Back to Maine: what an adventure

The wandering travelers have returned, and what a great trip we had.  

Miss Tracey's Driving Me

On I95, back in the US after our Scottish sojourn. Now it's hard to stay on the right side of the road! We realize how beautiful the countryside over there was when we see all the billboards and fast food restaurants we have here. No sheep lining the roads! No porridge! No castles! Rats! 

Our last day of travel was spent exploring Stirling Castle. It was an amazing place, 500 years old and full of history. I think we finally have a good handle on Scottish history, as we have travelled from standing stones and cairns to Pictish stones, Robert the Bruce, the Jacobite rebellion, to the Kings and Queens from ancient to present. Rob Roy's grave, even though he may not be buried in it. Learning about the Highland Clearances, crofting, forest management, tourism, woolen exports. The  charm and kindness of Scotspeople. The beauty of the countryside, the excitement/fear and dizziness of roundabouts. The smell of roses and honeysuckle. Purple flowers, foxgloves, thistles by the roadsides. Mist rising from the glens. Green hills and sparkling blue water of lochs. 

  It is hard to pinpoint our favorite places and things we did, but I think Tracey's was the biking in Ballater. And the Highland cattle. Mine was the beauty of the countryside, and of course the wilder the better, and narrow roads with passing places. 

We finally got through customs and found the bus to Portsmouth, and as I put my backpack in the overhead bin, shrieks were heard from the people sitting nearby as my water bottle compressed and sprayed water all over them! All I could do is laugh. At least it was water and not the whisky I brought back!

Quotes from the trip: 

"Stop and smell the roses. All of them."

"Take the road less travelled.. Even it it's a sheep track."

"Look at the half naked guy... The Queen would not approve."

"it's another housing development!"

"We need a wee ice cream."

"Get OVER!"

"You're hitting the curb!"

"Look at that! I'm stopping to take a picture!" ....."AARRG....Put the car in park!!"

That's all from Miss Tracey's driver! back to reality... Goodbye to Brigadoon.

"Caledonia you're calling me, now I'm going home

And if I should become a stranger

No it would make me more than sad..."  ( From the song Caledonia, by Dolores Keane)

Kathy

Last night in Scotland

Today we woke up to rain in Aberfoyle.  We headed out for Stirling, the same place we were more than a week ago sitting in traffic and eating ice cream for lunch.  This time we were going to tour the castle.  Stirling is the seat of the Kings of Scotland and England.  This is an amazing place high on a cliff in Stirling.  We drove right up to the top parking lots staring straight at Robert the Bruce.  We grabbed  our raincoats and rushed to beat the six huge bus loads of tourists that were getting ready to go in. We didn't let the rain stop us.   I used my iPad this time for pictures and I think they came out okay. Stirling Castle has a great set up for historical learning.  The time lines of the Scottish kings is amazing and they have beautiful rooms that date back 500 years to James the V and VII.  He built Castle Stirling for his Queen, Mary de Guise who is the mother of Mary Queen of Scots.  

We viewed many amazing spaces and saw where the famous Unicorn and the Lady tapestry was hanging originally.  The Scottish national trust is providing funding to reproduce it as it was originally made.  After the museum I was on the hunt for my final tribute to Scottish ice cream.  After the rain the mist started rising and I m I got have to send Kathy to Brigadoon if she doesn't stop singing.  I rather like the poetry of Robbie Lena Burns.  Highland mist is amazing.  Our last graveyard adventure was to drive on a sheep again, Kathy's last time to view the grave of Robert MacGregor, Rob Roy.  A great final way to end my fabulous time in Scotland.  

Aberfoyl, The entrance to the Trossachs and Loch Lomond

The sun is out after a quick stop for coffee in Pitlochry.  A destination was The John Muir Wild Trust center. It was great and I got all my questions answered about the trees, red squirrels, an invasiove pink flower and the almost extinct Caladonia Pine.  While  we were in the center a very informed employee told us about a 5000 year old tree.  The oldest tree in Europe.  The Fortingall Yew.  That is all we needed to hear, our next destination was planned. Throw in some go- cart driving and sheep for Kathy and standing stone for me at Croft Moraig and we were off.  

Robbie Lena Burns:  

Trees,  Pictish stones,

tea and cheese scones.

Kathy is waxing on eloquently, at least she is not singing from Brigadoon again.  Her next verse.

Churches,  cemetery's wine .

 Bed and breakfasts all the time.:

We had two destinations in mind.  The Croft Moraig:  a group of three oval groups  of standing stones.  We drove by them the  first time and almost missed it the second. A very busy farmer told us where to park and we promptly informed the next car of tourists  where to park after they tried parking in the same spot we tried to. 

Our next stop was, The Fortingall Yew:  I wanted to find some information on this tree so you could believe that we were in the presence of a tree that was this old.  It was near a very interesting church.  There were many stories about this tree of course since it was 5000 years old but one f the reports said that Pontius Pilate  played under the tree as a child.  

