The Orkney Islands

Reaching the northern most tip of mainland Scotland (Scrabster), we boarded the HM Hamnavoe for an hour and one half trip across the North Sea to the Orkney Islands.  The Orkneys are a cluster of 70 islands (20 of which are inhabited) that were apparently acquired from Norway in an obscure marriage dowry in 1468.    Along the way, the dramatic coastline of Hoy greets visitors travelling to Orkney by ferry from the Scottish mainland.  We stayed on the mainland of Orkney in the capital of Kirkwall, and it became clear to us after not much time on the island that there was a much stronger Scandinavian than Scottish influence here (and it wasn't only due to the presence of the Norwegian flag every 500 yards or so ...).   Along with differences in building construction , the native Orcadians seemed to be physically smaller than mainland Scots and this was confirmed by locals who told us that the average height for a male on Orkney is 5'7".

Orkney is most well known for its Neolithic sites including the 5,000 year old settlement of Skara Brae on the mainland that was found almost entirely intact.  The settlement was unearthed almost 100 years ago by a huge windstorm which revealed multiple dwellings with many rooms still full of stone furniture, fire pits, hunting and cooking implements and jewelry. 

Skara Brae underground dwelling

Fulmars of Skara Brae

Close by is Maes Howe which is a massive tomb that predates the oldest pyramids in Egypt.  More recently the tomb was used by Viking travelers about 1,000 years ago and is filled with their Runic writings and a detailed and very small carving of a dragon/wolf/sheep (?).  This tomb, like the Clava Cairns we saw earlier, also has a doorway that lines up perfectly with the winter solstice sun, which seems to imply that a similar culture inhabited this entire area.

Chris emerging from Maes Howe.  Photos of the entrance were the only ones allowed.

Associated with these sites are two massively impressive standing stones circles.  The first is the Standing Stones of Stenness, (really best said as Sylvester the Cat or Sid the Sloth, depending on your generation) and the other is the Ring of Brodgar.   It was an impressive and awe-inspiring place as some of these stones are 15 feet high, and are again arranged to line up with the movements of the sun during the year.  When planning our trip we knew we wouldn't be able to include a trip to the Outer Hebrides and the Calanish Standing Stones, the disappointment of that was quickly dispelled by the magnificence of the Ring Of Brodgar.

The Ring of Brodgar originally housed 60 stones of which 34 remain

Brodgar posers

Worthy of mention is that the weather on Orkney was, in a word:  brutal.  You won't find colorfully painted cottages or much individuality expressed through yard art or fixtures here.  All buildings look pretty much the same and are covered by a gravelly substance over stucco that must protect surfaces from the lashing sea water and wind.  But what may be lost in curb appeal, can definitely be found in the natural landscape and beauty of Orkney.  We were fortunate in that we only had one day with gale force winds, but were able to get out and about otherwise, which is lucky because other than the church of St. Magnus, the Earl's Palace (a ruin) and a whisky distillery, there were not many "indoor" activities available on the island.  And, although there was only one hour of darkness each night, nearly every shop closed at 4pm, leaving the streets empty and the town quiet.  Many Orcadians dine out in the 2 available hotel restaurants in Kirkwall, so make your lunch and dinner reservations ahead of time or you will be out of luck!  Despite the rough weather conditions, the remoteness of the island  and the "other world" feeling of Kirkwall, Orkney is a beautiful, historically rich and extremely worthwhile destination.

The Earl's Palace

St. Magnus Cathedral and 1/3 of kirkyard

We had enough good weather to enjoy some of the natural beauty of the islands.  Just north of the stone age dwellings we stumbled across a hike which led us to within 15 feet of some cliff dwelling puffins.  These along with other seabirds were returning from a day of fishing and seemed to have little or no fear of us.  They were delightful and even cuter in person, if possible.

Sofie in the pink clover of Marwick Head

Marwick Head looking towards Hoy

The Clan Puffin of Marwick Head

Duncan of Clan Puffin

Many small islands make up the Orkneys and they all offer interesting historical sites, expansive shoreline, natural beauty, abundant wildlife and even a castle or two.  Ferries can transport you easily from one island to the next and much of the mainland is bikeable.  On our last day we went to the nearby island of Hoy where we hiked through the heather to the remote Old Man of Hoy, a sandstone sea stack tower just separated from the imposing sea cliffs.  We calculated the height by timing the fall of a rock and estimated it to be about 700 feet.  We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing in the surprisingly comfortable spongy heather to partake in our lunch.   It was a beautiful day with frequent bursts of sunshine to warm us.  We were entertained by a small group of rock climbers attempting to reach the top of the Old Man while seagulls and other birds circled them in the air.

Lunching in the comfy heather

Hoy posers

Chris and the kids are off to the right

The Old Man

The walk back

Old Man of Hoy panorama taken with my iPhone

On our way back to the car we walked through the old crofting township of Rackwick which is said to be one of the oldest in Scotland.  It is an isolated valley where original old crofting huts still exist and the villagers live a traditional crofting life without many modern conveniences.  An unusual rock-cut tomb, the Dwarfie Stane, lies in the Rackwick valley in the north of the island. It is unique in northern Europe, bearing similarity to Neolithic or Bronze Age tombs around the Mediterranean. The tomb gets its name as it is very small and was said to be carved by dwarves.

Dwarfie Stane

On the ferry to Hoy

Rackwick Valley

We returned to the ferry terminal in Stromness to await boarding the ferry which would take us back to Scrabster on mainland Scotland.  We planned an overnight stay on the ferry in a cozy cabin that slept 4 to avoid an extremely early drive to the terminal in the morning.  Once in Scrabster we began the long drive to the Isle of Skye on the western coast of Scotland.

The HM Hamnavoe

Boarding the ferry

On the deck passing Hoy

Aboard the ferry

Our cabin aboard the ferry

The Highlands, Part II

So on we go through the Scottish Highlands.  Our next stop was the beautiful Culloden House which is just south of Culloden Battlefield.  This is the house Bonnie Prince Charlie used as lodging and headquarters prior to the fateful battle on Culloden Moor. (And for you Outlander fans, the place where Jamie Fraser killed Dougal Mackenzie.)  It is a manor house from the 17th century built in the Adam style, yet oddly, the Adams Family did not live here, but rather Duncan Forbes who was high muckity-muck in the Scottish Parliament prior to the battle of Culloden.  Now it is a very beautiful high-end hotel which features a legitimate croquet field.  On the day of our visit the National American Croquet Team was visiting.  ☺  Please see press photos below.

US Croquet Champions

Culloden House

 In the elegant drawing room, Chris and Sofie found an elegant chess set which pitted the Protestants (headed by the Duke of Cumberland) against the Catholics (headed by the Bonnie Prince) and a bloody game ensued.  Chris ended up with a sprained thumb and Sofie a hang nail, and after a kerfuffle of sorts, Noah declared the game a draw.

Culloden Battle chess set (Bonnie Prince Charlie on the right)

From there we visited Cawdor Castle 10 miles to the northeast.  Cawdor is considered one of the most elegant castles in Scotland and the gardens are especially magnificent.  Legend has it that a donkey (laden with gold) rested beneath a holly tree and based on this equine need for rest, the castle was built on that spot.  The tree, which died in the 1370s, can still be viewed in the lower level of the castle, although the donkey has moved on.  Cawdor is a living castle, meaning the Dowager Countess of Cawdor still holds residence there, so no photos of the interior were allowed.  This is a shame, as the furnishings and tapestries were exquisite and the home was extremely well appointed.  I would have especially liked to have shown you the collection of 18th century muskets that were arranged in a semi circle above the grand stairwell. 



