Here Comes the Sun...

"The aftermath of Culloden exacted penalties which were to leave a permanent scar on the Highlands of Scotland in the deliberate extinction

of the Celtic way of life - by killing, destruction, confiscation and deportation. A tragic time, unequalled by any other in Scottish history."

-Iain Campbell

May 20: Culloden (Drumossie Moor) The weather turned appropriately gloomy for our trip to the battlefield. We first toured the museum, and I couldn't help but tear up watching the reenactment. Then we walked the field, taking note and pictures of the clan stones. Looking through the brush of gorse, marsh, and heather I wondered what it must have been like for them to run through it. Many didn't even have shoes, and most were starving and sleep deprived. We all stood in awe of the large memorial, and I'd venture to say there were more than a few misty eyes.

We moved on to another sad place, Fort George. It's similar in design to Wentworth Prison in Outlander. It is now a training facility.

Turning away from the gloomy theme, we drove to Castle Stuart. I've seen pictures of the castle, built in 1625, thanks to my previous mother-in-law. While doing some genealogy research, she traced part of their family back to the Stuarts. In a Twilight Zone moment, I looked at the castle remembering a certain photoshopped wedding picture of myself and my inlaws in front of that very castle. It was appropriate since it had been a Scottish wedding-kilts, bagpipes, and all. (right: our group on the castle roof)

Caroline (a much prettier version of Mrs. Fitzgibbons) gave us a tour of the castle, complete with hidden doors, a secret spying place in the wall, and hints of ghosts. Erin, Scott, John, and I walked the grounds and encountered some curious "feral" cows. Walked down Moray Firth as the tide slowly came in. It's such a peaceful place.

Making a loop through the golfcourse, we met back up with the cows. Lucky for Erin, I was able to charm them away. Before making our way back to the castle (by way of nettles-ouch) we strolled through a cemetery and found many Frasers. It's amazing to see the same names over and over again-a wonder how anyone knew who was who.

Back at the castle, we cooled down our recent purchases from Black Isle Brewery (to room temp) and lounged in the Drawing Room enjoying our liquid fortification. Eventually, we pulled ourselves off the sofas and went upstairs to get dressed (again...the third flight of stairs up-do you see the theme? this time-a very narrow spiral staircase).

While getting dressed, John discovered a pale blond Viking-like wig and a pink princess hat. I couldn't resist having a little fun with that. So I donned my costume and greeted our fellow tour-mates to enquire if they were ready for dinner. We all got a kick out of it.

We heard the bagpipes start downstairs and we followed that beautiful sound. I won't lie-I got a little choked up that we got piped into the Dining Hall. One of the many things I'll never forget about this trip.

The dinner itself was simply delicious, and we all enjoyed the "butt wine" (named for the shape of the decanter). After almost three bottles of grapes of wrath, we adjourned to the Drawing Room again for Scot's hypnotic storytelling.

He almost had us in a trance with the lap harp, but more excitement was due. Scott and John both had a turn at folding and wearing the plaid. I can't imagine waking up to do that every morning.

And the fun continued in the Billiards Room for Snooker and Darts, and my true alter-ego was released...Sacagawea-Viking Princess/Cow Charmer...I'll let the pictures do the talking :) It was a blast-suffice to say, we ended back up on the roof around 1:30 am.

Wide Open Spaces...

May 18: Surprising as it might be, we weren't very hungover the morning after our whisky adventure. Scott and I had haggis with our breakfast...yummy. The only downfall for me was my sinuses and their drainage. Yuck! Our first journey was pony trekking at Cougie Farm. Our guide, Sasha, matched us all up with equines of appropriate size. The scenery was amazing. Our ponies were well trained to follow the leader. Unfortunately, there were two or three that insisted on being the leader. The ride was about three hours (I think), and at the peak we all shared a wee dram of Scot's signature blend. All along the way, we got used to hearing "Bru! Come!" (Sasha calling her dog) and "Walk on Rogie!" (Sasha shooing Scott's horse along). After we got back to the farm, we had tea and cake while watching the assortment of farm animals piddle around us.

