Day Eight (Exploring the Highlands)

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Some welcome relief from the heat last night. I actually had to sleep under the covers. It was wonderfully cool for a change. A bonnie quiet wee towne is this Newtonmore.

We treated ourselves to another hearty, traditional English breakfast in the hotel dining area. I'l never understand the baked beans and fried tomatoes the English and Scots have for breakfast but like Pavlov's dog, I realize that their smells mean bacon and eggs will also be served.

As we got on the bus for the day's sightseeing (we would return to the same hotel at night), we actually had to wear jackets and sweatshirts in the early morning cool and dew. Once again the conversation in the front of the bus revolved around a bunch of PBS shows I never heard of, let alone actually watched. A brochure in our hotel had boasted that members of the cast of "Monarch of the Glen" had stayed there during filming.

Today promised to be full of places I was expecting to enjoy: touring a Scotch distillery, visiting Loch Ness, going to Culloden Moor and Glenfinnan to learn more about Bonnie Prince Charlie and possibly visiting the seaside resort town of Nairn. Once again James was bombarding Gail with a plethora of choices but neither she nor I had any idea whether they were worth seeing or doing. Even though we appreciated his efforts to please we left things up to James' own judgement.

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Photos

Speaking of "Monarch of the Glen"...
As we left town headed toward the Ben Nevis distillery, we kept passing places everyone but Gail and I recognized as being on "Monarch of the Glen". This place was supposedly seen at some time on the show.

The Ben Nevis Distillery
I'm not sure that stopping at 10:00 am for a distillery tour is the greatest idea, but what the heck. I've been on plenty of brewery, candy factory and winery tours and as long as there are free samples at the end, count me in.

The start of the process
Don't worry. I'm not going to narrate the entire Scotch-making process. What I did find interesting though is the fact that the process of making Scotch begins in the same way that brewing beer does. Water is added to barley malt which is then heated-up in this mash tun causing the barley to start releasing its sugars. Then yeast is added which eats up the sugar and forms alcohol and CO2 gas.. Scotch whiskey is pretty much distilled beer. Distilling means that the liquid is boiled up through copper tubing where it condenses then falls like rain into another vessel

The quality control man
All during the spirit-making process high standards of quality control must be maintained. Highly trained Scotch-sniffers are required to check the mash tuns for foreign objects to ensure that nothing corrupts the delicate fermentation and brewing process. This obviously well-trained connoisseur is making sure no Haggis or rats have accidently fallen into the brew. Judging by the size of his belly, he takes great care in checking every batch.

Where the job gets done
These are the wash stills that are used for the first distillation of the Scotch. It isn't until the liquid is run through a second time that the booze is considered good enough to be considered a "spirit". Some distilleries use different lengths of copper tubing to impart different characteristics to the Scotch.

Multi-casking
The real "trick" to making Scotch is the pouring of the distilled juice into wooden casks. The Scotch ages in these casks for ten or more years. The quality of the wood lends flavor and color to the various types of Scotch. Oak barrels once used for sherry or American bourbon are used. Even though hermetically sealed, one quarter of the Scotch evaporates through the wood of the casks. The distillers refer to this as "The Angels' Share."

Movie soundstages in a distillery?
Our tour guide pointed out the many storage sheds where the casks are kept for years and years of aging. As a supplemental source of income the Ben Nevis Distillery has leased out some of these buildings as movie soundstages for major movies such as Rob Roy, Braveheart, Harry Potter and Highlander. In the distance are hydro-electric facilities just below a mountain reservoir.

Now for the good part
At the conclusion of our 20 minute walk around and through the facility our guide led us back into the visitor center/gift shop where a small glass of Scotch awaited each of us. I would've preferred a much bigger glass and maybe a choice but how can you argue with free samples? The most interesting fact I learned is that Scotch should NEVER be drunk on the rocks. You should have it with a glass of water on the side.

The elusive Scottish Highland cattle
Try as we might we were totally unable to get a close-up shot of the national cow of Scotland. We often saw them at a distance but we could never get them to come anywhere near us for a photo op. I tried mooing at them, barking, offering grass and calling them "hamburgers" but none would venture near us.

Loch Shiel
A short drive North brought us to the shores of Loch Shiel. It was here in 1745 that the grandson of the deposed James II of England landed with the help of the French. He planned on raising support among the Scots before eventually moving on to conquering England and claiming the throne. James II was a member of the Stuart family which had ruled Scotland for years. His grandson, Charles Edward Stuart, was more commonly known as "Bonnie Prince Charlie".

