HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Didn’t wake up too bad from a 4am bed time
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Last day of tour and saying goodbye
WORD OF THE DAY: Scotland ROCKS
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 252km
Considering that I went to bed at 4am and up at 7am I was feeling surprisingly okay. See what a bit of pre-training does during the week finally pays off on the last night. High 5 to my body for the recovery. I am tired as hell, but I am feeling okay. Maybe it is a blessing in disguise that the tour isn’t longer, I’m not sure if Nana Bern and Nana JemJem would be able to keep going for too many more nights. Speaking of JemJem, she was off early before us this morning to catch her local bus to the wedding venue out of Glasgow. It was a hive of activity with people in and out and packing etc…. so it was a very quick goodbye, to which I am a little grateful for as I hate goodbyes at the best of times and I know that I will be making a trek to Ballarat upon my return to Oz in November, so it is a see you later rather than a goodbye.
We left the hostel at 8.30am. We had a full day on the road as we make our way from Isle of Skye to Edinburgh hopefully getting in around 5pm this afternoon. Our first stop was 40 minutes after leaving to one of the most photographed monuments in Scotland. Eilean Donan is a small island in Loch Duich in the western Highlands of Scotland. It is connected to the mainland by a footbridge. It is named after Donnán of Eigg, a Celtic saint martyred in 617. Donnán is said to have established a church on the island, though no trace of this remains. The island is dominated by a picturesque castle which is familiar from many photographs and appearances in film and television. The castle was founded in the thirteenth century, but was destroyed in the eighteenth century. The present buildings are the result of twentieth-century reconstruction. Eilean Donan is part of the Kintail National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland. In 2001, the island had a population of just one person. The castle was rebuilt in the years between 1919 and 1932 by Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap. The restoration included the construction of an arched bridge to give easier access to the castle. In 1983 The Conchra Charitable Trust was formed by the Macrae family to care for the castle. A curious distinction is that it has one of only two left-handed spiral staircases in a castle in Great Britain, as the reigning king at the time of building held a sword with his left hand. Other distinctions of the castle today are the grey field gun from World War I, positioned outside the building near a war memorial and fountain dedicated to the men of the Macrae clan who died in the war. The castle is one of the most photographed monuments in Scotland and a popular venue for weddings and film locations. It has appeared in such films as The Master of Ballantrae (1953), The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), Highlander (1986), Loch Ness (1966), Entrapment (1999), The World Is Not Enough (1999) Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), Made of Honor (2008) and in the television series The New Avengers (1976) and Oliver's Travels (1995). It was beautiful and a shame it wasn’t open as it would have been pretty cool to go inside.
We arrived into Fort William at 11am for a late breakfast come early lunch. This was also the first opportunity we had to see and photograph a Highland Coo aka a Highland Cow. These guys are an attraction around here and the big dada is called Hamish. Highland cattle are a Scottish breed of cattle with long horns and long wavy coats which are colored black, brindled, red, yellow or dun. The breed was developed in the Scottish Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland. Breeding stock has been exported to the rest of the world, especially Australia and North America, since the early 20th Century. The breed was developed from two sets of stock, one originally black, and the other reddish. Highlands are known as a hardy breed due to the rugged nature of their native Scottish Highlands, with high rainfall and strong winds. Highland cattle have been successfully established in many temperate countries and indeed in countries where winters are substantially colder than Scotland's such as central Europe and Canada. Their hair provides protection during the cold winters and their skill in browsing for food enables them to survive in steep mountain areas. They both graze and browse and eat plants which many other cattle avoid. The meat tends to be leaner than most beef because Highlands get most of their insulation from their thick shaggy hair rather than subcutaneous fat. The coat makes them a good breed for cold northern climates and they are able to thrive in outdoor conditions that would defeat most other breeds of domestic beef cattle. As such, Highland cattle are able to produce beef at a reasonable gross margin from inhospitable land that would otherwise normally be incapable of rendering a profit agriculturally. The Highland cattle registry ("herd book") was established in 1885. Although groups of cattle are generally called herds, a group of Highlands is known as a fold. They were also known as kyloes in Scots.
