She sailed over the sea…um…bridge to Skye… Scotland Day 3

After a short night’s rest, I awoke to a misty moist Scottish morning in Oban. After repacking my bags, I headed next door to the breakfast room at the Hawthorne Bank Guest House. There are advantages to having a ground floor room. I sipped my tea and enjoyed every bite of my scrambled eggs with smoked Scottish salmon. Hunger satisfied, I loaded my bags in the car and took a few photos of the view from the front garden of the Hawthorne Bank. I also couldn’t resist taking a photo of the cunning little boot scraper built into the outside wall of the house.

Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon
Victorian boot scraper
VIew from front garden of my B&B in Oban
VIew from front garden of my B&B in Oban

Once again on the road, I made my way towards Fort William and then Mallaig to catch the ferry to Skye. On the way, I was reminded some things are the same the world over and road construction delays are definitely one. (I’m not complaining though. These roads are so much better than what I remember from Ireland.) As I made the turn on to the A830, I encountered a little wrinkle in my plans for the day. A huge flashing sign said that ferry service from Mallaig to Skye was ‘disrupted.’ I was pretty sure this wasn’t good and decided to be safe rather than sorry and made a quick call to Susan. She, bless her heart, called the Ferry company and found out that chances were pretty good that the ferry I was planning to take would be cancelled due to winds. Rather than take the chance, she quickly reconfigured my route to take me to Skye via the bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh. Continue reading →

From singing in the pub to singing in the rain…Days 1 and 2 in Scotland

So last we spoke, I was sitting in the airport waiting to board a flight for Scotland. Let me assure you, this is absolutely the first moment I have been still yet awake in the last 48 hours. I hit the ground running in Glasgow about 1 pm local time yesterday and have only stopped for about 7 hours sleep since! Luckily jet lag doesn’t seem to be an issue. I guess adrenaline can counteract the effects of jet lag.

Let me start with some pre- and during travel photos.

Hello, I need the number for overpackers anonymous.
Traditional shoe pic for Terry Dresbach!
Trees along the runway in a misty Amsterdam.

Luckily I had no problems with my connection to Glasgow in Amsterdam. By 1:00 pm local time, I was on the ground in Glasgow. I picked a great time to have a non UK passport. The queue (that’s a line for you Americans) for non-UK was only about 10, while the UK passport line was easily almost 200. After zipping through immigration (thankfully I had the right answers to all the questions), I picked up my luggage and staggered, I mean made, my way to the International Arrivals area where Susan was waiting, quite literally, with open arms.

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but how lucky are we that the Outlander fan community is filled with such wonderful and talented people? Susan and I have been online and Skype friends for only months, yet she made it her mission to help me plan to get the most out of my 16 days in Scotland. She patiently put up with my dithering and procrastinating over exactly what things were important to me and even reshuffled things again when it turned out that Candida was going to be able come over as well. It’s nice to have friends with skills and on only day 2, I can more than vouch for Susan’s abilities as a blue-badge tour guide and holiday planner. Continue reading →

On the cusp of adventure…Alba bound!

Well, I’m sitting here at the airport contemplating the adventure upon which I’m about to embark. Several years ago I probably would never have even considered flying over 4,000 miles away to ramble through the Scottish Highlands on my own (for the first week at least), but this is yet another thing you can chalk up to Diana Gabaldon writing a book.

Not only did reading Outlander directly influence my desire to see the Highlands myself, but it also introduced me to an entire world of new friends with common interests. These common interests and the desire to share in the Outlander community has already led me to Los Angeles, Seattle and San Diego this year. In those places I have met fabulous people with whom I discovered I have way more in common than just Outlander. Some of these people have become really close friends (you know who you are!).

I have also been privileged to make many friends online through Twitter and Facebook groups as well as through this blog, several of whom have been absolutely invaluable in planning this trip.  I have had offers of trip planning advice and more places to stay than I have nights planned for this trip, I think. I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped me make this trip a reality.

