Nessie

At breakfast today, we decided to eat even more of the huge Scottish breakfast and both thoroughly enjoyed the haggis pudding. It was not our first try of haggis on this trip, but I think it was our best. I'm not positive why it was called "pudding" although it was much less "patty-shaped."

We walked back into the little town of Fort William with a pedestrian High Street to put a little money back into the local community. We've really done well so far despite our many visits. Knowing that whatever we buy must be carried with us for another month has helped to curb our shopping desires!

We drove a little northeast and stopped in the small bustling town of Fort Augustus. Today was an absolutely gorgeous day, especially after what we experienced yesterday. There were blue skies, warm sunshine and temperatures in the mid-70s. What a perfect day for a boat ride! We looked at a couple different options and decided to go with the fast boat. This small, 12-15 passenger boat was practically just a large inflatible boat with a big motor. Our captain said it was the first day all year he was able to wear a t-shirt out on the water. Perfect timing for us!

The captain obviously enjoyed his job, and the sunshine as he sped up to cliff sides, circled large boats just to jump over their wakes and enjoyed showing off the speed of the boat. 

The first mate on the boat told us a bit about the Loch Ness and the surrounding area as we rode along. I was particularly fascinated by some of the facts of the vastness of this lake and all the unknowns it still holds. The lake is quite long, but it's the depth that is even more impressive. The lake is so deep in fact that more people have been to the moon than have been to the bottom of the lake. The lake holds more fresh water than all the fresh water in England and Wales combined. The world's population, three times over, could be submerged in the lake. Particles of pete cloud the water so much that a few yards down, even powerful flashlights can't help you see all too far ahead of you. Even though the lake is a good supplier of fish, no one even knew of one type of fish in the lake until the 1980s, despite the fact that people had called this lake home for centuries upon centuries. No wonder there are legends of a great creature living in its depths. Our guide on the boat said most locals believe there are very large fish that can grow as large as the boat we were riding in. Amazingly enough though, after a few rounds in the boat, we spotted Nessie:

Also on our journey, we spotted some mountain goats just relaxing by the shore. Apparently they come down from the mountain side in the spring to have and raise their young. Know why? Sure, to escape from predators, but this country is greatly lacking in predators, so, do you know who they're hiding from? Eagles. Picture how big those birds must be to be able to carry off young goats! Wow!

Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area and the land, so I continued probing him about the wildlife. As it turns out, there are talks of reintroducing wolves to the area because the deer population has grown so heavily. It is apparently well documented that the last wolf in this area was killed in the 1700s and there were even bears, but those were hunted off the land centuries before.

On the way back to the dock, the captain once again tested the speed of the boat, but this time let us sit in the tubing on the side of the boat, while of course holding firmly to the inside. What fun to enjoy the warm sunshine, a boat ride, and the wind in my hair (despite the later knots), almost like being home, just here with no desire to get in the frigid water.

Back in the small town, like many around, we decided to take advantage of the water. We got sandwiches and sat on the grass by the system of locks. Before we left, we watched the complicated system hard at work. Levels of complicated locks help to raise and lower boats from the level of the lake to the level of the river.

We continued on our journey, thankfully spotting a few more of the lovely hairy cows we had long sought out. They must think their best side is their backside as that was often the side they tended to show us.

The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition was our next stop. This museum, although the idea may seem funny or even ironic to have such a museum about a monster, it is really quite fascinating. The museum is full of scientific information that supports the fact that the lake still holds secrets due to its depth and lack of clarity, so who knows what may actually be there.

Our home tonight is in Inverness, a fast growing city on the northeast end of Loch Ness. The city is actually not that old, so it does not hold as many historical sites as so many of its Scottish neighbors, but that does not mean it doesn't hold beauty of its own. On our way to dinner tonight, walking past the pedestrian High Street, we suddenly heard a beautiful sound, common only I'm afraid to Scotland. We were surrounded by a band of bagpipes parading toward us. Oh, how I love this country!

After dinner, we walked down to the river to watch the sunset (yes, after dinner, because remember sunset is not until after ten). The views of the beautiful sky were perfect over the river and this beautiful city. We went for one more drink at a local spot well-known for its music: Hootenanny, where we got to hear another local band before heading back to our hostel. Tomorrow, another city and another adventure.

Clouds

As a child, I loved watching Peter Pan as he bounced from cloud to cloud, wondering what it would be like to be in a cloud. Even as I flew through clouds, I'd look out the airplane window as the big puffy clouds passed by, wishing to jump on them and fall on them as you would a feather pillow. Today, I spent much of my day in the clouds, and sadly, they are not like what I had hoped.

Two years ago, Jessica and I climbed Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, together. We decided that on this trip, we should conquer the highest peak in Scotland, Ben Nevis. In the UK, there is a popular challenge called the Three Peak Challenge where participants run up the three highest peaks in each of the countries in Great Britain in 24 hours. Jessica and I have no desire to do that, but instead hope to complete the three peak challenge over the course of several years. Snowdon, our first climbing experience was quite a challenge. It was steep, rocky and often a very difficult climb. We were rewarded with beautiful views, most of the way up the three hour climb despite cloud cover at the very top. There were bathrooms half-way up and  a cafe at the top where people who cheated and road the train up could also enjoy refreshments. 

Today was not like that. The weather forecast today was not great: chilly, drizzle and cloudy. But as travelers, we only had one day where we could climb. We prepared with our waterproof pants, our raincoats, hats, gloves, and waterproof backpack covers and headed to the visitor's center for more information. The kind gentleman at the center showed us a map of our trail complete with photos of landmarks and warnings of the top of the mountain where snow covered the ground, clouds may make visibility near nothing and sheer cliffs on both sides were not far off the path. Sure, seems safe enough.

The beginning part was quite steep, climbing over large rocks that were especially difficult for our shorter legs. We made it to the first landmark, a bridge in about one hour, meaning we were on track to take four hours to the top.

Soon after this landmark, we were faced with even larger rock steps and a quite dramatic drop to the right. Not a sheer cliff, but a large grassy hill where sheep were grazing, making the climb appear very easy. It was here that the clouds set in and our views turned to white. We could see about fifty feet ahead of us, but it was not as light and fluffy as Peter Pan had made it appear. Instead it was a heavy drizzle with gusty winds. The stairs and the heavy drizzle were relentless, but so were we. At one point, it did flatten out a bit, but the rain was blowing sideways and made walking, and visibility, quite difficult. 

The climb was not at all crowded, but thankfully there were enough people on the trail to make us feel a bit safer and know that we were on the right track.

Eventually, we made it to the second landmark, the halfway point: a waterfall with precarious rocks for crossing. Nevertheless, making it to the halfway point revived us and gave us a boost of energy knowing we were on track and making good time.

But then, there were no more markers until near the top. And it was cold, and white and windy and drizzly. We stopped at about 2/3 of the way up and hid beside a large rock for some nourishment and to add a layer. 

The part after the waterfall was rocky, sometimes small slippery rocks, sometimes larger ones that would wobble if not stepped on properly. Besides the cold fog, the nothingness, lack of greenery, and void of living things reminded me of Mordor as Sam and Frodo climbed the last steps to destroy the ring. No, of course our journey was no where near as long nor as treacherous as theirs, but in the moments when my loss of energy would set in, I felt like those hobbits.

Thankfully though, we passed more and more people coming down the mountain, giving us words of encouragement of, "You're nearly there." Before stepping onto the snow, we saw our first landmark: a column of stone obviously man made. These stone columns act as a lighthouse, a beacon to weary travelers. When Jessica and I went hiking in Arches National Park last July we took a path in the desert that was not the one most traveled. Paths on solid rock are hard to follow as there are no trails and no footprints. After much too long we realized that the little piles of stacking stones were meant to be our guides through the desert heat. Different extreme here, but the same sort of comfort in seeking out the next one.

After just a couple of these such markers we were alternating between walking on snow and over rocks. Then, the clouds were so thick and the next marker so far away that we suddenly felt utterly lost. Our stubborn nature though would not let us halt that close to the top. We decided to separate, one of us staying near the marker we could see, and the other, staying within earshot and view but looking for the next marker. Knowing that the sheer cliffs on either side were only yards away, we made sure to stay in the middle and not venture anywhere near the edges.

Thankfully, I spotted the next marker, and from then on, we could always see the next marker. After climbing over some tricky rocks like coral in the sea, and walking through snow, we finally came upon the summit. We knew it was the summit due to the small crowd and the feeling of elation all around us. We quickly joined in on the celebrations by posing with the final column marking the peak, making snow angels and throwing snowballs with the ten yards thick of snow surrounding us. 

Climbing to the peak was truly a challenge, one I'm not sure we were fully prepared for, but the elation in reaching the top, completing such a challenge is truly exhilarating. 

With new found energy, we chose to follow the Highlanders down, deciding that any man who made it up the mountain in a kilt probably knew what he was doing. They were much faster than we were, but they did help lead us back to the path that we had somehow diverted from a bit on our way up. 

This time, when we came upon the large expanse of snow, unable to see the next marker, the footprints of fellow travelers were easier to find, although the hillside was still slippery in our tennis shoes. How to solve that problem? Of course, sit on your bum and scoot down the hill. Not only was it much easier, but it was much more entertaining as well. 

With new found energy and confidence we bounded down the mountainside in brand new, dry socks. About a third of the way down, the skies opened up and we were suddenly able to see all that we had missed on the way up. The stunning views were worth the climb!

It was amazing how different the landscape appeared to be. We had walked hours through clouds and suddenly the world was blue and green again. On our travels up we had passed just a few yards away from a lake that we had no idea was even there. We saw other mountain peaks, the town in the distance, sheep dotting the landscape and the huge expanse of rocky hillside that we were climbing down. We passed a fellow traveler headed up whistling "The Sound of Music," a truly fitting tune for this journey.

Our energy wanned and the climb down became equally as challenging as up, possibly due to our jelly-legs. We expected to be down the mountain in about three hours, but the mountain path seemed to get longer and longer. Struggling to climb down large rocks without slipping made us wonder how we had ever made it up in the first place. Finally, after four hours, the flat path into the car park reappeared and we were able to make it back to the visitor's center minutes before it closed in order to purchase our much deserved, "I Climbed Ben Nevis" t-shirts. 

https://youtu.be/Pu9I943voSk

After a couple hours of sitting and some much-needed bathing, we rewarded ourselves to a short walk into town and a delicious dinner at the Grog and Gruel.

Now Jessica and I are back in the sitting room of our adorable B&B, Guisachan House, overlooking the town of Fort William and the loch below, happy as two little larks. Not only are we happy with our accomplishments of the day, but we cat lovers have made a new friend in Sam, the gracious host who kindly allows his guests to pet him and even stroke his belly! 

A Scottish Day

The rain drizzled on our skylight as we awoke this morning to the smell of sausages cooking downstairs. The big breakfasts at B&Bs have been lovely!

Since we had spent our last two days out and about, we hadn't had any real time (besides dinners) to enjoy the cute harbor town of Portree where we've been staying. Knowing that we were in no real rush today, we strolled around town and visited a few shops, but were disappointed as several were closed on Sunday, a thought which hadn't crossed our minds. Oh well, that probably just meant we weren't spending the money we don't really have anyway!

We ventured south again and before leaving the island we thankfully discovered one of the things that had been eluding us: Highland cows. These hairy creatures are a Scottish emblem on every postcard stand and every calendar of Scotland. Hair hangs over their faces, hiding their eyes, but not their long Texas-style horns. We both love these lumbering creatures and had planned to see lots of them on the island (they're on all the postcards), but despite the fact that locals said how common they were, we had yet to spot any. The lady in the shop this morning told us where to look out for them on our drive off the island. Sure enough, we found them, surrounded by a crowd of American tourists with big lenses. Thankfully, they cooperated quite nicely for the photo shoot, but unfortunately the rain did not.

