Some random-ness along the way, our guide encouraged us to spot white horses throughout the trip and we were supposed to shout it out loud. If we could hit 50 white horses by the end of the 3 day trip, it would prove that we have lotsa lotsa DSL (Deep Scottish Love) for this WILD and SEXY trip! Hmmmm....whatever that meant.... Anw you've got to hear the Scots say WILD and SEXY in their accent, cos I think it's quite funny and the Haggis guide loves using it alot for this trip!
An example of saying sexy in Scottish accent (from Austin Powers)...dun puke hor!!
Ok....jokes aside for now, before reading on, highly recommend playing and listening to some Scottish music. I feel that part of the reason why the Scotland trip was great for me was being able to sit back, relax and enjoy the astounding sights while at the same time listening to Scottish music which fits the mood perfectly. Some of the tunes which I managed to find here...
Our first destination was to Stirling where we visited the William Wallace Monument. FYI, William Wallace is a famous Scottish national hero who led several successful battles against the English in the medieval times, including the famous Battle of Stirling. So it is appropriate that they build a monument here for him. In fact, he was portrayed, subjected widely to debate for some significant historical inaccuracies , by Mel Gibson in Braveheart. They even had a statue of Mel Gibson here before it got vandalised and subsequently removed by the locals!!
A short hike up to the majestic monument
A fantastic panorama of Stirling from the monument, with the Sirling Castle in the background
A short drive next to the Trossachs region to meet a distinguished long-time resident....Hamish!!
Who is Hamish? Well....this is it!! The emo highland cow! Remembered seeing it in Ireland before and now a chance to get up close to one!
Hamish is quite a popular figure here and they have all sorts of merchandise for him...it's like when you think of duck, it would be Donald Duck and mouse for Mickey Mouse etc. Over here, it's Hamish the Highland Cow! Btw he's drooling like siao here and responds over-enthusaistically by slobbering your fingers if you try to feed him!
Of course, I did not feed him. Instead, our cheeky guide told us that we should touch his horns as it is a blessing. Horns have good medicinal properties for ahem sexual energy and it's good to be HOOORNY!! :p
Continuing along the highway for a glimpse of lochs (Scottish for lake) and highlands
Arrived at this stopover at Tyndrum called the Green Welly Stop which is a gasoline refuelling pitstop and of course a place for a quick lunch! Heard it's quite a popular place as it is ideally located for people travelling along the highway in the west coast.
Yummy onion soup with bread
The Highlands just got wilder..with rain accompanying it
Rain subsided and the sky turned brighter....for a while..starting to remind me of my trip in Northern Ireland
A short stopover at Spean Bridge for good ol' Scottish whisky tasting!
We arrived at Lochaber where the Commando Memorial stands. It was erected to commemorate the commandos who died during the harsh training in the Scottish Highlands
Lochaber is also a good base for climbing Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, as seen here
Moved to higher ground this time to take in the sights of the Highlands
More highland cows grazing idly away
Heading off to our next destination, we were told by our guide to close our eyes cos we were approaching to what is undoubtedly the highlight of the day...but I couldn't help but sneak a peek...
This is the Eilean Donan Castle, an original castle built in 1220 and a former stronghold for Scottish clansmen. It has now been restored and is now one of the most photographed monument in Scotland. It has also been a setting for a number of movies including Highlander and The World is Not Enough.
The castle bridge
A fantastic panorama of Stirling from the monument, with the Sirling Castle in the background
A short drive next to the Trossachs region to meet a distinguished long-time resident....Hamish!!
Who is Hamish? Well....this is it!! The emo highland cow! Remembered seeing it in Ireland before and now a chance to get up close to one!
Hamish is quite a popular figure here and they have all sorts of merchandise for him...it's like when you think of duck, it would be Donald Duck and mouse for Mickey Mouse etc. Over here, it's Hamish the Highland Cow! Btw he's drooling like siao here and responds over-enthusaistically by slobbering your fingers if you try to feed him!
Of course, I did not feed him. Instead, our cheeky guide told us that we should touch his horns as it is a blessing. Horns have good medicinal properties for ahem sexual energy and it's good to be HOOORNY!! :p
Continuing along the highway for a glimpse of lochs (Scottish for lake) and highlands
Arrived at this stopover at Tyndrum called the Green Welly Stop which is a gasoline refuelling pitstop and of course a place for a quick lunch! Heard it's quite a popular place as it is ideally located for people travelling along the highway in the west coast.
