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Entries in Loch Ness (2)
More Visitors Means Another Scottish Road Trip! Yay!
Saturday, January 24, 2015 at 7:09PM 
My brother and his wife came for a four day visit to see us in Scotland in late October. That meant a road trip, of course. No visit north up the A96 would be complete without a stop at the Baxters simulated old village and store on the River Spey. Unfortunately the Christmas Shop wasn't open yet.
A road trip in Scotland necessitates several stops at various castles. Aberdeenshire has more castles (see list here) than any shire in the entire UK. This is a back gate to Fyvie Castle, with claimed 13th century origins.
Magnificent Fyvie Castle. Unfortunately were there before opening hours . . . be we combed the castle grounds and posed for numerous photos.
Finding castles often leads to discovering wonderful rural roads.
Scottish rural roads often lead to quaint villages. It was fantastic day for landscape photography.
We stopped to poke around an old rural church cemetery . . . looking for our family name on grave stones. We didn't find any here.
Our next stop was at the incredible ruins of Elgin Cathedral, which dates from 1224.
Elgin Cathedral must have been a magnificent structure in its day.
Wonderful scenes and vistas through the ruins.
A part of one vestibule was still standing . . . .
A long exposure shot of the medieval wooden ceiling of the vestibule at Elgin Castle. Fantastic
What's left of a statue of an old Pope or Bishop at Elgin Castle ruins.
We stayed at the Melrose Villa B&B in Inverness. It was nice.
The beautiful River Ness flows through Inverness.
We took an evening walk along the River Ness and enjoyed the evening light on Inverness Castle.
We crossed the River Ness on this iron Victorian pedestrian bridge.
No matter who comes to visit, they all want to take their pilgrimage to Loch Ness for a little monster spotting.
It's also good to stop off at Urquhart Castle, on the banks of Loch Ness.
We took a different, and longer route home through a gorgeous river valley.
We stopped periodically to enjoy the sights . . . and sounds of a wild Scottish salmon stream.
Old sturdy rural churches marked our way. Struy Church.
Beautiful nature in Scotland.
After the road turned to gravel, we came upon a 'holy fountain' dedicated to a saint. My sister-in-law gathered some of the water.
Saints used to wanter the forests and trails of the Scottish Highlands and river valleys.
It was a good, but short road trip . . . and it was good to see my brother and his wife again.
The Tattie Hols* Road Trip: Inverness, Loch Ness, and The Highlands
Friday, October 18, 2013 at 12:32AM
The Tattie Hols were upon us so we decided to take an extensive road trip North and East. The Tattie Hols date from a time when the schools would close so the children could help bring in the potato (tatties) crop. The Scots still take this holiday (hols) and so does my school. We drove north out of Aberdeen and stopped at the Baxters roadside attraction. It is a factory store of a company that makes shortbread and baked goods. They had an "authentic" old village there for tourists.
Yes, there was a "Christmas all year" kind of shop there too . . . .
ELGIN:
This is more like it: the fabulous ruins of the Elgin Cathedral (c.1224). . . and perfect light.
We had a tee time in Inverness, so I did not go in to explore . . . it's only an hour from Aberdeen. I'll be back.
Fantastic.
INVERNESS:
We finished our golf game and made it to our hotel just as a magnificent sunset burst across Inverness.
We checked into the Winston Guest House in Inverness.
The Winston Guest House was a wonderful old building.
After a world class pizza (who knew you could get such a great pizza in Inverness, Scotland at Zizzi's) we walked back to the guest room to see the Inverness Castle (Caisteal Inbhir Nis) fully lit. A castle has stood on this site since 1057, but the current red sandstone structure dates from 1836.
Last night's sunset was good, but this morning's sunrise over the Inverness Castle was GREAT!
Inverness Castle is beautiful at any time of the day.
Inverness is a good town to just stroll around in . . . this church was just around the corner from our Guest House.
Wonderful detail . . .
Old Inverness was just across the Ness Canal.
A path ran along the canal at Inverness . . .
. . . where beautiful castle-like homes sprouted among the vegetation for miles.
LOCH NESS:
Our first view of Loch Ness was impressive.
Even if there were no "mystery" surrounding Loch Ness, it is a wonderful place to visit.
