A' Ghàidhealtachd ~ Scotland
“It is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places in the world, the history is fascinating, the men are handsome and the whisky is delicious.” - JK Rowling
Other than that wonderful burr, I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks Ms. Rowling. Scotland has been a long held dream and I could hardly contain my excitement as we crossed the firth of Forth into Fife and began a memorable journey that brought the country alive in an unforgettable way.
There were some Outlander fans in my group, the women mostly talked about Jamie. I have to get home and catch some episodes to see what they’re talking about. The turbulent history of this land has always fascinated me; this trip brought to life the the words on the pages that I’ve read in such a way that I just don’t have words to express what this journey meant to me.
Our first stop upon leaving Edinburgh was the legendary St. Andrews Links. I’m not a golfer but even I got chills standing at the location where golf was first invented way back in the 15th century.
Did you know that this course was originally 22 holes? but in 1794 they decided to merge the front 4 and back 4 and made it 18 holes which is how golf is now played. In 1457 King James the II banned the game because young men preferred golf to archery but fortunately for golfers everywhere James the IV lifted the bank in 1502 since he too was a fan.
St, Andrews of course also has a university where the love story of Kate Middleton and her prince charming is still a conversation piece. We stopped by and visited the coffee shop where they are purported to have met during their college days. Of course it’s a bit confusing because almost every coffee shop in the area has some story regarding their courtship. I’m guessing these stories will only get more fervent now that they are the Duke and Duchess of Wales and heir apparent to the throne of England.
Before actually traveling in Scotland I did not realize how mighty some of the rivers that cross Scotland really are. From St. Andrews we crossed the River Tay and headed towards the Grampian mountains and Blair Atholl.
Blair Castle so impressively preserved both inside and outside. While a walk through the castle was interesting, the best moment came when a young man in his kilt came to stand outside the castle and played the pipes.
The haunting sound of the pipes endorses why the English considered them a weapon and banned the playing of the pipes.
Culloden Moor that bloody field where 1500 Scots were massacred by the English army led by the Duke of Cumberland, outnumbered, outgunned, in a battle that lasted only 40 minutes.
The Visitors center has a fantastic but gruesome surround sound video experience that reenacts the battle. It’s hard not to flinch as the guns fire and men fall. After that the walk along the moor was pretty solemn and reflective. As we drove away from the epic battlefield we discussed the tactics that gave Cumberland the victory and changed the Scottish way of life forever.
Inverness dominated by the Inverness castle is a charming town on the River Ness. Soon the solemn mood of the group changed to conversation about Nessie and whether she would grace us with a visit when we sailed on Loch Ness on the morrow.
Before we got to our ferry on Loch Ness we stopped for a quick visit to see Hielan coos which is a Scottish breed of cattle that originated in the Scottish Highlands and has long horns and a shaggy coat. They are are a hardy breed and able to withstand the intemperate conditions in the region.
Urquhart Castle sits on the banks of Loch Ness in the middle of the Great Glen. This castle was repeatedly captured and recaptured, rebuilt several times. We were content to look upon it from our Loch Ness Ferry since it was not on our itinerary to visit here.
As we sipped highland hot chocolate (Hot Chocolate laced with Whisky) to keep the cold out, we stood outside on the ferry and admired the castle and commiserated at Nessie’s non appearance. I guess the hot chocolate did not have enough oomph to bring Nessie to the surface.
Of course we were in Scotland and while history and castle and pipers were all wonderful things, a visit can’t be complete without visiting a distillery and seeing how they make Scotland’s national drink. The highlight of this visit was of course the tasting though we did get a lot of facts and figures on what makes the best whisky.
Teen brother and sister piper duo who not only entertained us during the ceildh at the Old Smiddy Inn in Wick but also piped us out at the end as we left the pub.
We felt a part of the culture and traditions of the land as we enjoyed an evening of songs, stories, jokes and music in the pub. It’s wonderful to see the younger generation embrace their heritage so that it will continue to endure into the future.
The Wee Hoose on the Loch was a great story to get us going the next morning after enjoying the most fantastic freshly baked scone and strong tea on the shores of Lock Shin in Lairg.
The story goes that it was built by Jock Broon, a poacher who was gifted the land by a local laird in exchange for that perfect whisky recipe.
We drove through some of the most spectacular scenery along Loch Carron and through Glen Carron before reaching the land bridge that would take us across to the magical island of Skye. We had been blessed with really good weather and sunshine but it was somewhat fitting that we crossed over to Skye in misting rain.
We talked about the story of young Flora MacDonald and how she helped rescue Bonnie Prince Charlie who fled in disguise after his defeat at Culloden through the Isle of Skye.
Thanks to the mist and cloud the Old Man of Storr did not make an appearance but we did get to view the breathtaking Mealt falls at Kilt Rock and listen to the music of the wind.
The Old Sligachan bridge built by Thomas Telford between 1810 and 1818. While it is not longer in use having been replaced by a newer bridge the stories about eternal youth or beauty abound in this area.
Eilean Donan Castle is located on a island situated at a point where three great sea lochs meet and is surrounded by majestic scenery. First inhabited in the 6th century the castle was fortified in the mid 13th century to stand guard over the lands of Kintail. Since then at least four different versions of the castle have been built and rebuilt as the feudal history of Scotland unfolded through the centuries.
It is considered on the most visited castles in the Scottish Highlands. We visited a vista point where we took photographs but did not go inside since we had a date with Ben Nevis and the WWII memorial. Unfortunately the beautiful sunshine was temporarily overtaken by clouds and while we had a wonderful stop at the memorial Ben Nevis was elusive.
Glencoe Valley, the site of the ghastly massacre where all the members of clan MacDonald of Glencoe (men, women and children) were killed by order of King William the III. The Glen is sometimes referred to as the Weeping Glen and even today the beautiful site seems to cry out against the atrocity.
The sunshine did make a return and we had a magical visit at the beautiful Lock Lomond where we toasted our Scottish visit in whisky.
We were making our way to our last night in Scotland in Glasgow so we would be in place to catch our early morning ferry to Ireland. What an unforgettable dream trip this has been.
We spent a final night in Glasgow in preparation of an early morning Irish Ferry but we did have the time for a delightful dinner at the Red Onion and visit and chat with owner chef John Quigley.
Of course we had to make the time to walk through the city and stop by to see the iconic statue of the Duke of Wellington crowned with an inverted traffic cone.
Scotland has been a wonderful chapter in my Summer travels this year. Amongst all these incredible experiences, the Orkney Islands was the highlight. I have skipped over them in this epic journey through Scotland to bring them to you on their own before we truly leave Scotland for Ireland.