So, guess what; I'm actually writing this from home, and since I last told you about my leaving for Scotland on the first of July, I guess I've got some explaining to do, huh? I'll start off by saying I didn't forget about you here; I could never forget about you. I was just so busy/exhausted/on the move that I fell off the update bandwagon. Then I went back to work. Again. It's a good thing I didn't make any promises about regular updates, isn't it? But let's finish with the pleasantries; when I last left you I was sitting on a bus for hours heading to Scotland, wasn't I?
I arrived in Edinburgh in the early evening/late afternoon, and after settling into my hostel took it pretty easy for the evening. Grabbed dinner at the hostel, etc. the next day, July 2nd, was my only day in Edinburgh for a while, so to take advantage of this, I first took a free tour with the hostel (and saw Greyfriars cemetery, the Scott Monument, the castle, gardens, etc.), and then, in true Leah fashion I was off to the National Museum. Yupp, I went all the way across the world to go to another museum! In all honesty though, it is a fantastic museum. That, and the fact that it was absolutely pouring with rain, made it the perfect way to spend several hours, and by the time I finished there I had enough energy to wander around a bit, duck into a few shops in the Royal Mile, and head back to the Budget Backpackers I was staying at. I ate dinner at the hostel, went and re-packed my bags, and pulled out a book. I spent my evening reading and watching movies in the common room, and then I had a not-too-late bedtime as on the morrow I was to be off on my tour, and muster time was 8:30 with check-in starting just after 8.
That is how I found myself having French toast with maple syrup and bacon at 7:15 the next morning, and heading out to the offices at 7:45 with a bag on my back and the sunshine attempting to shine. And by attempting, I truly mean attempting. By the time I got to the bright blue Haggis Tours office at the end of the Royal Mile, there w actually blue up in the sky and I opted to stand in the shade after checking in. While waiting, I chatted with fellow traveller's, and by just after 8:30 we were loading onto a bus with Greg, our first driver and guide. Now, if you find yourself on a bus in Edinburgh in the near future, you may notice you never go quite the same way - the city is in a constant state of flux at the moment as they attempt to put in trams, digging up streets and generally causing havoc for the poor drivers. However, once you leave the city and get into the countryside, might I suggest just sitting and looking? It really is a lovely country to drive through, and if you're doing it with strangers, say "hi." It may save your skin and give you a good base for the rest of your trip. Namely, the people you sit by are stuck with you, and you're stuck with them, so be nice!
During our first day's drive we stopped at a gorgeous little church set on a riverbank, walked up to some gorgeous waterfalls where the rocks and riverbed were coated in moss and I found myself missing home a bit, visited Tomatin Whiskey Distillery for a tour and samples of a twelve year old single malt, visited the site of the Battle of Culloden in 1746, and then settled into our Youth Hostel for the night in Inverness. We went out for dinner in Inverness, headed to Hootenany's for some live Trad and a drink, and then by 11ish when some of us headed home we were walking back on streets that were still surprisingly light.
Tour day two was the first day we would be traversing a ferry during, and it was a gorgeous day! Our first stop wasn't the ferry terminal, but instead we headed out to a stunning set of cliffs, where a touch of rain found us. But only on the cliff side, not actually on the road. Weather, you are amazing. After our little walk by the cliff, we headed off the John O'Groates to kill a bit of time, and then we boarded the ferry to the Orkney Islands (after doing a bit of seal watching, of course)! Unfortunately for us, the ferry food was disgusting and there were no sea animals out during the ride, but the gorgeous weather made up for that. Our first stop on the Islands was the Tomb of the Eagles, one of many rediscovered burial grounds. Here, it seems, bodies were (possibly) left out as an offering to the majestic eagle, and then once the bones had been cleaned, they were interred in the tomb that was uncovered by a man on his fields in the... Fifties or so. I think. If I'm remembering that correctly, which I'm quite certain I am (if I'm not, and you happen to know for a fact, let me know). Te tomb also held the bones of eagles, so that may be where the name comes from as well. (www.tomboftheeagles.co.uk) Not only was the site itself really neat, but the cliffs in the area surrounding the tomb were really neat; great slabs of stone worn away by the forces of nature so that you could see the exposed layers of rock, interspersed by grasses and mosses that were trying to grow out of the rock. Our last stop of the day before heading into Kirkwell for the night was at a sandy beach along one of e bridges connecting the islands, where Greg told us about the Churchill Barriers that were built during the war to connect the Orkney Islands and cut off access by water. The evening was not uneventful, but was kind of low key. Dinner in town and then a spot of fun back at the hostel for the evening. I've got to say, the hostel we stayed at was phenomenal. Super comfy and inviting, and the kitchen (which would certainly see use tomorrow) was welcoming and homey.
