Grateful for Blessings...YOU

Well... That was a BLESSING! Hearing from you wonderful blog friends out there. Ian and I were reading your comments together that you put on my last post. I am so grateful. And doesn't it just help to know that there are others of us in this boat, looking to walk with God and not succumb to the myth of the Spiritual Superheroine? So thank you, thank you, thank you ALL! You made me cry and smile all at the same time, and I take to heart all of what you said. Also, feel free to get on your soapboxes over here in the lamb field, anytime!

I have decided to focus on a few things, and stay in prayer about them and do my best with them. I know it's the devil behind me when I start comparing myself with others, so thank you again for your blessed reminders! My blog friends are the best!

And stay tuned... I have also decided to do a "series" on my experiences with British food (I will try to be sensitive to you, Pamela!). I know, not a very spiritual, educational, or edifying series, but maybe it will be fun...

Overcoming and Moving On...

I am slowly recovering from having to give Violet away. It was a sorrow-filled weekend last weekend, and then I found out how truly allergic I really am to cats and dogs when all this coughing and congestion turned into an infection. I missed three days of work (no pay) and now I'm on antibiotics. Oh well. What can you do?

So I have spent the past week thinking about things: faith, what's really important, my husband, trying to make the best of where I live... stuff like that. Oh, and thinking about other bloggers I sometimes read -- not YOU, my faithful friends, who are real, lovely people -- but people I have discovered through Christian women's websites. How...HOW do these women run households, have zillions of kids, write books, make clothes, make meals, make home decorations, study the Bible, feed the poor, do good works, homeschool, faithfully write their blogs every day, grow food to feed the nation, have family devotions several times a day... HOW ARE THEY DOING THIS??? (And I'll bet some of you know some of the women I'm thinking of...) What am I doing so wrong that every little thing seems difficult and time-consuming and, well, just pitiful? And what, really, does it mean to live a God-honoring life? That's what Ian and I are trying to do, but when we see some of these other ones who are like Spirit-filled Superheroes, we feel very discouraged. Well, I do, anyway.

What are your thoughts?

Last Straw...Lament

Where is God in all this? Do you ever feel you have just reached your last straw? And you know everyone around you is absolutely sick to death of hearing you moan and complain. I think losing Violet was just the last straw. The past 2 1/2 years have been absolutely filled to brimming with loss and grief. Ian and I have tried to be practical and see the positive side of things, but sometimes, you just can't. And all you want to do is wallow in your misery. This is where I am today. And I want to rage at God and shake my fist at Him. At the same time, I know God is near. He promises never to leave or foresake us. He never promises things will be easy. And just because MY perception is that life is the pits and everything is hard, does not mean that is God's reality. I don't know why I am struggling so much with the loss of Violet, when there have been so many other things which have gone before, much harder and deeper. Nevertheless, I know that God is ALWAYS good, and He always loves me. I cling to that.

Goodbye Violet

No photos today. I am too sad. Violet has had to go to another home. My allergies are so bad, I can't breathe. I'm coughing all the time, and can't even sleep. My dear husband is so good, and he is with her as she transitions to her new home... someplace where they have always had and loved cats. He is sure she will be loved and well-cared-for. I will miss her. It seems like yet another loss and another hole.

How will God use this for good, I wonder? I cannot see the point in this. But I will continue to pray...

Violet No

Meet our new addition to the family: Violet. Actually, lately, her name has become "Violet No!" But she is learning, and we love her.

This basket of journals no longer sits there!

This photo is from two weeks ago, when we actually got her. She seems almost twice as big now, but I know that can't be.

The unfortunate thing: I have major cat allergies. I do. But I've always lived with a cat or two, and I so missed having one. And Ian just adores her. When I lived in America, I was privileged to have allergy shots, once a week, and they worked miracles. They don't do them here. Figures. I'm in the throes of figuring out what combination of antihistamine and decongestant will work for me at this point. Any suggestions? I am also going back to the GP here to see if there is any other option. Nevertheless, it is nice to have a kitten around. Most of the time. When she's not completely mad! Ian says the M on her tabby forehead actually stands for "mental!" And just so you know: Rosebud is big and healthy and well ~ not to be forgotten!

Just a Rant...

Blogging has been a wonderful outlet for me, and I have so enjoyed most of the people I have met. As well, it has provided me with a venue in which to share my new life in Scotland with all my friends and family back in America.

But tonight I feel compelled to say this: when people whom one doesn't know feel that they can leave patronizing and reprimanding "comments" on my post...let me stress the word "my,"... I find it offensive and off-putting. Most of us who write blogs are happy to have a platform for expression and opinions. Those who read the blogs certainly do not have to agree with us. However, it is just rude to tell another person... someone whom the commenter does not even know AT ALL... what they "should" and "shouldn't" do.

