Outlander

Love it a loch

Sunday 15th September 2019

Oh thank you Skye for stopping with the sideways rain and showing us your beauty!! Too bad the gurgling in our stomachs from the lumpy cup of goodness was interrupting the pretty! BOTB for pickups and we ventured out to the middle of whoop whoop to pick up Robert from his BNB and I got why the taxi driver the other night was grumpy AF, but the middle of whoop whoop in Skye is bloody gorgeous, yeah Skye, you got me. Maybe my first girl can be Aurora Skye… you’d have to go all the way back to my travels to Finland to work that one out!!

Before leaving the gorgeous Skye, Dan the photo op Man made a few stops for pics so we could actually have evidence of being in Skye. Once again, beyond gorgeous scenery and Saucy Mary’s which I wish I’d visited. Just makes me smile when I think about how much I love Scotland. I have a UK passport so that kinda makes me Scottish right???

Over the bridge from Skye this time, Dan the sneaky Man didn’t mention the bridge option when herding us onto the Titanic the other day!?! Next stop was the most photographed castle in Scotland, Eilean Donan, we were about the add to that photograph tally… A quick stop for sweeping views of the castle and a million more clicks, it really is stunning and not a single picture I’ve taken even comes close to showing it’s real beauty!! Maybe google it, I’m sure you’ll find better pics!!

Bussing it over to the castle and somehow it is even more stunning. The castle is majestic and while I usually like them in ruins, this is definitely an exception! Wandering over the bridge, or maybe it was a moat?!? Anyhoo, in front of us were a bride and groom, what a place for wedding photos!! You might have noticed I was wearing long sleeves and a puffer jacket so spare a thought for this gorgeous bride, freezing for a cause!!

Into the castle and wow, views for ever over the loch and mountains, the old castle masonry, little windy staircases and gorgeous windows over looking the beautiful beautiful Scotland. I’ve changed my mind, I’m hiding from Dan the bus driver Man at Eilean Donan, so many little nooks to hide in, I’m sure no one would notice…

Leaving it to the very last minute to get BOTB, I was still testing out whether Dan the hopefully nice Man would leave anyone behind because been there and seen that!! He waited, bless, mainly because more than half the bus were a few minutes late back, you could spend hours at the castle so time quickly slips away. Maybe if I meet my Scottish Prince Charming I could get married at Eilean Donan too?? Or I could just marry a highland cow, probs more likely to find one that likes me!!

BOTB and Robert just casually mentioned that his friends who are also traveling through Scotland happened to run into some guy called Sam Heughan, was that the Outlander dude I’d been going on about?? He’d been at Culloden the previous day and was at Clava Cairn, both places we were going the next day!!! My golly was I a happy Holly!! I’d been going on about meeting my very own Jamie and now I had a chance to meet the real Jamie Fraser himself… mix of excitement and disbelief. Yeah I’m fangirling cos he’s one good looking dude and on one of my favourite shows but also because he’s one of those amazing human beings that works his arse off to support charities and use his fame to make a difference in the world. I admire those people. Anyways, fingers crossed I might find the real Jamie this trip, but really don’t think I’m that lucky…

Bless Dan the google Man who was trying to once again give us some tidbits of info about Scotland, my mind was still all about the Jamie!! He said something about beavers being reintroduced to Scotland, dams having holes, beavers take holes as an insult and filling them… did not make sense, my mind was still Jamie inclined. Points for trying Dan but the news of Jamie had spread to every female on the bus who was now either fangirling as much as me or getting a run down from the Outlander die hards on why they should be!!!

Maybe Dan the disappinted Man noticed he’d lost his crowd, or maybe it was planned, who knows but not too long after the Jamie revelation and beaver story we rocked up at the River Moriston waterfalls. A little trek down the road and we came across one of the best things I’ve ever seen in my life… a dog sitting in a chair just like a human being, just casually checking us out and wondering what all the fuss was about. So so bloody brilliant, that’s one hell of a guard dog!

