May 20: The Highlands of Scotland

View from a pass through the highlands.

We need to buy a thesaurus to find some fresh superlatives.  We’ve looked at each other a hundred times today and described our day as astounding, charming, gorgeous, spectacular, moving, and very very beautiful.

We woke up to frost on the slate tiles on the roofs outside our window, but enjoyed sunshine and warmth for most of the day. After a filling Scottish breakfast with lovely conversation with a retired teacher, we headed into Trossach National Park where we drove through the Duke’s Pass.  The thing that amazed me the most about Trossachs Forest was how yellow the leaves were, especially the tiny new oak leaves.  I’ve never seen a deciduous forest before, and I’m afraid a lot of the forests at home are rather cultivated monoculture, so the diversity of plants was astonishing.  I was sorry that we didn't have time to Zipline over the trees, but I don't think Alanna was that keen!

A hotel across the lake, just west of Callendar.

Throughout the day we saw lots of trees that had simply blown over, roots and all, some fairly recently.

Next we took a small boat ride across glassy smooth water of the Lake of Monteith to the ruins of Inchmahome Priory.  We both agreed that it was one of the most beautiful places we had ever seen – besides having an interesting history. 

The little boat that takes people to the island.

Alanna enroute to the island, enjoying the first sunshine in days!

More bluebells.  This was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.

Alanna in the main entrance to the priory church.

The remains of the great window.

This fourteenth century grave marker shows an embracing couple asleep with their dogs at their feet.  Quite moving, I thought

The boxwood bower from the time that Mary Queen of Scots -- although four years old and not a queen -- hid here from the troops of Henry VIII.

Lake of Monteith

Next we drove to Loch Lomond National Park, then took the scenic route through the Scottish Highlands, stopping frequently to take pictures and to pretend to be just two more of the hikers we passed along the route.  The mountains of the Highlands are not like anything I have ever seen before, and are truly awe inspiring in their severe beauty. 

The Highlands

We took a small ferry across Loch Linnie to the Ardnamurcha Peninsula.

There were lots of fish farms on the loch.

A highland cow (bull?)

After admiring the ancient church climbed a hill to gaze on both the Glenfinnan Memorial to those who fell in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie – very moving – and the railway viaduct that was featured in Harry Potter.  We drove east again toward Inverness, and saw Neptune’s Staircase, the Caledonian canal, Loch Ness, and Castle Urqhart.  We arrived in Inverness at about 8:45, and it was still light out until after 10.

Glenfinnan Church

The view from the church door.

The Glenfinnan Viaduct

The Glenfinnan Monument

A couple of black face sheep.

A burn, seen from a brae!

All day long we were amazed by the variety and abundance of both the flora and fauna of the area.  We’ve seen sweet chestnuts, boxwood, oak, ash, willows, apsens, gorse, fields of blubells, broom – not too bad where it is supposed to grow – hawthorn, and rhododendrons that were as tall as the trees around them.  We’ve also seen ducks and ducklings, lambs and sheep, geese, highland cattle and calves, innumerable birds, a red hawk, and even an osprey catching a fish.  Exhausted and hungry as we are, we are looking forward to a night in a regular hotel with a lift for the suitcases and our own bath.  The only free WIFI is down in the lobby, however, which did not work out spectacularly yesterday!