And frankly, my darling husband I will do what we like, and if we feel like "moaning" about restaurant food, we damned well will. So please, I implore you, do not presume to suggest what we should or shouldn't do. And whether or not we are enjoying life is really pretty much our affair, isn't it?

TO ALL MY REAL BLOGGY FRIENDS, AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU!

Great Glen, Laggan, and Fort Augustus

The Saturday ending our week off, the same day we saw Glenbogle, we came home through the Great Glen, up along Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, and Loch Ness. Below is a photo of Laggan Dam, at the western-most end of Loch Laggan. It was built in the 1930s.

At Spean Bridge, where you can go up to Fort Augustus or down to Fort William, there is the Commando Memorial. This is a very moving tribute to British Special Forces, originally during WWII, but in the Memorial Garden, you will see tributes to Commandos who have fallen in Afghanistan and other more recent wars.
This is a very typical view of what it's like coming through the Great Glen. The scenery is breathtaking on all sides. We had very changeable weather at this point in the day, and most of the mountaintops were covered in mist and clouds.

Ian out of the car to stretch his legs and take in the scenery, too.

Just a quick look at Laggan Locks, along the Caledonian Canal.

We were stopped at a bridge where the canal meets Loch Oich. It is a swing bridge, and this tug was going through it. It hails from Ireland.

This is the tug just approaching the bridge...

And this is the Bridge of Oich, which is an engineering marvel of the early 19th century.

Finally, we stopped in Fort Augustus for a bit, to stroll around the town, stop for a coffee and cake, and see the locks. There are seven locks here, and there was a boat just leaving the upper end when we arrived. It's really a fascinating system.

Here you can just see the boat in the distance, leaving the upper end of the chain of locks.

From here, we drove home up the west side of Loch Ness, turned off at Drumnadrochit towards Beauly, and we stopped in Beauly for a wonderful dinner at the Lovat Arms. Probably the best dinner of our whole week, actually. All very Scottish and full of atmosphere and good food. We had the high tea, which was a dinner served with tea or coffee, and which came complete with scones, jam, and clotted cream, AND cakes~meringues, shortbread, caramel shortbread~at the end. We were so full after dinner, it was shameful. But so good! And here ends our "holiday that wasn't." As you can see, it turned out great after all!

The Real Glenbogle!

I saw it coming through the trees as we were driving the typically twisty, hilly roads the mark the Highlands of Scotland. We knew it was around here somewhere. We had done our research. Ian and I are both confirmed "Boglies," or ardent followers of MONARCH OF THE GLEN. I have been wanting to see the site of the seven years' of filming of one of the best TV serials EVER for at least five years. And suddenly, there it was! The gatehouse burst into view as we rounded a corner and I yelled, "There it is! Stop! Stop!"

I SO know this bridge! I remember the standoff scene, and of course, the goodbye scene between Golly and Duncan. And at long last, I have trod in their footsteps!

This is Ian, looking ready for a standoff, with the Gatehouse in the background.
Here am I, dream come true, standing on the Glenbogle gatehouse bridge!

And there it is... a few miles down the road and across the loch: GLENBOGLE! Of course, it is actually Ardverikie Estate, and as you can see, there was scaffolding on the tower, where they are doing maintenance. Nevertheless, I have finally seen it in real life! It is away across Loch Laggan. You can't actually drive up to it, because, well, it IS someone's private home. But I'm sure most of us Boglies will always think of it as the ancestral home of Hector and Molly MacDonald. And Archie! Don't forget Archie, and Lexi, and...

Another dream come true...

Ruthven Barracks, and the Beginning of Our Exciting Day

I have been past this site umpteen times as we have gone up and down the A9, usually on our way to make a plane in Glasgow, for some awful reason, like the deaths of my parents. I have seen these buildings, or what remains of them, in the sunlight, in clouds, and lit up at night. They have always seemed foreboding and compelling. And now I have been through them, and seen them upclose and in person.

These are the guards we found, just INSIDE the gate for the pathway up to Ruthven Barracks. Ian and I were the only ones there, aside from these two. We had to get past the guards in order to see the site.
Ian is showing me that it's easy, really. Just step past them, just like that. Past their horns and all. No problem.

Here is my proof that I did just that. Ian went in front of the first guy and behind the second, but I thought it was probably better for their peace of mind if I walked in FRONT of each one, telling them how nice they were as I went. For those of you wondering... they're highland cows. Young ones, fortunately!