Front of Cawdor Castle

The rear of the castle from the garden

Natural arch in gardens

On the drawbridge

The largest attraction in the Highlands has to be Loch Ness and the mythical beast known fondly by  locals as Nessie.  Loch Ness literally starts just south of Inverness and extends 35 miles with the width of 1-2 miles.  It alone contains more than half of all of the freshwater in the United Kingdom.  With a depth of 700 feet, the entire human population could fit in this space 3 times over!  Despite this, the big draw is Nessie whose first "sighting" was in the 6th century by St. Columba, who tried to cast the water demon from the loch.  The Loch Ness visitor's center at Drumnadrochite has a great exhibit on the Nessie legend, pretty much    **spoiler alert**    debunking the presence of the monster in Loch Ness.  Apparently, teams of sonar boats patrolled the loch for many years without finding any evidence of a creature bigger than about 5 feet.  In addition, there would not be a large enough food source to sustain a creature of Nessie's purported size.  Sorry, true believers!  In any event, the visitor's center is excellent, the loch is beautiful and Castle Urquhart on the banks of the loch is a interesting and impressive structure that adds to the magical feel of the area.

Urquhart Castle along Loch Ness

Entrance to the castle

The bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Ness

East of Loch Ness we found Plodda Falls (based on an ice cream vendor's recommendation) which was very reminiscent of a Hawaiian rainforest.   There are two wooden viewing platforms, one at the mouth of the falls and the other near the bottom, replacing an old iron bridge built by Lord Tweedmouth in 1889.  The area around the falls is a rich and diverse woodland.  Around 1900, Lord Tweedmouth planted a large number of Douglas Fir, Larch, Giant Redwood and specimen conifers. Together with the native tree population they have combined to provide an ideal habitat for the red squirrel (a hold over from the Soviet era?) and a wide variety of birds and insects.   Some of the Douglas Firs are now an impressive 200ft tall. 

Upper Plodda Falls

Lower Plodda Falls

Posers at Plodda Falls

Scottish Highlands traffic jam

We left the Highlands traveling north to the Orkney Islands (more about them later) and on the way stopped in the village of Dornoch where pop star Madonna was married at the Dornoch Cathedral some years ago.  While there, we visited the cathedral kirkyard (kirk is the old English word for church) and learned a thing or two about plaids and kilts.  A note for clarity:  a tartan is a style of plaid that identifies family or clan linkage.  A tweed is a woven pattern that symbolizes which estate the wearer of the tweed belongs to, independent of whether or not you were a worker or family member.  For centuries local fairs were held weekly in the local kirkyards where tradesmen and villagers would buy and sell goods and livestock.  By the mid 18th century the livestock (mainly pigs) began rooting into the graves during the fairs and so a walled fence was built to separate the pigs from the graves, which led to the market being held outside of the kirkyard.  The Plaiden Ell was a stone of fixed measure laid in the kirkyard for the purchase of plaid or tartan.  If a merchant cheated a buyer by cutting the fabric too short, the merchant was put in the stocks and pelted with rubbish.  The Plaiden Ell at Durnoch Cathedral is one of only 3 remaining in Scotland.   

Plaiden Ell

Ice cream stop at the Mercat (market) Cross

One last mention of the Highlands would be to comment again on the expansive views and beauty seen through these travels.  Driving through this area offers miles and miles of rolling farmland accented by yellow canola fields and golden flowering Gorse bushes, dramatic sea cliffs and dense forest..  Here are some random shots to give you a sense of place.

Nairn to the Moray Firth

Abandoned estate near Plodda Falls

Highland View

Highland View

Nairn sunset

The Scottish Highlands, Part I

On our way to the Highlands (Nairn) we had two very pleasant diversions.  The first was unexpected, as we were searching for a place to eat and potty, and came across a little gem called The Grouse and Claret just south of Perth.  I am going to take this opportunity to make two things very clear:

1) The Scottish people are remarkably kind, helpful, pleasant, accommodating - insert any positive adjective you can think of here.  We have been in Scotland 8 days and have yet to encounter anyone who is even remotely poopy. 

2)  SCOTTISH FOOD IS AMAZING.  That statement not only deserves all caps, but should also be underlined and in bold.  We had heard any number of reports about how bad the food would be while traveling in the UK, and our memories of British food was bland at best, but THIS food is anything but. Given the miles of farmland and close proximity to the ocean, everything we eat is remarkably fresh.  We have been eating like kings and have yet to have a meal that was disappointing or left us hungry.  It has all been superb - even the dreaded haggis!