Next up...we drove to Glen Affric and hiked along the river where we stopped to have a "Jamie and Claire" style picnic-meat, cheese, and ale (Goliath-very good). It got really warm and after eating, we all beached ourselves on the flat rock for some rare Scottish sunbathing.

Next walk was to Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin. It was a beautiful little spot on the water, perfect for camping. We only spent a half hour or so there but it was very relaxing after our long day.

In a daze, we drove to Inverness (Bluebell B&B). The six of us ate at Johnny Foxes, shitty service and weak ale. I'd bet we were the oldest patrons there. Our room at the Bluebell made up for it. Four poster bed with a canopy, great water pressure, and french press coffee with breakfast!

May 19: Castle Day!

We toured Cawdor Castle first, which is closest in description to Leoch in Outlander. The rooms seemed small to me, but Scot assures us that these were bigger than typical ones for Scotland. After the gift shop and lunch (WildCat ale-delish!) we walked the grounds and got some great pictures of the flora.

Castle Leod was next, located near Leoch, which is the actual castle for Clan MacKenzie. It's the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland-built in the early 1600's. We got a private tour from Lord John, the laird and chief of the clan. He was a most hospitable guide, and his favorite phrase was "whatever." Occasionally, his sporran would beep and he'd curse it..."damn messages." We each had a rather large dram of 15 year single malt whisky with him in the Drawing Room while he went over the family history through the Risings.

We stopped off at the Black Isle Brewery on our way back to the B&B. Great ales! We bought an assortment of about 14 bottles to take back with us. Later we went to Mustard Seed to eat dinner; then Scott, Erin, John, and I went to Hootenanny to see some live music. The band played mostly country covers you might hear in any college town in the South, but they were good none the less. The bass player was from NH near where Erin and Scott grew up. John and I talked to the lead guitarist, who told us his life's dream was to play in Nashville. Small world.

Cranesmuir, Family Lands, & a chance at time travel

Our Journey Continues...

May 16: Woke up before John, and went downstairs to read before breakfast. It was a good hour or so before the others joined me. Erin and Scott gave me the run-down of their travel woes. At least they made it to Scotland with their luggage.

We all had a delicious "Scottish Breakfast" that consisted of bacon, sausage, eggs, mushrooms, potatoes, and tomatoes...parritch optional

Sam and Scot arrived just before 9am. We loaded the van, introductions were made, and a group picture was taken. (From Left: Jennifer Kellogg, Brenda Kecskes, Scott Moyers, Erin Moyers, Me, John, Scot AnSgeulaiche, and Samantha MacKenzie)

First stop Culross, or "Cranesmuir" for my fellow Outlander fanatics. We saw the home of Gellis Duncan, the herb garden, and the pillory. (Pics below)

Next we drove through the MacGregor (Oggs roots) and MacNab lands, wonderful rolling green hills, and into the Highlands.

While in MacNab territory we stopped for lunch and saw a water mill wheel that may have a pair of red underpants floating somewhere nearby :)

Strolling through the MacNab burial ground was a particular treat for John and myself. And all us Monty Python fans were elated to see Doune Castle which was used in 'Holy Grail.'

Glen Lyon provided some nice uphill trekking for us out of shape folk. Rain threatened for just a moment before the sun came out again. We were surprised at the end by a cleft stone, and of course all us ladies had to touch it just in case. Alas, no humming was heard and no one was magically transported back to the 18th century. No pictures of this, but stay tuned for the next cleft rock trip only days away....

We drove to Pitlochry where our B&B was located. Our hosts were Janice and Gerry-very kind folks. After putting up our bags, again on the third floor room (I'm thinking this is a hint from somewhere high up that we need to exercise more), we all walked to Fern Cottage for dinner and ales. Tried the Red MacGregor, in honor of my fellow clansmen/women, and found it to be a wonderful full-bodied red ale. Too bad we can't get it in the states :( On our way into the restaurant, we spotted Dougie Maclean (O Caledonia) in the restaurant. Always nice to spot a local celebrity.

May 17: Happy Birthday to me! The big 3-0! And what a view to wake up to...

