Highland High

April 9, 2009

 Wednesday began our 3-day tour of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye.  I’m almost speechless!  OK, not speechless but definitely awestruck.  We traveled from Edinburgh to Portree on the Isle of Skye yesterday, we toured the Isle today, and will return to Edinburgh tomorrow.  The scenery is breathtaking.  Shortly after leaving Edinburgh we were “in terrain”.  By that, I mean that the land was hilly and becoming mountainous.  In my mind I compared it to several places I’ve been.  It was like those places and yet totally unlike them.  For example, the land was formed by volcanic action followed by erosion.  The result is mountains that are somewhat soft in appearance.  They remond me of the Smokies but there are hardly any trees.  Te landscape also reminded me of New Mexico and the huge vistas with few trees but it isn’t dry.  I saw areas that looked like the Columbia River gorge…but not exactly.  I think I kept trying to relate it to something familiar and it was just different. 

I saw my first “heilan coo” (that’s "highland cow" with a Scottish accent).  His name is Haimish and he was much bigger than I expected.

We saw rivers and waterfalls, lush greenery, and sunlight!  It was a beautiful sunny day for most of the day.  The weather has been wonderfully cooperative for this trip.

 Thursday we toured the Isle of Skye.  In the morning, we toured the northeastern part of the Isle and in the afternoon, the northwest.  We went to Kilt rock in the rain.  The rain didn’t bother me; it just added to the feeling of wildness I felt looking at that rugged coastline.  There was a waterfall between where we stood and Kilt Rock.  The water was dropping from the cliff edge in a froth of white.  Beautiful!  We also went to another spot where we looked over the edge of the cliff to look down on the remains of a factory that was clinging to the base of the cliff.  The factory was built in the 1800’s and processed diatomaceous earth.  I don’t think it lasted long but I admire those who engineered the building of the factory and rail line in such a precarious place.  We visited Duntulum Castle—or what is left of it.  There are just a couple of walls left but it is a great location for a castle and the views from it were fantastic.

 Now for the highlight of our trip to Skye.  We went to the northwestern-most point of the island.  It is called Neist Point and we climbed up to a point where we could see the Neist Light.  The view was amazing; I stood looking out to sea and knowing that there isn’t anything but ocean between that point and Canada.  The sun was shining but the wind was blowing so strongly that the hood of my jacket cracked like thunder in my ears.  The ground was so saturated that even stepping carefully, my feet were soon soaked.  As we reached the top of the cliff, we could see water spraying up over the edge.  But, we were at least 300 feet above the water!  As I moved toward the edge, I could see where water had collected on a ledge of rock.  The spray was coming from the fierce wind blasting that small pool.  The spray did make a great picture as it blew across the top of the cliff and sparkling in the sun.  We looked down from our high perch to see the lighthouse far below.  The wind, the spray, and the view combined to make Neist Point one of the best stops of the tour.

 We got up Friday morning to begin our trip back to Edinburgh.  We had spent two nights in a very nice bed and breakfast.  Mrs. McFarlan was a lovely innkeeper and a good cook!  The bed and breakfast was call “Quirang” which Mrs. McFarlan told us was from Norse, not Gaelic.  I learned a lot on this trip and one thing was the strong influence the Vikings had on Scotland.

 Friday morning we visited Eilean Donan Castle.  It was mostly a reconstruction but a castle has been on that spot since the 13^th century.  We then went to Loch Ness—no monster visible.  When we were four hours out from Edinburgh there were a few things still to see but the trip was definitely winding down.  When I think back on this tour and look at my pictures, I’ll remember several things.  Everywhere we’ve gone, there have been sheep grazing.  They have been in ones, two, and flocks.  Some lying down, some grazing, and occasionally running to get away from our van as we interrupted their quiet day.  But I will always imagine the highlands covered with sheep. Another image is of small herds of Highland cattle.  Their shaggy coats and long horns are so distinctive.  Every mountain and hill had a frothy white line of water spilling down it's side.  I'm glad we went in the beginning of spring!

 One of my favorite memories from this trip will be listening to Celtic music while looking at the gorgeous landscape.  It’s the first tour I’ve taken that had a “soundtrack.”  Even better, the music truly fit the sights.  I think Celtic music will always bring back this time and the vistas we have seen.

 My last, but not least, memory will be of our driver/guide, Tony.  He has told wonderful stories to inform us of Scotland’s history.  He has the knack for storytelling, inserting enough humor to entertain while still leaving the listener better educated in Scottish history.  He truly helped make this trip memorable.

A Dream Realized

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

We are in Edinburgh, Scotland! 