Waterfalls beckoned so we left our new favorite dog alone to ponder his celebrity and headed through the forest to the waterfalls. Scotland really does have everything, mountains, lochs, waterfalls, forests, beaches and Jamie. Scotland is perfect. The waterfalls just added to this perfection.

Wandering back through the forest I came across myself, a native Holly bush. I knew I belonged here!!

Unfortunately our guard dog was sick of the paparazzi and had gone elsewhere, so it was just BOTB and onto our lunch stop at Drumnadrochit. I’d already decided this was the day I’d indulge in the infamous haggis supper. Deep fried haggis and chips, and yummers, I was not disappointed, and Robert was hella impressed with my new found love of haggis!

With only a short lunch break it was BOTB and through some beautiful hills, apparently hills and mountains have different names in Scotland depending on how high they are, it’ll go from a hill to a mountain at a certain height but in all honesty I was so blissfully haggised out I didn’t pay much attention to Dan the mountain Man. When he sushed down I cranked my tunes and what do ya know, my fave the Hilltop Hoods blasted, seemed appropriate so I did my nasty hip hop dance moves in my seat and snapped away at the beautiful scenery passing by in front of me. What the hell was in that haggis??

On our way to Loch Ness where every Man and his dog knows is the home of Nessy, the infamous monster, Dan the monster Man chatted more and this time it peaked my interest, love conspiracy theories about the Loch Ness monster!! First some basics, if you took all of the water from the lochs and lakes across the UK, it still wouldn’t fill Loch Ness, it’s a biggie. And now onto the good stuff, apparently a couple were travelling the road by Loch Ness and crashed their car into a tree, they claimed to the cops that a creature slithered out in front of them and into the Loch and so started the tale of the Loch Ness monster. Needless to say they didn’t do a breatho, good story bro!! But there is that one picture right?? Yeah, apparently it’s been proven it’s a fake, guess I won’t be getting that reward for finding the monster… Rocking up to where we would jump on board our cruise on the loch, I met the most gorgeous, sweetest thing ever… a baby hairy coo!!! Too cute for words, when I’m back in Adelaide one day I’ll be getting me a hairy coo and a border collie as pets, they can be besties, maybe I’ll get a kitty kat too…

At the visitor center for our cruise I stumbled across a fridge full of cider from Roberts home town of Durham, would have been rude not to partake…

Finally bundled onto the cruise and set off on the loch, 5 minutes in we hear the skipper over the speaker, he sounded like he’d just taken a big suck of helium and so started the giggles from the lot of us… no idea what he said, I’m sure it was important. Next up to take the speaker reins was an older chap who bless, had a tough crowd. When we turned the corner and he pointed out Boner Lighthouse there was no stopping us, tears and sore stomachs from laughing so much. Not just at the name but his descriptions of it “coming up around the corner” and so forth… ok, so maybe the highland hot chocolate and the gins from the bar we just happened to sit right next to had something to do with it. Nah, actually that dude was just a barrel of laughs especially cos he wasn’t even trying! Note, for those playing at home, a highland hot chocolate is not for the little tackers, has a shot of whiskey…

We calmed down for a couple of minutes to get some beautiful shots of the loch and enjoy the tranquil setting. Didn’t last that long because old man was back to his best, “the water of Loch Ness looks cold and dark, because it is cold and dark…”. Maybe you had to be there…

Having piped down somewhat, the cruise pulled up to Urqhart Castle and by god we were being spoilt with castles that day, in my element! Unlike Eilean Donan, Urqhart is a ruin but definitely just as majestic and beautiful!! In its hayday, it would have been massive and quite intimidating for anyone silly enough to try enter uninvited. Scotland always comes up with the goods…

Wandering around the ruins with Peta, apparently I missed quite a handsome dude looking my way, had to explain my priorities to Peta… Castles, hairy coos, gin then men… unless you’re Jamie then you go right to the top of the list!!! Anyhoo, having taken in all the sites of the castle we wandered down to the banks of Loch Ness and decided to go for a paddle, why the hell not? Maybe our yummy toes would entice Nessy to make an appearance?? Full credit to Peta who managed to get her tights off from under her jeans without even a slip of thigh, chicks got mad skills…