I watched the waves for awhile and saw the occasional "compounded wave" . . . larger than the others . . . and took this photo of it.
I enlarged (cropped) the above wave image and, lo and behold, there's Nessie! I did not enhance this photo in any way other than cropping. Isn't that a large fin-like protrusion along side? Could those really be demon eyes on The Loch Ness Monster? No, not really.
We were not the first people to visit Loch Ness.
If there ever could have been such a thing as the Loch Ness monster, this is what it could have looked like, if there could have ever been one, which there couldn't have been. Great photo op though.
The ruins of Urquhart Castle stand on the shores of Loch Ness. There is archeological evidence that the first castle or fort was built on this spot in the 560s. The current castle ruins date from the 11th through the 13th centuries.
Urquhart Castle is THE archetypical castle ruin.
A trebuchet stands in front of Urquhart Castle, a reminder of the many sieges that took place here, and the cause of the present state of destruction.
Beautiful artistic workmanship on this medieval weapon of mass destruction.
Urquhart Castle ramparts and the remains of the castle tower on the shore of Loch Ness.
Dr. Jeff Harper
Well, I seem to be able to add a follow-up, but not to be able to add any more photos, or comments, to the posting above. What's wrong with SquareSpace, my web site host? I am not happy!
The interior of the gate at Urquhart Castle.
For all you Dungeons and Dragons fans . . . this is the real deal.
An autumn view of Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle.
The National Trust Of Scotland often provides "residents" of castles dressed in period costumes . . like this old Highlander . . . although I think he may have been an original resident!
Portrait of an old Scottish Highlander.
Even though it was a dark and dull day, there were good views from within the castle.
We took the narrow passageway up the main tower for a look.
Not for the claustrophobic!
The view from the stairwell across Loch Ness was a marvel of mystery.
The view from the castle tower confirms why it was built where it was . . . literally, commanding views.
Splendid castle ruins.
We stayed in the lovely village of Drumnadrochit along Loch Ness.
These cottages were built in the 1820 on the Drumnadrochit village green.
We stayed in the lovely Bridgend B&B, built originally as the Drumnadrochit sheriff's office and jail!
The Bridgend B&B was nestled in a forest along a stream. This is the proprietor's cottage.
Our room looked out onto the Drumnadrochit village green.
Staying in a B&B is always a treat . . . and I do not just mean the quaint period decor . . . the breakfast was vast and tasty!
A warm summer and early fall allowed flowers to continue to bloom into October in Scotland this year.
Like most towns in Scotland (and the rest of the UK and Europe, for that matter), like Drumnadrochit, have a World War I monument commemorating the dead of the village. Several of the Urquhart family members are listed here. This list must have included a large percentage of the men from Drumnadrochit.
Flowers for the war dead.
You could satisfy your stuffed Nessie purchasing desire in the quaintest of places.
The competition for Nessie curios sales must have been intense: Nessie emporiums battled it out with amazing displays, like this otherworldly display with the surrealistic ceiling and floor distorting mirror configuration. Innovative, yet kitschy.
The otherworldly display with the surrealistic ceiling and floor distorting mirror configuration allowed me to indulge my own passion for oddball self-portraits (oddball in the sense of photographic composition only).
We barely got out of Drumnadrochit when we saw a sign pointing up a small road to a "pottery." We turned in. It was a very small road that climbed up the ridge above Loch Ness. Along the way there was much to see. Like much of this road trip, the day was dark and overcast, but not raining. It is a new kind of photography for me after so many years in the tropics. I like these dark scenes.
After several miles on a road not much wider than our car, we came to this idyllic potters cottage in the forest.
We walked in . . . the sign said to do so.
We needed a ceramic pot for our wooden spoons at home . . . .
. . . and it looked like this was going to be the place to find the perfect pot (and support some artists at the same time - always a good thing), er, ceramic pot.
As it turned out, the pottery was also a cafe! What luck. We enjoyed some baked goods and cups of tea while admiring our new purchase (on table above)
An innovative idea: build your greenware shelves around your wood stove to quicken the initial drying.
We could have lingered there all day chatting with the several potters who came in and introduced themselves. It was good to hang out with old hippies still living the hippie credo, but we saw a sign pointing to a nature walk, and wanted to get going. I loved this hanging sign:
The anatomy of Death
Is When and How
The Lasting Kiss of Life
Is
Here and Now.
