I have always been in love with Scotland. Something about the rugged countryside; the cool nip of the air; and those warm, rolling accents. There is also the whisky, and the toffee. When you're in Scotland - everyone wants to be Scottish. The Scots have a deep sense of pride - they are lovers and fighters, and know how to have a good time. I've been to Scotland often enough, and read enough scottish literature - to be excited every time I return. Every other word becomes 'wee,' and 'bonnie' is inserted at every given opportunity. Let me provide an example: on arrival into Edinburgh, after finding a camping ground surrounded by tall oak trees, and heading into the city centre, wrapped in as many layers as I could manage (as it's only 15 degrees, despite it being summer), glancing up at Edinburgh Castle, flanking the city streets - I couldn't help but exclaim: "Aaaaah - she's a bonnie wee place, is Scotland." And off we went in search of haggis...
Haggis, whilst slightly unpleasant sounding (a sheep's stomach stuffed with ground sheep's heart, liver, lungs, oatmeal, onion, and seasoning) - is actually really yummy, and not to be missed when visiting Scotland. Often served with 'neeps' and 'tatties' (mashed swede and potatoes) - you can also find it on most cafe menus - on top of toast or a jacket potato, or with salad. Our haggis came without the sheep stomach, thankfully! - and was more like a delicious mince stew, with a healthy dollop of mashed spuds on the top. Full of the stuff that would put hairs on your chest! (Probably a good thing in Scotland). I surprised myself at going back for second spoonfuls...
We spent a few days in Edinburgh - but as always, it was never enough. Wandering around Edinburgh's cobbled streets, in and out of shops, and pubs, and taking in all of the street performers along the Royal Mile - it's magical. You can feel yourself slipping back in time with all of the other Scots and visitors who have walked these streets, and supped in these pubs before you. We were of course in Edinburgh for the festival - a month long of performances of every description, from every country, at every venue available - so at every turn there were bagpipe players, marching bands, and an array of actors and dancers and singers trying to entice you to their performance(s) over the coming days.
We escaped from the performers (and the onset of rain) in a local pub, on the Royal Mile, and watched the world continue outside. We spent several hours inside this pub, drinking Jameson (soooooo sorry, Scotland - I do so prefer the Irish tipple) and chatting with an old Scotsman, telling tales of his country through the last half dozen decades. A lot of the time we couldn't understand his thick accent - but it mattered none.
That same night, after we left our old friend in the pub, we darted up the wet streets of the Royal Mile, bought some delicious hot and salty chips, and made our way to a festival play - an amazing performance of the new age play 'Art.' I have one thing to say. If ever you see 'Art' advertised as playing - beg, borrow and steal to get yourself some tickets! It is a short play, quite simply about 3 friends - one of whom pays a lot of money for a white painting, on white canvas, and the plotline is basically the reaction of his two friends towards this. It sounds lame. I thought so too. But it isn't. It is extremely clever and engaging; it questions - what is "art," friendship and can deeply formed opinions and prejudices be changed; and is incredibly funny, emotive and thought-provoking. A wonderful play for 3 talented male actors to perform, if ever you get the change. A bit more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/)
And so! After a wonderful couple of days in Edinburgh - we travelled further north, to the shores of Loch Ness, and found a camping ground in a place called Drumnadrochit ~ on the western side of Loch Ness, and not far from the ruins of Urquhart Castle. I have been before - and was fully aware that the opening hours of Urquhart Castle were the usual 9am-5pm, charging an extortionate price (currently £7.00) - so we went after closing, climbed the fence, and walked down to the castle ruins to explore - at dusk! Much more fun. And also giving you the same sense of going back in time... wandering around imagining the people that would have once been walking here before you. It was really special - feeling the wind whip around your face, the cool evening air touch your cheeks, and the sounds of Loch Ness, eerily lapping the shoreline. We only left when it became almost too dark to see clearly.
