A historical perspective: from 4000 bc to April 16, 1746 Culloden

We haven't traveled through time physically but by visiting two sights today we were transported back visually.  We got off to a tricky start as Kathy has been having fun tooling along on single track roads where she is feeling in control and doing great.  Watch out Inverness as we "break" our way around an unmarked traffic circle only to come to a dead end in train station/parking lot and have to go back.  My expert directions got us back on track which Kathy promptly didn't follow on the way back.  We ended up in a bus station.  We did a bit of city shopping.  Leakey's book store.

 I didn't buy a book at this store but I did get two books at this store in Gairloch on Saturday.  Any store that has Voltaire over the door means a purchase, they also had great tea and a feral cat. 

Today on Monday, Culloden was the most amazing museum I have ever seen. There were two sides presented, the Jacobites on one side and the British on the other.  It was very informative and sad, the casualities for the Jacobites was enormous.  

Guess the name of this Clan...Diana Gabaldon

We went to Clava Cairns, I think you should look it up as I can't do it justice. The Clava Cairns make up an ancient cemetery also known as Balnauran of Clava, which is dominated by a line of three cairns enclosed by stone circles.  The cairns are aligned to the Winter Solstice.  There are standing stones that mark the rays of the sun around each cairns.  We walked on the footpaths of inhabitants of 4000 years ago.  

We had a cup of tea and a scone, at least MKL had the scone. And proceeded to spy on a well dressed gent:  pink checked shirt and black and grey striped socks.  

I also have not done justice to the Inverewe Gardens in  Poolewe on Sunday.  The church let the gardens stay open.  

Random pictures

post and telephone

Our rental

What about this rental????

the Laird MacLean's grave in Portree, Looking for ghosts

Beach in Gairloch

purple bell heather

What???? We need gas?

New adventure:  don't look for gas on Sunday in  the highlands,  The church doesn't allow any sales.  Great.  We are on a low tank but it is a diesel.  We have gotten advice to head to a town called Ullapoole,  hopefully there will be gas.  We have been driving for five days on this tank of gas.  We have seen spectacular views are still taking pictures, eating great food and enjoying each others company.  

Today we went to the Inverewe Gardens,  a 12,000 acre estate.  The gardens were fabulous.  Almost like heaven for me and I will have to have just a flower album. We saw SCOTCH  pines in the gardens which is a big deal.  All scotch pine forests of Scotland  have been cut years ago and they replanted spruce.  The forestry commission is trying to use the rare Caladonia seeds to start again.  Everything here is given to the national trust of Scotland because the big estates are too expensive to pay taxes on.  

We stopped and walked down to this gorge.  

my daily staple, can't find Greek  yogurt, might as well have ice cream. 

A Pict stone in a small cemetery in Poolewe.  yes more cemeteries.

We have seen lots of sheep crofts,  and more highland cattle.  The area of Gairloch to Ullapoole  Is a hiking and  camping haven.

After getting gas, f inally, we headed to Inverness, another big city.  Two nights here.

Gairloch:a seaside village on the Minch.

Today we left Portree, we had stayed two nights and it was nice to not have to drive so much.  Kathy is doing a great job  but the one track roads with drive-bys where you pull to the side to let oncoming traffic go by is intense.  We stopped at a place Mark Lena would consider heaven, the Cuillin Mountains.  They are spectacular and we are in hiker heaven.  It is unseasonably warm here, in the 70's.  We keep telling the natives that this is heavenly compared to where we are from. We left the beautiful mountains to stop in, Kyle of Lochlesh, a nice seaport town with a view of the Isle of Sky bridge. What about this car to rent. 

 Ha Ha...check out this car it was a huge hit with a lot of people.  A Jaguar E type????with a fancy license plate.  Fiona and Moira,  we joked with the tourists that we met that I would send home a picture saying "Hey, look what we rented".  This was after Kathy took a side street that landed us on a small platform that was for trains.  She tried to turn on a dime and with  me laughing a lot to support her we made it.  Next stop: Eilean Donan Castle:  so far this is my favorite. It has been used in a recent famous Pixar movie:  Brave... there is an amazing story: In the 1700s,  the castle  was blown up because The MacLean's were sympathizers for the Jacobites. Then a true labor of love in the early 1920,s when the current owner restored the castle to former glory and it it is a wonderful historical visit.

