Jul 4, 2012 - Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Glencoe

I took the 3-day bus tour with Haggis Adventure Company. We were taken to Glencoe, scene of the infamous massacre, Loch Ness, search for the monster, Eilean Donan CastleIsle of Skye's myths, legends and stunning scenery and finally, Culloden Battlefield, site of the last major battle on British soil. Day 1: Edinburgh to Loch Ness We leave Scotland's capital and head past the capital of Stirling, home to legends such as William Wallace and Robert the Bruce and scene of many of Scotland's most famous and bloody battles in the Wars of...

Jun 14, 2012 - No Nessie and no rain

This morning we took an hour boat ride out of Fort Augustus on Loch Ness and heard all about its famous monster, Nessie. It was a pretty ride but the only Nessie we saw was the clever decal on the boat windows for us to photograph with water in the background! A beautiful drive on A82 south from Loch Ness, through Invegarry, Kingussie, to Glen Coe, over a mountain pass (Rannon Moo, elev. 1142 ft.) with spectacular scenery down to Tyndrum and Crianlarich to Loch Lomond. The Glen Coe Pass area is a wonderful area of natural wilderness and...

Jun 13, 2012 - Scottish Highlands

Some sunshine today! The first in several days we haven't had to wear raincoats. Blair Castle & Gardens were our destination this morning. At the end of a tree-lined avenue we found that unlike so many stone castles, this one was white with black trim, dating from 1279. The main hall contained a spectacular display of guns, spears, swords and armor! The interior was a fine Georgian mansion with marvelous pieces of antique furniture and handmade needlepoint upholstery and embroideries made by the ladies of the house. (Again, no inside...

Aug 7, 2009 - Urquhart Castle

Urquhart Castle is located on Loch Ness about 30 miles inland from Inverness. Given its location, it was a crucial strategic stronghold and thus had suffered many sieges over the centuries. The current ruined state was the result of a major attack by siege engines, including the famed medieval trebuchet. The trebuchet was an improvement over the catapult in that it was able to sling it load, in this case a large, rounded boulder weighing upwards of 200 pounds, in a high, wide arc that carried it further and with greater destructive energy....

Jul 27, 2009 - Edinburgh, day 2: the Highlands and Loch Ness

Saturday morning, the five of us went on a full-day tour of the Scottish Highlands and Lochs. Our guide was really fun and friendly, and he was also wearing a kilt, which we all got a kick out of. It was nice because our bus was smaller and we only had 13 people on the tour, which made it a lot more personal and easy to ask questions, as well as see better out of the bus. We covered something like 320 miles the whole day, and from the map our driver showed us, we saw a good chunk of the whole country. We made a bunch of stops throughout the...

Aug 3, 2008 - Loch Ness

My next day trip from Fort William is planned for Loch Ness. Hop on a train and within minutes you’re on the shore of one of the most famous bodies of freshwater in the world. Alright, I have to admit, the reason I want to visit the loch is the mythical monster, endearingly known as Nessie. It’s not like I’m expecting to see a large amphibious creature peering back at me from under the water, I’m too much of a biologist for that (MSc in case you were wondering!). I just think that any lake that can spawn and maintain a legend like that must...

Aug 23, 2007 - Urquhart castle

We found the gates and locks on the Caledonian Canal quite interesting so I've included some photos. Seeing we missed out on our day of sightseeing around Inverness, we decided to drive all the way up from Fort William to see Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness. We had to return the same then continue on from Fort William. At Fort Augustus we were lucky enough to see the canal locks in action. It's all worked with hydraulics these days but up until the mid 1960s it was manually operated by several people turning a big wheel with levers. Some of...

Jul 26, 2007 - Around the world in 8 months

We had a ball!!! Great to meet up with old friends and make some new ones.It's been fantastic meeting some lovely people in beautiful parts of the world Its also been good for us as a family. We have got to know each other better and make a great team. We are so proud of our girls, they have coped with all kinds of experiences and grown up a lot over our trip. One of the best things to come out of the trip was how positive we all were about coming home. We live in a lovely part of the world, and feel very lucky indeed. Here's to the next...

Aug 15, 2004 - Scotland - Men in Skirts

Okay, I know that technically they're not called skirts, they're called "kilts" or "plaits" ... but whatever they're called you sure see a lot of men wearing them here in Scotland! And I don't know what it is, but there's something pretty damn sexy about seeing a man in a kilt. Sure, men have hairy legs and knobby knees, but there's something about the pleats and the tartan that can make the old pulses jump. Of course I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that men aren't supposed to be wearing anything under the kilt ... The day that...