HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Too many to decide
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Can’t think of a single thing-oh wait Marc was late again…….
WORD OF THE DAY: Morag’s
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 54km
We had an 8.30am departure from Inverness this morning. We had to make sure all our gear was off the old bus and we had to load up onto the new bus and new being the operative word, even though it looked bigger from the outside I think the seats were actually a little smaller and the back seat was a different layout and I am glad that Shaz and I decided to move, it was just going to be too squishy back there for us. We said a quick goodbye to the ‘departers’, got a group photo and then 27 of us piled into a 29 seater bus for day one for 12 and day five for the rest of us. Our new driver/guide was Allen and he certainly has a different style from Andy that is for sure and all I can say is that Andy will be missed. Just when I thought I had learnt everybody’s names it was time to add some new friends to the list. As mentioned before it is kind of rough entering a group that is already established but this group is so easy going and no real ‘clicks’ have been made as we are all one big happy travel family (except for our real family of course) and it makes me feel happy that we welcome our new friends with open arms.
So, the 2 seats that Shaz and I picked are great, but I’m telling you there is no room for movement once you are in your seat. They are tight. I am not sure the bus was meant to hold capacity for a long duration as I have to say it is not the most comfortable ride. We are really wedged in and today was my day at the window, and I think part of it all is missing the extra seats we had at the back to spread our shit over. Not too far down the road we got our first glimpse of Lochness Lake. Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 km southwest of Inverness. Its surface is 15.8 m above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the sightings of the crypto-zoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie". Its water visibility is exceptionally low due to a high peat content in the surrounding soil. Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch by surface area at 56.4 km2 after Loch Lomond, but due to its great depth, it is the largest by volume. Its deepest point is 230 m deeper than the height of London's BT Tower at 189 m and deeper than any other loch except Loch Morar. It contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined, and is the largest body of water on the Great Glen Fault, which runs from Inverness in the north to Fort William in the south.
Our first stop was the most important for the day-breakfast and it was at a great place called The Clansman. Not only did it have a well-stocked café but it had an amazing gift shop, no gift supermarket and anything that you could want that was Scottish could be bought at this store. We were given an hour here and we were also able to get our photo taken with a green Nessie sculpture and this was also the starting point for one of the many cruises offered along the lake of the Lochness in search of the Lochness Monster. So Shaz and I had time to eat, time to shop and then time to get some photos down on the lake what a great start to the day.
10am and we were back on the road again for a stop at Ben Nevis a few hours away. We did a 15 minute photo stop at Urquhart Castle. We didn’t have enough time to go down to the castle and visit but we got some great photos from the top of the road between Inverness and Fort Williams and sits beside Loch Ness. Though extensively ruined, it was in its day one of the largest strongholds of medieval Scotland, and remains an impressive structure, splendidly situated on a headland overlooking Loch Ness. It is also near this castle that the majority of Nessie (Loch Ness Monster) sightings occur. The earliest history of the castle may begin in the time of St. Columba in the 6th century. In 1884, the castle came under the control of Caroline, Countess Dowager of Seafield, widow of the seventh earl of Grant, on the death of her son. On Caroline's death in 1911 her will instructed that Urquhart Castle be entrusted into State care. On 6th October 1913, a guardianship agreement was signed between the late Dowager's Trustees and the Commissioners of His Majesty's Works and Public Buildings transferring responsibility for the castle's upkeep. Historic Scotland, the successors to the Office of Works continue to maintain the building to this day. It is Historic Scotland's 3rd busiest site. According to figures released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, nearly 290,000 people visited Urquhart Castle in 2010.
We stopped for a few photos stops along the way arriving at a great photo opportunity of Ben Nevis and also a solemn memorial for fallen soldiers The Commando memorial. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in the British Isles. Standing at 1,344 meters above sea level, it is located at the western end of the Grampian Mountains in the area of the Scottish Highlands, close to the town of Fort William. The mountain is a popular destination attracting an estimated 100,000 ascents a year, around three-quarters of which use the Pony Path from Glen Nevis. The 700-metre high cliffs of the north face are among the highest cliffs in the United Kingdom, providing classic scrambles and rock climbs of all difficulties for climbers and mountaineers. They are also the principal locations in the UK for ice climbing. The summit, which is the collapsed dome of an ancient volcano, features the ruins of an observatory which was continuously staffed between 1883 and 1904. The meteorological data collected during this period are still important for understanding Scottish mountain weather. The other thing of interest was the Commando Memorial which is a Category A listed monument in Scotland, dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II. Unveiled in 1952 by the Queen Mother, it has become one of Scotland's best-known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mòr. In 1949, the sculptor Scott Sutherland won a competition open to all Scottish sculptors for the commission, Sutherland's design won first prize of £200. The base of the bronze statue is inscribed with the date of 1951. The memorial was officially unveiled by the Queen Mother on 27 September 1952. The monument consists of a cast bronze sculpture of three Commandos in characteristic dress complete with cap comforter, webbing and rifle, standing atop a stone plinth. The three Commandos are depicted looking south towards Ben Nevis. The entire monument is 5.2 m tall. The monument has been variously described as a huge, striking and iconic statue. "United we conquer" is inscribed around the top of the stone plinth, while the original plaque on the stone plinth reads: "In memory of the officers and men of the commandos who died in the Second World War 1939–1945. This country was their training ground." The monument stands as a memorial to the British Commandos who trained all around the Lochaber region which the monument overlooks, while they were based at the Achnacarry Commando Training Centre established in 1942. As such it is used as site for memorial services, including the 60th anniversary of D-Day, and Remembrance Day ceremonies.