Dan the Loch Ness Man did mention the water was around 6 degrees, that was about right, between trying not to go arse up on the mossy rocks of the shore, I’m sure my toes were freezing off! No Nessy unfortunately, maybe our toes weren’t as tasty as we thought! We took our time to paddle and sit on the shore chatting, then realized we had 5 minutes to leg it up the massive hill behind the castle and find our bus in one of the thousand car parks, was hoping it was a case of Dan the patient Man… luckily we made it, mostly thanks to one of the older gentleman who was still off somewhere taking pics with his kick arse camera… Once all aboard it was onto Fort Augustus, a place that once again didn’t really have much of a fort, feckin forts, stop teasing me!! Somehow during the BNB drop off hustle I ended up being the only one staying at my BNB and it was like fate, the host had decorated the interior with a theme of hairy coos!!

Being our last night as a tour group we’d agreed to all gather at the Richmond pub for a last supper. Arriving a little late on account of my shite sense of direction, Robert, Peta and Dan the now one of us Man has saved me a seat. Chicken strips better than KFC and a few gins later, some how our drinks had taken on identities of their own… a gender neutral Tenant beer, a girly Rose wine, a manly merlot and a gentleman gin please!?! It was funny at the time and somehow the bar tender was in on the joke, at least we thought he was!! The people on this trip really were what made it so brilliant, I’ve mostly detailed the lives and times of Peta and Robert but Ardis and Michael the amazing photographer from the US, Roelene and Steve from South Africa, and Christi and Todd also played a starring role, as did Dan the Man who was now just Daniel, no longer having to be the man.

Needless to say, there were quite a few drinks, laughs and just straight out hilarious conversation! I’m pretty sure Michael’s pertinent question “Do you vacuum your pets in Australia?” takes the cake. And poor innocent Daniel took a hiding from Peta and I about his inability to pronounce a T, goes for all Scottish folk really. Peta was Pee-ah, can pronounce a T to start with but anything in the middle gets lost. The Boner lighthouse also came up in conversation which set us all off again. Did learn quite a bit of Scottish that night though, a Kirk is a church, they say tan it instead of skull, pee pee is a piss and chebs are those two mounds on a women’s chest… yeah, the conversation may have taken a turn for the worst!! No idea what Ned’s are, vaguely recall maybe it’s the Scottish version of a bogan??

Anyhoo, midnight rolled around and those still standing were eloquently kicked out, highly possible a certain someone had a bottle of gin in her room and the four of us Richmond Rioters ended up sitting on steps on the banks of the Canal having a few swigs, yeah, Robert, Peta, Margaret and Daniel, I’m looking at you. What else happened that night is most definitely a case of what happens on tour stays on tour…

October 1, 2019 0

Haggis and Harry

Friday 13th September 2019

Lucky for me, being spoilt with a hotel room also meant being spoilt with a hotel brekkie. Bacon, yum, eggs, yum, sheep’s brains, yum… you wouldn’t think sheep’s leftovers smooshed with some grains and fried would be so delicious, but yummo, love me some haggis!

BOTB and we’re just cruising along and there on an island is an epic castle… kinda like Dunluce in Ireland, home of the Greyjoy’s. Once again would love to climb all over it but a picture out a bus window was as good as it gets…

Back in our seats and we’re headed to Glencoe. Dan the sometimes Man reckons it’s one of the most beautiful places in Scotland. We’ll see. On our wee trip to Glencoe Dan the story Man told us the tale of the Massacre of Glencoe. All started with the King trying to get the unruly Scottish clans in line, to do so they all had to pledge their allegiance in person. The chief of the MacDonald clan was a day late to do so. Apparently the excuse of a horse breaking its leg is akin to the excuse of a dog ate my homework. Anyway, the British and the enemy Campbell clan snuck into the MacDonald’s village and killed them all in their sleep. Ok, there’s much more to it, but in short, that’s the story of the Massacre of Glencoe. There’s a lesson kids, don’t be late, and apparently if you’re a King you can kill whomever you want, and Kings are meant to be servants of God…Right. So after such a delightful tale, Dan again the Man played a Scottish folk song about the massacre that was so beautiful it bought a tear to my eye… maybe I do like Scottish music and this country is perfect…

