Hotel. Lots of snide chuckles and
such as we photographed the sign. Then we headed on down the coast toward
Ullapool. The scenery is magnificent, and the heather wasn't even in bloom.
It laid dark against the moors and mountains and offered stark contrast to
the bright yellow gorse that was in bloom.
That night we had an optional
excursion on Loch Broom at Ullapool. I had signed up for it but dug in my
heels real hard when I saw the boat they expected me to get on. This thing
was so tiny, I half expected to see "SS Minnow" painted on the side. No way
was I going to get on anything associated with Gilligan's Island. Other
members of the group finally persuaded me to get on, so I did. I had them
all laughing when I sang my own rendition of the Gilligan's Island theme,
substituting names when appropriate. <G> Bloody cold again and the whole
point of the cruise was to see seals, whales, and bird life. We were too
early to see seals or whales and the only bird life I saw were seagulls.
Can't see those in the States. <G>
The next day we toured some gardens outside of Ullapool. I can't remember
the name of them. Impressed me, in case you couldn't tell. Then we went on
into Inverness and they dropped us in the middle of town for a couple hours
so we could shop and get something to eat. Rained the entire time and I
couldn't find an umbrella to buy that wasn't one of those huge ones.
After they picked us up we drove down the banks of Loch Ness and stopped
for photos. The weather was pretty lousy but at least the rain stopped. No
sign of Nessie, the monster, but I really didn't expect it. We had to take
photos of Urquhart castle, on the banks of Loch Ness, as we drove by. The
government purchased the ruins a few years ago and no longer allow coach
groups to go through. Figures. We went on through Fort William and headed
for Oban. The village is lovely and I wouldn't mind returning there some day.
The next day we took a ferry across to the Isle of Mull and drove it's
length to another ferry that carried us over to the Isle of Iona. We toured
a monastery there that was founded by St Columba forever ago. There were
lots of Roman Catholics on the ferry making a pilgrimage to the Isle where
the bones of the saint are buried. I never found them, nor the graves of
Malcolm (from Macbeth fame), King David or Robert the Bruce. It wasn't easy
to miss them since the graves aren't marked. It was another miserable,
rainy day but I was able to dodge the storms for the most part. Not a lot
to see there and I wouldn't return.
We spent one last night in Oban then headed for Glasgow where our tour
would end. Along the way we stopped on the "Bonnie, Bonnie banks of Loch
Lomond". It was cloudy out, but no rain, so I got some pretty awesome
pictures of the loch. We had a pretty early evening in Glasgow and I found
a photo processing place near our hotel and had my pictures developed. The
next day we went to Bannockburn and toured that battlefield. It was pretty
awesome, even though it was raining, again. An elderly gentleman was
walking his dog and heard me talking as I filmed. He asked if their lovely
climate had given me a cold. <G> I really liked the statue of Robert the
Bruce erected there that looks over the battlefield. We didn't get to tour
Stirling Castle, which disappointed me, but we did stop for photos at the
base of the cliff it's perched on.
After the tour ended Joan and I rented a car so we could drive to Dornie
and visit the Isle of Skye. I wanted Joan to drive, since she's used to
driving on the wrong side of the road, but she had me drive because our car
was a manual and she doesn't know how to drive one. So she navigated and
kept me on the proper side of the road and off we went. We wound through
Glen Orchy and across Rannoch Moor to the hauntingly beautiful valley of
Glen Coe, which translates to 'the Weeping Valley'. The name has nothing to
do with the horrible massacre that occurred there 300 years ago. It's named
that because of all the rain they get. Thankfully we remained dry that day
and the skies were blue as could be. Wonderful photo stops along the way.
We headed on to Dornie. As we rounded a bend in the road, we were greeted
by a magnificent view of Eilean Donan castle! Our hotel was just across the
bay from the castle and we had a wonderful view of it from our room. In the
distance we could clearly see the distant hills of Skye. It was so lovely.
The next day we headed to Skye and to the southern tip of the Isle where
the Clan Donald center is located. We took our time touring the ruined
castle, restored grounds, and pottering around in the shop. The castle is
under plans to be rebuilt as soon as funds are raised. It will be something
else when that happens, as the castle overlooks the Sound of Sleat. Just
awesome. We left there and headed for the northern most tip and the
stronghold of Macleod of Macleod. The drive was really beautiful and the
flat mountains of Macleods Table begged us to stop and photograph them.
Dunvegan Castle is the home of the Macleods and is still occupied today.
There was an Italian film crew there filming a movie that no one at the
castle knew the name of. It seemed strange walking around the castle and
hearing helicopters overhead. We left there and headed toward Portree and
the new bridge that takes us from Skye to the mainland. We stopped for
photos several times along the way. It seemed we'd stop in one place, take
photos, climb back in the car, go around the next bend and there was a view
more spectacular than the one before. Granite mountains that slope down to
green pasture land and some of the ugliest long-haired sheep and cows I'd
ever seen in my life. The beauty of Scotland goes beyond words. It has to
be seen in person to be appreciated.
The next day we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves so, since it
was another beautiful day, we decided to make the hour drive back to Loch
Ness, get some better photos of the loch and tour the castle. We were glad
we did. Upon arrival at the castle I saw a path that led down to the water
and away I went. I took off my shoes and waded into the water. Let me tell
you, that water was COLD! But at least I can say I've been in Loch Ness.
Given my sickness and all, I'm sure Joan thought I was quite insane. But I
couldn't resist. I didn't see Nessie that time either. I'm sure if he'd of
made an appearance while I was standing in the water waiting for my photo
to be taken, I'd of scrambled out of there so fast, I wouldn't have needed
a plane to get me back to Oklahoma. <G>
Urquhart castle is really a piece of work and it's such a shame it's in
ruins. But it is some of the best maintained ruins of all that we saw. It
was worth the trip. We went back to Dornie and the owner was telling us
about a road called the 'Pass of the Cattle', the highest road in Britain,
that was nearby and, if we followed the road to the end, we could clearly
see the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebrides. So off we went in search of
the road. We ended up finding everything but the road we were looking for.
We ended up in Plockton, which is a dinky little village that I just knew
we'd get lost in. The roads were single track and very narrow. Joan asked
me if we have roads that narrow in the States. I told her yes, but we call
them sidewalks. <G>
The next day we had to drive back to Glasgow, get checked into our hotel at
the airport, return the car and get ready to come home. We had more trouble
getting into the city than we did getting out. Those people sure love their
ring roads. I went round and round a few times trying to figure out which
way I was supposed to be going. <G> We eventually made it and bright and
early next morning we headed for our prospective homes. The flight home was
two hours longer than the flight going in. No drunk Brits this time.
Instead it was Italians who, about half-way through the flight, decided to
serenade the group. <G> It was nice getting back home, but I most
definitely left my heart in the Highlands. I could live there with no
problem at all. In fact, I found a couple places that were for sale. <G>
The government has a program that if you buy a ruins and restore it, you
get up to 90% of the total costs reimbursed to you. That's tempting, isn't it?
I would love to return and do the isles more in depth. Skye is high upon my
list, as is Barra, Lewis, Islay and the list goes on. My kids would love it
there until they turned on the TV. They'd die with only 5 stations to
choose from.
I would recommend that anyone taking a tour of the castles, that they
purchase guidebooks of each. They are inexpensive and can help with your
memories when you return home and try to remember which castle had what
feature. Take lots of photos, number your rolls of film and keep notes on
what is on each roll, keep a daily journal, spend lots of money and, when
you board the plane to leave, promise to return one day.