We went a different way off the island than the way we arrived. This time by bridge rather than ferry. A smooth transition into the mainland and then we came across this:

Truly one of the most gorgeous settings for a castle I've seen yet. And we happened to catch it with blue sky behind it! We ran about from viewpoint to viewpoint before the fast moving clouds dared to take away our blue skies. We've learned that you can't count on them sticking around for long so to take advantage of them while you can. This castle, although it appears medieval is actually only about 100 years old. There had been some sort of castle here for several hundred years, but it was destroyed in the 1700s and rebuilt by an heir in the early 1900s. I must say though, they did an excellent job. The castle, in great shape and obviously well taken care of, resembles ones much older in style, character and even the nooks, crannies and narrow spiral staircases throughout the castle. Inside each bedroom there was a small window seat or reading nook, giving each room character and a homey feel. The kitchen, complete with mannequins and realistic looking food helped us picture how busy the kitchen may have once been, like the downstairs of Downton Abbey.

A great stopping point on the route, we drove on through the Highlands on the quiet, curvy road with many a pullouts to observe the scenery. At one such pull off, at the top of a hill, overlooking lakes below and surrounding hills and mountainsides, a young man, dressed in a kilt played the bagpipes. Had we been at home in the states, we would have called him crazy. Here, seeing someone at a pull off no where near civilization instead seemed like an ingenious plan by the tourism board. In fact, I think it was just his idea as his open case in front of him was filling up quickly with appreciation.

We came into Fort Williams and found the visitor's center where we went to enquire about our hopeful adventure for tomorrow: attempting to climb a mountain. Although the weather forecast is not great, we don't really have another choice, so after purchasing some extra waterproof essentials we checked into our precious B&B with a friendly host before heading back to a pub for dinner.

I thought I had never been to Fort William before, but while walking the High Street, I had quite the feeling of déjà vu. I realized that when I was over here teaching and my cousins, Mack and Stephanie came to visit for Easter break, we stopped at a pub in town for lunch on our way from Loch Ness to Oban. So, for sentimental reasons, we returned to the same pub for some steak and ale pie nourishment.

I'm not sure I could have had a more Scottish day: drizzle, Highland cows, a castle, sheep, bagpipes, kilts, and steak and ale pie. What a glorious country!

Fairy Delightful Day

With another busy day ahead of us, trying to squeeze in so many beautiful sites, we got going full force this morning and headed to Elgol in the southern part of the island. It is here that everyone says has the best views of the Cuillin Hills. We went with the desire to take a boat out to the outer islands to see some wildlife such as dolphins, whales and puffins, but sadly, poor weather had settled in, so they canceled the boats that were headed out, but still offered boat rides into the interior lake. We had driven all that way, so why not? We paid for the three hour tour (a three hour tour) and boarded our open air boat. Then it started raining. We were quite wet, but thankfully the rain didn't settle in. We had about 45 minutes into the lake, during which our captain gave us facts about the surrounding areas and outer islands. We got to see another seal colony; they are so cute and oh so curious. They were so funny to watch wobble about on land, not nearly as graceful as they are under water.

The boat dropped us off where a river drained into the inlet of water, vowing to return in an hour and a half. Apparently it is the shortest river in the world connecting an interior lake with the ocean water beyond. We wandered over rocks, across mud piles and onto grassy spots with lovely scenery, reminding me of the fiords of New Zealand. 

The weather was not great and continued to be spotty, and we were not in our wellies so we did not go as far as we could have. But we enjoyed some great views and some good stories of leaning up against boulders while trying to escape the blowing sheets of rain. After hot chocolate and a shortbread cookie on the boat and a short ride back mostly in the sunshine, we were refreshed and on to the next adventure. 

Despite the fact that neither of us like whiskey, we found it necessary, while in Scotland on the Isle of Skye, to visit the island's only distillery. It was a quick stop, but nevertheless something we needed to do.

Next, after just two U-turns, we made a quick stop at the Fairy Pools, a beautiful land formation where a river runs down a shallow canyon forming little pools with clear water nearly perfectly blue in color. 

We ran back, literally, to the car, hoping to get back to the launderette before closing time. Thankfully we made it back with enough time, but the adventure didn't stop there. Soon after the dryers started, they stopped. Thankfully, the man running the hostel/launderette was kind enough to ask the hostel next door if we could use their private dryers. So, after carrying our wet clothes across the parking lot, we were able to dry our clothes, but it took longer than expected... And remember how restaurants close at 9? Well, I ran around town like the ball in a pin ball machine asking restaurants what time they closed until deciding take away fish and chips would be the best bet. Our luxury dinner on the floor of the hostel laundry room was delicious and well-worth the clean laundry. Great ending to this "fairy" perfect day!