For those of you who haven’t made it to Scotland yet, or those who haven’t made it back recently enough, I will do my absolute best to keep you up to date on all of my adventures. I’ll be hitting the ground running tomorrow afternoon and don’t expect to stop until I board the flight back home in just over two weeks! For the first week it’s just me, but next week I’ll be joined by the lovely and talented Candida Nunez.  Between the two of us, I promise there will be adventures to write home about and I fully expect to fill the blog with pictures!

Goodbye for now! I have a plane to catch. I’ll meet you back here from the other side of the Atlantic soon!

–Mandy

Episode 108 – Both Sides Now – The Gàidhlig Bits

Wow. This was a humdinger of an episode! (I use humdinger here for Àdhamh, who does love our Southern colloquialisms.) Too bad we have to wait SIX MONTHS to find out what happens next.  We really must think of some ways to pass the time.  I already have a post in the works on the aforementioned Southern colloquialisms, but I will do my best to also come up with some ways to make sure we don’t lose the Gàidhlig we have picked up over the last 8 episodes.

Speaking of picked up Gàidhlig, how many of you were able to understand most, if not all, of the Gàidhlig this week? Pat yourselves on the back!

7:25 Jamie to Hugh Munro

Madainn mhath – Good morning

Slàinte – health/cheers!

a charaid – friend

18:55 Fight with the Grants

Dougal says something at the end of the fight, but I can’t decipher it.

Angus:  Tulach Ard – Mackenzie war cry

19:52 Jamie to Claire after the fight with the Grants

gràidh – love

23:22 Teaching Claire to fight with a knife

taing dhut – thank you

 sgian-dubh – literally a dark blade

33:45 Scene with the deserters

mo graidh – my love

Mo nighean donn – my brown haired lass

37:35 Jamie to Dougal when leaving for Horrocks meeting

Sèo – Here.

Well, that’s it. I hope you have enjoyed picking through the Gàidhlig with me for these last 8 weeks. I can’t wait to see what the next half season brings us in April.  Stay tuned to the blog as I’m leaving for a two-week trip to Scotland on Thursday night.  I plan to post from over there as time permits and I can promise lots of pictures. And, you just never know who I might run into!

Updated 9/25/14 – Episode 107 – The Wedding – The Gàidhlig bits

Well, isn’t it nice to be back to an episode with some Gàidhlig? Oh, and that little other matter of a certain couple getting married. 😉

While there wasn’t a great deal of Gàidhlig dialogue this week, we did get some great new words as well as repeats of some old favorites. Dare I hope that some of you are starting to recognize and understand some of the more common words and phrases?

11:48 Jamie to Rupert and Angus when they barge in (Thanks to Janice!)

Amadain – Fools

A-mach á seo! – Out of here!

21:01 Jamie to the tavern wench when she gives him food

Taing dhut – Thanks

23:03 Jamie to Claire (We’ve all been waiting for this one!)

Mo nighean donn – My brown-haired lass

34:39 Jame to Claire when she admits to drinking the day of the wedding

Slàinte – health, cheers

39:38 Jamie and Claire’s Blood Vow at the wedding (confirmed by Àdhamh)

‘S tu smior de mo chnàimh, na mo chuislean ‘s tu ‘n fhuil

Bheir mi dhut-sa mo chorp, gum bith ‘n dithis mar aon

Bheir mi dhut-sa slàn m’ anam, gus an crìochnaich ar saoghal

Literal English translation (colloquially the same as in the book)

You are the marrow in my bones and the blood in my veins

I shall give you my body, that the two might be one

I shall give you whole my soul, until our world ends

45:55 Jamie to Claire after uh hem…

Tha mi ‘n dùil sgàin mo chridhe  – I reckon my heart will burst (colloquial)  I am in expectation that burst will my heart (literal)  (confirmed by Àdhamh)