Day 6- A Full Day on Skye!

Netty's view again!

We woke up a bit stiff and tired from yesterday's adventure in the rain. We'd dried our clothes at the hostel, catching up mid-trip with laundry.  It wasn't cheap, a wash load was four pounds, and drying- 15 min, a pound, but well worth the time and effort. Jesse was super at organizing and folding most of the clothes, she's so good at getting things done!

We found stuffing our shoes with newspaper several times helped dry out the shoes, or like Cindy, used a hair dryer  (again a few pounds to rent... ) to get them wearable!

Enjoying the simple continental breakfast we bought at the hostel, we packed extra sandwiches for a lunch, hoping the 100% chance of rain for the day would retreat for a picnic in the hills.

The morning wasn't bad, some faint rays of sun among the clouds as we headed west toward the Quaraing and more adventure. Our first stop, the farthest away, was the Fairy Glen. Just up the hill from the small fishing village of Uig, we pulled up to find a tiny range of mini mountains, glens and rocks that formed this strange but fascinating place.

To the left, our car, and our first view of the
glen.  To the right, some of the "hills".  That's me trying a selfie, lol, I don't do them much, with Nan in the background.

The hills were amazing. So much fun to climb and look around, avoiding the sheep land mines, of course, while admiring the sheep as well. They were all over, the glen their place, looking at us I am sure with rolled eyes as more tourists to bother their wandering.

Leaving reluctantly, we headed back east toward the Quaraing, a wonderful mountain range and valley on a good day with sunshine, but not so good on ours with a lot of mist and low clouds moving in as we drove toward them. But Cindy and Rachel, Jesse and Louise got out to look, taking a short walk in the hopes of having some clearing weather for pictures, but it was not to be. Sad that our few days of planned hiking didn't work out, but that's Scotland and especially Skye, the island of Mist!

Indeed, our next stop, the Kilt Rocks, was pretty, but also filled with tourists. The walk to the Old Man of Stoor, not far from there was also busy with tourists, even with the mist obscuring most of the mountains. Cindy and Jesse hiked up the hill, once again hoping for a miracle of clearing clouds but the fairies chose not to bless us that day and the clouds stayed thick and dark. Just one more thing to come back for next time!

So it was back to Portree, Skye's largest town. We had made reservations at a restaurant but once there found the menu not so good, so we began to search for something else. It was one time we could not agree on food, so Louise and Jesse headed off for Oysters, while Cindy debated on going too, or staying, while Rachel... our foodies and pregnant sister, couldn't decide on what she wanted to eat. I wanted fish and chips, and eyed a small take-away place that smelled great, but not for Rach.

Funny thing, Jess and Louise couldn't get in to the Oyster Shed, or another small restaurant on the quay (our problem as well), so ended up at the take-away and ate on the quay nearby. Cindy, deciding to join Jess and Louise, couldn't find them, so she too, got to have yummy fish and chips as well, while we got lucky and found  a spot at the Gathering Place Restaurant. I had cod, not fish and chips, and was happy as the food was still good. Louise and Jess, and then Cindy found us and came in to get a seat for some yummy dessert and  a bit of whiskey tasting!

After that is was back to Broadford's Hostel to get ready for tomorrow and a long drive across Scotland to Banff, our next stop.

Day 5 - Our Trip to SKYE~!

Our Trip to Skye!... We all were excited to see the reportedly most beautiful part of Scotland, especially to Cindy, the one who stubbornly wanted to see it all!

Of course, our time was limited, but me, wanting always, to take the scenic route, talked the girls into driving from our Hostel in Ratagan, to a small ferry (the original Skye Ferry) across the Loch to Skye. The trip was well worth our time, even as it was a one lane narrow road, but gorgeous. We stopped in Glenelg, as Louise said, my favorite of the trip, tiny, but so inviting. I simply want to stay there my next visit. Gathering a few more food supplies and such, we climbed into the car and made our way to the ferry. It was small, only taking on four cars, with a platform that could rotate so we could drive off either side and not have to back up. The weather at this time was not bad, partly cloudy, but the rain was soon to come as we headed into the island and the Cuillin Mountains. The Fairy Pools were located in the south west area of Skye, down a narrow road that led to Glenbrittle. We didn't go that far, clearly locating the pool parking by the number of cars parked on the road. By this time the rain was coming down in sheets, sideways, with a brisk wind.

We were stubborn though, and thinking we had the rain covered with our rain jackets and such, suited up and headed down the muddy and rocky path to the Fairy Pools.

They were so cool, even in the rain, the waters were green and teal, the rocks and waterfalls so pretty.

But the long walk had us drenched and exhausted by the time we got back to the car. We climbed in and took off toward Dunvegan Castle, our next planned stop, even wet and bedraggled as we were. But the fairies took care of us for alas, as we drove along the road there was an outdoor clothing shop. STOP!  

We turned around and pulled in, dripping into the store to find it filled with fabulous clothing, We were all so elated, and the salesman so kind as to suggest we put on our new finds and he would gladly dry our wet clothes as well. Can you imagine our happiness! We bought plenty to make it worth his time, and headed across the street to a lovely coffee shop filled with books and antiques, to wait for the clothes. 

I had soup, a red pepper tomato concoction that hit the spot after being so wet, with a lovely pot of Earl Grey tea. Everyone had a chance to relax and dry out, gathering our clothes and heading out once again toward Dunvegan Castle. 

We arrived in good time, with a bit more rain as well, to find a wedding going on in the castle. I had to take a pic of one of the guests, all done in Scottish kilts. He looked great.

Dunvegan was very nice, still lived in,  a stronghold at one time for the Macleod clan. It is the longest lived in castle in Scotland, pretty cool. We wandered about the rooms, admiring the reconstructed rooms and finery, as well as the famous "Fairy Flag" that is said to win battles for the Macleods. It has only three opportunities, and has been used twice with them winning the battles they were in, and is now being held for that last important struggle. How long it will be can't be said, but the whole story is very fascinating!

We planned on the next stop being Neist Point and the Lighthouse there, but the rain was still pouring and it was getting late, so we heading toward Broadford and the next place to rest, another youth hostel run by the Scotland Forestry Association. It was much the same as last night, with us all in one female dormatory filled with bunk beds. The funny part was that "some " of us didn't quite look at the signage on the bathroom/ shower doors and used the men's rooms instead of the women's. Haha, they were sooo lucky not to get interrupted.

So with another picnic at the hostel, this time inside to stay dry, and some down time in the common area to try to catch up with family and friends, we were once more ready for bed, and another day's adventure!

Day 3 of our Scotland Adventure!

Thursday: July 12, 2018

Today is our day to go exploring in Edinburgh, but first, we MUST stop at Doune Castle-the castle known as Castle Leoch in Outlander.  
Also used in the Monty Python Holy Grail movie, and Game of Thrones.

Doune Castle

This was an amazing castle.  They had an audio tour of the castle so you could explore it in your own leisure.  It included commentaries by the actor who plays Jamie in Outlander -Sam Heughan-as well as funny stories from Monty Python's Holy Grail.

We were able to walk through the entire castle, and envision what it was like.

 

         

Exploring the outside of the castle.

Cindy went to the gift shop and found a pair of coconut shells like the ones used in Monty Python's Holy Grail.  So we had to re-enact the scene where the knights were riding their invisible horses and they hit two coconut halves together to make the sound of horses galloping.  LOL --that was fun.

On the train to Edinburgh

After we left Doune Castle, we drove to the train station and took a train to Edinburgh.
       

Clarinda's Tea Room

We were pretty hungry by the time we got to Edinburgh, so we went directly to Clarinda's Tea Room for some hot tea, and scones. 

The food was amazing!  I fell in love with the Scottish clotted cream.  Yum!

Then we began exploring the city.  We went together first to Bakehouse Close where Jamie had his print shop in Outlander.  In the show it was Carfax Close....and there was where A. Malcolm's Print shop was. We had to go see it. 

Then we split up as a group because Jess and Rachel really wanted to see Edinburgh Castle, while Cindy wanted to see the places associated with J.K. Rowling who wrote the first Harry Potter novels in a coffee shop called the Elephant House. The rest of us just wanted to shop.  LOL

And look who we found!  Be still my beating heart....

   

Edinburgh Castle

It turned out to be a very long day!  My feet had blisters on them, and my legs hurt.  Edinburgh is a really hilly city.  We walked up and down The Royal Mile, shopped, saw some sights, then ate at an Indian Restaurant where the food was delicious.  

The purple sign at the top left is the sign for our restaurant, which was upstairs.

