Haste Ye Back

As you can probably imagine, there are many things that we saw or did while in Scotland that we didn't share in the previous blogs either because they were not relevant to the information being presented, were interesting but somewhat random, or because we simply didn't have time to cover everything.  This last blog post will include some of those interesting tidbits/photos that didn't make the "first cut" but are worth mentioning.

SIGNS

Scotland has a lot of interesting signage.  A sign or greeting that we saw in nearly every town or district was "Haste Ye Back", meaning "Come Back Soon" and every time I saw it I was filled with a mixture of gratitude for the sentiment and also sadness at the leaving.   For those of you not following me on Facebook,  I endeavored to post a "Scottish Sign of the Day" each morning.  Below is a sampling of some of the favorites.

WEATHER

I had read enough about Scotland and had done enough research to know that we shouldn't expect sunny skies and pleasant temperatures as a norm while traveling there, and for the most part the weather suited us just fine.  Roughly 80% of the time it was overcast and cool and it was reasonable to expect a drizzle several times a day, but it certainly did not prevent us from getting out and about and enjoying the day.  There was one day on Orkney and one day on Skye when we had heavy rain and wicked winds and had to alter our plans for the day.  The sun didn't shine full-on a lot but when it did, it was blinding.

Needless to say, Scottish weather is not perfectly suited for tennis.  Although this did not stop us from playing whenever and wherever we could, it does apparently stop the Scots from doing the same.  Courts were very difficult to find and when we were lucky enough to find some, they were sometimes not always in the best condition.  Given this, I cannot imagine how Scotland produced the current #2 male tennis player in the world and the recent Wimbledon champion in Andy Murray.

WILDLIFE

I don't think I had an opportunity before to mention Scotland's wildlife (other than the puffins, of course). Being surrounded on nearly all sides by ocean, Scotland is an essential location for migrating birds, a safe haven for ducks, geese and shorebirds, and an ideal summer home for nesting seabirds.  Sea gulls, puffins, oyster catchers, several varieties of ducks and geese, numerous birds of prey, and songbirds all call Scotland home for all or part of the year.  Aquatic mammals like dolphins and whales, marine semi-aquatic mammals like seals, freshwater semi-aquatic mammals like otters, and terrestrial mammals like the red deer can be seen in Scotland year round.  We saw dolphins from the shore and from the ferry, as well as seals and otters.  Red deer were everywhere in the Highlands and near Loch Lomond, but were usually too far away or there wasn't enough light to get a photo of them.  We also got glimpses of the red squirrel and mountain hare skittering about.  On occasion we saw a small lizard scurrying under a rock, but outside of the midge, there were not a lot of bugs.  This was surprising to me as the thick flora of Scotland would imply that there should be bugs, and lots of them, but not once were we plagued by a spider, bee, flies or even ants - even when we relaxed for an hour or more in the deep heather.

Orkney oyster catchers

Puffins at Marwick Head on Orkney Island

Orkney Oyster Catcher

FLORA

And speaking of plants, it is important to note that in Scotland, any ground is fertile ground, be it dirt or stone, and a horizontal presentation is not a requirement.  We saw plants and trees growing out of the strangest places - places you wouldn't normally expect a plant to be able to take root.  But, I guess all they need is water and light, and in Scotland, there is plenty of both.  The forests and woodlands are dense with plant life.  Farmland  goes on seemingly forever.  Flowers line paths, roads and coastlines.  And because of this, Scotland is wonderfully fragrant.  Each of us remarked several times about how fresh the air was.  One thing is for certain:  with all of the remarkable greenness we encountered, Scotland must be gloriously ablaze with color in the autumn.

Ivy growing on tombstone from 1846 near
Cawdor Castle

Clover on moss near Plodda Falls

Ivy taking over tree at Dunvegan Castle

FAVORITES

As difficult as it was to choose, here is a list of our favorite things:

Breakfast :  Bacon, Clava brie and cranberry panini at the Classroom Bar and Grill, Nairn
Lunch :  Roast Chicken, fresh vegetables and mash at the Grouse and Claret, Heatheryford
Dinner :  28 day aged t-bone steak with mushroom sauce, asparagus and mash at Cawdor Tavern, Cawdor
Dessert :  Sticky toffee pudding, The Lodge, Edinbane, Isle of Skye
Beer :   A tie between Innis and Gunn oak aged ale and Cameron House red ale
Non-alcoholic refreshment : Fresh squeezed apple juice and Irn Bru soda
Accommodation :  Cameron House, Loch Lomond
Amenity :  Heated towel racks
Castle : Eilean Donan, Kyle of Lochalsh
Village :  Strathpeffer
Hike :  Old Man of Hoy, Hoy, Orkney Islands
New Word :  Numpty 

I became rather fond of the Celtic cross while touring Scotland ...

RANDOM PHOTOS

Home on Isle of Skye

Small estate in Nairn

Small estate in Nairn

Old crofters hut at Culloden Battlefield

Skye Coo

Orkney Coo

Hoy lamb and thistle

Orkney pleasure boats

Dunbeath Castle

REGRETS
We haven't any.  For the most part, we saw nearly everything we hoped to see and were gifted with more than we had planned.  There are a few spots we missed due to time or changed plans, and if we return to Scotland we will definitely check them out.  For example, we never made it into Cairngorms National Park or up to the Ben Nevis Range.  I would like to see more of the east and west coasts, Applecross, Plockton, Perth, Glasgow and the southern lowlands, not to mention the beaches on the Isle of Harris and the Calanish Standing Stones on Lewis.  Scotland is not very big but it takes a lot longer to get places than you think.  A village 30 miles away will likely take you an hour to get there.  Lower speed limits, numerous round-a-bouts and narrow roads tend to slow one down, not to mention the sheep, coos or deer that may be on the road!  

What else to tell you?  We learned so much and saw so much and met so many nice people - it is difficult to recount it all.  I know there will be times over the next several days when I will think "Oh!  I should have mentioned ______________!"  But .... there it is.

Thank you for tuning in and sharing our Scotland experience.  I hope if nothing else that you've learned something new and that you'll consider adding Scotland to your bucket list.  You won't be disappointed if you do!

Slainte!

From the lonely sheiling 
of the misty island,
Mountains divide us, 
a waste of seas,
Yet still the blood is strong,
the heart is Highland,
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides