Scotland, friendly and attractive

The UK is full of housing tracts like this near major cities.  They are all identical!

These monuments are massive, 100 feet tall, based on mythological beasts. Called the Kelpies, they are located at Falkirk.  What attracted us were the walking paths.  Blackberries were in full season, and we could pick and eat as we walked.

Central Edinburgh.  Too many other tourists for us.  The castle site is impressive, but too crowded, reservation only, to enter.

Our visit to Scotland has been a pleasure in many ways.  The many mountains and lakes, the well-tended fields, the mild climate, the welcoming people, brilliant sunsets; all very attractive.  At Doune, Aiden explained how to take the train into Edinburgh. At Isle of Skye, Jonathan warned us about the roads and expedited forwarding misplaced supplies we had forgotten. At Loch Ness, Jane included us in a party at their B&B, and at Oban, Mike offered to do our laundry.  Great people.  Jonathan is from Zimbabwe. Jane, in charge of a wonderful B&B, married Jim only one year ago but has seen little of him since his job keeps him away. Mike has wonderful stories of his years in SE Asia and is dealing with spinal cancer.

Scenic valley in Trossachs NP, scenery like this is fairly common.

Pretty sunset as seen from our B&B on Isle of Skye.

Typical scenery on Isle of Skye.  It was actually a bit too warm and sunny for good hiking.

Isle of Skye is a true island, and much of it looks like this.  Amazing how many homes serve as B&Bs here.

A lighthouse was within walking distance from our B&B on the peninsula.  As you can see, few trees on the open ground.

Urquhart Castle ruins on the shore of Loch Ness.  Not much to look at but a popular location for tourists.

We took a chairlift up a mountain to the base of a ski/mt. bike resort.  It was crazy steep and rough for the bikes.  No beginners here.

Doune Castle.  We went past this Castle on our daily walks.  It was used as a filming location in Outlander and Game of Thrones.

I do not think we will ever enjoy the driving here. Narrow (or single lane) roads, high speeds, huge lorries and busses, driving on the left side, limited parking.  On Isle of Skye the choice was to either hit the pothole or swerve off the pavement.  Two other parties staying at our B&B each lost a tire which is an expensive proposition at this relatively remote location. We drove forty miles to a ferry crossing only to discover that advance reservations were required.  We had to retrace those forty miles and use a longer route over the Skye bridge.  We rented a SUV with good ground clearance and big tires which helped to avoid tire problems.

Castle at Oban.  We did not tour it; "if you have seen one castle, you have seen them all" Kidding.

Castle Stalker at Appin.  This was the view every morning from the window as we ate breakfast.

It was unusually warm (up to 80 degrees) during our visit to Scotland, and we looked for shaded hiking paths.  Unfortunately, Dawn picked up a tick on one of these walks.

Uncrowded lane for a relaxing walk.  We try to walk every day.

One morning at Appin, when we looked out our window this beautiful yacht was anchored in Loch Linnhe, which is directly connected to the ocean and subject to tides.

Can it get any prettier?  500-year-old pub just down the street from us to enjoy dinner.

Imagine driving 100 miles on a narrow two-lane road in a constant line of vehicles at high speed: that is what we did today.  Very nerve wracking.

Surprisingly, our September weather has been mid 60’s to upper 70’s with mainly sunny skies. We note solar panels on roofs and lush growth that would not occur if the climate were harsh. We also have noted substantial construction activity of new homes both in the urban areas and the countryside. We are told that Covid encouraged many to move away from England’s major cities. The B&Bs are numerous; most close on October 1; encouraged by the tax law details.

We toured Stirling Castle which was the site of a Christmas concern for Rod Stewart, Dawn’s favorite singer. Mainly, we have been hiking trails.  The good is that ripe blackberries are plentiful along the trails. Not so good is that we discovered a tick trying to lodge itself behind Dawn’s ear.