Our walk in the damp hills above Loch Ness was magnificent.
The trail we happened to take was very beautiful.
The trail was very clearly marked.
Once in awhile the trail would take us into a meadow with views of the Autumnal tree line.
At other times the trail took us into deep, magic places in the enchanted forest.
It all seemed like a setting for a fairy tale.
After our forest walk we drove back over a ridge overlooking a valley leading from Drumnadrochit.
If you have read much of my blogs you know that I have a fascination with corrugation and dilapidation, especially in one place. Rounding a corner I hit the brakes when I was this decaying stone farm building.
The surfaces, patterns, colors, and textures were too interesting to pass by.
The crude artistry of the stone work was incredible.
The weather was constantly changing: throwing patches of bright sunlight on the colorful hillsides above Loch Ness
We drove towards the southern end of Loch Ness to the town of Fort Augustus.
The southern end of Loch Ness at Fort Augustus joins the Caledonian Canal which connects it to Loch Oich.
As rain clouds approached, we took one last look at Loch Ness.
Loch Ness is one of the world's most famous places. Many people come here to indulge their hopes and fantasies of seeing the very last dinosaur. These intrepid souls braved the rough waters of Loch ness in their inflatable Loch Ness Explorer. We called out to them, "Any sightings?" "No," came the sullen reply.
The old Fort Augustus Abbey, formerly a Benedictine monastery, faces the Caledonian Canal. It is in the process of being turned into a hotel.
Swans on a blustery Loch Ness at the Caledonian Canal.
The Caledonian Canal locks at Fort Augusts were very picturesque.
Calidonian Locks leading to Loch Ness in the background. Very quaint, old world scene. Lovely.
Before heading back up Loch Ness to our new B&B, we stopped for a bite and a brew in a traditional whiskey bar. Yummy.
Queen Victoria's Jubilee must have been a HUGE occasion throughout Great Britain because you still see these monuments all over the country commemorating the occasion. Talk about immortality!
Fort Augustus had it's own WWI memorial to those who lost their lives. Talk about mortality!
I was going to take a photo of a cute old chapel until I realized it had been converted into a discount woolen shop. We went in and I purchased an attractive red felt vest. The little chapel/shop was soon crawling with mainland Chinese tourists! I love to see Chinese tourists . . . it's good for them to get out and 'join the world.'
We drove back to Invermoriston, a little berg along side Loch Ness known for its waterfalls, and followed the signs . . . .and discovered this amazing stand of trees. No, I did not enhance the color of this photograph!
Yoo and I were nearly in tears at the beauty of this place.
We arrived at last at the falls viewing point to discover an old stone resting gazebo.
The view up the chutes was spectacular.
A photographer's dream shot!
The wonderful Craik Na Day B&B in Invermoriston.
Craik Na Day B&B was very quaint and the welcome and service was excellent. Sisters Manda and Lindsey were warm and hospitable . . . and a lot of fun. Deconstructing a TV food cook-off show one evening was one of the highlights of the trip! The sisters recommended we spend the next day on a "beautiful drive" up the highway A887 from their front door all the way to the Isle of Skye. Sure, why not.
We woke very early in the morning for our drive up the glen. There strands and wisps of mist licking the hills across the glen from our B&B. Fantastic!
It was an extraordinary beautiful morning. The mist had just lifted on the glens and everything was covered with a thick covering of dew.
A scene from an 18th century painting.
From the moving car these looked interesting . . . but when I pulled over . . . .
. . . a photographer's dream . . .
. . . back lit dew bejeweled spider webs. Astonishing!
This coldcrisp morning was turning out to be an epically beautiful road adventure.
Autumn reflections!
The road eventually left the verdant Glen Moriston and headed into the high mountain passes toward Loch Cluanie.
At Loch Cluanie we were at the highest point along the pass.
At the far end of Loch Claunie we would begin the descent through Glen Shiel and down to the sea level Bridge of Skye.
At the far end of Loch Claunie we began a decent through rugged Glen Shiel.
It was a gorgeous morning and we stopped often to gaze upon the natural beauty in stunned delight.
Extraordinary beauty.