Back on the road at 11.45am where Alan told us the story about the Glen Coe massacre till we arrived at Glen Coe Valley where some of the massacre happened. The Glen Coe valley is quite historic as it is near the site of the Massacre of Glencoe in the 1690s, in which MacDonalds and Hendersons were killed by the Campbells acting on the orders of King William II. Glen Coe is surrounded by spectacular mountain scenery and is popular with serious hill-walkers, rock and ice climbers. It has been seen in numerous films, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as the home of Hagrid. Early in the morning of 13 February 1692, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite uprising of 1689 led by John Graham of Claverhouse, a massacre took place in Glen Coe, in the Highlands of Scotland. This incident is referred to as the Massacre of Glencoe, or in Scottish the Murder of Glen Coe. The massacre began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen—Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achnacon—although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. Thirty-eight MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by the guests who had accepted their hospitality, on the grounds that the MacDonalds had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new monarchs, William and Mary. Another forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned. Memory of this massacre has been kept alive by continued ill feeling between MacDonalds and Campbells. Since the late 20th century the Clachaig Inn, a hotel and pub in Glencoe popular with climbers, has had a sign on its door saying "No Hawkers or Campbells" although it has been said that this is probably more for the amusement of tourists than from any lasting sense of revenge. But Alan pretty much summed it up in a few words “Never Forgotten-Never Forgiven” and if I was a Campbell I would definitely not be stopping in this part of Scotland-no way.
We then started to leave the Highlands and we passed through The Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. The National Park encompasses around 1,865 sq km of some of the finest scenery in Scotland. It is a place of contrasts from rolling lowland landscapes in the south to high mountains in the north, and has many lochs and rivers, forests and woodlands. It is also a living, working landscape which has been influenced by people for generations and is visited and enjoyed by many for its recreational value. The Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park became fully operational on 19 July 2002 and was officially opened by Princess Anne on 24 July 2002. Some key facts about the park include:
It is 1,865 sq km and has a boundary length of 350km, 50% of Scotland’s population lives within an hour’s drive of the National Park, there are 21 Munros (mountains above 3,000ft) in the Park and the highest is Ben More at 1,174m, there are 19 Corbetts (mountains between 2,500ft and 3,000ft), there are 22 larger lochs, with numerous smaller lochs and lochans, about 50 rivers and large burns and 15,600 people live in the National Park.
This is also Rob Roy territory and Alan told his tale on our drive through this area. So to give you a short history of Clan MacGregor. The MacGregors ("Children of the Mist") are one of the most ancient Scottish clans, tracing their ancestry back to the time of Malcolm Canmore, though Roy Roy is their most famous son. They fought for Bruce at Bannockburn and have remained staunch warriors for Scotland and the Highlands ever since. Indeed, their proud spirits and boundless courage have caused the clan much grief over the centuries, not least due to the enmity and greed of Clan Campbell. King David II, Bruce's son, gave Glenorchy, ancient seat of the MacGregors, to the Campbells. The MacGregors were loathe to leave, but by 1400 the Gregor chief ship had moved to Glenstrae. However, their troubles were only beginning. The Campbells were great ones for using the law against those whose lands they coveted (their great feud with Clan Donald is well-attested). Their method was to provoke the MacGregors to acts of violence (not especially difficult, given the MacGregor temper) and then invoke the law to put them down and take their lands. By this method, the Campbells stripped Clan Gregor of their Glenlyon holdings in 1502. In 1589, the MacGregors killed a royal forester - an offence against the crown, which promptly issued letters of "fire and sword" against the clan, making it illegal to shelter or have any dealings with clan members. Various "fire and sword" orders were continually proclaimed against the MacGregors for the better part of 200 years - they simply couldn't keep out of trouble. In 1661, the Acts were finally repealed, but only for about 30 years, until William of Orange and his successors renewed them and kept them in force. The Acts were finally repealed permanently in 1774 - Clan Gregor surviving almost 200 years as outlaws.
The most famous MacGregor of all is, of course, Rob Roy, of the Glengyle branch (1671-1734). Rob Roy was a multi-talented man - a great swordsman and soldier (fighting alongside his father by the age of 18 against William of Orange), an astute businessman, and master of the highland "protection racket". That is, rather than just rustling cattle - the age-old highland way - Rob Roy discovered there was more money in "protecting" cattle for pay. Between 1689 and 1711, Rob Roy stayed at home (he was a loving family man) and prospered his business, increasing his lands and resources. The legend of Rob Roy MacGregor grew out of his famous feud with the Duke of Montrose. As with all farmers and ranchers, Rob Roy found it difficult to lay hands on ready cash to expand his regular cattle business and turned to Montrose for a loan (or investment money). One of Rob Roy's employees made off with £1000 and Montrose, in his greed, brought charges of embezzlement against Rob hoping to gain his lands. Failing to answer the charge, Rob Roy was declared an outlaw and began his campaign of harassment against the Duke (rustling his cattle). In 1715, despite his outlaw status, Rob Roy rallied the MacGregor clan and led them in battle against the English, making many successful raids. Afterwards, he was tried for treason and lived life on the run, being captured twice but making spectacular escapes both times. Finally, in 1725, he turned himself in and received a pardon from the king. He died quietly at home in 1734. Ironically, Rob Roy's mother was a Campbell, and since the name MacGregor was proscribed by William of Orange, Rob Roy used the name Campbell at various times throughout his life and hid (with permission) on the Duke of Argyll's lands while an outlaw.