The Glenfinnan Monument
Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt to invade England was doomed to failure. He did not rally nearly as much support as he had hoped. The Highlanders flocked to his banner but when his troops headed South toward Northern England few Englishmen joined the ranks. He was forced back into Scotland where the British crushed the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden. This monuments commemorates Charles' landing but the figure at the top is not the prince but one of his Highland troops instead. Access to this once isolated part of Scotland was made possible by a road built by our old friend, Thomas Telford.

Glenfinnan Viaduct
Believe it or not, Thomas Telford DID NOT build this structure. It was built for a railway line that crossed over the River Finnan Valley. The viaduct rises 100 feet at it's highest point and features 21 arches. Currently it's claim to fame is that it was seen in one of the Harry Potter movies.

Commando Monument near Spean Bridge
Back on the bus we noticed the day was growing darker and overcast. I was hoping we might actually get to experience some of the bleak rainy weather this area is so famous for. The cloudy skies never brought the rainstorm I wanted but it did keep the temperature in a more comfortable range. Heading for Loch Ness we made a short detour to Spean Bridge where we spent a few minutes at this monument dedicated to the British Commandos of World War II who secretly trained in this secluded area.

Caledonian Canal
We passed by Fort William again and got this view of the Caledonian Canal through the bus windows. You guessed it - Thomas Telford designed it. The idea was a route for ships to shorcut through Northern Scotland instead of sailing much farther North, but by the time this rather narrow canal was completed, steamships were fully capable of making that Northerly trip much faster and with more cargo than the smaller ships using the canal. Shortly after that the railroad came through and really put the canal out of business.

Looking down on Urquhart Castle
Other than Nessie herself, the most famous sight in Loch Ness is the ruins of Urquhart Castle. This castle was the site of numerous sieges over the years and changed hands many times. It was sucessfully defended by English forces when attacked by a much larger Jacobite army, but afterward it was blown up to prevent it falling into the enemy's hands. It is in this area where Loch Ness reaches its deepest depths that the Loch Ness monster is most often sighted.

A closer look at Urquhart Castle
We stopped for a short 5 minute photo op where I squeezed off a few shots in hopes of catching a glimpse of the magnificent old beastie.

A lot of Loch and a lot of tourists
Despite being the first non-sunny day of the trip the tourists were out in force around the Loch. On these narrow, twisting roads this area must get pretty dicey during the peak of holiday season. Even though the weather wasn't ideal we still had some great views across the immense lake.

And just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water...
We drove a few more miles along the shoreline of Loch Ness until we reached the town of Drumnadrochit. As we clambered off the bus a rustling sound in the trees behind the parking lot drew my attention. While everyone else in the group headed for one of the many souvenir shops, I sauntered over to the copse of greenery. That peculiar sound grew slightly louder as I approached. The rustling of leaves was joined by the notes of splashing water. I followed a narrow dirt path that skirted around the trees then came upon an arm of the Loch. As I looked out across the waters I saw a stream of bubbles rising to the surface. Before I could run for help, the calm surface of the lake was broken as the creature arose from the murky depths. There was a fierce hatred in his eyes: a hatred for all the stupid bloody tourists crowding the highways and byways around his lake. A hatred for all the Nessieburgers, Nessiecakes, Nessie dolls, Nessie pens, sweaters and hats being sold just a few steps up the hill.

Double click on this photo to read the sign
Our stop in Drumnadrochitlasted about an hour. We were supposed to grab lunch here but I couldn't find anything that looked tempting. We perused a couple of Scottish gigt shops but here too I was unable to find anything I "had" to have. Once we returned to the bus we headed off to the next stop: Balnuaran of Clava.

Getting my rocks off
Time hasn't been kind to this prehistoric site. There's really nothing to make you aware of the significanceof this place except for the sign. The cairns look like nothing more than piles of rocks. A lot like the rockpiles next to most Pennsylvania farm fields.

Tomb entrance
I suppose these cairns were very similar to the burial barrows in Southern England except that in Scotland the tomb was constructed entirely of rock while in the South the rock tombs were covered by tons of earth. These Scottish cairns collapsed over the years but in this photo you can make out the remnants of the entrance.