Dornie, Eilean Donan, and Flodigarry - May 3, 2010

Had a delicious breakfast overlooking the castle we're about to visit, Eilean Donan. That's my Dad, Aunt Becky, and Mom in the photo, with the castle visible through the window. Watching the new, gorgeous day dawn on the castle right before our eyes only served to enhance our anticipation.
(Click the pics for Hi-Res.)

Had a lovely chat with a couple who were also staying at our B&B, and then headed out for a tour of the castle. We got there before they opened for the day, so I found a quiet spot near the loch and sat alone in the pleasantly chilly air, happy to be exactly where I was.

The Castle has had an exciting history, given its strategic location at the meeting of three lochs. To quote their website:

Although first inhabited around the 6th century, the first fortified castle was built in the mid 13th century and stood guard over the lands of Kintail. Since then, at least four different versions of the castle have been built and re-built as the feudal history of Scotland unfolded through the centuries.

Partially destroyed in a Jacobite uprising in 1719, Eilean Donan lay in ruins for the best part of 200 years until Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911 and proceeded to restore the castle to its former glory. After 20 years of toil and labour the castle was re-opened in 1932.

We weren't able to take pictures inside, so you'll just have to go see it for yourself. It's very well cared for by a friendly staff that clearly loves the place even more than the guests do. There are spyholes in the banqueting hall, fascinating recreations of food and cooking practices from the 1930's in the kitchen, and bedrooms fitted out as they would have been in earlier days, complete with little nooks and crannies and stairways to other places in the castle. It was a great day with beautiful weather (a brief spell of grey mist only embellished the scene).


I can never pass up a gift shop, but this time Mom and Dad got more goodies than I did. Dad got a vest, mom got table linens, and I looked for warmer weather clothes that I can wear at home, but only ended up getting some postcards and a cling sticker for my car.

From there, we traveled on to Skye, stopping at the T.I. for some info. The mountains are getting even higher, but there are still sporadic sheep dotting the hillsides. Mom, Aunt Becky, and I resist no opportunity to point every one of them out.

Lunched at a cafe, enjoying the cool and clear weather. We've been so lucky on this trip, that any wet weather has been light and/or brief.
<---SHEEP!
Right in the center of this photo is a tall, slim rock formation called the Old Man of Storr, to the left of it, the larger formation, is called The Storr.

We decided to take the bridge to the Isle of Skye, and on the way back, we'll take the ferry. Heading through the beautiful, stark landscape we finally arrived at Flodigarry Country House. I realized as we got there, that the houses might not be so sparsely spread out as I first thought, because Flodigarry is somewhat hidden from the road, down the hill a bit, and separated from the road by a wooded drive (and more sheep).

The main house is simply gorgeous - lots of wood, plaid, and stuffed game, with a welcoming tray of whisky just inside the entrance. I could see would really like it here!
The house overlooks the bay, from high on a hill. Their website states that it is a popular spot for outdoor activities - hiking, climbing, fishing, swimming (brr!), biking, etc. - and I believe it! Some day I want to come back here and stay a lot longer.

Mom & Dad's room is in the main house, and Aunt B and & I are in the Flora McDonald cottage - named for the Highland heroine who played a part in Scottish history by helping "Bonnie" Prince Charlie escape following his defeat at Culloden moor. She lived in the cottage for several years, and the larger adjacent house was built about a hundred years later by an ancestor of hers.

After settling in to our cosy cottage room, I enjoyed a nice warm bath in the Victorian-style cast-iron tub, then Aunt B and I joined Mom and Dad for a wee dram of whisky and a chat in the sunroom before dinner. It was impossible to hide how simply happy we all were to be here and in each others' company.
For dinner, I had the langoustines, a native variety of what look exactly like crawfish to me, but were less salty, perhaps due to the method of preparation. After dinner, we all retreated to our respective rooms, and I took my laptop over to the big house to partake of the wi-fi signal, which apparently can only be had in the lobby. I stayed there until well after dark, and quietly made my way back to the cottage. The house was so pretty at night, the ground damp and the air cool, that I dared to stray from the path a bit to enjoy the liberating feeling of solitary exploration of the grounds after dark before snuggling into my warm bed right by the dormer window in the attic room.

Culloden Moor, Loch Ness, Dornie 05-02-10

Breakfasted at Westbourne House, including some lovely homemade shortbread made by our hostess, Nan. Following Mom's devil-may-care, let-serendipity-reign attitude, she asked me to find some possible B&Bs online last night to stay in tonight. Fortunately, her amazing luck was with us, and the first one we called had room for us!
(the memorial stone of Clan Fraser on Culloden Moor)
Left for Culloden Moor, and arrived for a 10am guided tour of the historic site of the final battle of the 1746 Jacobite Uprising. On the way in, I happened to notice Gerard Butler's donor stone. (squee!)
Our guide at the site was passionate about his subject, without being overly dramatic, and the weather was appropriately misty and cold. He very evocatively described the scenes of the battle - the events leading up to it, who stood where, Hoe many there were, how long it lasted, and the desolation of the battlefield at the end of the fight. One wall of the visitor centre was built in such a way as to illustrate the considerable loss of life on the Jacobite side, vs. that of the English, or government side. (click on the photo to see the details.)
The visitor centre was clear and thorough, and when we finished our tour, there were some ladies demonstrating how to turn freshly shorn sheep's wool into warm winter socks and sweaters. I was in heaven. But we couldn't stay - we were heading to Clava Cairns - a medieval burial site (said to have inspired events in Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series of novels).