Glen Shiel is a famous place in Scottish history; many famous battles took place here.
There was much to see along the glen, not least of which were the old walls webbing the steep slopes.
The views constantly changed as we headed down towards Loch Duich at sea level.
We eventually reached Loch Duich to be greeted by calm waters and amazing reflections.
Loch Duich is actually a sound connecting to the sea.
Rounding a bend in the road we caught our first glimpse of what we had come to see: Eilean Donan Castle!
WOW!
Eilean Donan Castle is one of the most famous castles in the world, and an icon for Scotland itself. Founded in the 6th ot 7th century, the castle was continuously rebuilt until it nearly vanished in 1912 when a major fund raising and rebuilding effort began. Because the castle played such a major role in Scottish history, it was not allowed to vanish.
If Castle Eilean Donan looks familiar it is because it has been seen in so many Hollywood movies (Bonnie Prince Charles, Master of Ballantrae, Black Angle, The Highlander, Entrapment, The World is Not Enough, and Elizabeth: The Golden Age).
No, not a Hollowood set . . . a real Scottish castle.
This was the only building on Eilean Donan that had a roof in 1912.
We bought our ticket and went for the tour.
There were so many great photos to be taken here, however, I wished I had been there at high tide to take a photo of the castle reflected in the sea. Maybe on our return trip from The Isle of Skye.
The views from the castle were almost as good as the views of the castle!
The views in all directions were exceptional.
Although the castle seems greatly impregnable, in fact it was easily bombarded by ships in the sound.
There are courtyards inside the castle. The National Trust of Scotland supplies guides and security personnel dressed in period costume. A nice touch.
Imagine you only had a sword and a bow and arrow . . . .
Photography is strictly forbidden inside Eilean Donan Castle.
If I had been allowed to take photographs inside the castle, this is what I would have chosen to shoot.
Another photo worth taking would have been the castle kitchen. Wonderful view.
It was time to move on further down the road. There was still the Isle of Skye to see.
The tide came in while were inside . . . . a special place . . . I know will be back.
30 minutes later, and after a fine lunch, we arrived at the magnificent Sky Bridge, considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
We drove across the Skye Bridge and stopped at the small town of Kyleakin which had a fine little harbour and view of the Dunakin Castle (also known as Castle Maol) ruins.
The Castle Maol dates from the 15th century.
Ah, Scotland! What a beautiful country.
We turned around and drove back over the Sky Bridge for our B&B. We vowed to return to the Isle of Sky for a complete exploration one day soon.
We were equally amazed at the mountain glens on our return drive. The afternoon light was fantastic.
We had been very lucky with the weather. Only days later this pass was covered by the first snow storm of the year.
Early the next morning at our B&B I noticed fingers of cloud creep up the glen through the forest.
What a visual treat.
A cold Autumn morning in the mountain glens.
We headed on to our next destination, The Scottish Highlands, via Fort William. The city fathers of Fort William thought it would be a good idea to convert the old high street into a walking street. The plan did not seem to work: the by-pass seems to have left the town behind. About 1/3 of the shops were closed and for lease, and another 1/3 were selling tourist trinkets. To bad . . . it could have been a very quaint village.
A cemetery right down town, a couple of Fort William teens stopped for an ice cream. Make yourself right at home!
We took the A86 up through the highlands toward Aviemore.
This road is also known as the Distillery Road.
Although I am not a whiskey drinker, we stopped at several distilleries along the way.
At the Aberlour Distillery (1826) we bought some gifts.
There were a number of roadside attractions, like this bakery administration building (!).
The main attraction was the scrumptious countryside.
All along the way, in every tiny village, there were tea rooms (and Chinese take-away!). We would often stop for tea and scones. Yummie.
At nearly every stone bridge we would stop and get out to look at the streams.
We stayed at the Ravenscraig Guest House in the outdoor sports Mecca of Aviemore. The place was full of rock climbers, mountain bikers, and canoeists.
Aviemore had a fine old train station.
We had several fine meals at the old Cairngorm Hotel in Aviemore.
We drove home the next day through the gorgeous Aberdeenshire hills and farms . . . we were only two hours from home. The weather had cooperated throughout the seven day road trip . . . . until our last day while driving home. It was a perfect week in a remarkably beautiful place.