We spent the next few days exploring Loch Ness, and the area between Drumnadrochit on the north west side, through to Inverness on the north right. Firstly, of course, we took a boat tour across Loch Ness - well, some of it - it's far too large to tour in one go. Loch Ness is incredibly eerie - even on a bright summer's day, there is still a hanging mist and greyness to the air - and it's also incredibly deep. Even when we were 2-3 metres from the edge of the lake, our captain's depth measuring devise told us we were at a 12m depth. The Loch is shaped like a giant 'U' - very deep, and very sheer. You can't help but imagine prehistoric beasties lurking below...
After Nessie hunting, we went to the Culldon Battlefields - a place where the final battle of the Jacobite Rising took place, in 1746 (the Jacobites, led by Charles Edward Stuart, sought to overthrow the reigning House of Hanover and return the House of Stuart to the throne. They were unsuccessful). My main reason for wanting to visit - even though I do have a strong interest in British history, particularly in the 16th-18th centuries - is because I am a HUGE fan of Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' book series. For those of you who know what I am talking about... this is where the fictional 'Jamie Fraser' battled at the end of Gabaldon's second book 'Dragonfly in Amber.' And I even found:
Hahaha - you can imagine how excited I was! Yes, Jamie Fraser is of course a fictional character - but I studied Revolutionary Europe at University, and have always found Gabaldon's stories fairly accurate in their historical context, and certainly an interesting way of viewing, and imagining 18th century Scotland. If any of you women out there have a penchant for Scots Warriers - reeeeead the 'Outlander' series! Anyway - the Culldon Battlefield really is a breathtaking place to visit - the sense of battle and of loss remains, stagnant in the air - if you know enough about the battle. To those that don't, admittedly, it probably seems little more than a large, overgrown field.
We continued our historical journey into Scotland - next stop was a bronze age cemetery. A sense of Stonehenge, and that time, swept over me - and to be honest, it's really hard to get your head around the idea that almost 3000years ago a settlement of people were burying and honouring their dead. 1000s of years before our current world, as we know it, existed. And that we were walking amongst the remains... mind blowing. Also! For those that are still interested in the Gabaldon saga - look what else I found:
Hahaha! I had googled 'Craigh Na Dunh' (the ancient stone circle, outside of Inverness, where Claire Randall stepped through a cracked stone and was transported back 200 years to 1745 - the basis of the 'Outlander' series) - but it was a work of fiction. So this is as close as I could get. It's too small for someone to easily step through - but boy was I excited to find this! (Ok, no more talk of Outlander now, I promise! - read it though!)
Our historical journey really became more of a journey of 'historical literature' - as Shakespeare was the motive behind our next stop. Cawder Castle... (you with me?) fictional castle of the Thane of Cawdor... (there yet?) - none other than: MacBeth. This one is for you, John Wilson!:
We loved our time in the Scottish highlands - we slept in our car, as the rest of our European Adventures, and we ate sausages from disposable coal BBQs. One night we went for a jog along the road towards Urquhart Castle - and I thought how I could spend many more happy days in Bonnie Wee Scotland...
But our journey had to continue.
Before getting back to England, we travelled south once again, and stopped at Stirling - slightly north west of Edinburgh - to visit the William Wallace Tower. And here we spent a wonderful day climbing the tower, learning about Wallace and other Scottish patriots during the battles of Scottish Independence (late 13th - early 14th centuries). Braveheart - is a good (albeit theatrical) starter to this history - but there is much more to it than that. Wallace's part in Scottish freedom (not quiiite like it is depicted in 'Braveheart' by the way) is remembered all throughout Scotland, with even a plaque to honour him, opposite one for Robert the Bruce, outside the entrance of Edinburgh Castle. No trip to Scotland would be complete without emersing yourself in this part of the Scottish past... we finished our time here watching the sun lap the fields of Stirling, from the top of the Wallace Tower, before climbing down to the bottom and listening to the stories of an euld Scotsmen, renacting times gone by, whilst we sat in the grass under the summer sun.
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