There was also a Garden of Remembrance established there in 2007. The Garden of Remembrance, which was subsequently added to the site, is used by many surviving World War II Commandos as the designated final resting place for their ashes. It has also been used as a place where many families have scattered ashes and erected tributes to loved ones who belonged to contemporary Commando units and who have died in more recent conflicts such as the Falklands War or in Afghanistan and Iraq. It was quite sad to walk around the circular garden and I felt bad that I was taking photos like it was disrespectful as there were some family members spending time with their loved ones. Anyone dying is a sad affair, but I think for people representing their country and dying in honor for that to give us the life we lead today just casts that grey cloud over such a sacrifice and I sometimes think people don’t realize what those people give up for our safety and our freedom.
Our next stop was a 15 minute drive to Inverlochy Castle which is a ruined, 13th-century castle near Fort William. The site of two battles, the castle remains largely unchanged since its construction. It is now in the care of Historic Scotland. Inverlochy Castle was built circa 1270-1280 by John "the Black" Comyn. When Robert the Bruce succeeded to the Scottish throne in 1306, the Comyns, his rivals for the crown, were dispossessed, and the castle was unoccupied for a time. In 1431, clansmen of Alexander MacDonald, Lord of the Isles, defeated King James I's larger army in the first Battle of Inverlochy, fought close by the castle. In 1505, the partially ruined castle was granted to George Gordon, 2nd Earl of Huntly, who was charged by King James IV with repairing the castle for use as a Royal garrison. In 1645, the castle served as a stopping-off point for the royalist army of James Graham, 1st Marquess of Montrose during his campaign against the Covenanter forces of the Marquess of Argyll. This culminated in a victory for the royalists in the second Battle of Inverlochy, on February 2, 1645. In the 19th century, the estate was bought by James Scarlett, 1st Baron Abinger, who built a Scottish baronial style mansion to the north-west, which is now the Inverlochy Castle Hotel. Inverlochy is now a ruin, but is unusual because it has remained unaltered since it was built in the reign of King Alexander III. We got 20 minutes here for us to take some photos and for the kids to climb up the ruined staircases to get some photos up top. I’m too old for that shit now and was quite content to keep both my ‘nana’ feet on the ground at this place.
Phew what a busy morning and it was now lunch time. We stopped at Fort Williams for 45 minutes and Shaz JemJem and I decided to stay close to the bus and we ate at the restaurant located in the local supermarket. It wasn’t the best meal ever but the bonus was they had a photo booth in the center, so we all squished into the booth and got our pictures taken, like the ones out of the movie Beaches. They turned out really cool and every time I look at them it makes me laugh. It was worth every pound to get them done and a great souvenir of our Scottish trip. The good thing about being close to the bus was we weren’t late. There were a group of 6 people who were 20 minutes late getting back. What is wrong with these peoples time keeping skills? Marc was in the first wave of 10 minute late comers and the further 6 came after that, so it didn’t make him look so bad. As we were waiting Alex comes out with some pretty useless but interesting facts and today’s one was people over 6ft 6in are considered giants. Callum was standing next to us so we asked how tall he was and he was 6ft 6in! So we have now affectionately nicknamed him McGiant which was to stick for the rest of the trip and to supersede McIntosh, Macadam, McAllister and any other form of Mc surname we could think of. JemJem and I thought it was funny and McAvery didn’t seem to mind-hopefully…….
Glenfinnan was our first stop after lunch. Since 1938, the Glenfinnan Monument has been in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. The Trust have constructed a visitor center, which provides tickets, information and exhibitions, and a shop, cafe, and toilets. It is located at the northern end of Loch Shiel, at the foot of Glenfinnan. There were 2 things we could do in the 20 minutes we were given here. There is the Glenfinnan Monument situated here at the head of Loch Shiel and was erected in 1815 to mark the place where Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") raised his standard, at the beginning of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. So began the rebellion that was to end in failure eight months later at the Battle of Culloden (16 April 1746). After Culloden, in his flight to evade government troops, Charles came to the same area again. After being hidden by loyal supporters he boarded a French frigate at the shores of Loch nan Uamh, close to where he had landed and raised his standard. Today The Prince's Cairn marks the spot from which he departed.
