Day 7 - More Touring Scotland
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Hobbit's Notes on Scotland
Wendell and I brought Seattle’s Best coffee as presents for our hosts, etc. thinking it would be special. When we got onto the bus in Stromness, guess what we saw perched on the garbage? A coffee cup with Seattle’s Best Coffee proudly printed on it.
Everyone in Scotland wears black polar tech fleece. In fact, at the distillery shops, they sell glasses, whiskey and logo wear in black polar tech fleece. Many uniforms include a black polar tech fleece jacket with the logo on it. Nobody wears plaid except those that have to because they work at a historic site.
Scots think they should be their own country.
A whirlwind tour of Aberdeen. Then on to the train to Elgin. The B&Bs were full, so we ended up with a really nice but really expensive room. It had a huge bathroom with a huge bathtub which looked like a great place to do our laundry. So we did all of our laundry. Later, I had my first nervous breakdown related to the pace of our trip.
We did the Glenfiddich distillery tour, Wendell determined that they are all the same. After the tour, Wendell had the map out trying to find the castle ruins,. I asked, “You mean that castle?” and pointed to a small castle up on the hill.
We toured Balvenie Castle which is a very small castle. But Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here. I’m very proud of myself as I identified the castle privy among the ruins.
The next day we toured Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. It was a big castle.
Elgin To Inverness
We departed Elgin early in the morning. En-route, we decided to stop and get breakfast at an authentically Scottish restaurant.
Hobbit Outside The Scottish Restaurant
I'll have an Egg McHaggis, Two McBangers and Mash and a McToad-In-The-Hole, Please.
Hobbit Asleep On The Bus
We took a 45 minute bus ride out to Urqhart Castle and Hobbit took a nap on the bus while I watched the Scottish countryside. I snapped this photo and teases Hobbit that I was going to Photoshop in a picture of Nessie in the background so that it would look like Hobbit was sleeping through a Nessie sighting.
Hobbit At Urqhart Castle
Hobbit Inside Urqhart Castle
Culloden Battlefield
Hobbit writes: We also toured Culloden battlefield. I have heard people say that America is the only place that allows their losing rebel force to have memorials, etc. Everywhere else would jail them (Confederates in the South). But that is not true because the Scots have all their memorials, etc. from the Jacobite uprising, which they lost.
Wendell took me all through the battlefield explaining exactly why they lost. They have Jacob sheep on the battlefield to mow. Wendell said, “Maybe we’ll see some Jacobite sheep!” I had a total giggle fit over the “Jacobite sheep” comment.
Wendell writes: Culloden Battlefield was interesting to visit. The infantry was extremely brave - they were wearing kilts and they charged uphill across 300 yards of swampy heather and gorse brambles - never mind the British infantry formations and massed artillery. Hobbit wondered why there were a bunch of flowers and wreaths all over the place.
Groundskeeper Willie From The Simpsons
"Now, the kilt was only for day-to-day wear. In battle, we donned a full-length gown covered in sequins."
Monument At Culloden Battlefield
Plaque On Monument
Check out the date on the plaque - we were visiting the battlefield on April 19th, which explains all the wreaths and flowers around the base of the monument.
Look at the bottom sign on the post - only in Scotland ...
Condom Machine In Mens Restroom
The Condom Machine Dispenses What? Only In Scotland ...
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