Estimated to be perhaps 5,000 years old, the Fortingall Yew (Taxus baccata) stands at the geographical heart of Scotland. It is believed to be the most ancient tree in the United Kingdom, and is probably even the oldest living thing in Europe. In 1854, Loudon said, "its age is unknown, but it has long been a mere shell, forming an arch through which funeral processions were accustomed to pass".

Today this venerable tree is still a very impressive sight, and is enclosed by a wall built to create a sanctuary for its undisturbed growth.  Its trunk now comprises several separate elements, and without knowing the tree’s long history it would be difficult to regard it as a single tree.  The circle of white pegs illustrates the former circumference of the once vast trunk.

These are some artifacts in the church.

We stopped in a little lay by for a picnic lunch and then since I was feeling bad for Kathy that she hadn't gotten her daily dose of go cart driving I planned a route for Aberfoyle.  What was I thinking? I was beginning to think to myself, Kathy is getting quite good at pulling into lay-by, the little area to pull over on when you meet a car on th easing or track roads, aaaaaahhhhhhhlkkkkk.whew. These roads were worse than sheep tracks on the Isle of Skye,  but they were real roads around the Loch Tay.  It could be very beautiful if we could avoid, backing up, ferns brushing MY door and hair pin turns.  

We finally made it out and started to get on the bigger road when a motorcycle tipped over beside us.  The riders were lying on the ground and eventually got out of the road as we offered to help.  We made it to Aberfoyle behind some daring cyclists. Two nights here at the Bield, we walked into town fir dinner and then a walk and  guess what ...More sheep and cyclists.

Pitlochry, Atholl Palace Castle.

We left  Stonehaven and Keith Cottage and our delightful hosts Mitch and Bertha.  The porridge was excellent and Kathy took the butteries, a flakey buttery pastry, with her. Our breakfast friend this morning was a guest from Limerick, Ireland.  He was staying a week in Scotland, for a CHECKERS, tournament. 

  We are off to Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry. Kathy was missing the go- cart experience on twisty winding roads so we took a few back roads.  We missed the sheep too.  Can you see the poor cyclist puffing along this narrow road. 

Lunch was a picnic this time and I discovered custard. Sublime

We ate at Bridge of Cally then it was back on the road through the bucolic hillsides. It was raining a lot to day but we did get an afternoon adventure at the Queen's Lookout.  Queen Victoria for sure visiting the region made a name for the place but local history says "Queen Isabella" wife of King Robert the Bruce visited in the 1600's.  

More little shops and quaint sights.  After dinner in the village we are back to the castle. 

 We have visited so many places and done so much that the blog is very helpful to remind where we were and what we did.  I have lots of pictures to share and I love the historical aspect. Back at the castle there is a traditional Scottish wedding. Instead of tuxes all the men wear the kilt of their clan.  It is quite impressive.  Do you think our friend Kathleen from Portree on the Isle of Skye would say we have seen proper kilts?  I think so.  

 

Just pictures

Dunnottar Castle: more to come

Looking at Kathy

Checking me out

Diana Gabeldon fans.  Jamie 2013.  Haha. This guy just kept walking around Ballater.  The queen would not have like this.

Dyan, look what I found...

leaving Kathy in the dust

Day 2 Stonehaven

We had a great breakfast with the best porridge maker in Scotland.  We are in a quaint cottage that looks smaller than it is.  Our hosts are so fun, haggis is on the agenda, they outdo themselves with making the place wonderful, robes to wear, whiskey night caps, very nice.  Our bathroom is elegant and the beds comfy.  We decided not to walk the 3 miles to Dunnottar Castle. 

 This is a facinating place and a total ruin since the 1650's.  We spent quite a lot of time looking in all the corners of the remaining ruins, quite a sad history really but a beautiful spot.  We then let Kathy have her daily go-cart driving on the back roads near by, visiting two early churches and graveyards.  We visited the site of the most important contributor of modern Scottish literature, Lewis Grassic Gibbon. There was a tea shop.

  He is buried not far away so we visited there and discovered a gem of place.  This time it was the flocks of grouse that caught our attention for quite awhile.

  The church was very old, check out this part, I got a picture of because I am tall. 

Then off to Stonehaven to have an early dinner, this is the fish and chips capital of Scotland.

Kathy loves to take pictures if sheep, these are my favorites..

July 24th. Stonehaven

We have gone from coast to coast in 10 days.  Our b/b last night was the School House in the town of Ballater.  This was an interesting place and space.  There were granite walls and beautiful furniture that was not from Scotland.  We think India, as the owners were away on a mission.

  We decided to rent bikes and do a trail that was flat today.  The cycle shop was fabulous and I think to be able to bike made my day.  We got a map and off we went.  Down the trail a bit we first discovered  "Watership Downs".  There were so many rabbits.  There was a really bad animated movie of Watership Downs that we have a funny family story about with Fiona and the bad rabbit movie which is a story for another day. 

 Biking was great and we went roundtrip 12 miles,

 had a great lunch at The Bothy which had gluten free food back in Ballater, yeah...then shopped around and headed out for Stonehaven.  Kathy and I are taking a break and getting to our domicile early so we can relax.  

