Scotland
May 30 -June 12, 2018.
From the blue seas, to the sandy beaches and rocky shores; to the green countryside dotted with sheep and castles; to the formidable, ancient crags and ridges, carved out by eons of ice and tectonic activity, that now make the Scottish Highlands ...
This is a land veined by rivers and streams, with stretches of fresh and saltwater bay lochs in between. It is where the commercial fisherman, the beef farmer and the ghillie can make his living, and where the best dram in the world is drawn.
Fern- and moss-covered woodlands hold bygone secrets-- 6,000-year-old history, tiny glimpses only by the touch of still-standing stone. If only the trees, the water and the rocks could speak, of the rise and fall of king and clan.
Do the fairy tales ... do the legends ring true?
Aye. In Scotland, they do.
Rick and I traveled to Scotland and drove 646 miles by rental vehicle; 86 miles by the Jacobite train from Fort William to Mallaig ; 17 miles by horseback near Tain; and 52 miles by foot. Our journey took us to Edinburgh, Braemar, Culloden, Inverness, Carbost on the Isle of Skye, Fort William, Luss, and finally back to Edinburgh. Scotland's moody skies and dramatic landscapes were so much more beautiful than we imagined. Our photos are only snapshots. They don't do justice to the real thing.
Read MoreFrom the blue seas, to the sandy beaches and rocky shores; to the green countryside dotted with sheep and castles; to the formidable, ancient crags and ridges, carved out by eons of ice and tectonic activity, that now make the Scottish Highlands ...
This is a land veined by rivers and streams, with stretches of fresh and saltwater bay lochs in between. It is where the commercial fisherman, the beef farmer and the ghillie can make his living, and where the best dram in the world is drawn.
Fern- and moss-covered woodlands hold bygone secrets-- 6,000-year-old history, tiny glimpses only by the touch of still-standing stone. If only the trees, the water and the rocks could speak, of the rise and fall of king and clan.
Do the fairy tales ... do the legends ring true?
Aye. In Scotland, they do.
Rick and I traveled to Scotland and drove 646 miles by rental vehicle; 86 miles by the Jacobite train from Fort William to Mallaig ; 17 miles by horseback near Tain; and 52 miles by foot. Our journey took us to Edinburgh, Braemar, Culloden, Inverness, Carbost on the Isle of Skye, Fort William, Luss, and finally back to Edinburgh. Scotland's moody skies and dramatic landscapes were so much more beautiful than we imagined. Our photos are only snapshots. They don't do justice to the real thing.
"Fraser's Bridge" over Clunie Water beside the Old Military Road in Cairngorms National Park.
BridgeHighlandsScottish HighlandsStone BridgeFraser's BridgeClunie WaterRiver
"Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, having been first leased in 1848." https://www.balmoralcastle.com/about.htm