Gateways and Journeys: August 2013

My nut brown maiden or brown haired maid ( Gaelic version) by the Rankin Family, a song my grandfather sang to me in Gaelic when I was small.

( For newer journeys check out my wordpress blog)

It was the summer of 2013 when my daughter and I took a wonderful journey together....

that took us through 4 countries by bus, train boat and plane.

......and where we visited with Sara, Amy, Ian, Ben, kids, Keith and Carol, Andrea, and Jennifer - our family, and many friends who gave us a wonderful welcome and grand hospitality .....

.....and so we begin in Bonny Scotland

After flying into Glasgow we boarded a bus and headed right to

Edinburgh, I am sure one of the most charming towns in the world!! The hill in the distance seen here is Arthurs' Seat in Holyrood Park

Edinburgh Castle

This wonderful historic castle is home to the Military Tattoo of Scotland as well as to a wonderful medieval town that winds down the hill along the "Royal Mile" to the Holyrood Palace at the foot.
Princes Street Gardens are below the castle also and a green oasis for people on lunch breaks or out for a stroll.

The Robbie Burns Monument, poet darling of Edinburgh society of the 1700's and today
"and there's a hand my trusted friend
and give a hand of thine
We'll take a cup of kindness now
for auld lang syne.
It's a bit of a climb but not as high as Calton Hill which is across the road and has Nelson's Monument perched atop. Great Views of the city!

on the Firth of Forth!

The North Sea Promenade a short walk from our hotel in Edinburgh

Mysterious Rosslyn Chapel outside of Edinburgh

of Holy Grail and Knights Templar fame, conspiracy and secret passages, though it must be noted that it was built long after the disgraced Knights had been disbanded (1392) and the crusades had been long over, but as the custodian of the chapel said, books written about Grail mysteries (Holy Blood, Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code), come to conclusions by saying "it is almost certain that....." which really means it is not certain at all!
Built by Sir William St. Clair (Sinclair), last prince of Orkney in 1446, it does contain the tomb of an earlier William St.Clair, Knight Templar who died in Spain in 1336 fighting the Moors while attempting to bring the heart of Robert the Bruce to the Holy Land for burial.

Perthshire and Kinross

Balmoral View, Blairgowrie
of Robertson fame

two brothers
Tom and Davey

Black Watch Museum in Perth, Scotland the Brave
( David Robertson's old regiment where he served in both Africa and India, his name is written there)

at Scone Palace

The Maze at Scone Palace in Perth
once home to the stone of destiny(now in Edinburgh), rightful throne of the Scottish Kings
"whom we invite to see us crowned at Scone"- Macbeth

Bridge over Tay River in Perth

beautiful home in Perth
the gardens of Scotland are like Victoria gardens

fields of wild lupin

the crannog on Loch Tay

Bronze age dwellings (reconstruction)

Inverness, Gateway to the Highlands

The River Ness in Inverness

overlooking the River Ness

the Scottish Thistle

the national animal of Scotland
I'm sure they are hiding in the glen

The last great battle at Culloden in 1746, fought just outside Inverness, was the final defeat (and slaughter) of the outnumbered and out weaponed "Jacobites" ( mainly Highland Catholic supporters of King James of the Royal Stewart line), forever placing Scotland under England's rule, thus beginning the highland clearances (land robbery)and a brutal repression which forced many to leave and seek fortune in the new world. Bonnie Prince Charlie, heir to the throne of Scotland and the last Jacobite hope fled to France with the belief that he would return to take his rightful place as king when the Scots once again rallied. But the clearances broke the back of Scotland. It never was to be and he died in exile but the hope remained and was written in poignant songs like "The Skye Boat Song" and "Will Ye No Come Back Again." Flora MacDonald, is the Jacobite heroine who at great personal cost helped him escape the English and her statue stands overlooking the River Ness. One hundred years later the Scots maintained their courageous and fierce reputations fighting for the English in regiments such as the famous Black Watch.

Will ye no come back again by the Corries

Flora MacDonald's monument

on the Moray Firth- you will rarely see such skies!!

after blethering on about this for ages she totally missed the wee creature as we headed down the channel on the Jacobite Queen to the loch

a dramatic study of Loch Ness

Urquart castle ruins on Loch Ness
After being fought over by warring clans since the 13 the century it is finally blown up by the English to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Jacobites

for an immersive experience at the castle with MacCrimmon's
Lament - cha till mi tuile or he will return no more

The Skye Boat Song

Into the Highlands

The Abbey at Fortrose built around 1100

The bonny wee hamlet of Nan MacLeod on the Black Isle. where sheep dot the hillsides like marshmallows flung from an open bag.

The Anderson Restaurant on High Street is a must!
the best lamb burgers in all Scotland - and a guid glass of highland Scotch

Fortrose (Rosemarkie), Ross & Cromarty

and on past the village of Dornoch where the last witch ( probably a poor soul suffering from dementia) was burned in 1715.

Pictish fort in Highlands, those fierce undefeatable barbarians that Hadrian built a wall against to keep them contained in the North ( and don't forget the story of Heather Ale!)

and along the shining North Sea coast,
from whence came the viking longships, a sliver of silver on the horizon,
and a poet's song as the sky spills light onto the grey sea

through Sutherland and Caithness to