Scotland Part Four, Finally!

So, I have a few excuses for being six months behind on the blog: 1) This was the busiest, toughest, and one of the most emotionally charged falls I can remember, between kindergarten starting, James working essentially 2+ jobs including a heavy teaching load, my wrapping up 2 jobs and starting a new job, and lots of travel between James and me as well as a trip to Chicago with the kids, 2) the pictures from Skye were all so great that I had too difficult a time choosing amongst them initially and so I gave up, and 3) somehow I wasn't quite ready to put our adventures in Scotland to an end in the blog -- it was pretty sad to leave and I still miss Becky and Murray terribly.

But still, I guess it's time. So this will have the be brief lest I get too nostalgic. The last week in Edinburgh was spent with the kids in Spanish language camp (it was actually immersion style -- kind of funny since we were coming from Texas to Scotland for Spanish immersion!), which they really enjoyed since there were only 3 kids in it and the teachers were really great, and us wrapping up things and getting ready for the next adventure -- the HIGHLANDS and ISLE OF SKYE (queue Isle of Skye boat song). James and I were going to go on a "date night" a few days before we left while Becky and Murray stayed with the kids, but instead we decided to go on a "date night" together and have Katie, their neighbor babysit. Win-win! We had a very fun outing to eat sushi, hear the unfortunately-named  (but yet quite good, despite their obvious handicap of being from Cambridge) Dixie Ticklers at the incredibly cool and beautiful Spiegeltent as part of the just-starting Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and drink some more whiskey. Below is a picture of the Edinburgh castle in the distance, during Murray's own graveyard tour of the spooky graveyard near the sushi restaurant, as well as a few silly pics from the Spiegeltent.

Last minute shopping in Edinbugh with the kids (buying primarily whisky), and a requisite picture fo James with Adam Smith:

 

I'm going to have to show our vacation pictures backwards because there are too many to reorder. But basically Friday after work we headed straight to the Isle of Skye, with a stopover in Ardgour, near Fort Williams (pictures to follow). Then after three glorious days we headed to the Highland Club near Fort Augustus (near Inverness) to meet the Silvergleids, and relax by the bank of Loch Ness for four days. Here is the Highland Club, a converted Abbey, including the original Fort wall:

On the way to the Highland Club, and out of Skye (Rosemary and I loved Skye so much that we BOTH cried when we crossed the bridge back to the mainland), we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle, the most-photographed castle in Scotland: 

 

Which had a little bit of magic, a great gift shop, and a nice guide who let Louis hold a claymore:

In Fort Augustus there was a "show" farm featuring some rare breeds of highland sheep:

We had a death march day with the Silvergleids, starting with a rainy drive out to Culloden with bagpipes blaring on the stereo (we had bought a wonderful Royal Scots Dragoon Guards just for the occasion -- Caleb really enjoyed it), to view the famous bloody battlefield where so many clansmen had fallen, bringing an end to traditional clan life in the Highlands and bringing on the Clearances. It was a really wonderful museum and tour -- below is James next to his Clansman stone -- the Cameron clan (supposedly a mass grave but its unlikely the British or local folks they ordered to bury the bodies really sorted them by clan).

Trying on costumes in the museum:

A boat tour of Loch Ness, where we tried to identify her by sonar, and we learned of the mighty Ferox, or cannibalistic trout, that lurked below:

Louis -- discovering for the first time the fun of hanging with older boys -- "fighting" Caleb:

We spent one whole day relaxing by the banks of Loch Ness, with a picnic lunch on the lawn and nice tree climbing:

A little afternoon swim for some:

On the way back down to Edinburgh, one more furnished castle, Blair Castle, with a great weapon room:

Back to the start of our adventure -- after about a 5 hour drive from Edinburgh (and Murray rigged us up with walkie talkies so we could communicate between our two cars and tell jokes -- he is very good at rhyming poetry!) we ended up taking the spectacular sunset ferry to the Inn at Ardgour, where we ended the evening with a lovely venison meal:

 

The kids were ecstatic that there were bunk beds in our hotel room, just like at home:

In the morning before we took off to Skye, we found an incredible collection of feathers,  BONES, and SHEEP SKULLS on the beach (and a little red train):

 

A very weird find on the beach -- mom and baby sheep skulls?

We lucked out with incredible weather in Skye -- as we had the whole trip. Clear view of the Cuillins, which we heard we'd never see:

 

On the way to our rental house, we stopped at the Talisker Distillery for James as it has been long his favorite (since high school he claims!). He took the tour, while Murray managed to procure oysters for us straight out of the bay -- and langostinos and scallops. The fish monger, Paul, had to scrape the barnacles of the shells for us.

A final pit stop in charming Portree before heading to our rental house. The drive up to the house was incredible, I don't think the pictures do justice to the light, the sky, and the absolutely dramatic shapes of the granite mountains and cliffs:

Our really, really charming rental house which was a converted 200 year old manse and one of the absolute best rental places I've ever stayed in:

  

A grass man, fashioned by Louis and Murray:

A Talisker tasting, provided by James:

An out-of-this-world feast, provided by all:

The next morning, the Spindlers decided to head for the hills and hike the nearby Cuith-Raing trail, despite the atmospheric fog and rain:

Again, not sure the pictures really do it justice but it was one of the most beautiful, mystical, incredible hikes of my life:

We had a bit of an adrenaline rush walking on these narrow passages with 1,000+ drops (not sheer cliffs, but very steep) with the kids in the rain, but took our time and turned around before it poured:

Some resident "monsters" as Louis called them:

Victory:

And the last day, another hike -- this time up the Old Man of Storr, with Becky and Murray in tow:

The old man:

Victory! A 1,300 foot climb complete:

 

When a man heading down with his two sons, who appeared to be around 8 and 10, saw us with Louis and Rosemary, he wisely suggested the top was too steep and we should turn around. :

So  we scooted down the mountain:

Playing around on the boulders at the top, we found that they were easily crushed by simply dropping them forcefully on the ground:

Louis showing off his "cannon" to Murray:

Back to Edinburgh, we had a fun time going out for one last evening with the Silvergleids and Becky and Murray -- we had tickets to a folk show as part of the Fringe Festivfal at the tiny basement folks club, the Royal Oak. We had a raucous time  -- a little too much as we got in trouble with the bouncer, who looked just like Gandolf, and turned out a nice and fitting end to all our fun.

And that, my friends is a wrap. What a wonderful adventure, and how indebted we are to our wonderful friends Becky and Murray for making it all happen.

Last scene: James fighting Louis and Caleb on Becky and Murray's lawn, with gardening stakes and Louis's newly acquired kilt, Jacobite sword, and shield.