 |
 |
| Make a Smilebox greeting |
Dec 24, 2009
Dec 4, 2009
The Highlands(part two)
We have been slacking. We know it has been a long time since we promised our second posting from our trip to Scotland, and for the record, we are sorry. But, do you know what its like to live in Germany and have so many errands to run.....didn't think so. Anyway, the second half of the trip is pretty much the coolest. It was our adventures in the "Highlands" of Scotland.
When people think of Scotland, the highlands are usually the first mental picture of what Scotland is like. Well, maybe after Braveheart and William Wallace. FREEDOOOOOMMMMM!!!! It truly is a beautiful country full of amazing history, rolling hills, and some of God's greatest handiwork. The land is so untouched by human contact that its almost as if you are entering into another world. Elizabeth loved breathing while we were there. I think she added 10 years to her life because of the air quality.
For our trip to the Highlands, we did something we normally tend not to do. We booked a tour guide to take us on a two day journey of the highlights in the Highlands. At the time of booking, we were both unsure of whether or not this would be a prudent decision, but shortly into our trip, we realized this was a surprisingly pleasant way to experience all the Highlands had to offer. We usually try to do things on our own, but having a guide take us directly to the hot spots and explain everything about these said hotpots is very convenient. Also, we got to listen to some sweet Scottish bagpipe music while looking at the scenery and meet some interesting people. Onto the Trip....
The Places
Loch Ness -- The deepest Loch (Lake) in all of Scotland. It is a very long narrow lake that "reportedly" is home to the famous Nessie. Rob did not see anything, but after a few starbucks, Elizabeth spotted her and some monster babies. SO, we are still undecided about whether or not the monster is real. Google claims to have spotted some kind of large shadow while capturing images for Google Earth. There is even a man who has sold everything and lives in a tiny old trailer hoping to capture a glimpse of the "real deal." Regardless of a monster or not, the area is drop dead gorgeous....like Elizabeth.
Inverness -- The capital of the Highlands and are place of lodging during our trip. This is a small city compared to U.S. standards, but it remains the central hub of life in the northern part of Scotland. They actually have grocery stores, a university, and shops which are hard to find anywhere else in the Highlands.
Glen Affric -- Our favorite part of the trip. The ride into this valley alone was worth the trip. We took a small hike and saw some absolutely beautiful stuff. Trees, waterfalls, the sun, hills all around, the trip was one of those...."you have to be there to understand what we are talking about." Rob tried and failed to capture some of the surroundings. We implore you to put this on the itinerary when visiting Scotland.
Urquhart Castle -- On the shores of Loch Ness, the castle is actually just a pile of ruins. However, it is what surrounds this pile that makes all the difference. Of the numerous castles throughout the country, many people claim this is one of the best. We wholeheartedly agree, even though we didn't see that many castles. Plus, we got to see some "fireworks" during our visit, but more on this later
The people
Richard -- Our one and only tour guide. A native of the Highlands he was a wealth of knowledge, not to mention the awesome accent which added to the aura of our trip. The entire trip he was decked out in his traditional family kilt, hiking boots, and knee high wool socks. If you were wondering, they typically do not wear anything under the kilt, so don't ask. He claims this is where the term "going commando" comes from. He was always smoking which is pretty common in the United Kingdom and he seemed to end up in a lot of our pics. A man has to keep his business running with some free marketing.
The Hong Kong Crew -- These guys were awesome. They barely knew english and passed out everytime our van started moving. They paid a lot of money to catch up on some sleep. We would be shocked if they did not have any neck problems because their heads were all over the place with every twist and turn in the road (which there were plenty). Trust us, our seats right behind them allowed for maximum viewing pleasure.
Something Random
The Engagement -- While at Urquhart Castle, love was in the air and fireworks were in the hearts of two young Scottish lovers. We were stationed on the highest point in the castle enjoying the views when the unexpected occurred. Rob took the opportunity to redo his lackluster proposal......just kidding. Seriously though, a larger younger man in a fit of sweat literally fell onto one knee. At first, we thought for sure this dude was having a heart attack or some other major problem judging by all the factors. However, after a few moments we realized that he was just nervously preparing for the rest of his life. We did not really hear all that he said to his girlfriend, but we could see the box and the look on her face, so we concluded this was a proposal. Naturally, I tried to get some camera shots and Elizabeth thought we were watching one of her romantic comedies, but this was real. We don't know if its a good sign or a bad sign, but the bride to be called her man a "sausage" before saying "of course I will marry you." Maybe its a Scottish thing, we don't know. But it was definitely a high point for us on that day and something we still laugh about even now. Rob should have been taking notes instead of pictures.....
