Loch, Lock & Skye
This morning we awoke to fog across the loch. You should recall what loch stands for from yesterday's blog. We had a wonderful 3-course Scottish breakfast here at Glengarry Castle then set out exploring the highlands.
The lochs, like Loch Oich outside our window, are several miles long and are interconnected so boaters can travel from loch to loch. But, the lochs are at different heights and to get from one to the other, boaters must travel through what we call, locks. So, how do the Scots spell this kind of lock? Give up? If you said lock, you're correct. In fact, our Loch Oich is connected via a lock to Loch Ness. Got it? Let's move on to Skye...a new adventure.
The fog lifted and the sun was out, something we did not expect - and no rain. Before we get going, let me introduce you to Gertrude Penelope Smith, or GPS for short. Gert got us here from Edinburgh with no snags at all so we really trust her - until today. We made a wrong turn as we left the hotel and Gert let us down by not correcting us, so we went about 15 miles out of our way before we discovered the problem. Enter Google maps. We found the correct route and got Gert back on track and everyone was happy again, except that I don't think Gert much likes Google Maps.
Going out of our way wasn't so bad since the scenery here is just so beautiful.
We cruised along the road covering 50-miles towards the Isle of Skye and stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle. At high tide, the Castle Iis surrounded by water as it was when we headed back to our home away from home.
It is a beautiful spot on the loch and it was fun to wander around the castle as it is in good shape and somewhat restored. It is owned by the MacRae family and is used for weddings, etc. as well as open to tourists.
After our enjoyable tour we hit the road again and crossed over the bridge to the Isle of Skye. It is ranked the 4th most beautiful island in the world by National Geographic. The hills and mountains are covered with grass and heather and the views of the sea and neighboring islands are spectacular. It almost seems like a lone bagpiper will walk down the mountains at any moment playing a lilting Scottish melody. We stopped in the main city, Portree, for lunch and a little shopping.
The ride back was beautiful (have I said beautiful enough?) and once back at our Castle, we strolled the grounds before dinner. Dinner was a 4 course affair and the chef tailored a special menu for Karen.
Now we are stuffed and will be getting ready for another day on the road. Why are we stuffed - 4 courses and just look at these deserts!
We hope Gert is to ready tomorrow as we head to Saint Andrews (golf anyone?).
The lochs, like Loch Oich outside our window, are several miles long and are interconnected so boaters can travel from loch to loch. But, the lochs are at different heights and to get from one to the other, boaters must travel through what we call, locks. So, how do the Scots spell this kind of lock? Give up? If you said lock, you're correct. In fact, our Loch Oich is connected via a lock to Loch Ness. Got it? Let's move on to Skye...a new adventure.
The fog lifted and the sun was out, something we did not expect - and no rain. Before we get going, let me introduce you to Gertrude Penelope Smith, or GPS for short. Gert got us here from Edinburgh with no snags at all so we really trust her - until today. We made a wrong turn as we left the hotel and Gert let us down by not correcting us, so we went about 15 miles out of our way before we discovered the problem. Enter Google maps. We found the correct route and got Gert back on track and everyone was happy again, except that I don't think Gert much likes Google Maps.
Going out of our way wasn't so bad since the scenery here is just so beautiful.
We cruised along the road covering 50-miles towards the Isle of Skye and stopped at the Eilean Donan Castle. At high tide, the Castle Iis surrounded by water as it was when we headed back to our home away from home.
It is a beautiful spot on the loch and it was fun to wander around the castle as it is in good shape and somewhat restored. It is owned by the MacRae family and is used for weddings, etc. as well as open to tourists.
After our enjoyable tour we hit the road again and crossed over the bridge to the Isle of Skye. It is ranked the 4th most beautiful island in the world by National Geographic. The hills and mountains are covered with grass and heather and the views of the sea and neighboring islands are spectacular. It almost seems like a lone bagpiper will walk down the mountains at any moment playing a lilting Scottish melody. We stopped in the main city, Portree, for lunch and a little shopping.
The ride back was beautiful (have I said beautiful enough?) and once back at our Castle, we strolled the grounds before dinner. Dinner was a 4 course affair and the chef tailored a special menu for Karen.
Now we are stuffed and will be getting ready for another day on the road. Why are we stuffed - 4 courses and just look at these deserts!
We hope Gert is to ready tomorrow as we head to Saint Andrews (golf anyone?).
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