We passed through Callander which is supposed to be the oldest town in the UK located in the region of Stirling situated on the River Teith. The fictional villain Destro from G.I. Joe, a military-themed line of toys from Hasbro, is said to come from Callander, and his family have lived there since at least the 15th century. The second to last person to be tried and imprisoned for the crime of Witchcraft in the UK was Helen Duncan, from Callander, during World War Two. Track from the dismantled Callander and Oban Railway was used in the construction of the transit system for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. I thought that was an interesting little town to point out.
Our second last stop for the day was Doune Castle which is a medieval stronghold near the village of Doune, in the Stirling district. The castle is sited on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn flows into the River Teith. Recent research has shown that Doune Castle was originally built in the thirteenth century, then probably damaged in the Scottish Wars of Independence, before being rebuilt in its present form in the late 14th century by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany (c.1340–1420), the son of King Robert II of Scotland, and Regent of Scotland from 1388 until his death. The castle passed to the crown in 1425, when Albany's son was executed, and was used as a royal hunting lodge and dower house. In the later 16th century, Doune became the property of the Earls of Moray. The castle saw military action during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Glencairn's rising in the mid-17th century, and during the Jacobite Risings of the late 17th century and 18th century. By 1800 the castle was ruined, but restoration works were carried out in the 1880s, prior to its passing into state care in the 20th century. It is now maintained by Historic Scotland. The British comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a parody of the legends of King Arthur by the Monty Python team, was filmed on location in Scotland in 1974. The film's producers had gained permission from the National Trust for Scotland to film scenes at several of their Scottish castles, as well as the permission of Lord Moray to film at Doune Castle. However, the National Trust later withdrew their permission, leaving the producers with little time to find new locations. Instead, they decided to use different parts of Doune Castle to depict the various fictional castles in the film, relying on tight framing of shots to maintain the illusion. We got someone to take a group photo of us here with the castle in the background and it was a really good shot. It was just missing JemJem of course.
Our last stop was to be the William Wallace Monument. Alan gave us his story as we headed to the monument just for a view, as we didn’t have the time for a visit today. Sir William Wallace was a Scottish knight and landowner who became one of the main leaders during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Although there are problems with writing a satisfactory biography of many medieval people, the problems with Wallace are greater than usual. Not much is known about him beyond his military campaign of 1297–98, and the last few weeks of his life in 1305. Even in recent years, his birthplace and his father's name have been disputed. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297, and was Guardian of Scotland, serving until his defeat at the Battle of Falkirk. Although he was a minor member of the Scottish nobility, little is known for certain of William Wallace's family history. Records show early members of the family as holding estates. Wallace's year of birth can only be guessed at, although he was probably a relatively young man at the time of his military exploits and death. Wallace evaded capture by the English until 5 August 1305 when John de Menteith, a Scottish knight loyal to Edward, turned Wallace over to English soldiers at Robroyston near Glasgow. Wallace was transported to London, lodged in the house of William de Leyre, then taken to Westminster Hall, where he was tried for treason and for atrocities against civilians in war, "sparing neither age nor sex, monk nor nun." He was crowned with a garland of oak to suggest he was the king of outlaws. He responded to the treason charge, "I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I was never his subject." With this, Wallace asserted that the absent John Balliol was officially his king. Following the trial, on 23 August 1305, Wallace was taken from the hall to the Tower of London, then stripped naked and dragged through the city at the heels of a horse. He was hanged, drawn and quartered — strangled by hanging but released while he was still alive, castrated, eviscerated and his bowels burnt before him, beheaded, and then cut into four parts. His preserved head (dipped in tar) was placed on a pike atop London Bridge. His limbs were displayed, separately, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Stirling, and Perth.
The National Wallace Monument (generally known as the Wallace Monument) is a tower standing on the summit of Abbey Craig, a hilltop near Stirling. It commemorates Sir William Wallace. The tower was constructed following a fundraising campaign which accompanied a resurgence of Scottish national identity in the 19th century. In addition to public subscription, it was partially funded by contributions from a number of foreign donors, including Italian national leader Giuseppe Garibaldi. Completed in 1869 to the designs of architect John Thomas Rochead at a cost of £18,000, the monument is a 67-metre sandstone tower, built in the Victorian Gothic style. It stands on the Abbey Craig, a volcanic crag above Cambuskenneth Abbey, from which Wallace was said to have watched the gathering of the army of King Edward I of England, just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Visitors climb the 246 step spiral staircase to the viewing gallery inside the monument's crown, which provides expansive views of the Ochil Hills and the Forth Valley. A number of artifacts believed to have belonged to Wallace are on display inside the monument, including the Wallace Sword, a 1.68-metre long claymore. Inside is also a Hall of Heroes, a series of busts of famous Scots, effectively a small national Hall of Fame.