Yummy onion soup with bread
The Highlands just got wilder..with rain accompanying it
Rain subsided and the sky turned brighter....for a while..starting to remind me of my trip in Northern Ireland
A short stopover at Spean Bridge for good ol' Scottish whisky tasting!
We arrived at Lochaber where the Commando Memorial stands. It was erected to commemorate the commandos who died during the harsh training in the Scottish Highlands
Lochaber is also a good base for climbing Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland, as seen here
Moved to higher ground this time to take in the sights of the Highlands
More highland cows grazing idly away
Heading off to our next destination, we were told by our guide to close our eyes cos we were approaching to what is undoubtedly the highlight of the day...but I couldn't help but sneak a peek...
This is the Eilean Donan Castle, an original castle built in 1220 and a former stronghold for Scottish clansmen. It has now been restored and is now one of the most photographed monument in Scotland. It has also been a setting for a number of movies including Highlander and The World is Not Enough.
The castle bridge
We were given a short tour in the castle, where we learnt that it now belongs to a granny in her 70s who just remarried and have a huge extended family. They occasionally come here for celebrations and gatherings hence the castle is kept neat and clean by its care-takers. Some of the areas are also private and barred from entry. However, it is also a special place as it can be reserved as a place to hold weddings. 1000 pounds to book per hour anyone?
Some goofing around in the castle
This role-playing Scottish clansmen is wearing specs....hmm....
Group pic with a view of Loch Duich from the top of the castle
Some surrounding shots of the castle
Parting shots
A short toilet break at the Kyle of Lochalsh, the final village before approaching the Isle of Skye.
The marina where one can see the Skye bridge in the distance
And finally we reached our lodging for the night, the Saucy Mary's Lodge (mmm...sounds sexy) in the village of Kyleakin on Isle of Skye
I say the hostel was fantastic and very clean despite being on such an ulu place in Scotland...the view from our room
This role-playing Scottish clansmen is wearing specs....hmm....
Group pic with a view of Loch Duich from the top of the castle
Some surrounding shots of the castle
Parting shots
A short toilet break at the Kyle of Lochalsh, the final village before approaching the Isle of Skye.
The marina where one can see the Skye bridge in the distance
And finally we reached our lodging for the night, the Saucy Mary's Lodge (mmm...sounds sexy) in the village of Kyleakin on Isle of Skye
I say the hostel was fantastic and very clean despite being on such an ulu place in Scotland...the view from our room
Free and easy time for the night, so we decided to head out and explore Kyleakin a bit and take in the sights. The Isle of Skye is a very peaceful, tranquil place, and being a weekday, it seems like there's nobody else except for us. Oh and perfect for honeymooning couples too. (Could see this Canadian couple in our tour group quietly enjoying a stroll here) Undoubtedly one of my favourite places for a good retreat from the busy city.
This is the post office where I bought most of the postcards and posted back to my friends! And it's also the only grocery shop in Kyleakin too. Bought pasta to cook dinner.
Castle Moil, an ancient ruined fortress built in the 15th century. Legend says that it was built for a Norwegian princess called "Saucy Mary"...and hence the name for our lodge too!
The waters are so still that the image reflected is rather clear..
This shot is exactly like that on the postcard so we tried competing to see who could take the best photo....keke
Enjoying the sights of the Skye Bridge as the evening sets in...imagine the Benjamin Sheares bridge but really with absolutely no cars on it and just the tranquil sounds of nature
This is the post office where I bought most of the postcards and posted back to my friends! And it's also the only grocery shop in Kyleakin too. Bought pasta to cook dinner.
Castle Moil, an ancient ruined fortress built in the 15th century. Legend says that it was built for a Norwegian princess called "Saucy Mary"...and hence the name for our lodge too!
The waters are so still that the image reflected is rather clear..
This shot is exactly like that on the postcard so we tried competing to see who could take the best photo....keke
Enjoying the sights of the Skye Bridge as the evening sets in...imagine the Benjamin Sheares bridge but really with absolutely no cars on it and just the tranquil sounds of nature
Rested for the night. Gonna be another long exciting day on the Isle of Skye!
For more pics, go http://picasaweb.google.com/eicko2000/ScottishHighlands
For more pics, go http://picasaweb.google.com/eicko2000/ScottishHighlands
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