After dinner, we limped back to the train station and went back to Stirling.  Then we drove back to our B&B and I don't know about the other girls, but Jess and I hit the hay.  We were exhausted!  We tried to get onto the internet to post on our blog, but I could not get in at all.  Hence, we are writing this blog belatedly.  Sorry. 

But tomorrow is another day.....and we are heading out to Fort William in the morning to ride the famous Jacobite train,  fondly known as Hogwart's Express because it the the train you see going over the Glenfinnan viaduct  in the Harry Potter movies.  Tomorrow, we are Fort William bound, bright and early! 

Day 2- Lynette’s Version

Day 2 - July 11, 2018 or as the Brits put it... 11/7/2018

Wednesday

 

Woodcockfauld’s House - Mae was the best surprise for our first stop. Lady of the house, she was cheery and pleasant, her “brogue” so Scottish and amazing for us of ahem...no accent!  We had two rooms, one large three bed attic room with a lovely balcony overlooking the farm, and one down the hall where Louise and Jesse slept with double beds and their own bath.  Nothing fancy, but comfy and cozy, with nice comforters, towels and lovely little pots and cups for tea and coffee, I LOVED the coffee sets...want!


Rachel of course, was enamored by the farm, its chickens, small Banty hens about 1/2 size of a normal chicken. After last evenings late supper and then bed, we were raring to be off on another adventure, but not before having a full! And far too much, breakfast of egg, bacon, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, lots of toast with jam and of course, tea! Coffee too for those staying in American mode.

Mae rolled her eyes at our full intinerary, knowing Scotland far better than we did, but we were determined to do it all.

Our first stop was a bank- ending up at the Post Office to exchange money to pounds sterling at a rate of 1.5 to our dollar. Ouch.  Rachel, as she often does, forgot her purse so this was our second trip to the small town of Denny, passing through on our way to Falkirk and the Wheel. Not expecting much, going for Tim and the other men, we were pleasantly surprised to find it fascinating. The Gift Shop was a find as they introduced us to the Explorer Pass, allowing entry into many of our planned stops of the trip for a fee far less than if paid separately. I would definitely recommend it.



Second stop was the Falkirk Kelpies, also very cool. They were amazing, pictures do not do them justice, so stop and see them.

We changed drivers  to me, allowing Louise a chance to relax and look out. The backseat drivers were numerous with many sucked in breaths and closed eyes. Come on it wasn’t that bad!

Our next few stops were Outlander driven, a favorite show for most of us.... not all... lol. But Blackness Castle (I.e. Fort William) was very nice and well worth the time. Our next go.... (sigh) was Jamie Fraser’s home, Lallybroch, aka Mid Hope House, a ruin, in Rachel’s mind, but for Louise, Jesse, Leanna and I, we could see Jamie very well- standing beside the arched entry to the house. (Giggle... there it is... ) It was fun, and entertaining as well.


 

Blackness Castle ( aka Fort William)

MidHope House (aka Lollybroch)

The 3rd stop was Doune Castle -aka Castle Leoch. But alas, our GPS decided that Stirling Castle was a better choice.  This castle was probably my favorite, steeped in history, fought over and won by the Scottish, if eventually losing all to the British.  I would highly recommend this as one of the top things to do.  The view of the castle is awesome, the view from its ramparts lovely, on a good day you can see for miles. You can well appreciate the importance of this place.

Stirling Castle

Our next stop was the battlefield at Bannockburn, but without going into the information center, there was little to discern what had happened here. I still enjoyed it, envisioning my characters here, from my own story set in Scotland,  Return to the Highlands.

Bannockburn Battlefield 

We made it back in good time, ready for bed, and ready for another exciting day.

Day 1: Jessi’s Version

Okay, so a few years ago I had the unique privilege of touring the lovely country of Ireland with my mom, sister, and Aunt Cindy. Prior to that trip, my mom had visited the country with her sisters and even got a tattoo! (First one in her life, mind you. The start of the Trinity sisters). When she came back, it was Ireland this, Ireland that, let’s go eat here because it’s Irish yada yada yada. She totally fell in love with the country and embraced our Irish roots. She. Was. Obsessed. SMH. Fast foward to 2015 and it was MY turn to go. And guess what? It was love at first sight. I even got a tattoo and joined the Trinity Sisters! (Actually, I got two) What happened when I returned? It was Ireland this, and Ireland that, and let’s go eat here because they have Irish food. Let’s make our own Irish breakfast, and yes my family had to eat black pudding. (I didn’t tell them what was in it lol). I. Was. Obsessed. How could you not fall in love with such a beautiful place, rich with culture and history? I would live there if I could!

