Thoughts on Scotland

In spite of the rain that has fallen every day of my 13 days in England and Scotland, I have fallen in love with Scotland! It must have been my walk through the National Gallery of Art in Edinburgh today, when I viewed a large number of oils by a variety of painters that depicted dogs, birds, horses or other animals. It's a well know fact that UK'ers love their dogs.

Or perhaps its the sense of humor and quick wit that the Scottish possess. At our B&B in Lower Breakish, on the Isle of Skye, we met 85 year old Ruby, who had us laughing with her teasing of us 'yanks.". There's nothing I like more than engaging in some gentle teasing! A former Elem. Ed. teacher that's long since retired, Ruby entertained Kathy and I with her stories of her travels on Skye 50 years previous, her teaching days, as well as her "conscription" into the military during WWII. When you added in her thick Scottish accent, we felt like we were in the presence of a great Scot!

Then there's the tartans and clan history; some of it gruesome and 'grim," with the stories of The Clearances and William Wallace. You certainly know where you came from and what you're about if you're a Scot! In spite of dark past of plunder, I have found this country to be most friendly, helpful and caring. Our B&B hosts provided us with hiking maps and dried our wet boots for us. A woman stopped on the streets of Edinburgh to ask if we needed help when she spotted us consulting a map and I had a warm conversation with David, the trail worker.

It saddens me that I don't have a drop of Scottish blood flowing through my veins. But for a short time, it's been fun to pretend and enjoy!

Suisnich and Boreraig Walk

Today was a beautiful day in Scotland! Yes, the Isle of Skye experienced its 51st day in a row with rain, but we were able to enjoy our 10 mile hike along a lake and a glen. It was a historic walk, as years ago, marauders came through and took over the land from those who worked it, because they needed some place to raise their sheep. As ancient history usually goes, people starved and died. The ruins of their homes and hand built stones fences still remain, however, and are amazing to see. By the way, the land is still used to raise sheep - just in case you were wondering.

Here's some images from our hike BEFORE the rain came in.

Dateline Scotland: Daniel & the Cable Bridge

It's been almost a week since I've been gone to visit my sister in England and explore the Highlands of Scotland. There's not a day that it hasn't rained yet. It reminds me of my first trip to Alaska, where it rained the first 16 days of a 21 day trip.

The heather's still in bloom, as are some smaller wildflowers. The Highland mountains and their graceful valleys are beautiful, when the clouds rise high enough to catch a glimpse of their peaks. Waterfalls are everywhere, as the ground is beyond saturated. We hiked halfway up Ben Nevis today, (highest peak in Scotland) and we saw a little sun for about 1 hour. We decided to exit the rough trail before it became slick with rain and found ourselves in the parking lot just as the rain started. (On hikes, I'm known for brilliantly reading the weather and getting us out of harm's way, just in the nick of time.)

On the way down, Kathy and I met Daniel, who's put in 16 seasons maintaining the trails we'd been hiking on. Who could ignore his red beard flowing down to his green safety vest! I asked permission to photograph him and he readily agreed. We talked about older bodies and anti-inflammatory meds while his bandages completed the story. He told us of a short hike nearby with a cable bridge that we might like. He looked us up and down and pronounced that "yull be able to doo it." (Scottish accent

In a small valley with a wonderful meadow, was a cable bridge just waiting for me. One has to test oneself every once in a while, just to be sure you're really alive. After I tried my balance beam moves, a young Brittish man followed. Then his girlfriend had to give it a go. This image gives once a sense of the danger and the encouragement of her boyfriend on the other side.