We decided to do the second option and climb the mountain. Yes I climbed a rough step, muddy mountain to get the marvelous view from the top and I have to say it was worth every slip and nearly slide. From here we could see the Glenfinnan railway/viaduct. The viaduct was built in 1897–1901 and has 21 arches, reaching as high as 30m. A plaque at the base of one of the arches commemorates the centenary of the viaduct. The Glenfinnan viaduct recently came to prominence in the Harry Potter films, the first being Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second in the Harry Potter Series, when the Jacobite Steam Train became transformed into the Hogwarts Express and was filmed crossing the viaduct. It also appears in subsequent Harry Potter films. It really was a great view of the Bonnie Prince Charlie monument, Lake Shiel and the Glenfinnan viaduct. The only thing wrong with going up a muddy and slippery path is that you have to come back down again and I needed the help of JemJem and Marky Marc to get me back down the muddy path without falling on my arse. We had a few minutes to spare so we took the path out to the Lake to get some photos but we didn’t have time to go up the monument, but I am sure we got a good view from the mountain anyways and were back to the bus with only a few seconds to spare. I may point out that anytime Marc is with us heading back to the bus he is always on time…. Just saying…….
I’m telling you this get on get off the bus thing really takes it out of you. I don’t think I have done so much sightseeing in consecutive days on my whole trip. Talk about busy. We arrived into Fort Augustus just after 5pm and we had one more stop and that was at a place right in the middle of town called The Clansman Centre. Entering through the doors of a 19th century schoolhouse, we stepped into the 17th century. They have recreated the interior of a Highland turf house, where an authentically dressed clansman, Ken, brings the past back to life. This dangerous looking character (ha ha ha ha ha ha) explains how families ate, lived and survived here in days of old, takes you through the clan system and local culture, demonstrates the Highland dress (all the mysteries of kilt, plaid and tartan) and teaches you the art of killing or maiming, using ancient weapons. It certainly wasn’t boring and Marc and Candice, Marc especially when he was asked to take off his pants, and DID, they both made great volunteers for the dressing into the local robes and wigs. It was very entertaining.
When we arrived into the hostel we were on the coat tales’ of two other Haggis buses. The check in process is bad enough when we have just us, let alone 2 busses ahead of us, so we found the bar at the hostel, took a seat in the dining room and just hung there till everyone else had checked in. I was still a little seedy from the vodka night a few days ago we got a glass of the house white and I have to say it was a very tasty white. During the day Allan had taken our dinner options for those who wanted to eat at the hostel and as it was a Sunday night there was a roast on with salad and potatoes, ah gotta love the roast dinners. After dinner the last of us checked in, dropped our stuff in our rooms and because we were the last there was only top bunks left in our dorm room. CRAP. But the beds looked sturdy so I took a leap of faith and decided to suck it up and I took no responsibility if the bed didn’t hold up and poor Monique, who was below me, got squished.
The hostel was only a 10 minute walk from town but the weather had turned and it was raining outside and the hostel we were in ‘Morag’s’ was a pretty cool joint and the bar was also pretty cool with long bench tables, lots of square chairs to sit on and as there were 3 busses in there were lots of people to add to the atmosphere. We were in first and got the best section of the bar and our group came and went all night. There was a flurry of Facebooking as we all asked to be each other friends and I started to load my Scotland photos. I would like to have them all loaded before the end of the trip firstly so everyone can see them and I am not sure what kind of internet connection I am going to have in Ethiopia, but from my last 2 visits it wasn’t that great. The other BIG news for the day was that JemJem wasn’t on Facebook and after a few wines we were given the green light to sign her up, I think her arm may have been twisted behind her back, but we were given the go ahead, created a JemJem account and she has now joined the 21st century with a flurry of friend requests and a quick 101 on how to use it. I am sure it seemed like a good idea at the time for her, but I did say we could disable her account at any time if she wanted. BIG BIG NEWS!!!!!
JemJem and I continued to drink the white wine and ended up buying it by the bottle as it worked out cheaper and by the end of the night we had bought 5 bottles between the 2 of us and Marc and Alex had also bought a bottle towards the end, so needless to say that we were pretty drunk and all I remember at the end of the night was Marc eating some 2 minute noodles that he wouldn’t share, I cracked the drunk shits and JemJem and I went to bed around 2.30am. I don’t even recall climbing up to the top bunk, and I think as a sober person it would have been hilarious seeing me try to attempt it normally, let alone drunk as a skunk and the next morning apparently it was a bit of a scene as Candice had told me to keep it down, again, I have no recollection of any of this. I do remember for the second time that week having a cry on JemJem’s shoulder and I know a lot of it is to do with the alcohol and the other 60% is of my uncertain future and hoping that when I get to Ethiopia and Zeme that things will be the same as they were when I was there 6 months ago. Long distance relationships suck, I HATE them and I just can’t wait to finally make my move to Addis and to get on with my life. Don’t get me wrong all this travelling is great and I have lead a very privilege life the last 2 years but nothing beats a travelling partner and I could think of no-one better than Zeme. Well only 6 more sleeps to go and then everything will be okay again in Bernie-land. So I will also take this moment to thank JemJem for her shoulder and her compassion and for just being there when I needed to let off some energy – you rock.
Thank goodness tomorrow is a day off and I have been here before so I know what is on the cards for me tomorrow. NOTHING!!!!!
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