Now, it’s 2018 and I had been wanting to go to Scotland for some time. After some hard work, some good things happened in my life and my ‘reward’ was this trip. It didn’t hurt that I fell in love with the show Outlander, set in Scotland, and it’s landscape and backdrop. Two days here and I can tell you, Scotland is giving Ireland a run for its money.

After our 5ish hour long flight from JFK, we landed in Glasgow at 11ish am (around 6am back home). We picked up our rental car and SQUEEZED all six of us into it AND our luggage. I squeezed myself in the back because I broke the rules and brought an extra bag.

After we got on the road, we started making our way toward Finnich Glenn or The Devil’s Pulpit (which, to all you Outlander fans, is the Liar’s Spring where Dougal takes Claire to find out if she’s telling the truth about not being a spy. It was a bit tricky to get to though. We parked at the intersection where it told us to go and had to climb a fence. I would definitely recommend a good pair of walking shoes or hiking boots. The sign clearly state Caution, risk of death. We first began following the path to the left of the ravine because that was where we could see

other people walking. I think maybe they were as lost as we were? We got to the edge of the ravine, which was a long way down, where we could see people playing in the water, but definitely not a safe way down. Then, our group turned around and climbed the barbed wire fence still searching for a way to the spring. We followed several paths that seemed to be well worn thinking they’d lead the way, but to no avail. Everyone was about to give up and then I asked Google "How do you get down to the Devil’s Pulpit?" Good ol’ Google! Someone showed us the way! If you park at that intersection, follow the road down past the bridge and there is a spot that you can climb over. Then you follow the spring down a ways until you see a set of stone stairs. You can’t miss it! This is the part that needs good shoes. I do NOT recommend sandals

!

We braved the steps, very slowly as we let others come back up. As our party reached its destination and took in the view before us, I was in awe of the majestic beauty of this place. The moss-covered stone towered over us on all sides as the little spring bubbled past. I could imagine fairies floating among us. It was magical. We took off our shoes and waded in the cool water around the corner to see the waterfall that we could so clearly hear, but not see. Several locals swam in the chilly waters, so it was kind of crowded. Though the place was not as quiet as we’d have liked, it was no less a magnificent sight. Anyone visiting near Sterling, Glasgow, Edinburgh, it’s definitely worth the trip, and hike.
 

After that, we heading to our B&B, located in Denny, because jet-lag was finally catching up with us. Everyone wanted to unload the car, especially me, and get some dinner. Our first place was a dud, because they weren’t serving food that day. I’m not quite sure why, because I couldn’t understand the accent and felt bad asking her to repeat herself. So, we went on to search for another place. An older centleman saw us standing outside a bar and came out to bring us inside and when we got in they seemed so excited we were there and even shook our hands. However, it was smoky and they didn’t serve food. So we were on a hunt again. Another gentleman gave us advice, but we didn’t seem to understand each other and he even asked if we spoke English. He told us to go to the Zebra Crossing, which I stupidly thought was the name of a restaurant, Google explained otherwise. He meant for us to go down to the crosswalk. Another woman told us to go down to the Bread Gin, however, I totally messed that one up and looking at the map thought she meant the Beijing (which I did NOT want to eat). There was no Bread Gin. We were driving by and realized that she meant the Bridge Inn, so we stopped. If I were walking down the street and saw this little restaurant, with its sign not even readable and falling apart, I would have kept moving. However, my pregnant cousin was hungry and was not letting us get away with at least checking it out. LOL. I’m glad, though, because when you step inside, it was clearly redone at some point and was quite nice. What a relief! The gentleman who took our order was adorable and recommended the Steak Pie, so five of us ordered the steak pie. Haha! We had appetizers, on top of that! It was WAY TOO MUCH food, but it was delicious! I would definitely recommend going to eat there.

After that, we heading back to our B&B and most of us went straight to bed. It was strange though, because it was 10 o’clock and it was still daylight out. I almost put my eye mask on, but was waiting to FaceTime my family. It was a long day, and we didn’t see a lot, but what we did see, Finnich Glen, will forever be one of my favorite spots on earth! And that was just DAY 1! Day 2 had even more in store!