"The short history of....(fill in the blank)"

I managed to get in a short run this morning which was slightly uplifting as I was able to run with no pain! I’m attempting a longer run tomorrow. Could end poorly. We shall see. 

Breakfast was delicious as per Scottish norms. I could get used to this. We had a long driving day today which means a lot of interesting things to see! In Loch Anion, which is not landlocked, I spotted a few dolphins pretty close to the land. 

I get quite irritated with Catawba bikers (read: cyclists) on the way to my barn, but man these people here take it to an entirely new level. There were unicyclists on the road. I’m not joking. UNI-CYCLISTS. First and foremost, unicycles are insane. Second, why would one do this on a road? Third, they look like they’re groping their down there places when they bike and it makes them look like they’re a 5 year old that has to pee really bad. It’s all around an awkward party for everyone involved.

Our first actual non-wee stop today was Eilan Donan Castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland. The insides of the castle were something out of a Disney film. This isn't an exaggeration as it was the inspiration for film "Brave". It wouldn't be possible to be too much bigger than me in that castle though, getting through those hallways wasn't a small feat. 

Castle in all its glory

I thought this was disturbingly adorable

Particulars alert. Stage left.

Not a shabby view from a posh castle

Another spectacular view

Castle entrance- like a real live castle!

On our drive we saw quite a few fun things, including a million waterfalls and a funny eatery called “Jac-o-bite” after the Jacobite uprisings in the highland area. These Scots are cheeky. 

Scenes like these were common

We also saw some deer on the way, both fallow (tiny) and red (like elk). Steve “advised” other drivers on how quickly they should be moving on these mountain roads because “not errone is on holiday ‘ere! Move along!” It was great. Efficient driving.

In Fort Augustus we stopped for a picnic style lunch along the famed Loch Ness. The lake itself is 23 miles long, 1.5 miles wide in parts and deep enough to submerge the Eifel Tower. That’s more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. In short, it’s big. There have been 2K+ sightings of ye ol’ Nessie, and the most common sightings have been itchy red deer taking a refreshing dip in the lake.

Dad enjoying healthy things! Slowly convincing him healthy is tasty.

Where's Nessie?

THE Loch Ness.

Next to the loch was a lock, the sort that brings boats upstream. It was in action and dad thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread. It’s part of the Caldonean Canal, a waterway that connects sea to sea, making ocean travel markedly less painful.

The lock by the loch

More flower photos. I am what I am.

With today being 99% sit-on-your-bum bus riding, Steve shared lots and lots of stories. I could be a Braveheart expert by now. He also took the time to explain the flags. And then some flags you wouldn't think to have explained. Steve gave us the history of the Scottish flag which in short is St. Andrew’s symbol. The St. Andrew’s cross is often displayed next to another flag called the Royal Standard which is a rampant (read: rearing) red lion on a yellow background. 

An interesting tidbit was that “the US war among itself, you know, the American Civil War” was influenced by the Scottish flag. The first confederate flag was called “bonnie blue” but it wasn’t used since it was too close to the Union flag, and we all know that copying them wouldn’t have worked at all as it was the war of Northern aggression. I'm chuckling as I type this. It was altered into the stars and bars we now recognize and further incorporated into the rebel battle flag, but the similarities are still there.

The Union Jack was actually a superimposed version of three patron saint symbols: St. Andrews (Scotland), St. Patrick (Ireland), and St. George (England). Pretty spiffy stuff. I probably fell asleep after learning all this from Steve. 

Steve pointed out Ben Nevis, a massive mountain that hosts a downhill bike race in the summer and is famed for having bizarre incidents. Once they found an entire piano on the mountain, with candelabras and everything. The most common injury? Banana peel slips. Seriously. It’s also known for a 6 day climb in the winter up a sheer ice wall called “the hurting”. I’ll let you guess why.

I see no pianos

One of of the trip legs Steve brought up Mary Queen of Scots. Mom’s excitement was tangible… I thought she was going to leap into the aisle and start dancing. We call this obsession.

Dad’s thirst for Scottish culture, too, was quelled with the Dalwhinnie Distillery where real Scottish whisky is made. The processing leg was pretty spiffy stuff, and the tasting was nice too. It was a sip, chocolate bite, and sip pattern. Surprisingly, the chocolate really did complement the whisky. Or is it visa versa?

One of each, please. One bottle was sold for 750 pounds. I could buy a pony with that.

They were so pretty!

The most exciting thing we passed today, and take this with a pinch (in Scotland) or grain (in US) of salt, was the man and his car. This man had broken down on the side of the road last March and he just decided to live there. He uses his car trunk as a pantry and somehow collected two tents to add to the mix. I would have loved to have talked to him. 

Mom and I walked through one of a million close’s (alleys with doors) to get dinner once back in Edinburgh. Same old touristy Edinburgh. More castles tomorrow! *Cue Harry Potter theme*