By the time we got there, the weather had cleared up, and since Mom, Dad, and I had all read the series, we really enjoyed wandering around the area where it all began. I kept going back and forth through the cleft in the stone to see if anything happened - if I went back in time 200 years to find my true love: a handsome, strong, educated, fierce and loving Scottish warrior with red hair, but alas. T'was not to be. Maybe if I go back near an equinox or something...

It was a lovely area for a picnic, but since we'd eaten already, we moved on toward Loch Ness.
The loch (lake) was vast and calm, and I could tell that Dad was aching to get on a boat and go out on it to fish. I wanted to get in a small sub and look for Nessie. We stopped at the Official Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition (not to be confused with the Original Loch Ness Monster Exhibition Center, which is completely different - update: they've now changed their names to Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition & Nessieland Castle Monster Centre, respectively.) and watched the film and walked through the center. It was interesting enough, and well put-together, but basically we spent $10 each to find out that it's unlikely that Nessie ever existed. Maybe if we'd gone to the other center, we could have gotten the other viewpoint, or at least a photo by the Nessie sculpture.

Continuing on, we came upon the ruin of Urquhart Castle, but since we'd spent (wasted?) so much time at the exhibition center, we had no more time to tour the castle. We stopped briefly for pics, but if given the choice again, I'd pick the tour of Urquhart over Nessie.

Continuing westward, the hills became starker and steeper. The heather is a rusty brown this time of year, and fewer sheep can be seen. (I'm sure Dad's relieved not to keep hearing "SHEEP!" every 3 seconds.) We stopped at Dornie for the night, at the perfectly situated Donan House, directly across from Eilean Donan castle. Mom and Dad's room has a stunning view of the castle, which is beautifully lit at night. Our host was patient with us Americans, and very kind. Considering we'd only booked the room this morning, I'd say we couldn't have been more lucky!
(view of Donan House from Eilean Donan Castle)
Dornie is the pretty village that faces the point where three lochs meet, and we had dinner there at the Dornie Hotel. I had some more haggis, with 'neeps and tatties, and Mom said that her dinner was the best she's had in Scotland so far - and that's saying something! After dinner, we strolled around the grounds of the castle, casting long shadows against the walls from the lights surrounding it. We can't wait to tour it tomorrow, and when I got back to the B&B, I "friended" the castle on Facebook. They have lots of photos, one of which "cheekily" proves that their kilted guides dress in the traditional manner. Suddenly, I'm looking forward to that tour even more!

Inverness 5-01-10

We spent a leisurely morning in Pitlochry, a lovely town that's known for its hiking trails and big with outdoorsy types. I'd love to have more time to explore the area, but we're headed out this afternoon for Inverness.
Dad and I walked around the town, and I bought a couple of soft, warm wool sweaters and a hat to keep the rain off my head. It was nice to just stroll for a bit, with no hurry to get anywhere or do anything by a particular time. When we got back to the B&B, Mom wanted to go to the post office, so I gladly headed back out for a short walk with her. We stopped in at Heathergems, where they make "stones" out of the stems of the heather plant, and fashion them into jewelry and gifts.
We left Pitlochry around noon and got to Inverness around 2. Stopped at a roadside info center, got some maps, souvenir bath powder (smells of highland heather), and a recommendation of a pub to get a late lunch. Checked into our B&B, where the rooms are named for famous Scots -"Bruce," "Hamilton," McGillivray," etc.
We crossed the scenic pedestrian bridge over the River Ness to the town center and strolled around a bit, stopping to shop in a cute Victorian-style market area. But for the most part, we were unimpressed. To us, it seemed like a place that was probably pretty hip and jumping about a decade ago, but hadn't had a good clean and spiff-up since. I think we would've been happier to stay a bit longer in Pitlochry.

On the plus side, I found out that Inverness is where Karen Gillan (aka. Doctor Who's companion Amy Pond) is from. Also, it was apparently a big football (soccer) night, so maybe the majority of the population was at the match.
Dad and I decided that we simply couldn't wait for breakfast to eat again, so set out on foot in search of food. It was not easy to find. The restaurants we came to were either full, or had stopped serving, but we finally found a pub that was kind enough to find us a small table. I think we probably looked pretty pitiful by then. There weren't many menu choices still available by then, and since the place was so crowded, it took a while for the food to be ready, but we finally did get something warm and satisfying.