  We ate a picnic and then headed off to Gairloch on a single track road...again...It is amazing that at the end of the woods and lochs and single track roads there is a beautiful sea town with shops, beaches, Golf, etc.  Dinner was Cullen skink stew for me with a venison burger and Kathy had wild boar burger.  She is beginning to live dangerously.  Of course it doesn't get dark until after 10 pm so we are planning our next event and it is only 8 pm.  I am having a bit of complications uploading pictures so expect more later.  We drove quite a ways looking for a lighthouse on another single track road.  Remember I am with a photographer, not only did we stop for spectacular views we stopped for sheep and more highland cows, my favorite.  We finally settled in and after a great breakfast we are off to Inverness .  

Friday: Por reigh. Gaelic for Portree

It was great to have a guest blogger today.We get breakfast included in our stay at the B and B so I had porridge and kippers.  Kathy was aghast but they were tasty. Lots of protein in smoked  herring.  Yum. We saw so many great sights with our mini tour driver Kathleen.  What a Cracker Jack person,  She was also a school bus driver and let me tell you no one acted out on her bus.  She was a wonderful person to meet and so were the two Americans from Oregon who booked the tour with us.  it was a four hour tour and we saw all  amazing sights again.  What more could Scotland hold?  We went on the north side of the island and saw so many sight of which you will see pictures. We stopped for lunch and Robert our Oregon companion let me try his tatties, neeps, and haggis.  It was good.  they also had soup that was called "Cullen Skink".  Steve,  get ready I might make you some.

On our tour we saw some crofts, ancient crofting museum, more cemeteries, castle ruins, spectacular cliffs rock formations.  

According to Kathleen, this is not a kilt he is wearing, it is a SKIRT.  A real kilt has 7 yards of material and won't blow up to show any nether regions.  She was very disgusted with this display.  

 

Watch out....

L

Dunvegan the MacLeod stronghold. 

A fine friend for dinner

Guest Blogger: MKL

Welcome to my guest blogger

Guest blogger

Well, we are 5 days in to our glorious tour of Scotland. Arriving in Edinburgh under overcast skies, we made our way to our hotel, which was approximately the size of a closet, but perfectly situated for walking into the city center. Our bus tour of Edinburgh was perfect for jet lagged travelers, as Tracey took advantage of the tour guide's lovely brogue which lulled her to sleep- sitting up! She remembers a few key historical concepts, and how to avoid being hit by a fast moving bus by looking to the right. Museums, cemeteries, and castles were the featured events. 

After picking up our car at the airport, we gingerly eased our way on to the M9. I drove, trying to keep Tracey from having a nervous breakdown by avoiding the curbs, parked cars, and the center line. After striking fear into the hearts of 2 pedestrians, getting lost in Stirling, and driving for what seemed like hours into the countryside, we arrived at Ford House, an 1849 guesthouse, which was in process of renovation.

 It was so quiet after the busy city. The one lane roads were a bit daunting, but we managed to make it to Kilmartin, and the large stone cairns dating back 5000 years. Tracey was in heaven, learning about the earliest settlers of the area.

Leaving the fields and cairns, we embarked towards the Isle of Skye. From Loch Lomond to Oban to Fort William, through the incredible scenery of the mountains, across the Skye Bridge, and on into Portree and the Balloch Bed and Breakfast. 

This little town is full of buses of tourists, but we decided to take a small tour with someone else driving. Kathleen, a former nurse and school bus driver now owns her own tour company.

 Expertly navigating over single track roads, around sheep and other vehicles, it was much easier to take photos out the windows and at certain spots. Waterfalls, green fields, rocks. Blue, blue water.  White sheep and lots of cows. The roses and honeysuckle smell heavenly. A fresh sea breeze is keeping us cool and comfortable. Tonight to a castle and a picnic dinner...

Tracey is greatly enjoying her trip abroad. Soaking in all the sights, making new friends, and laughing til her stomach hurts. No standing stones yet but history galore. Ice cream daily and shopping in the small stores is a requirement.  More updates to come from both of us!!

A few forgotten pictures

For Fiona:  dinner on the isle of Skye

Cairns

Friendly sheep

thistle