A Land of Valor, Poetry, CivilityRod Lopez-Fabrega and Mary Ashcraft"Tis a wee country, aye--but a bonny one."
Later they were joined by the Scoti from Ireland who spoke Gaelic, herded sheep and shaggy highland cattle, lived a hard existence and fought clan against clan as a way of life. People called them the "Wild Scots." Yet, these wild Scots were admired for their harp playing and sweet singing. They had extensive knowledge of the heavens and built stone observatories to mark the passing of the months and changes of the seasons. Though they were known and feared as fierce warriors, and William Wallace (Braveheart), Robert the Bruce, and Rob Roy are revered as champions of Scottish freedom, the national hero in the hearts of the Scottish people is a poet of common birth called Robert Burns. When he wrote, "My heart is in the highlands," Burns referred to that splendid and spectacular swath of mountainous terrain that cuts diagonally across northern Scotland as, "The birthplace of Valour, the country of Worth." It is a sparsely populated land of lush green glens and vast moorlands, austere proud peaks, deeply penetrating fjords (lochs) carved out to west and north by encroaching fingers of the Atlantic Ocean, to east by the North Sea and to south by the Scottish lowlands and England. Today, it is a land of friendly people where courtesy and civility are alive and well. Visitors, regardless of their origins, quickly will come to understand and share Burns' sentiments.
For those interested in architecture, a must is the city of Helensburgh, located directly west of Stirling. Its most famous landmark is Hill House, designed by Glasgow architect Charles Rennie Macintosh, recognized as a great by our own Frank Lloyd Wright and in recent years starred in an outstanding retrospective exhibition of his work by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The house is open to inspection Mon.-Sat. from 9:30-5.00.
From Strachur and Creggans, a swing down the Argyll Peninsula on the A83 is recommended with a stop at Inveraray Castle, a truly splendid manor house--one of Scotland's finest-- with an armoury hall that must be seen to be believed and with royal furnishings throughout. Campbell territory since the fifteenth century, the current Duke and Duchess still use a portion of the house, but most rooms are open to the public.
Back to the central highlands, an excellent base of operations for exploring the entire area is Glen Coe, now a resort town and the gateway to the Grampian Mountains and some of Scotland's most spectacular wild places. It is a prime area for serious mountain hiking, technical climbing, awesome nature walks and viewing native wildlife. Famed as the site of the historic Glen Coe massacre 300 years ago involving the Macdonald and the Campbell clans, ill feelings linger on; one Glen Coe pub owned by a Macdonald features a rug woven in the Campbell tartan pattern, some say for visitors to step on. Note that a comfortable, fully equipped,� three-bedroom cottage can be rented in Glen Coe for about $600 for the week.
For more details on the highlands, check these out: Scottish history and the highlands: http://www.scot-highlands.com/inv/invness.html Stirling Castle and history of Scotland: http://scotlandvacations.com/stirlingcastle.htm The islands of Mull and Iona: http://www.zynet.co.uk/mull/mullindx.html Want to have a Scottish wedding?: http://www.open.gov.uk/gros.marriage.htm Creggan's Inn, Strachur, Argyll, Scotland: http://www.creggans-inn.co.uk PHOTO CREDITS: Rod Lopez-Fabrega & Mary Ashcraft |
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Scotland is a small nation 275 miles long and 150 miles wide with some of the grandest scenery in the world. We know that a quarrelsome people called Picts, who painted themselves blue and went screaming into battle, lived here five- to six-thousand years ago. The remains of their houses (archaeological sites at Scara Brae and Maes Howe), brochs (remarkably well-preserved early fortifications pre-dating castles), and ritual stone circles (Ring of Brodgar, Temple Wood, etc.) are scattered throughout the land.
The quickest routing to the Scottish highlands for someone with limited time is to leave Edinburgh for another visit and fly directly to Glasgow (British Air has direct daily flights New York/Glasgow.) Note: for the jet-lagged, the Forte Posthouse Hotel literally is steps away from the arrival terminal at Glasgow Airport. A very pleasant alternative for those with more time is to spend several nights in one of the charming B & Bs that are plentiful in the leafy neighborhoods around Glasgow University. The area is well worth exploring,(INSERT #9 = Glasgow's famed tea room) and Glasgow's toy subways are a good way to do it. A rented car--best obtained right at the airport--is the only way to visit the Scottish highlands and the north country. Left-hand drive is not so daunting, but narrow roads and oncoming, over-loaded trucks keep the adrenalin flowing. Scottish courtesy make the experience quite tolerable, but an early morning departure for the highlands is adviseable as rush hour traffic into Glasgow is not the place to test Angus's civility.
A visit to the Scottish Highlands might well begin in the historic city of Stirling, both geographically and politically, the gateway to the highlands. It is a short one hour drive on the A80 from Glasgow and is located at Scotland's waist--the narrowest land mass separating the south from the highlands. The Romans built a second defensive wall near there (the Antonine Wall) to keep out wild tribes from the north. It is also the location of strategically important Stirling Castle, stronghold of later Scottish kings and the site of "Braveheart" William Wallace's defeat of English king, Edward "Longshanks" in 1297. The stirring monument to Wallace is a landmark, and there, you can still see Wallace's broadsword, its hilt covered with the skin of an English general. The city is well worth an overnight. Excellent Bed & Breakfast accommodations are plentiful in Stirling--particularly along Causewayhead Road on the way to the University. Now a pleasant suburban neighborhood of comfortable homes, Causewayhead is the exact spot, according to modern scholars, where the pivotal battle was fought. A comfortable double room with private bathroom plus a sumptuous Scottish breakfast for two may be had for about $60-$75 in one of these homes, located--without fanfare--on truly historic ground.