That is but a small taste of the many things we did in our two days into this land. We wish we had more time and would suggest to anyone going to this part of Scotland to spend more time because there is so much we did not get to see. Until next time....
When people think of Scotland, the highlands are usually the first mental picture of what Scotland is like. Well, maybe after Braveheart and William Wallace. FREEDOOOOOMMMMM!!!! It truly is a beautiful country full of amazing history, rolling hills, and some of God's greatest handiwork. The land is so untouched by human contact that its almost as if you are entering into another world. Elizabeth loved breathing while we were there. I think she added 10 years to her life because of the air quality.
For our trip to the Highlands, we did something we normally tend not to do. We booked a tour guide to take us on a two day journey of the highlights in the Highlands. At the time of booking, we were both unsure of whether or not this would be a prudent decision, but shortly into our trip, we realized this was a surprisingly pleasant way to experience all the Highlands had to offer. We usually try to do things on our own, but having a guide take us directly to the hot spots and explain everything about these said hotpots is very convenient. Also, we got to listen to some sweet Scottish bagpipe music while looking at the scenery and meet some interesting people. Onto the Trip....
The Places
Loch Ness -- The deepest Loch (Lake) in all of Scotland. It is a very long narrow lake that "reportedly" is home to the famous Nessie. Rob did not see anything, but after a few starbucks, Elizabeth spotted her and some monster babies. SO, we are still undecided about whether or not the monster is real. Google claims to have spotted some kind of large shadow while capturing images for Google Earth. There is even a man who has sold everything and lives in a tiny old trailer hoping to capture a glimpse of the "real deal." Regardless of a monster or not, the area is drop dead gorgeous....like Elizabeth.
Inverness -- The capital of the Highlands and are place of lodging during our trip. This is a small city compared to U.S. standards, but it remains the central hub of life in the northern part of Scotland. They actually have grocery stores, a university, and shops which are hard to find anywhere else in the Highlands.
Glen Affric -- Our favorite part of the trip. The ride into this valley alone was worth the trip. We took a small hike and saw some absolutely beautiful stuff. Trees, waterfalls, the sun, hills all around, the trip was one of those...."you have to be there to understand what we are talking about." Rob tried and failed to capture some of the surroundings. We implore you to put this on the itinerary when visiting Scotland.
Urquhart Castle -- On the shores of Loch Ness, the castle is actually just a pile of ruins. However, it is what surrounds this pile that makes all the difference. Of the numerous castles throughout the country, many people claim this is one of the best. We wholeheartedly agree, even though we didn't see that many castles. Plus, we got to see some "fireworks" during our visit, but more on this later
The people
Richard -- Our one and only tour guide. A native of the Highlands he was a wealth of knowledge, not to mention the awesome accent which added to the aura of our trip. The entire trip he was decked out in his traditional family kilt, hiking boots, and knee high wool socks. If you were wondering, they typically do not wear anything under the kilt, so don't ask. He claims this is where the term "going commando" comes from. He was always smoking which is pretty common in the United Kingdom and he seemed to end up in a lot of our pics. A man has to keep his business running with some free marketing.
The Hong Kong Crew -- These guys were awesome. They barely knew english and passed out everytime our van started moving. They paid a lot of money to catch up on some sleep. We would be shocked if they did not have any neck problems because their heads were all over the place with every twist and turn in the road (which there were plenty). Trust us, our seats right behind them allowed for maximum viewing pleasure.
Something Random
The Engagement -- While at Urquhart Castle, love was in the air and fireworks were in the hearts of two young Scottish lovers. We were stationed on the highest point in the castle enjoying the views when the unexpected occurred. Rob took the opportunity to redo his lackluster proposal......just kidding. Seriously though, a larger younger man in a fit of sweat literally fell onto one knee. At first, we thought for sure this dude was having a heart attack or some other major problem judging by all the factors. However, after a few moments we realized that he was just nervously preparing for the rest of his life. We did not really hear all that he said to his girlfriend, but we could see the box and the look on her face, so we concluded this was a proposal. Naturally, I tried to get some camera shots and Elizabeth thought we were watching one of her romantic comedies, but this was real. We don't know if its a good sign or a bad sign, but the bride to be called her man a "sausage" before saying "of course I will marry you." Maybe its a Scottish thing, we don't know. But it was definitely a high point for us on that day and something we still laugh about even now. Rob should have been taking notes instead of pictures.....
That is but a small taste of the many things we did in our two days into this land. We wish we had more time and would suggest to anyone going to this part of Scotland to spend more time because there is so much we did not get to see. Until next time....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