The trip to Glencoe was some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen in my life. As Glen means valley, the scenery was valleys and mountains on the left and a loch on the right… always a loch, I don’t think there was more than 5 minutes of travel in which there wasn’t a loch in view. I really just wanted to hike in the mountains and swim in the lochs, but unfortunately I was in-prisoned on the bus. Maybe Dan the prison Man won’t notice if I don’t get back on the bus…. and anyways, Glencoe is the home of Skyfall where James Bond lives so I could always go hang there… Upon arriving at Glencoe, rather than join the others in the visitor center, I decided to hike up the hill to the viewpoint, joined by Robert, the dude from the bus who sat opposite me, also traveling solo, really friendly and up for a chat. The view of Glencoe was magnificent, magical, all those WOW words. The sun shone in streams down the mountains and valleys, I could hardly believe just how stunning it was. Pictures don’t do it justice, not even close. This is the Scotland I love. Build me a little house on a hill overlooking Glencoe and I’d be happy for life. Throw in my very own Jamie Fraser and I’d never have reason to leave!!

After admiring the beauty of Glencoe, it was BOTB and before long, another stop at the Tears of Glencoe, a gorgeous waterfall that given the story about the massacre, really did make you think maybe the mountains were crying, or maybe that song just still had me overly emo…

Another short leg down the road and we hopped off the bus at The Three Sisters, a stunning mountain range that’s home of the Highlander, the infamous place where MacCleod does battle and dies… must go back and watch that movie. I was in absolute awe of how pretty the mountains were, I think I must have said WOW a million times that day…

After being wowsers at the mountains and waterfalls it was onto Fort William. For those peeps that watch Outlander and already got my Jamie Fraser reference, you’d know that Fort William plays a starring role in the first season. I was keen as mustard to see the fort and walk around the ruins like Claire did in the 1950’s… Dan not the Man completely burst my bubble when he informed us that it was NOT the same fort from Outlander and in fact, all that remained was a couple of walls. Talk about a party pooper. Rocking up in Fort William and immediately legging it over to the fort, Dan the serious Man was not joking, literally a couple of brick walls with a few canons so the walls could pretend they were a fort… Disappointing but it did make me wonder if I actually belonged in the time of forts and castles… Maybe our stop on the last day at Craigh Na Doon would send me back…

My disappointment from the fort was replaced with major excitement when the group reconvened at the train station and it was all aboard the Jacobite train… wait, isn’t that a song?? Not really sure why it’s called the Jacobite train, if I wasn’t 40,000 feet in the air while writing this I’d Google but even Google cant reach here, well at least not on Ryanair… I digress… my excitement for the train was because it went over the bridge from Harry Potter!! You know the one in the second movie with the flying car and Ron and Harry are trying to catch up with the Hogwarts train?? Yeah nah??? Check out the pics and vid below and you’ll know what I mean. Actually called a Viaduct for reals, would Google the actual name but can’t, seems I don’t function without Google…

