Over Halloween weekend, I ventured up North to what is called the "Highlands" of Scotland. We took a bus tour that is geared towards students and traveled up to Inverness (the capital of the Highlands) and back - on the way we stopped at a bunch of sites ranging from small little rural towns to the William Wallace Monument in Stirling. We made kind of a loop, if you look at the map to the left, and at the top of the loop (Inverness) is where we stayed for the night at a hostel.
As you can see on the map, we drove through Perth all the way up to Loch Ness. Our first stop was at a small town called Dunkeld that was along a gorgeous river where there was a beautiful old cathedral.
Edinburgh is a beautiful city in terms of architecture, but the whole city itself is quite gray. It was really nice to get out into the countryside and have a healthy dose of autumn!
The second stop was even better - we stopped at a placed called The Hermitage which is a National Trust for Scotland reserve located on the River Braan in the Craigvinean Forest. The area was originally discovered/claimed by the Dukes of Atholl in the 18th Century who built a house nearby and constructed a meditation place called Ossian's Hall overlooking a waterfall. Now the patch of forest is believed home to so
me of the tallest trees in the UK. We hiked up along the river to Ossian's Hall and Black Linn Falls and while I am used to lovely New England autumn, the scenery on this hike was breathtaking.
After The Hermitage we kept driving north to Ruthvan Barracks. The Ruthvan Barracks are located on a large hill that was an ideal strategic point for battle; the first castle was reported to have been built there in 1229 but it wasn't until the 1700's that the barracks were constructed by the British government and became a focal point in their continuous battle with the Highland's Jacobites (the Scottish rebel "army" that was in a perpetual fight for independence from England). The barrack ruins were interesting, however we got there just in time to get caught in a fleeting bout of wind and rain. I would almost say it was worth it, though, because we got to
witness a lovely Scotland rainbow stretching across the countryside as we were boarding the bus.
Moving on from the barracks we stopped at some old stone structures in Killiecrankie and then moved on to Culloden Battlefield where a famous battle between the British Government and the Jacobite army took place in 1746. The field now is covered with stones marking mass grave sites where different Scottish clans were buried. Although the battlefield itself had a somber feel - the battle was extremely bloody and is a big part of Scottish history - we all stopped in the modern upscale information center and had a much needed afternoon tea. On a side note, I have definitely fallen into the British habit of drinking an obscene amount of tea each day. I usually have a cup when I wake up, meet up for tea/coffee with friends at some point in the day, have a cup when I get home before/after dinner, and then some before bed. A warm cup of tea has an addictive draw to it once you begin to indulge in the habit, but I think its a healthy addiction.
At this point in the trip we were all getting a bit tired (we were all up before half seven to get ready to meet the tour) and the sun was beginning t
o set. Luckily, our next stop was the much anticipated Loch Ness! The tour leader driving the bus grew up and still lives in Loch Ness, so it was nice having a guide that really knew the area and could add a personal touch to the visit. This is the part where some of you might cringe in horror...but I did decide to take a dip in the Loch. Although the weather was such that only a crazy person would choose to don a swimsuit, and the water was paralyzingly cold, I knew that I would always regret not swimming in Loch Ness when I had the chance. My friend Anke and I shed our winter jackets and boots just long enough to jump in the water, pose for a few pictures, and run out. The whole experience was very exhilarating and I did not even get nibbled on by the infamous Loch Ness monster. Next stop, finally, was our hostel in Inverness where we settled in, grabbed a bite for dinner at a local pub/restaurant, and had an early night.
As you can see on the map, we drove through Perth all the way up to Loch Ness. Our first stop was at a small town called Dunkeld that was along a gorgeous river where there was a beautiful old cathedral.
Edinburgh is a beautiful city in terms of architecture, but the whole city itself is quite gray. It was really nice to get out into the countryside and have a healthy dose of autumn!The second stop was even better - we stopped at a placed called The Hermitage which is a National Trust for Scotland reserve located on the River Braan in the Craigvinean Forest. The area was originally discovered/claimed by the Dukes of Atholl in the 18th Century who built a house nearby and constructed a meditation place called Ossian's Hall overlooking a waterfall. Now the patch of forest is believed home to so
me of the tallest trees in the UK. We hiked up along the river to Ossian's Hall and Black Linn Falls and while I am used to lovely New England autumn, the scenery on this hike was breathtaking.After The Hermitage we kept driving north to Ruthvan Barracks. The Ruthvan Barracks are located on a large hill that was an ideal strategic point for battle; the first castle was reported to have been built there in 1229 but it wasn't until the 1700's that the barracks were constructed by the British government and became a focal point in their continuous battle with the Highland's Jacobites (the Scottish rebel "army" that was in a perpetual fight for independence from England). The barrack ruins were interesting, however we got there just in time to get caught in a fleeting bout of wind and rain. I would almost say it was worth it, though, because we got to
witness a lovely Scotland rainbow stretching across the countryside as we were boarding the bus.Moving on from the barracks we stopped at some old stone structures in Killiecrankie and then moved on to Culloden Battlefield where a famous battle between the British Government and the Jacobite army took place in 1746. The field now is covered with stones marking mass grave sites where different Scottish clans were buried. Although the battlefield itself had a somber feel - the battle was extremely bloody and is a big part of Scottish history - we all stopped in the modern upscale information center and had a much needed afternoon tea. On a side note, I have definitely fallen into the British habit of drinking an obscene amount of tea each day. I usually have a cup when I wake up, meet up for tea/coffee with friends at some point in the day, have a cup when I get home before/after dinner, and then some before bed. A warm cup of tea has an addictive draw to it once you begin to indulge in the habit, but I think its a healthy addiction.
At this point in the trip we were all getting a bit tired (we were all up before half seven to get ready to meet the tour) and the sun was beginning t
o set. Luckily, our next stop was the much anticipated Loch Ness! The tour leader driving the bus grew up and still lives in Loch Ness, so it was nice having a guide that really knew the area and could add a personal touch to the visit. This is the part where some of you might cringe in horror...but I did decide to take a dip in the Loch. Although the weather was such that only a crazy person would choose to don a swimsuit, and the water was paralyzingly cold, I knew that I would always regret not swimming in Loch Ness when I had the chance. My friend Anke and I shed our winter jackets and boots just long enough to jump in the water, pose for a few pictures, and run out. The whole experience was very exhilarating and I did not even get nibbled on by the infamous Loch Ness monster. Next stop, finally, was our hostel in Inverness where we settled in, grabbed a bite for dinner at a local pub/restaurant, and had an early night.
Great entry Lexi! I love that picture of you and the mossy area surrounding you...very Scottish indeed.
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