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A Land of
Valor, Poetry, Civility
Rod 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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TM
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.