After a nice birthday breakfast-with a tart provided by Sam and Scot, as well as a birthday song, to be eaten later- we conversed over cup after cup of amazing coffee from a press. Even Erin liked it, and she never drank coffee during all those night shifts we worked together. Finally we were dragged out to the van, reluctantly leaving behind the last dregs of our caffeine.

On our way to the Highland Museum, we stopped in Newtonmore to browse the Harris Tweed shop. Man was that a mistake! Erin and I stood there practically drooling over the double breasted coats. They were only $570 USD, I don't understand why John and Scott were against us buying them. To our chagrin, we left the store with nothing.

The Highland museum is an outdoor facility that recreates 18th century life. Here we also encountered our first of many "feral" animals. This inside joke provided lots of humor throughout the rest of the tour. Any living animal was considered feral after that day.

The lingering peat smoke on my jacket had me craving that special single malt blend that Scot carries (Laphroaig and Macallan) for the rest of the day.

Our next stop was a wee church (Cille Choirill) that resembles the one Jamie and Claire were married in. The view was spectacular from the old graveyard in the back.

We had tea, actually coffee, at Glengarry Castle (the new one, built in 1866, after the old one burned down) and had a stroll around the grounds afterwards.

Fort Augustus @ southern end of Loch Ness. Got some great pictures of flowers, and maybe Nessie herself! Brenda read the passage from Outlander where Claire encounters the Loch Ness Monster. (credit to Erin Moyers for the picture of John & me at Loch Ness).

Our next B&B was the Woodlands located in Drumnadrochit. After dropping off our stuff we set out for "Fiddler's," a pub and restaurant with a jaw-dropping whisky collection. The owner, Jon Beach, was most helpful in suggesting our wee drams after dinner. Among the gifts I got from the generous owner were a dram of 30 year blended whisky, a whisky glass with the Fiddler's label, and what can only be described as a water dispenser resembling a tiny bong. Our total came to around 20 whiskies. We stayed until closing time and walked back. "Tha smuid orm ann mo choire," or "The vapours are upon me in my cauldron," would be an appropriate saying for us all after that. Scot tells us that expression means you are only slightly drunk. When I asked what you'd say when you're really drunk, he replied that a Scot would never admit to that.

(view from our B&B; my birthday celebration)

After we returned to the Woodlands, John surprised me with a copper and agate necklace for my birthday. It matches the earrings he got me for Christmas last year.

There's no way to top this birthday. What a way to usher in my third decade!

just what I needed!

Back before we went to Scotland, my biggest stress was finishing my short story for the Writer's Digest 2010 competition. I'd been going over and over it, getting advice from fellow writers and family (with backgrounds in writing/literature), and generally working myself into a tizzy about it. With the deadline approaching (May 14) and my self-confidence lacking, I got the following daily horoscope update which was exactly what I needed to hear.

"Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 -- You are determined to get what you want, but you could become your own greatest obstacle if you allow your fear of failure to run the show now. Your anxiety can increase your stress levels and instead of remaining flexible enough to respond to changes, you may begin to shut down emotionally. But you can ease your tension by simply reminding yourself that worrying won't help you be more successful. Each moment today is an opportunity for you to choose flexibility over stubbornness."

So I took the proverbial chill-pill and worked my butt off to finish it. On May 13, 2010 I submitted the story and have been (with the exception of during our trip) thinking about it ever since. The results won't be out until late October and surely my worrying will subside by then...I hope.

A big thanks go out to Ron Wodaski, Tara Watson, and Isabelle Whitman for critiquing the story for me.

National Lampoon's European Vacation

...well, just Scotland really...and Amsterdam for a few hours.

I've finally gotten around to posting some of our trip. This will have to be broken up into 2-3 days per blog given the amount of things we did.

May 14: As usual, my procrastination left me scurrying around getting things done the day we left (copies of passports, mailing back the books I didn't want from the book club, etc.). I took Dagan to school, walking him all the way to his room instead of dropping him off out front, and tried not to cry on the way back to the car. It's a whole different ball-game leaving the kids to go out of the country.

