Ireland and the UK: Part 3

We took a day trip from Edinburgh to Loch Ness and stopped at various spots along the way. Scotland is incredibly beautiful, but what made our day, was our fantastic tour guide. He is a retired teacher who's wife told him that he was bored and needed to get a job. So, lucky for us, he took the tour guide job. As he drove, he would point out the most random mounds, hills, shacks and unload the history of that particular site...even if it was hundreds of years ago! We left from Edinburgh at 8am and returned around 8pm. It was a long day, but it was worth it!

King Arthur: I am, and this is my trusty servant Patsy. We have ridden the length and breadth of the land in search of knights who will join me in my court at Camelot. I must speak with your lord and master.
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: What? Ridden on a horse?
King Arthur: Yes!
1st soldier with a keen interest in birds: You're using coconuts!

This is the castle from the opening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The current owner keeps a healthy stock of coconut shells handy...just in case.

This is the first of the Lochs, or lakes, that we came to along our Journey, Loch Awe.

This is some of the terrain we drove through.

A tree growing out of a rock!

The area of Glencoe
The Campbell and MacDonald Feud

The most memorable event between these two families was the massacre at Glencoe in 1692. The Campbell family took advantage of the Highland tradition of hospitality: welcoming Highlanders into your home for feeding them and giving them a place to sleep. The King William sent an order to 100+ troops to march to Glencoe and await orders, under the leadership of Campbells. The MacDonald family opened their home as is customary, but little did they know the intentions were not for tax money, but instead for blood. In the night, almost the entire MacDonald family was murdered. Some managed to escape into the hills that you see us standing in front of below. Since that day, no Campbell has ever been welcomed into the home of a MacDonald...Clachaig Inn, has a sign on its door saying “No Hawkers or Campbells”.

Loch Ness
The lake where Nessie, the Lochness Monster, is said to live. We did not see her, but I'm sure she's there!

These marks are said to be one of Nessie's attempts to run away.

Our boat

Monestary on the lake. A certain monk at this monastery, Father Gregory Brusey, is famous for his sighting of the Loch Ness Monster’s neck while showing the loch to the organist from Westminster Cathedral, Roger Pugh.

Creek with Gold! Not really gold, it's a special type of algae that looks gold when the light hits it.

It is definintely on the top of our list as one of our most favorite days! We can't wait to go back one day.