Skye

After a delicious breakfast at our Pink Guest House B&B, we headed off to see as much as we could see. Although crossing over the island was less than 15 miles, the one-lane road with passing spots crowded with sheep took quite a while to get across. And there was a wrong turn that took us down a very muddy, pot-holed one lane road. So, despite our early start, our first stop was not until nearly midday.

Heist Point Lighthouse was a lighthouse seemingly at the end of the world. We parked in a fog-filled parking lot and were only able to see the lighthouse after traveling about 1/4 mile deeper into the fog. The lighthouse itself was a bit disappointing, but the views from it were amazing, despite the surrounding fog.

Dunvegan Castle, just a little ways up the road, was the next stop on our tour of the northern part of the island. The castle itself was a bit of a let down. We chose the tickets that were just for the gardens as there was still much for us to do, but the castle, in comparison to many we have and will see is very new and as such is missing the wonderful charm that goes with buildings that have been around for centuries. The gardens were lovely, complete with a couple waterfalls, but that was not the best part. We paid a few pounds extra and went out on a small wooden boat with four other people to go and look at a nearby seal colony. Not only did our small boat get within feet of beautiful wild seals, some under a week old, but the sky opened up and blue skies appeared. It was glorious! Our boat captain even joked, "Oh, that's blue sky? I had always wondered what it was." Sunshine is a rarity here and we weren't about to waste it. We ran back to the car, hoping to get to the Quiraing while the sun was still gracing us with her gorgeous face.

Sort of like the Dingle Peninsula, Skye has a well-known, beautiful peninsula that is a popular drive for visitors to see. In the middle of the peninsula is a place called the Quirang where there are interesting rock formations and gorgeous sweeping scenery. The road to get there was another one lane road with passing points and the small parking lot was overflowing with police cars and a filming crew. So, we drove past it looking for a spot, then came to an incredibly steep hill before an opportunity to turn around. The next few minutes were quite stressful: car stalled while trying to turn around, reversing up the hill to make way for a bus, climbing a steep one-lane-two-way hill and searching for parking. But we did not give up, and for that, I'm very thankful. 

We did not know exactly what we were getting into, but we thought the hike was one where you traveled as far as you wanted and then turned around. That was correct, but that's all we knew. 

Somewhere on our drive the bright blue sky disappeared. There was still some light and patchy sunshine, but not what we were hoping for. It was not needed, even with grey skies, the landscape is unmatchable. I've been fortunate enough to travel to some beautiful places, but I think I may have just topped my list. Glacier National Park, Austria countryside, the magical Denali National Park, the South Island of New Zealand are stunning, breathtaking scenes, but the Quirang on the Isle of Skye is uniquely breathtaking. There are no snow-capped mountains in the background like there are in many of the others, just lush green, but wow. Just wow.

Our walk was a bit precarious: just a narrow path etched into the side of a steep rocky hill where we had to cross over waterfall run offs and like driving, when people headed our way, we had to find a passing point to step to the side. But the views seemed only to get better. Sunshine continued to be spotty, but at least there was no rain.

We stopped at one point to watch a sheep dog below do his job and round up the sheep and escort them into another area. It was after that that the obscurity ensued. After one herd of sheep were ushered out, another was ushered in, only these were no ordinary sheep, they were wearing tiny billboards made to look like homes, hotels, and airplanes. Remember I had said a film crew was taking up the parking? (Understandable in such a gorgeous spot. One of my favorite films, Stardust had several scenes shot here.) Well, as we had walked onto the trail, there were several tents set up to the side with lots of people and equipment set up for filming. There was also one sheep dressed up with an airplane "outfit" over him. 

Since a cloud began heading our way and it was getting later in the day, we turned around on the trail, crossing small creeks on precarious rocks and looking down the steep hillsides with caution. We asked some of the film crew what they were filming. When you see a commercial for Kayak (the travel booking company) with dressed up sheep, think of me and know I was there watching the filming!