Our second diversion was the impressive Dunnotar Castle along the eastern coast in the Grampian Highlands on the south side of the Highlands boundary.   Built in the 5th century, it was a stronghold in the fight for Scottish independence against, well ... everyone, including themselves, it seems.  At one point it kept safe the Scottish Crown Jewels - aka Honours of Scotland - (which we saw in all of their glory at Edinburgh Castle) for 10 years from Oliver Cromwell who was trying to abolish all vestiges of the royal monarchy.  The castle changed hands many times over during it's turbulent history and at one point housed prisoners of the Jacobite Rebellion.  It was eventually sold to the York Building Company in the early 1700s which stripped the castle of everything of value, leaving only the shell.  It wasn't until 1925 that Lady Cowdray acquired the property to preserve it and although the drawing room is the only area that has been completely restored, it is easy to see how magnificent this fortress once was.  The ruins of the living quarters, towerhouse, keep, smithy, chapel, and stables are still in place, as well as the fascinating Whig's Vault where more than 150 prisoners were kept during part of Dunnotar's darker years.  Important visitors to Dunnotar include William Wallace who besieged the castle in 1297 and Mary Queen of Scots who spent time on the rock in 1562.

The Rock

View of tower house and stables

After leaving Dunnotar, the GPS got us lost (no really - it directed us somehow to the middle of nowhere) but due to the help of a friendly Scot (did I mention that they are friendly?) who directed us first to some wonderful pizza (did I mention the food is good?) and then to the highway which led us to the beautiful and quaint coastal town of Nairn.  Our first day we roamed about taking in the seaside views, finding shells, playing tennis, sampling local fare, and learning about lawn bowling at the St. Ninian Bowling Club. 

Our new friends showing us the proper way to bowl

The next day we made a trip to Culloden Battlefield where the Catholics (Scots/French) fought the Protestants (Scots/English) under the foolish leader Prince Charles Stuart (the Pretender to the Throne) .  In this battle 4,000 Catholics lost 1,500 clansmen against the 7,000 Protestant troops who only lost 50 men.   Those who were not killed in the battle were hanged as traitors, imprisoned, or sold as slaves and sent by ship to the New World.  This battle was important because it essentially abolished the clan system for almost 200 years, eradicated the Gaelic language, prohibited the wearing of the tartan or plaid, and forbid Scots from carrying weapons.  This forced many Scots away from home to colonize other parts of the British Empire.  The battlefield itself is a relatively unremarkable expanse of heather, Gorse bush and wildflowers, but the visitor's center offered a sobering surround-style re-enactment film which reminded us all of why it is important to question our leaders.  Oy!  The staff was excellent and well-educated on the battle as well as Scotland's history and provided demonstrations of weaponry and costumes that were very entertaining.  Chris and the kids re-enacted the battle and modeled 18th century fashion.

Linskey reenactment of the battle at Culloden field.  Not historically accurate, as here it is Scots 2, Redcoats 1.

Monument to the fallen clans

A stone was put in place to recognize the clans who fought and lost their lives

After leaving the battlefield and saying goodbye to a shaggy Heilan' coo, we enjoyed a picnic lunch (Noah reported the chicken salad sandwich was questionable) at Clava Cairns nearby.  These stone circles date back 3-4,000 years and were likely built by the Picts or their predecessors.  The tombs have the doorways facing to line up with the setting of the winter solstice sun (coincidence?  I think not), and have cupped markings on some of the stones which could be used to hold the spirits of the dead or for keeping a latte warm, who really knows?  At any rate, they were very cool.  Some visitors report having a strange, unearthly feeling come over them at this site, but Noah thinks it is likely just the chicken salad.

First stone circle with one of the cairns, or burial tombs, visible on the left.

Split stone in the 3rd stone circle

So, we'll stop there as the Highlands are vast and ridiculously beautiful and they deserve as much representation as possible.  The weather calls for heavy rain, so my guess is I'll be back again soon!