Dark and early Friday morning, Margi and I trudged down from the Cowgate to Pollock Halls to depart for our trip to the Highlands organized by IFSA-Butler. It was a busy weekend of course, but we saw so much beautiful scenery and checked off several bucket list items, so it was well worth the early start.
Our first official stop (I’m not counting the short break we had in ASDA to pick up snacks for the weekend) was to see the Hermitage in Dunkeld, Perthshire. Apparently, several famous authors – Wordsworth and Byron, namely – are said to have been inspired by the views here. It’s not hard to see why.
The Hermitage, Dunkeld
A very similar picture was featured on both the IFSA-Butler Twitter and Facebook page, so I guess you could say we’re #socialmediastars.
Enchanting.
We had to walk through lots of mud to take this picture.
I guess I like nature sometimes.
After the Hermitage, we made our way up to Pitlochry, a cute, sleepy little town in the Highlands for lunch.
Pitlochry’s main drag.
We were also able to find iced coffee in Pitlochry, which was very exciting.
Then, it was off to Blair Castle. Nestled in Perthshire and owned by the Duke of Atholl, Blair Castle is now open to the public. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside (save for in the ballroom), but I can assure you that castles are just as grand and ornate as one would expect, though the small stature of people during that era makes for an interesting juxtaposition of styles. To have a huge canopied bed with brocade and silk and gold piled atop it look as if it would fit a middle schooler (at most) is a funny sight.
Impressive, even in the gloomy weather.
Clock towers and highland hills.
Typical.
Blair Castle also had beautiful grounds.
Margi said the Highlands reminded her of the Pacific Northwest, with which I completely agreed.
I think all castles should have swings.
After Blair Castle, it was time to head up to Kingussie, where we visited Leault Farm to watch a traditional sheepdog display (and play with puppies!). Cute animals aside, the amount of work and time the farmers put into training each animal is incredible. They wait until each puppy is a year old before they start any training – any sooner and they feel as though the dog will become burned out – and after a year of one-on-one sessions, each dog can respond to its own set of whistle calls, commands, and hand signals.
The dogs know when to work and when to sit still; the ones lounging in the grass are waiting for their signal.
Note how the husband is carrying around a puppy while at work.
Dogs in a line.
Margi was partial to one of the sweet older dogs.
I want ten.
After the herding display, we finally got to play with the puppies! By this point, it was raining pretty heavily and quite cold (so cold the pups were shivering), but that didn’t stop us from cuddling with any and all of them. After a while, the weather got to be too much, so we piled back on the bus and traveled up to Inverness and our youth hostel (which was surprisingly nice). We had Domino’s for dinner and received awesome IFSA-Butler sweatshirts, complete with tartan linings. After dinner, Sam, Grace, Aliya, Margi, Caroline and I went to explore Inverness, which is known as the capital of the Highlands. We stayed out until the late, late hour of 8:30 before deciding that we all needed to sleep before the next day of exploring.
Lights along the River Ness.
A performer for Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail / The Royal National Mod, a Gaelic festival during October.
Day One.
We started day two with toast, cereal, and coffee followed by a trip to another castle. Dunrobin Castle is owned by the Duke of Sutherland and is tucked away in a forest by the North Sea. I also realized that it’s the furthest north I’ve ever been! Dunrobin Castle truly is a fairytale palace; when you think castles, Dunrobin is what pops into your head.
I wasn’t kidding.
The gardens and the North Sea.
When am I moving in?
Another facet of our trip to Dunrobin Castle was a falconry demonstration. These birds don’t mess around.
Me snapping a pic of Sam snapping a pic of a Golden Eagle.
The sun decided to come out for the falcons.
One of the falcons mid-turn.
After Dunrobin Castle, we got lunch in Dornoch, another cute little town, before heading down to Beauly for a photo stop (and so 120 students wouldn’t arrive at the whisky distillery at the same time). Beauly is named that way because Mary Queen of Scots apparently visited and said “Quell beau lieu,” (essentially, what a beautiful place) which became Beauly in English.
Beauly Priory.
A very “beau lieu” rest stop.
Mary has good taste.
Scottish weather isn’t so bad after all.
Again, typical.
We climbed back on the coach at Beauly and headed up to the Glen Ord distillery, where we were given a tour of the facilities and told how they make their whisky.
Somehow, I didn’t expect a whisky distillery to be so charming.
About to learn the science of whisky making.
Through the distillation process using just barley, water, and yeast, they claim to bring out several distinct flavors in their final product: toffee; ginger; sherry; orange peels; and vanilla, among others. If i’m being completely honest, I only tasted the alcohol in my complimentary dram of whisky, but it was interesting to learn about the extensive process.
After the tour, we had a mediocre dinner in Scotland’s version of a Cracker Barrel (so I’m told, as I’ve never been to a Cracker Barrel) and then went to Hootanany’s in Inverness to see some live music. After another long day of traveling, though, we could only make it through a few bagpipe songs before calling it a night.
Day Two.
Our third and final day started with a trip to Culloden Battlefield. This was where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s winning streak ended during the Jacobite Rebellion. Due to the flat nature of the field, it ended up being more of a massacre than a battle, and the government troops won. Despite this historical significance, however, I was more interested in the Highland Cows at the side of the field.
Harry Coo!
In my haste to take this picture, I slipped and face planted in some wet grass. Still worth it.
New friends (with matching hair color)!
The battlefield.
The Highlands have incredible skies.
Next was possibly our most exciting stop: Loch Ness! It wouldn’t have been a semester in Scotland without a trip to see Nessie, would it?
The docks where tours of the loch depart.
Incredible.
Nessie, I’m ready!
Sam, me, and Margi at Loch Ness.
After looking for Nessie to no avail, we drove to Glencoe for a photo stop, passing the hill where Hagrid’s hut is location on the way.
Glencoe in its glory.
Gals in Glencoe.
Jumping pictures always seem like a good idea until you actually attempt them.
Me and some mountains.
Day Three.
This was out last official stop on the Inverness weekend trip. We got lunch in Tyndrum and said goodbye to the students returning to Glasgow and St Andrews before the two hour bus ride back to Edinburgh. While that might not seem very interesting, we were able to watch Braveheart on the bus while driving through some of the filming locations, which was a really cool experience (though I lost interest in the movie halfway through the journey). In fact, we viewed some of the best scenery from the windows of the coach, all while our tour guide, Ross, told us the history of the places we were driving through (with a few ghost stories thrown in, of course!).
It was a busy weekend, but we saw such incredible things. I was so happy to have been able to see more of Scotland and I know that it would have been difficult to get to a lot of these places on my own. Now, half of my busy traveling month is over, and I can’t wait to see even more!