Almost immediately upon our return to the car, some of the clouds broke and blue sky appeared over the gorgeous scenery we had just left behind because of clouds. Of course. Thankfully, there was a pull off on our drive out that allowed for a few quick photographic opportunities. The clouds here move incredibly quickly and we are finding that the weather, although it is not extreme, is highly unpredictable.

We took advantage of some blue skies though and drove around the peninsula a bit more, stopping at a rock formation on the sea wall that resembles a kilt, a waterfall and the Old Man of Storr, a unique rock formation. 

At one of our stops, the sheep were close to us and especially picturesque, but man they are stubborn little creatures. They had a tendency to stare at us until our cameras moved, then they quickly dropped their head to eat or turned their bums on us. Thankfully, we got a couple shots of the cute little stubborn guys, though, despite their uncooperativeness.

Most restaurants stop serving food at 9, so that is a good goal for us. Tonight, eleven hours and over 20,000 steps later, we made it back in town just in time to change and get to a tasty local spot for dinner. I had a burger of local beef, Brie, bacon and onion rings. Delicious!

Highlands

This morning, I awoke to a bright room and birds chirping then discovered it was just after 4am... The farther north we go, the shorter night time we have. Thankfully, I went back to sleep.

I did wake up in enough time this morning though to go for a wee walk around the sleepy little village as it began to wake up this morning. I walked through the town (about 1/4 of a mile) and down to some docks on the small loch. One of my favorite aspects of the lake is the Isle of Discussion where disagreeing parties were ferried to and not returned to the main land until their arguments were settled. (Can we get one of these at school?) Glencoe is a very small town, one road and one small loop road. A wee primary school, a pub, a village hall, and mini market compose almost the entire village besides the influx of Bed and Breakfasts thanks to its excellent location in the Highlands.

On my way back to our own B&B (Callart View was great!), I watched as a young deer crossed over the rocks in the creek that ran through town. Just a reminder of the serene setting I found myself in this morning.

We enjoyed a delicious full Scottish breakfast this morning, the perfect start to a full, busy day.

Our first stop was the Glencoe Visitor's Centre just a mile up the road where we would get advice on a walk we could do. The center was in a nice area, so our first walk was actually around there, just a short wander to get a taste of the scenery.

We opted for a walk that seemed to have great views, but wouldn't be too long nor too wet for our tennis shoes: Devil's Staircase. It was a strenuous 45 minutes of up, but it was so well worth it. The hike took us to a ridge that overlooked another valley and another view of mountains in Scotland's Highlands region. We enjoyed the challenge, but the views even more so.

The hike down was much less strenuous, and we were soon on our way to another adventure. Our drive north took us alongside the train tracks of a well-recognizable train: the train Harry Potter took to Hogwarts. We only saw the train briefly, but thankfully, we saw some other sites along the way. One national park along the way boasts being a Harry Potter filming locations, so of course we Harry Potter fans had to stop. The lake and its surrounding steep mountains was  apparently often used as the location of Hogwarts and behind the lake, the train tracks ran over a picturesque bridge that could also be seen in the films.

After hoping the train would come as we watched the bridge, we realized we needed to book it to make it to the ferry we had reserved. Thankfully, our little car did beautifully and the ferry was much more laid back about timing than it claimed on the website. A short 30-minute ferry across a cloudy, drizzly channel and we were on the Isle of Skye!

I am so very excited to be on this glorious island and after listening to the helpful young lady at the tourist information, we could stay here all week and still not see everything. The Isle of Skye is a relatively small island, home to about 12,000 hardy, friendly people and even more sheep. It took us about an hour to drive north from the southern port to our home for the next three nights in Portree. Along the way, just like in Scotland's mainland Highlands, we were wowed by the incredible scenery and fabulous bagpipes thanks to the local Gaelic radio station. Large inlets of water surrounded by mountains of rocky cliffs and rolling hills that seem as though one day rocks fell from the sky rather than rain. There were water falls, rock formations, highland cows, and fluffy sheep.

After a delicious fish dinner, we wandered back to our lovely harbor "home," The Pink Guest House just as the sun was setting, about 10:30.