Day 3 - Loch YES!
We woke up in Fort William and braved a full Scottish Breakfast. Dianna choked down her back pudding while Dean went for the haggis after seeing me devour a plate of haggis, neeps & tatties the night before... that is, haggis with mashed turnips (not parsnips, oops!) and potatoes. sheesh, get your minds out of the gutter!
Good thing we were well nourished. That morning we set out to climb the highest peak in Scotland. Okay, so we only did the base of Ben Nevis, but it was so lovely we wished we'd planned to do the entire 6 hour hike. Instead we ventured north and spent the day cruising alongside famous Loch Ness and visiting some famous backdrops for the Harry Potter movies.
Dianna was determined to spot the Loch Ness Monster along the way, but MAN, those waters are black! I'm sure Nessie was quietly following us along the shore and we just couldn't see her.
We stopped midday to stretch our legs at one of Scotland's most infamous and photographed castles, Urquhart.
Inverness proved picturesque with an international flair, but was bustling with Runriggers (concert-goers, that is) so we were happy to fianlly check into our urban oasis, the Marriott. Our $400/night suite did not disappoint... initially. Finding a massive studio with a king size bed, 2 bathrooms and patio alongside a worldclass golf course, we figured we'd done quite well for ourselves. That is until Dianna discovered HER room—a glorified closet with two sets of bunk beds. oops.
That evening we met Sabrina, direct from London, at the Inverness train station and had a chill evening of Indian cuisine, indoor hottubbing and British mags.
Day 4 - Fruity passions and other highland failures
The next day Dianna was still harbouring high hopes of a Nessie encounter so the four of us ventured a step closer to monster territory with a wee Loch Ness boat cruise, which included another visit to Urquhart and an embarassing amount of rain (they call this summer?!) but alas, no Nessie.
Thoroughly drenched we opted out of a day in the city and found something off the beaten path—a castle-turned-winery with such unusual options as cherry wine (cough syrup anyone?), silver birch wine and good old fashioned mead (Beowulf's beverage of choice).
A home video introduced us to the castle's history—wherein some would-be actors depicted a sordid past of war, betrayal and incest. Fortunately, somewhere in the 19th century those darker passions, we were informed, gave way to "fruity passions!" Thus, Dean's newest catchphrase was born. The fruit wine was bad, but the unlimited tasting warmed us up and I couldn't turn down the novelty of purchasing a bottle of elderflower wine.
Onward to Culloden Battlefield where the last battle was fought on British soil and Bonnie Prince Charlie, a charming but ineffective Jacobite prince, lost 1200 men in 45 minutes (so much for Scottish independence). The site was equally dismal for us: soaked to the skin just to see a pile of rocks :(
We skipped the tour and moved on to our next destination, the small city of Elgin where we supped on a local dish: Cullen Skink. Fun to say, no? Cullen Skink! Actually just a soup of smoked fish and potatoes, we enjoyed talking about it more than actually eating it.
Finding a pub after dinner proved difficult and we finally stumbled upon the Ionic Bar. I liked the name and was tired of standing in the rain. We opened the door and I'm quite sure the music instantly stopped. I can say for sure that every head in the room turned towards us and the only sound was an 8-ball sinking into a pocket as all conversation came to a halt. It was a classic "you're-not-from-these-parts" movie scene, but I was determined to not let the locals get the better of me. I stepped up to the bar, placed my order and prayed that the scary men stopped sending menacing looks at Dean.
We made it out alive, but never fully at ease, after one drink and called it an early night.
Day 5 - Birthday hops
Poor pub selection aside, Elgin is actually a nice town. We spent the morning at its claim to fame, a stunning riverside cathedral, left in ruins by the reformation.
We then headed inland along the malt whisky trail to the Disneyland of Scotch: the Glenfiddich distillery.
Our final stop of the day was Slains castle — a breathtaking cliffside manor steeped in mystery and mud. An hour long treck slipping and sliding along a ravine led us there, but the payoff was well worth the efforts of travel. Brahm Stoker wrote Dracula in a room here. There is some talk of the owner converting the ruins to luxury flats... we'd be inclined to snatch one up :)
At the end of the day my twin sis and I celebrated 27 years well-lived, in the company of good friends in Abderdeen.
Thus the tour ends. Regular programming will return shortly.
3 comments:
just when I think you are starting to get the lingo (settee, trousers, carboot)...neeps are turnip!!!
Looks like a fab trip. Although the photos don't do the rain justice it doesn't look to wet in most of them!
Duly noted V! good to know someone's paying attention!
Great pictures! Thanks for the vicarious tour.
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