Full day on the Orkney Islands was next, and our first stop of the day was an old military lookout state on a cliff. The weather was a bit dismal but the sights were not, so pulling on our jackets, settling caps, and securing scarves we headed off the bus into the wind to explore wreckage and cliffs. The group split to do some exploring, and those of us that went right headed out on a path that held a sign telling us that if we walked far enough we'd find a broch. We never found it, but we had a good time exploring before we had to start heading back to the bus for our next adventure: Skara Brae. I don't know ho much you know about it, so I'll sum it up and say that Skara Brae is a roughly 5000 year old dwelling site that was (not so recently, but recently enough) rediscovered and excavated, and that the site still remains in extraordinary condition. There is a reproduction of one of the individual dwellings on the site, and the preservation was so complete that researchers have been able to approximate or guess what most of the structures in the dwellings would have been used for. Even more intriguing? Only part of the dwellings are visible; the roofs have been covered in grass, so it appears as a hill with paths along it. This was one advanced civilization, but unfortunately no one seems to know what happened, or why these people abandoned Skara Brae.
On the same property as Skara Brae is Skaill House, the "finest mansion in Orkney steeped in 5000 years of history." [www.skaillhouse.co.uk]. This residence was included in our tour of Skara Brae, so we also got to tour through that. I must say, I was a happy camper when we got the the library; they had a bookcase that opened up to how a secret hiding space between it and the wall, and that's i etching I've always wanted (so, note to anyone out there that wants to give me presents, this is never a bad idea! (Jokes, I swear. Sort of.)) Anyways, the house was really neat, though there were aspects of it that were a bit strange. Not as strange as the museum we were to come across later in the trip though, so it was all good.
Lunch after the Dwelling and House was reached by a short hike and followed by more exploring; bluffs, cliffs, wildlife viewing - this place had it all. Actually, this is where we did our puffin spotting. Greg was very patient with us and helped us find the little guys in among all the other birds nestled along the cliff. Oh, and we had rosé wine with raspberries in it as a treat, too, so that was exciting. After lunch, exploring, and puffins, off we were to another location - Earl Robert’s Palace in Birsay. Here, we explored some ruins and had Orkney Ice Cream. If you ever to go Scotland, see if you can find this beauty. The dairy in the Islands is amazing, and the ice cream is made with real Orkney cream. It’s a creamy, delicious blend. The strawberry is apparently the best (a friend tried many of the flavours over the course of our 2.5 days there), so it’s a safe place to start. Our afternoon was spent visiting a few different Standing Stone Circles - Menhir circles, if you will. With a morning that started off with sketchy weather, we really lucked in and had an afternoon of sunshine followed by a team effort taco dinner and late-night cake baking at the hostel. All-in-all, the Orkneys treated us all well.
Puffin! 
Our final morning on the Orkneys dawned cool and bright (not really; it wasn’t that sunny yet), and the lovely Terry and Coral treated us all to pancakes (for 50p. 50p for a full pancake breakfast. Heaven!), and off we were on the bus again. It was a bittersweet day - we were snaking our way back to Inverness via some beautiful locations, but we were also saying goodbye to some of our tour group that night. No rest for the “wicked” though; off adventuring we went! Our final stop on the islands was the Italian Chapel, which was erected by the members of Camp 60 during WWII. If you ever get a chance to stop in, this little chapel on Lamb Holm is gorgeous. It’s made almost entirely of concrete (with the exceptions being in decoration), and the concrete has been painted to look like stone and wood. It has depth and detail of miraculous proportions for something that is in actuality flat! Back on a boat we went though, and away from our island home. Armed with food this time, we braved another gorgeously sunny ferry ride and then raced along to Dunrobin Castle. Why “raced?” To see the falconry show! The castle itself is gorgeous; it looks almost like a Disney castle, but, y’know, real. Really real. Actually, the castle, museum, and grounds are still family owned - the family does still use the property for special occasions! I’m getting distracted…
All painted!
Ah yes, falconry! I’ve long thought birds were amazing, but I’ve got to say. these were something else! Well trained is an understatement, and they were certainly highly intelligent. The gentleman giving the demonstration had several birds with him, and though he had a falcon and an owl (among others), I’ve got to say my favourite was the Golden Eagle. It may be because I’m so used to seeing only Bald Eagles, but still… What a gorgeous, large creature! After the falconry display there was time to wander through the grounds, the museum (which is the creepiest yet most compelling collection of strange things - animal parts and trophies mostly - that I’ve ever seen), and the castle itself. Well. I fell in love with more than one room in that building, but it’s always the libraries that get me. Yupp, I went to Europe and fell in love with even more libraries!
From Dunrobin, off we were to the YHA in Inverness where we proceeded to have a group pizza dinner and then a laundry party. Oh yes; don’t bother partying in the kitchen like everyone else - head to the laundry room to see what’s up! Post-party we went into town to Hootenany’s for some drinks and entertainment, off to Miami (a club, not the city), and finally home to our beds after saying our final goodbyes to some of the group.
I think I’m going to leave you here. Not because I’m an evil genious (promise, I’m not!), but because I haven’t updated in a while and I feel bad. Also because I need to go through my photos and make sure I get the sequence of events later correct. AND because this is a good place for a pause; we’ve chatted (I’ve talked at you, but y’know. You’re always free to leave comments!), I’ve given you a partial description of my time in Scotland, and there’s a natural break between one guide and the other. Seems like a decent place to stop, yeah? Sorry there are so few images, but I’m at work (I’ve been on my own for like, three hours. Come see me sometime?!).
Peace, love, and happy travels!
