October 5
This morning we leave Edinburgh and head for the Highlands, the most natural and least populated part of Scotland. A light rain and 11 degrees Celsius (51) as we take a major highway out of the city and are soon in countryside. Greg notices that their red lights turn yellow before they turn green and there seems to be very little running of red lights. There are lots of round-abouts as well.
Cattle, sheep and farmland soon begin to appear. Most of the single family homes are smallish, one story, some two. Gas is 167.9/Ltr, which Paul from Maine calculates as $6-$7/gallon.
David talks about the waters of Scotland - numerous lochs (lakes), inlets, streams and rivers. And because of the water and rain, the bog lands. There have been numerous canals over the history of the country and for a period of time barges pulled by horses on the canals and other waterways were the main network of transportation - much easier and faster than land routes.
Our first stop, the Kelpies, are 98' high stainless steel sculptures depicting kelpies, which were shape shifting water spirits. They are next to the Forth and Clyde Canal, complete with swans and canal boats. Completed in 2013, they are a monument to the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling wagons, plows, barges and coal ships.
Innumerable canals and many locks moved people and goods throughout history, and still do today.
Greg and I are surprised at the number of campers, mostly small size B, that are on the roads and camping at various campgrounds and pullouts.
David tells us some history of this area and the various clans that got along fine - when they weren't fighting.
Next stop is Inveraray Castle, seat of the Campbell Clan, built in mid-1700s as a home rather than a fortress. The sign says it is closed today, but arrangements have been made and we are warmly greeted. This is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, but much of the first floor is open to the public. (They've got to pay those bills some how!) Quite beautifully decorated with period pieces. Two episodes of Downton Abbey were filmed here.
One room is a display of all types of weaponry, artfully arranged.
The Duke is the leader of Clan Campbell. Their infamous history is that in the winter of 1692 the then Duke and his regiment were guests of the MacDonald Clan for nearly two weeks. Then during the night they rose and slaughtered their hosts, as directed by the King (possibly) because the MacDonald's were slow to pledge their loyalty. "Och, it's something that most people have forgotten really" is the current take, but our bus driver says there are still establishments that post signs that Campbells are not welcome.
Nice gardens, but it is still a bit rainy.
Just down the road we stop in the town of Inveraray which is on Loch Fyne. This Loch is open to the sea at some point, as David points out the seaweed growing here, and tidelines.
It consists of several streets of whitewashed (?) homes and shops.
This is our lunch stop and we join Marie from Victoria, and Tara from California for a pub lunch. It is cold and rainy - perfect time for a lovely bowl of mushroom soup with a chunk of fresh brown bread.
We drive along the shores of freshwater Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park for quite a while, as it is the largest of the lakes at over 22 miles long.
Into the Highlands. Many of the mountains are treeless, as early settlers cut down most of the trees. In the last 50 years or so there has been much tree planting, although the Norway Spruce was the tree of choice for years, but ended up being a poor choice as it does not allow any underbrush or other trees to grow near it. They have been adding others and it is easy to see the large swatches of newer trees. Rhododendrons are a big problem here as they are an invasive species which snuff out much of the local growth.
Lots of water on the hillsides and streams. And this lovely waterfalls. Most of the wildlife has been hunted to extinction, though there are small mammals, red deer, golden eagles and other birds. They are reintroducing beavers, lynx, and grouse.
Next we stop at GlenCoe Village, the town of the horrible Campbell/MacDonald massacre. There is a nice example of the traditional thatched homes, and other maps and history at the visitor's center. There are several trails that leave from here to explore the nearby mountains. We do this today so that tomorrow we will have a free day to head a little further north to Loch Ness!
Around 6:00 we arrive at our hotel, The Caledonian, on yet another loch. We have a pleasant dinner here as there aren't many choices nearby and it is too miserable weather-wise to get transport into town. A sweater or jacket is our constant companion as there IS heat in the rooms and buildings, but it is kept very low - I'd guess high 60's - most places. Sunset is hardly visible, but does show some hope for blue skies tomorrow!
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