From Castles To Crofts

We've seen some pretty grand castles on this trip. We've walked where the Scottish elite walked, where battles were fought, and exquisite gardens were planted. It is time we mixed things up a bit and saw how the peasant folk lived. 

Coast To Coast

 

Today we are traveling from Wick, which is one of the most northeastern points on mainland Scotland, all the way to the magical Isle of Skye, off the western coast. I guess you could call it a cross-country trip. Google tells me it is a five-hour journey but with a few photo stops and a lunch break in Ullapool, it turned into a full day trip.

The Orkneys

 

We are in far north Scotland about to go even further north to the Orkney Islands. The Islands of Scotland have always called to me. I must say, though, they are not quite as high on the fascination meter as the Scottish Highlands where my people come from. The Orkneys are a little different from mainland Scotland as they have astonishing prehistoric sites, Old Norse heritage, recent history as WWI/WWII naval bases and a POW Camp housing Italian prisoners. 

What Does A Person Need With 189 Rooms?

 

It's a castle day today! Fun Fact: Some of the castles we toured all started with the word Dun. Dun (pronounced doon) means fort. Dunrobin (translates to Robin's Fort) is on the schedule for today.

Believe It Or Not

 

We are on an epic adventure. We are going hunting after one of the most notorious monsters in the world. A monster which has often been scoffed at and many times called a hoax even though there have been documented sightings since the 6^th century.  

The Many Uses of Grass

 

When you travel on a bus tour, one of the most important things on the tour is where do you sit on the bus. Everybody has their favorite place, their favorite side. Heaven forbid that anybody encroaches on your spot. Gate 1 came up with an equitable solution – assigned seats. After we found our seat on the first day, we were told that every day, they would move your seat three seats forward. Eventually, during the tour, you would sit on each side and also toward the front, toward the back. Some days my seat was wonderful, some days not so much but it was fair. 

A Slow Start

Following my long travel day and my running around town, I was exhausted and decided that I needed to take a very, very short nap. Two hours later, I woke up at 6:15, realizing I was late for the very first Gate 1 Tour Group Orientation at 6pm. Rushing down to the orientation, I found everybody sitting down, listening with rapt attention to our tour guide, Phil. I must admit, it was not quite the introduction that I wanted to make with my fellow travelers. Ok, I was a tad bit embarrassed. All I could say was sorry and, in my head, oh well.