My mom drove us to the airport with Ian and Bronwen as co-pilots. Ian did okay saying goodbye but Bronwen was scared of the drop off area (dark and loud-the same reason she hates parking garages), and she got a little tearful when we left. I choked back emotions that were probably big bright signs on my face, and we went inside to check our luggage.

I started "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson @ the airport. Thoroughly enjoying it. Dark humor, medical stuff, the hint of a love story...all good ingredients. John tried to finish up "Dragonfly in Amber."

Incoming storms delayed arrivals which made our flight a half hour late. Luckily we had a three hour layover in St.Paul. The flight was okay-small plane, no kleenex, no paper towels, and no ice. But thanks to the continuous flow of cold air up my jeans, I never needed the ice to cool me down. An hour into our flight, I realized what I'd forgotten to pack-my decent blouse for dinner at the castle. Bummer. So, I told myself I'd surely find something to wear before that night. I'm lucky that's the only thing I forgot.

During our layover in St.Paul, we stopped at Itasca Grill and had nachos and Beer (well, I had beer-John is stubbornly not drinking though I'm not sure why). The Jalapeños were laced with ninja fire, so I picked mine out. Didn't want to be stuck on an eight hour flight with the green apple trots! Talked to my mom, and she said it was pouring in Nashville. They had to wait thirty minutes outside Dagan's school, because of hail, before allowing the kids to leave. Talked to my dad, and he informed me we "might even see some Americans [bands] while you're there." I passively agreed to search out said American musicians. Called Erin to see how their flights were going. She and Scott were just getting to Nashville airport, but so far there were no delays. All good, for now.

After we settled into our seats on the plane, our neighbors just behind us started getting ready. I was blessed with a pre-teen Dutch boy behind me. He must have had a thousand things to put away because every minute I felt him open the pouch behind my seat and let it snap back in place with a thud. It literally happened 20-30 times. This would be a very long trip at that rate. Thank the Gods he stopped...eventually.

I read a bit and tried watching movies. I gave up on the latter due to our position over the wings/engines preventing me from hearing anything through the earbuds. I finally attempted sleep after dinner was served thinking a belly full of food and a beer would put me out. Wrong. I must have woken up every thirty minutes. No rest for the weary, just like home.

May 15: I woke up for good at 09:00 (Amsterdam time) to find ice on the windows, and beyond that-the ocean below us. Still not there...

Had a breakfast snack before landing. Got our tickets transferred since they didn't print our boarding passes in Nashville. Then we were off to find the mini-museum (Rijksmuseum). Pretty underwhelming actually. I was expecting more pieces, but there were maybe 15 total. It was nice though. Got some coffee at Starbucks, checked my email and updated Facebook to let everyone know we'd made it that far. Didn't do any shopping since we would be back in a week for a much longer layover.

The flight to Glasgow was quick. After getting through the passport check we got our bags and looked for Erin and Scott. The plan had been to ride to the B&B in Edinburgh together. Their flight landed at 14:53 and ours at 15:30. We looked for over an hour, but without cellphone service to call them, we left for the bus station. It was a pretty drive, and I was amazed at how similar the landscape in the Lowlands of Scotland was to Tennessee.

Our B&B was the Burns' House. We found out from her, that Erin and Scott had missed one of their flights and wouldn't be in until late. John and I lugged our bags up to the third floor (this will become a theme for our travels), and set out for dinner. We met Brenda & Jenn, the other third in our tour group, in the hall. They'd been there since the night before and showed us to the eateries. Since we couldn't get our calling card to work, we stopped off at a Wifi hotspot and sent my mom a message that all was good, and we were safe in Scotland.

(below-the view from Burns' House B&B)

We ate dinner @ The Footlight-more pub than restaurant. Burgers, chips, and Amstel Light X2. Feeling more than exhausted, we went "home" to bed at 21:30 with the sun just beginning to lower in the sky. Mrs. Burns told us Erin and Scott had made it, but we just missed them going out for dinner. Oh well, I was too tired to be good company anyway.

The thing I learned about B&Bs in Scotland (in general)- very little water pressure and extremely hot water.