I’ve been looking forward to this trip for a while.  So far, one day in, we’ve already had significant lows and highs.  First, we had to get up early for our flight and, of course, we both woke up earlier than we needed to.  Easel was dealing with adjusting from his trip to Russia.  I was probably just a bit excited about the trip.  (Little side note:  I have truly enjoyed living in Poland for the past 9-10 months but visiting Scotland was high on my lifetime list of places I want to visit.  So, I was excited as anyone would be to go on vacation but I was even more excited to visit a place that had held such a huge place in my heart and imagination for so many years.)

Easel’s colleague, Pawel, took us to the airport, which was very nice—at 5:30 am!  We got checked in, went through security and BOTH set off the metal detectors!  After we were both frisked—my first experience with a “pat down”—we were cleared to enter the waiting area.  Our flight was delayed on the ground because of heavy traffic in Paris.  That was bad news for us because we had very little time to change planes in Paris.  We landed close to the scheduled time, even with the delay, and proceeded to take a rolling tour of the runway system of DeGaulle Airport.  We finally stopped, deplaned, (don’t you love that word!) got on a bus, and continued the tour until we finally arrived at the airport terminal.  Unfortunately for us, our plane to Edinburgh was at another terminal!  We walked, climbed stairs, descended stairs, had our passports checked, and arrived at ANOTHER SECURITY STATION!  Apparently, we had left the secure area.  So we had to take off our jackets, load backpacks on the conveyor and then, naturally, we had to remove our shoes.  I made it through the metal detector (Easel was frisked again) but my shoes and backpack went through the x-ray machine 2, 3, 4 times!  Once I was able to grab my shoes, I was ready to run because we could hear our names being called and the announcement that it was the “final boarding call” for our flight.  But, as I started to run after Easel, a woman at a nearby desk called, “Madam!”  She wanted to open my backpack and look inside!  I just got off a plane, I just went through the x-ray machines, but I had to submit to a hand search of my bag.  Finally, she was done and we hustled toward our gate, shoelaces flapping.  Our gate was down more stairs.  A woman was by the stairs as we went down asking if we were the Roberts going to Edinburgh.  We made it on the flight but our one suitcase didn’t make it.

A baggage handler got on the computer and confirmed the bag was still in Paris.  “It should be on the next flight and to your hotel by 8:00.”

  We thought the suitcase was handled and went on into Edinburgh.  Our transport to the City Center was by double decker bus.  We went to the top and sat in the very front seat.  What a great view!  It was a flat-front bus so it was like flying low into town without a plane.  We checked in to the hotel, spent a few moments enjoying the view from our window, and left to explore.  By the way, the view from our room was of the Scott Monument and Edinburgh Castle.

  We found a place for lunch and then walked up to the Castle and paid our fee to get in.  We looked around a bit and then joined a guided tour.  The tour was good as an intro to what we could see inside the buildings.  Interesting:  in Poland, when we visited places like the Royal Castle in Warsaw, there were “guards” in every room.  In fact, every room had at least one guard and many had two.  In Edinburgh Castle, I saw a couple of “guards” but the only one who seemed to be stationed in one place, was the one in the room with the Honors of Scotland.  All the others I saw seemed to move around.

  I enjoyed visiting the Castle.  The views from the top of the castle mount are amazing.  Just as I did at every castle we’ve visited, I wondered again at man’s ability to build—without modern tools and technology—on top of hills/mountains.  The castle is made of stone, some parts were carved from the rock that forms the summit, but most of the rock had to be hauled in.  And carried up the hill.  And mortared in place.  Above sheer drops.  And all done without benefit of modern tools.  The power of a ruler is awesome if that power can command people to perform such works.  I felt moments of vertigo just looking down, I can’t imagine being that high and actually building the castle.

  The castle was amazing but for me, Edinburgh was equally amazing.  It would still be worth the trip for me if the Castle didn’t exist.  How do I explain my feeling?

  For years, I have read books set in England, Ireland, and Scotland.  In my imagination, I have visited these places.  Now, I’m in Scotland.  Edinburgh did not disappoint.  The buildings, streets, and “closes” all fit my imaginings.  I’m speaking of the Old Town part of Edinburgh in particular but the newer parts (some not all that new!) fit in well with my imaginings.

  As I told Easel, some of the “familiarity” may come from the fact that I’ve seen some of these buildings, or at least the style of these buildings, before.  Having not been to Europe, that sounds odd but you only have to look at the older buildings in an American town to see similar architecture!  Looking at the architecture made me feel at home, even though I won’t be home for a while, yet.  The differences really don’t seem to be any more than the usual differences between one town and the next!