Driving Miss Tracey (Kathy's 2nd Guest Blog)

Day 10. July 24. I think this is Stonehaven, a sea coast town, and we just got to our B&B, Keith Cottage. The Schoolhouse in Ballater, last night's accommodation, was in the town the Royal Family calls "theirs", and all the shops are pristinely kept and have plaques proclaiming them "by appointment of her majesty."

 There was even "her majesty's auto mechanic shop. "

 The grocery store's cans are lined up in perfectly straight rows. The Union Jack is flying proudly as the Queen is due to arrive this weekend. Everyone is celebrating the new Princeling and newspapers in every shop show the royal carseat going into the Royal SUV for the trip home.

Well back to my job as driver for the happiest traveler ever, Miss Tracey. She has restrained herself from gasps of horror but yesterday when we got lost on a barren remote sheep track near Loch Ness, I thought my driving days might be over. It was possible that we would have to kidnap the handsome Scottish sheep farmer who helped direct us back to civilization to take over. He was not wearing a kilt though, so he was safe for another day. Eventually we made it to Ballater, and dinner in a former train station. 

Today,  another adventure... Biking on a former rail road bed for 12miles. Tracey of course was way ahead, since she got the road bike and I had the mountain bike with such fat tires that I had to bike standing up to go fast enough. She celebrated with the purchase of her first real biking jersey. This one says Highland Cycling- Ballater, so if you see her around Orono wearing it you'll have to ask her about her trip. 

We did stop at  Balmoral castle, but we were too cheap to pay to get in. 

So we kept going through the Cairngorm Mountains to the Eastern Coast of Scotland. More tea shops, fish and chips, and "luxury" ice cream to come in the next few days. Miss Tracey and her driver are still out and about, searching for sheep, handsome kilt wearing Scotsmen, old churches and Pictish stones. Not necessarily in that order.

The road less traveled by.... And it was hard... And a sheep track.

Oats. Rye and barley are in the fields as we drive by.  They look beautiful and go for miles.  I haven't figured out which is which yet.  Our first trip of the day is to the Black Isles.  We are on the search for Picts, the early settlers in  parts of Scotland.  The town is Rosemarkie and was so quaint.  We stopped by the seaside and walked to the point and saw  Bottle-nosed dolphins right before us in the water.  Amazing.  As we waited for the museum of the Picts to open we visited a beautiful,  yes guess what,  a church and graveyard.  The church had a great history and the inside was wooden everything.  We met Val who was the daily welcomer who gave us a history and tea.  She was delightful.  The Picts museum was fabulous and very artistic.  I got a "wee book of Pictish history" to read.  I didn't really get to read my book as I had to navigate Kathy through traffic circles,  we got into a housing development and then turned around the wrong way. After much laughter and cursing we headed out to find Nessie.  Loch Ness excursion. Wait! I think I see Nessie.... Oh no it's a duck.  Loch Ness is long and was covered with mist.  We headed out after having more delicious Scottish ice cream, for Ballater, near the home of the Queen in Scotland, Balmoral.  We took the road less traveled, even by sheep who were hysterically running away from us  As we headed down a one laned sheep track.  Kathy keeps stopping to take pictures of what she thinks are eagles.  They are pigeons or doves.  I am looking for pheasants.  I have mistaken a few pigeons too.  Finally we see a person and sigh in relief.... Are we on the right road.  The kind, farmer-cowboy at the end of the track who just got back from a holiday in the Yukon says we must go all the way back.  Neither one of us could understand him but I navigated us to the right highway finally.  No more stopping for pictures.  Questions:  do sheep get killed on the side of the road where they continually sleep and eat? A few Jesus, Mary and Josephs and all the saints were expressed at the hair pin turns in the road.  How about a new book and movie "Lost on a mountain in Scotland".  I have told Kathy she has to stop singing music from Brigadoon.   Kathy is obsessed with sheep but she did find a guy from her Secret Scotland book who gave up everything for Nessie to live at the head Of the Loch Ness and make statues and wait for Nessie to arrive.  My questions?????

Is the queen in town ? 

Where's the bike shop ?

Are we stopping at the shop that sells Linens and placemats of castles?

Tomorrow biking to Balmoral....a dream come true, on a path, instead of the side of the road.  then on to Stonehaven.  Pictures soon.  the Internet is a bit slow.  

Our dinner In a train station

Albert and Victoria Hall

Inverewe gardens: Poolewe

nverewe Garden is a botanical garden in the Scottish Highlands. It is located just to the north of Poolewe in Wester Ross. The garden was created in 1862 by Osgood Mackenzie on the 850 hectares estate bought for him by his mother.  There was a castle that burned down.  Osgood lived in the smaller house until his death and it can now be rented for small parties for over night etc. After he died his daughter built the current house and continued to maintain and increase the gardens.  It was heavenly.  I know some of you will enjoy the plant pictures.  The garden is on the same latitude as Labrador and Moscow.

dinosaur trees

Scottish bell heather

No this is not rhubarb 

I