Tag Archives: Scotland

Disturbance in the Outlander Force – Scotland Day 8

So, today’s post will be a bit brief. Started the day with a bit of a lie-in. Candida was sleeping off her travel and I was grateful for the chance to catch up on some sleep as well. Finally up and at them, I repacked my suitcase for the second half of the trip. It’s been really great to be able to leave my big suitcase at Susan’s and just take what I need on the road. I feel a bit guilty for taking a big bag of laundry with me too.

Today, Candida and I are headed down to southwest Scotland to Wigtown. What is in Wigtown, you might ask? Deborah Firth of Hillcrest House has organized and offered to host a ‘mini’ Outlander fan gathering. The gathering may be small and select, but I expect the fun will be supersized. And how often do you get to stay in an award-winning B&B with friends and spend an entire weekend enjoying each other’s company. Continue reading →

Two’s company and Three Castles – Scotland Day 7

Woke up bright and early this morning. Well, it was early anyway. Not so bright at 6:30 am. The sun did eventually come up and out though and it was proving to be a lovely day when  I collected Candida from the airport. Our first stop was back to Susan’s to drop off Candida’s bags and let her catch up on 8 hours of social media, then we went out to grab breakfast. Breakfast over and done, we headed for our first location of the day – Doune Castle.

On the way to Doune, it was time to put another paycheck’s worth of gas in the car. 😉 And if we stopped to get gas at the Cumbernauld exit off the motorway, that was just entirely coincidence.  Arriving after the hour drive, we paid our entrance fee in the gift shop and paused to make note of the copy of Cross Stitch for sale. Although, I have to say that the Monty Python memorabilia is totally outnumbering the Outlander items.  Outlander fans need to make sure that changes pronto.  Inside, Miss Candida at once sprinted into any hidey hole or staircase she could find. I followed at a more leisurely pace, punching in numbers on my handy audio tour. Continue reading →

From partly cloudy Skye to rainy Inverness to sunny smiles in Glasgow – Scotland Days 5 and 6

Woke up to vastly improved weather conditions in Skye on Tuesday. But if I have learned anything in my time in Scotland, it is that you can’t judge the next 5 minute’s weather by the last five minute’s weather! A side effect of the clearer weather though was chillier temperatures and the morning air had a decided nip to it.  After a breakfast of scrambled eggs and tea, I hopped in the car to begin the day’s adventure. The plan was pretty ambitious: drive round the Trotternish peninsula, find the Fairy Glen and the Fairy pools, and then head back over to the mainland and arrive in Inverness in time for dinner and drinks with some of the Inverness Outlanders group.

With no time for dilly dallying, I settled the tariff at the B&B and set out. (Don’t you love the way I’m starting to talk like a native? 😉 I’m telling you, another week and no one will know I’m from Georgia!) I made it at least a few hundred yards before stopping to take some photos. With all the rain of the last few days, there were waterfalls absolutely everywhere. I snapped a few and then also got a photo of the rock formation known as the Old Man of Storr in the distance. I also stopped to take some photos of Kilt Rock, which reminded me very much of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland with the addition of a lovely waterfall into the sea. Continue reading →

Time and Skye wait for no weather… Scotland Day 4

It’s just as well I had no plans to leave Skye today as I woke to the news that ferries were cancelled again and even the bridge was closed for a few hours due to continuing high winds. Secure in my knowledge that I was here for one more night, I popped down the 3 flights of stairs for my breakfast. Yummy fried egg with bacon, tomatoes and mushrooms. I always forget that bacon here is not like bacon at home. It’s more like what we call country ham in the South, just not salt cured.

As the rain was tipping down pretty heavily, I decided that maybe the day should start with indoor activities, so I popped into the car and headed towards Armadale.  Armadale is where Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is located. It was about an hour drive, dodging ponding water and feeling the car shake from wind most of the way. Once at the College, I spent considerable time pondering all the Gaelic items available. I found several presents for people back home and a book called Everyday Gaelic for me. I also bought, well let’s just say several, CDs. I really hope Candida is fond of Celtic music. I also took some time braving the wind and rain to grab some photos from behind the College’s administration building. It’s in a spectacular location right on the sea.

On the way to Armadale
Not sure what this monument is but it’s pretty.
Sabhal Mor Ostaig
View from rear of SMO

Continue reading →

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 →