Sunday in the Highlands

Photos: B & B and car in Ullapool, the Highland mountains, a rainbow in the Highlands

Photos: the gorge, the bridge over the gorge, Lake Ness

Photos: Loch Ness castle, the piper band at Loch Ness, Loch Ness

Photos: our Loch Ness boat, the locks in Fort Augustus, where Loch Ness and Caladonian Canal meet

Photos: It's not snow. It's water coming down the mountain. Eilean Donan castle, Eilean Donan

Photos: the Skye Bridge, Isle of Skye, Isle of Skye

Sunday, July 4, 2010 Happy 4th of July

OK, this blog is mainly our online vacation scrapbook; however, it would be really nice if you could let me know if you are following it. I am feeling particularly peaved. I spent 1 1/2 hours putting in the pictures and formatting the blog when it all turned to a strange code. I couldn't get it back and am now starting over. Thus, if no one is reading it but Neil and I, then I am going to stop putting in the pictures which takes for bloody ever.

We had a full Scottish breakfast which was very good, although we left most of our “black sausage” on the plate. But the eggs, sausage (a different more recognizable kind), bacon, egg, and toast were great. It was raining so our plans for a small hill walk were cancelled, and we set off for Loch Ness.

The first stop was a gorge called Corrieshallocn Gorge, a sixty-seven meter deep canyon with a water drop of forty five meters as the river plunges downhill toward the coast. We left the car and hiked down to the gorge and a suspension bridge over the gorge. The bridge, which had a limit of six persons at a time, moved quite easily, with each step. It was even an adventure to take a picture. And oh yes, if one jumps just a little the bridge moves a lot—ask Jess--as Neil and Pete jumped on the opposite ends at the same time. As we climbed back to the car, it started to rain a very cold raiI-- think we saw snow flakes but we couldn’t be sure. Maybe Neil isn't sure, but I am...we saw snowflakes on the 4th of July.

We drove through periodic rain and sun, saw some beautiful rainbows, to Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness. We stopped at tourist information and went across the road for a cup of coffee. Here we discovered a boat trip and decided to take a short boat ride on the Loch---it was sunny, if a bit windy. The boat turned out to be quite small with a capacity of 12. We all started out in the open back. But then we had a little mist (It was rain) and some people went inside. Now the interesting part. Our captain said that the loch develops big waves when the wind is right---seven to ten feet. This is in part because the Loch is so deep, consistently deeper than the English Channel. When we cleared the headland protecting the boat dock we were among waves of two to three feet---the boat moved around quite a bit, and some water came on board. As we turned to go with the breeze the sea moderated a bit and some people joined Peter and I outside, including Nancy and Jess. Then much to our surprise we hit the trough and the breaking wave was just right for it to come over the back of the boat. Pete and Jess jumped out of the way for the most part, Neil hid behind Nancy, but Nancy got soaked. We looked pretty wet but we were laughing. The good news is that Nancy kept the camera dry. As we sailed next to the castle, the sun shone brightly. The boat stopped as we watched a pipe band give a performance in front of the castle. It was a wild boat ride on a very choppy Loch. We debated getting off the bus back to Dum at a big gift shop and walking to the car but did not—a good thing as the rains came again, and we would have been soaked again.

Back in the car for a ride southwest to Fort Augustus where we could park all day for what an hour cost in Glasgow. We watched them position boats in the lock as boats were ascending to Loch Ness from Loch Oich. Guess what it began to rain HARD. We ducked into a restaurant, and luckily they had a table. We ate lunch while it rained and watched other people get soaked. It stopped raining, so we decided to go see the locks again. However, we no sooner got the block to the locks covered and again we were caught by rain. Here we were short sighted as we stood under the over hang of a grocery store on a late Sunday afternoon in the Highlands, and we did not get snacks or pop for the night.

We drove drove west and north toward the Isle of Skye. We stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle, a twentierth century reconstruction of a much older castle and open to visitors for a small fee. The last entrance was at 5:00, and at 4:58 we paid our money and walked across the bridge to the castle. The first man warned us that we were the last to enter and not be concerned if the door closed after we went through. We went in and a huge clang sounded as the castle door closed and locked. The MacRae family who rebuilt the castle still lives there for part of the year, and one of the guides confided to Nancy that they needed the income from the tourists to maintain the place. (Nancy: We actually talked about electrifying and plumbing the place. He told me the huge timbers in the ceiling were from Douglas firs shipped from British Columbia by relatives of the McRaes. The castle shows how people with money lived during the last century—servants and all those nice things. We took pictures and left as they were closing down. They were cleaning and shutting off lights as people cleared the rooms. Even the gift shop was closed.

Then we headed North to the Skye Bridge and the Isle of Skye. The Skye Bridge is very high. We drove along the coast passing through towns that were closed down for Sunday evening, no snacks. Even one place that advertised open twenty-four hours was closed. Drove up and up, through rain and sun, to Uig. Here we stayed at the Woodbine Guest House, clean, quiet, friendly—the first greeting from our host (who is German...the British didn't really acknowledge it....to be expected) was Happy Fourth of July. The B and B was very pleasant, but we would find the beds a bit lumpy. It was almost 8:00 when we stopped, and we needed food. Andi called a place and told them we were coming but might not make 8:00 service ending time. They said come ahead. We ate at the Hotel Uig. Good food and good Uig Ale and we went back to the Guest House fully satisfied. A brief planning session about what the route and timetable for tomorrow would be and then to bed. Have to draw the curtains because it's 11:00 and still light out. We are about as far north as Skagway, Alaska.

7183 steps and a boat ride.