In between getting carpel tunnel from snapping a million pics, on the train I was lucky enough to sit next to Robert and chat with a fun American couple Christi and Todd. Now it was on this trip that I learnt Robert was one of the coolest dudes I’d ever met, too bad about the 20 year age gap! Mr Craig (Robert not Daniel) had seen live in concert Queen, The Rolling Stones and The Who, all for under £10, AND had a ticket to Live Aid. If you know your music history or have seen the Bohemian Rhapsody movie, you’ll know that Live Aid was one of the most epic concerts of all time. Unfortunately Robert broke his leg a few days earlier so didn’t go and regrets it to this day. Don’t blame him, I would too!! He also saw INXS live, dude is a bit of a legend. The train ride itself was bloody brilliant as Ron would say, steam train through the beautiful Scottish countryside, great company and a bar cart serving gin. When Robert was the only other to order a beverage I knew we’d be BFFs for this trip!!! Disembarking at the train station, it’s was pics galore with the beautiful piece of machinery, and with some encouragement from Robert, I used my Aussie charm on the conductor so I could to climb inside the train engine area, no idea what it’s called…

Another gentle nudge from Robert and I was into the tower where they control the train tracks and having a go at pulling all the levers. Yeah, this guy knows how to have fun!!

In the town of Mylaig, which is pronounced like My Leg, which for some reason I found hilarious, we found another member for our crew. Apparently Robert spotted Peta on the train chatting with some older ladies but thought maybe she was keen on some younger company, she was also cute as a button which may have had something to do with it!! Over some fries and a gin at the local, us three got chatting and I realized that this trip would not be the quiet trip I’d thought, I had just met two of the friendliest, loveliest people ever… who also liked a gin or two and could have a good laugh. Peta is a high school teacher from Brissie, only 10ish years older than me and Robert is Scottish, 20ish years older than me in age but at least 5 years younger at heart.

From My Leg it was BOTB and we headed for the ferry over to the Isle of Skye. Dan the music Man was trying to be funny, it was Friday the 13th and we were going on a boat so he cranked the Titanic theme song, pretty sure I was the only one laughing because by the looks of the waves and the grumpy clouds over head, it was not going to be a fun ride!!! Onto the ferry and for some reason I thought the top deck was the place to be. The ferry did some mighty rolls, spraying us with delicious ocean water and blowing the hairs off our heads, well trying anyway. Mighty fun, only downer was that I couldn’t find my phone so not only did I not get any pics of the ferry madness, I spent the whole ride with my fingers crossed it was on the bus, otherwise how would I survive… joking, not joking…

BOTB and my phone was patiently waiting for me on the seat, enjoying the rest from my never ending reel of photos and videos. Off the ferry and I was at the place that was the reason for the trip to Scotland, to see the stunning Isle of Skye… unfortunately during trip from the mainland, an epic storm had rolled in and Dan the wet Man informed us a hurricane was on its way. Couldn’t tell if he was joking… At the 5th BNB stop I was lucky enough to be herded off into the same place as Peta. I was given a big gorgeous room with a double bed, big screen on the wall and en-suite… Winning! Knock on the door and ooops they’d given me the wrong room, my room was actually a broom closet for the next two nights, doh, luck had run out!! Anyhoo, regrouping for dinner, Peta and I wandered down the road to the only place that was open for some delicious Scottish food and possibly the worst waitress I’ve ever experienced in my life!! Grunts when asked questions, eye rolls when ordering and apparently getting the bill is just asking too much. Robert joined us for a few drinks, much to the waitress’s dismay, and before we knew it, we were the last ones left. Ok so maybe the waitress now had a reason to be grumpy! Little did we know that finding a taxi for Robert back to his BNB in the middle of nowhere would be as hard as it was for the waitress to get the bill… Calls to three taxi companies later and there was a dude on his way, I think I may have woken him up. He was nice enough to drop Peta and I off on the way, well Robert was, the grunts from the driver suggested otherwise. Getting back to our BNB and looking forward to a warm bed we were delighted to find we’d been locked out. Awesome sauce. The delightful (I’m lying) inn keeper said the door would be open until 1am, it was a little after 11am. Do time and manners work differently here?? After some rather loud knocking that could only just be heard over the hurricane like winds, we were in. Yes the inn keeper was in her nightie and we felt like AH’s for waking her but there’s no way in hell sleeping outside was even an option. Dan the Man was not joking about the hurricane being on its way….

September 30, 2019 0

Holly vs the world

Tag

Love it a loch

Haggis and Harry