UK Trip - Day 12 - Scotland

This morning we woke up in style, in a four-poster bed on the top floor of a castle. I could get used to this. Today is a big driving day so we got an early start and headed back down through Inverness to Drumnadrochit, the home of all things Nessie. We saw one sound and light show that did a really good job of explaining both sides and presenting evidence both for and against. We didn't see the monster as we drove along the loch, but I do have a bunch of photos that could easily be retouched. After driving about half way down Loch Ness, we turned off and headed for the other side of Scotland, the isle of Skye. The drive across the highlands was both terific and terrifying (narrow winding roads and no speed limit). We saw lots of craggy mountains, some with snow still on them. After a few hours of: "Ooh, look at that, isn't that pretty; we crossed the bridge onto Skye.

We only stayed on Skye long enough to have lunch [pub #23], but technically we have been there. On the way back we stopped at Eilean Donan Castle and learned all about the McRae's, including a certain Canadian poet who wrote a poem about Flanders Fields.

The journey back was as ooh and aah filled as the journey out and about two thirds of the way back, we turned south and headed for Glen Coe, so see the sightof the great massacre and the Campbell's shame. We went to the visitor's centre where i learned that even though their orders were to kill everyone, especially the clan chief and his sons, only 38 people (out of 600) were killed that day - although a lot more died because their village was burnt in the middle of winter. The low body count probably had a lot to do with the fact that the soldiers and junior officers had been housed by the villagers for almost two weeks prior to being given their orders. It was also more about the king showing his control over Scotland than one clan trying to exterminate a rival. After the massacre, most of the other clans that hadn't sworn loyalty to the King stepped up pretty quickly. It wasn't the first or last time that one clan attacked another, but it was the first time it was sanctioned by the king.

On our way back to Edinburgh, we stopped at a pub [#24] for dinner. the official opening for the pub was the next night and they were having a dress rehearsal/training. they only had a limited menu, but it was all free. So because we answered a few questions after dinner we got two meals and drinks for free. It was even great food. After dinner we found our hotel outside Edinburgh and went to bed.