So that was the last stop on the whole tour. I should have kept count of all of them from the start. I have not been on a tour with so many stops and it just goes to show just how much there is to see and do here in such a small country. We motored back to Edinburgh in an hour and 20 minutes getting us back in just after 5.30pm. We were dropped back at the Haggis office and this is where we said goodbye to everyone. There was a mention of meeting up for dinner at 7pm, but firstly our hostel was at the top of Princess Street-we weren’t local, and secondly I was absolutely shattered. So we passed on the dinner invite and said goodbye to all my new found mates. So I need to say a BIG thank-you to those who made this tour SUPER DOOPER AWESOME and in no particular order that includes:
Shaz-New Zealand and forever a GREAT travel buddy
Monique and Candice-Canaydia
Marc and A-Dog-Canaydia
JemJem Tatties-Australia
Callum-New Zealand/ UK
Anne-Australia
Cameron-Canada
Song-Singapore
Robert-California
Kim-Australia
Miriam and Bridgette-Canada
Ciel and Geer-The Netherlands
Xavi-Spain
Sarah-Australia/UK
Nat-Australia/UK
Charlie-Germany
Frankie-Australia
Mum and Daughter-USA
Michael and Carol-Australia
Dell-Canada
Zena-Australia/UK
Siyi-USA
Irish girl- I’m sorry I didn’t remember your name
Kenyan girl- I’m sorry I didn’t remember your name
Andy-Driver guide Scotland
Alan-Driver guide Scotland
Shaz and I caught a taxi to our hostel which was only 15 minutes up the road and I have to say it was a great hostel. I did get a little shirty when they asked for our passports and also contact numbers of someone back home. I was tired and I’d had enough but after seeing how massive this joint was I could see how useful that information would be if stuff went missing or if they needed to contact you or family-so I apologize to the receptionist I gave mouth to just trying to do her job. We were in a dorm of 6 and the room was pretty big and they had lockers and your beds were already made, they had free Wi-Fi in the rooms, free breakfast and checkout was at 12 noon. What more could you ask for in a hostel? Shaz went for a small walk to get some supplies for her bus ride tomorrow back to London. She had to be at the bus station at 5.20am for the 10+ journey. I didn’t have to leave till 11.15am and I was still debating on whether I was going to cheat and catch a taxi or try and save some money and try the airport bus. I’ll see how I go packing tomorrow and make my mind up then. Dinner was at the hamburger chain WannaBurger restaurant next to the hostel and then we just repacked, chatted and internetted till bed time when we switched the light off at 10.30pm. I did say my goodbye to Shaz then, as I am not sure I would get up at 5am in the morning, but I am sure I will hear her and I’ll make the effort to get up. I was hammered with only having 7 hours sleep in the last 2 days. Yeah who are you calling NANA now????
So that was a great introduction back into group travel. I have had some harsh groups in the past and this has well and truly restored my faith in group travel again. Especially as I have 7 weeks more of groups-broken up into 3 more tours in Sri Lanka, Philippines and Nepal. It really is hard to convey what a positive, non-clicky group does for the travel experience, trust me I have been there and it is absolutely dreadful if people all don’t get along in some form. Don’t get me wrong, you will get some ‘odd ones’ on tour-that can’t be helped, but if it all doesn’t click with majority of the group, you’re in trouble. I had an amazing time on this trip and it is thanks to the mentioned people. I wish you all safe journeys onwards and homeward and I really hope that we keep in touch and I know for sure I will be seeing some of you again. I have made friends for life on this trip-no questions. I would also like to mention a special thanks to Shaz. We had previously travelled together for 5 months in South America and we had booked this trip back in January through her agent in New Zealand. We had a rocky start when I joined the tour in Lima in November but over time we became friends and I would like to say thanks Shaz for always taking the top bunk, for always being motivated to get us moving, for becoming my postal buddy through the latter half of the SA trip, for putting up with me for 5 months and wanting to go a second round in Scotland. We are the perfect travel companions and I would happily travel with you again someday in this magic world that we have both been privileged to have seen over the last 15 months. All the best back home buddy, when your 15 month journey comes to a close, and make sure you keep in touch.
Good bye to my Haggis Group-you have rocked my world and will never be forgotten.
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