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Published: June 12th 2008
Edinburgh Castle
North East Corner of CastleSCOTLAND - HAGGIS TOUR
Not sure booking two tours back to back was such a good idea (it seemed exciting at the time) especially when your flight out of Dublin to Edinburgh is in the wee hours of the morning and making the sleep over at Dublin airport the most viable thing to do to meet your your two hour check in time. However arriving in Edinburgh early morning meant I had a full day in Edinburgh, and with the glorious sun shining through, why would you stay indoors (especially in a hostel!).
My hostel situated on High Street, a stretch of old cobble stone road also known as The Royal Mile - simply explained - Edinburgh Castle being at the top end on what is an extinct volcano top, and the old lava flow spillage (like the hump of a dragons tail) is the main road way all the way down to Hollyrood Castle, approx 1 mile away, hence Royal Mile. Either side of the Royal Mile is built-up with many buildings, 3 to 4 storeys upwards and 3 to 4 strorey descending steeply down the side of the roadway making this a challenge at times walking around
this place - In fact it's also known as the Old Town, this by far makes it a very sought out place to be....be is shopping, dining out, drinking at the many pubs it has to offer or just enjoying the entertainment of the local buskers.
As Ireland is for Guinness , Scotland is for their scotch whisky, I was determined not drown myself in whisky at all and stay with the local beers on my tour, besides you pay a lot less for beer and it lasts longer. As my new tour group buddies found out so quickly the first night. The tour group this time round was a small group - 11 people plus our Drive/Tour Guide. Made up of 5 Aussies, 5 Kiwis (what is it with Aussie's and kiwis in the UK - to many of them) and 1 American.
Our tour was to take us up north through the highlands of the Cairngorms National Park for a night stay in at Inverness, the largest city by far in the northern regions of Scotland. As it was Saturday night it was a chance to get to know your fellow travellers - hitting the many
pubs on offer - the group being quite young mid to late 20's where out there to show who can last the distance - me on the other hand learnt long ago it's all about pacing your self.
Our first night was a long night to remember, meeting the many locals was great. The new day was to be a long day and for some, curling up in the bus seat is not a comfortable thing, and missing out on the Scottish landscape passing by. We drove up north along the east coast passing through and stopping along the way upto the northern point of Scotland, a place called John O'Groats to catch our ferry ride over to the Orkney Isles.
Orkney is a series of islands protecting a body of water known as Scapa Flow, this was the main fleet anchorage for the Royal Navy during the first and second world wars. When it was penetrated by a German U-boat and sank the HMS Royal Oak in Oct. 1939, Prime Minister Church Hill ordered for barriers be constructed between the island to restrict access. Employing Italian prisoners of war (from the North African campaign) as hard labour
Edinburgh Castle
Internal of Castle - Argyle Battery they set to construct these barriers. Today these barriers act as a causeway linking most of the islands by road.
Orkney is renowned for its pre-historic heritage of Stone-age remnants. The 'Stones of Stenness' prime example, a monument of stones standing some 6 meters in height, where 4 out of the original 12 stones remain standing in circular formation dating at least 3100BC, or the the 'Ring of Brodgar' - this stone circle site is quite complete and one of the biggest in Britain, the stones are set within a circular ditch up to 3 meters deep and 9 meters across. It makes you wonder how the constructors of the time erected such monuments.
A location known as 'Skara Brae' is the closest you'll get to in understanding the way of the stone-age habitaints of the time lived. This Neolithic period is between 3200BC and 2200BC. This is a site, an incredible stone village almost intact made up of eight dwellings (some still containing original stone furniture) linked together by a series of low alley ways. A remarkable picture of life in the Neolithic times, leaves you wondering what language did they speak, to build such a place.
Edinburgh Castle
Scottish National War Memorial Building Another similar site was 'The Tomb of the Eagles' an ancient stone burial site dated some 2500 to 3000BC, discovered by a farmer on his land some fifty years ago and his family privately maintains and operates tours of this single site. A site where the neolithic people would offer the dead to the eagles and remaining remains (bones) would be placed in a stone igloo shaped structure. Many bones and skulls have been found and are now preserved at the National Museum of Scotland - Three of the skulls where on display along side many ceremonial tools and artifacts.
After two days on the island we crossed back over to the main land and travelled down on the west coast to Ullapool for a night stay, before crossing over to the isle of Lewis and the isle of Harris. Crazy as it sounds these both islands are actually one, people of Harris would like to think that their better than their northern neighbours and insist it be a separate isle....snobbery i guess. Again these isles offer stone-age monument structures as well as picturess mountain rangers rising steeply from the shores of the many lochs, covered with lush
Edinburgh Castle
View down to Edinburg Castle Esplanade green vegetation's and rockery landscape. Much more fascinating place than the Orkney isles. We managed to see our first real life highland cow with is long brown hair, grazing in the paddocks along our way to the Port of Port Ness a small fishing village near the northern tip of the isle (the tide was out and would have been a long walk to get to any water). We ventured further north to the most northern tip of the island, on a cliff edge over looking the ocean at large sits a tall light house 'The Butt of Lewis Light House' where we sat and savoured our surroundings and moment of rest.
The following morning an opportunity existed for an early morning swim at a white sandy beach before crossing over to the isle of Skye. Whilst some took up the swim I opted to sit on the soft sand and absorb the sun....at least get a head start on my sun tan. This was to be a full drive through of the isle of Skye with no overnight stay, our destination Fort Augustus on the main land. Driving through mountain ranges known as the Quirang Ranges, rising unforgettable
Edinburgh Castle
View North over the City (New Town) from the shores of lochs, covered in a moss like greenery - soft to the touch one would assume was a big tease for all on the bus. For the few stops we had, we enjoyed being off the bus off the bus, some of us went as far as hiding to prolong the stop. It was an experience you had to be there to experience. But distance and time was on our Tour guides mind and we pressed on as in Fort Augustus a special dinner awaits, and a boat cruise on the famous Loch Ness...in search of Nessi, the monster. But before Fort Augustus one last stop over at the second most photographed castle in Scotland next to Edinburgh Castle being the first. Featured in many Hollywood films, such as the classic Highlander and as recent as James bond movie - Eilean Donan Castle is small but impressive castle of them all. Still privately owned it attracts about all tourists visiting Scotland, and how can you be disappointed about it's splendour and beauty, nestled on its own little island connected via a stone bridge. Unfortunately arriving late in the afternoon we ran out of time for a tour
Edinburgh Castle
View North over the city (New Town) within the castle it's self - all that time waisted in the highlands searching for the lost travellers.
Our final day we said good bye to Fort Augustus, having our group photos on the shores of Loch Ness, and travelled back to Edinburgh again passing through the splendour of the highland mountains Scotland has to offer. Our Scottish Driver/Tour Guide 'Rab' - once again en-thrilling us on his Scottish history storey telling (so passionate he was) of the non other than Scotland's national hero Sir William Wallace - BRAVEHART - (not Mel Gibson), before stopping over in Stirling at the National Wallace Monument in Honor of their great hero. A monument to this day is the largest ever built in Europe for one man, perched on a hill looking down over the city of Stirling and across in the distance Stirling Castle also perched on it's hill. The views were fantastic heightened by the glorious sun shining on the day.
Well it's back to London for a nice week break from all the travelling until my next adventure.
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