Just to the north of Stirling is Rob Roy country. His grave and that of his wife, Mary may be seen in the graveyard of an ancient thirteenth century church down a narrow country road just beyond the little village of Balquhidder. 
After Helensburgh, an interesting stop for an overnight or two to explore the Argyll Peninsula, the heart of clan and castle country,� is at Creggans Inn in the village of Strachur on the shore of Loch Fyne. This roadside establishment has been the site of an inn for more than 400 years and is owned and managed by Sir Charles Maclean of Dunconnel, a chieftain of Clan Maclean. The son of famous parents, Sir Fitzroy Maclean, diplomat, adventurer, war hero and best-selling author and Veronica Lady Maclean, equally distinguished author and gourmand, Sir Charles, a well-known travel writer himself, served a spell as cattle wrangler in a working ranch in Colorado. His comfortable and well-appointed inn is on the site of the Maclean estate, and the grounds are open for hiking, fishing and visiting the estate's beautiful gardens. 
Creggans has long been known for its fine cuisine featuring "seafood, oysters right out of the bay, muscles, langoustines, hill lamb (pasture-fed) and the freshest local produce, all prepared in as simple as possible a way, letting the natural products shine through." Just recently, it was the site of a highland wedding, complete with kilted guests and the skirl of bagpipes.
Further north on the peninsula, heading toward the coastal resort of Oban, Temple Wood is at the heart of one of the finest groups of prehistoric cairns and stone circles in Scotland. Thousands of� years ago, these were probably ceremonial and religious centers for stoneage peoples of the area. In Dunchraigaig, a small burial mound 4,000 years old still stands and may be entered--empty of artifacts, but an eerie tunnel to antiquity.
The main reason to visit the resort of Oban is that it is a main port of embarkation for huge Caledonian MacBrayne car ferries to many of the fabled islands of the southern Hebrides off Scotland's west coast. While this is no longer highland country a side excursion to the tiny Island of Iona just off the coast of the larger Island of Mull is very much to be considered. A ferry from Oban will take a small car and two passengers to the port of Craignure on Mull for about $30 round trip. Once on Mull, Torosay Castle )and its elegant gardens should be visited. It is near the ferry landing. From there, a single lane road across southern Mull will take you to Fionnphort where you can park your car overnight for the visit to Iona (no visitor cars allowed), just a short ferry ride away. 
A tiny island just 3-1/2 miles long and 1-1/2 miles wide, Iona has been a sacred place since the time of the Druids and is the burial place of 38 Scottish, Viking and Irish kings, reportedly including Macbeth. In the year 563, Columba, a cleric of royal Irish heritage, landed on Iona and introduced Christianity to the British Isles. The abbey he founded is still there, welcoming visitors of all faiths. Large tour groups come most days, but leave early in the afternoon. To appreciate Iona's remarkable serenity and pristine natural beauty fully, a stay of one or two nights in either of the island's two excellent hotels, the St. Columba or the Argyll, should be considered.
Close by and an excellent day adventure fit for the fit is Ben Nevis, at 4,406 ft., the highest mountain in all of the British Isles, where patches of snow can still be found in mid-June. It is a safe but strenuous 4-1/2 hour hike to the top where a cairn and plaques from the original Everest team and climbers of Mt. Kilimanjaro mark the closest a citizen of Great Britain can come to the gods while on home base.
Further north, beyond Fort William, another interesting side excursion on the A87 is to view the brochs of Glen Beg near the coastal city of Kyle of Lochalsh. For the amateur archaeologist, these are remarkably well-preserved� double-walled defensive round towers of stone towering 40 feet and more. They were precursors of castles, and were used by their iron-age builders as homes and defense against raiding Vikings.
Continuing to the north, the abbey at Fort Augustus at the head of Loch Ness is fascinating--a working abbey with well-done exhibition areas explaining abbey life then and now as well as displays that clarify some of the complex inter- and intra-clan relationships. Beyond that point, as you drive along the loch, keep an eye out for Nessie. 
Inverness is about as far north as most visitors go. It is known as the capital of the highlands, and marks its northern boundary. Beyond that is a land of moors, bogs, and stark landscapes, the jumping off place for travel to the Orkneys, Scotland's most remote islands, more Scandinavian than Scot. In Inverness, a visit to the castle is fun. Currently, a live presentation assumes visitors to be conscripts to join the sixteenth century garrison manning the castle. A tough recruiting sergeant in costume separates the men visitors (a sorry-looking lot) and the women visitors (baggage) while explaining what regimental life was like at the time. 
There is a great deal more to see in the spectacular highlands. Do keep in mind that Scotland truly is a wee country (about the size of South Carolina) and that a good portion of the highlands can be covered from central Glen Coe as day trips. Don't let the one-track roads in the back country scare you off. Scottish courtesy rules there also. The proper attitude is, "After you, Angus." You'll be asked to lead the way more often than not.