I still think it is a sign of the society that the military gave, as rations, beer and rum. And people wonder why alcoholism is a major problem over here. Here's what the garrison at Ruthven got:

These barracks were built between 1715 and 1719, as a response to the first Jacobite uprising. They were home to some 120 troops and their officers, from the English side. After the uprising, the king decided to build 4 such barracks in strategic locations throughout the Highlands. This is the smallest of the 4, but the best-preserved. There is a good-sized stable block, as well, built to house 28 horses for the dragoons. Ruthven Barracks stands guard over the crossroads of General Wades military roads, which all converged from Perth, Inverness, and Fort Augustus. In 1745, two hundred Jacobites tried to capture Ruthven Barracks, but a force of just 12 redcoats fought them off, with the loss of only one man. By 1746, a larger force of Jacobites arrived, this time with artillery, and the garrison surrendered. The last bit of history is when, after the Battle of Culloden, some 300 Jacobites assembled at Ruthven. Awaiting them was a message from Bonnie Prince Charlie saying that each man should save himself the best he could. And we will leave BPC for another time...

We ran across the war memorial just outside of Newtonmore, as we were heading west on the Loch Laggan road, towards Spean Bridge. As usual, we had to climb a hill to get to it. The thing that is so sad about all these memorials is the HUGE amount of loss each little, tiny village in the Highlands suffered from the wars, but especially from WWI.

Coming in the next post... something REALLY good...

Funicular Friday ~ The Cairngorms

We rode the funicular up the Cairngorms on Friday. When you do this, you should be able to see for up to 95 miles at the top. Of course, this means the weather has to be clear. And how often does that happen?

Oh well, at least at the top we could have lunch in the Ptarmigan Restaurant. The usual Scottish fare: lentil soup and not very good sandwiches. Sigh... But it was the experience, right?

As you can probably tell by the view out this window, we basically had no view out this window. We definitely could not see for 95 miles. I don't think we could see for 50 feet! Believe it or not, it was snowing!

A little proof...

I'm not sure why Ian has his camera out here!

According to this thermometer, it was about 1 degree celsius. And it felt like it!

Here comes the other funicular car. There is a little passing place at the midway point.

A view across the Cairngorms. Oh, and it is very windy, often with winds as high as a category 5 hurricane. I was seriously afraid of blowing off the mountain. I kid you not.

On the way home, we went up by a different route (yes, the Cairngorms are south of us~practically the whole world is south of us), and we went off the beaten track to get a look at Lochindorb Castle. It is on a partly manmade island in the middle of the loch, out on Dava Moor. It is very bleak out here.

Lochindorb means "loch of trouble." The castle dates back to the 13th century, originally held by the Comyns (boo) but then was held by the English. In 1303, Edward I stayed here for 9 days, on a hunting holiday. At the end of the 14th century, the castle was given by Robert II to his son, the Wolf of Badenoch (boo, again). Lochindorb was said to be his favourite haunt. So really, the place has a bleak history to go with its surroundings.

Then we went looking for the Ardclach Bell Tower, which we did eventually find. It's a lovely little keep-turned-tower which is maintained by Historic Scotland. The bell tower part of its history belonged to this church, in the valley below, just beside the River Findhorn.

Here is the bell tower. There is just something about this place that I really liked. It was such fun climbing up to explore it. The door was open, so we could inside, but it was pitch dark so we didn't see much. We did climb the stairs, though.

The door seems a bit small.

This is a fortified tower built in 1655, and was later turned into a bell tower. The place is like a miniature castle, and it may have been used as both a watchtower and a prison. Which would explain the tiny door ~ more easily defendable.

Duck!

It is such fun discovering all these out of the way places. And then ending the day with a dinner out. This time we stopped at the Cawdor Tavern, just outside Cawdor Castle. It was a lovely atmosphere, but I have to say, the food was pretentious, and served on square plates. You know: the drizzly sauce = gourmet? Oh well, you can't have everything...

Dining in Britain's Most Remote Hotel

We left the north coast and headed back down towards Brora. We met a traffic jam on the way.

But then we left all signs of human life behind on the coast and drifted down towards Strathnaver and isolation.

Except for the deer. The red deer are rutting, and they are all over the place. Magnificent!

Finally, we reached our dinner destination. And yes, we actually had to make a reservation. I am laughing out loud to think of that, now.
Here it is: The Garvault Hotel. Britain's most remote hotel. And they are not kidding. No electricity, only a generator. Something like 20 miles of telephone cable to get a phone in. Apparently the power companies are willing to supply the place, for the low, low price of an initial £250,000. I kid you not.

When we arrived, however, it was pitch black, except for the stars in the sky, and the lights shining out from the hotel. The sound of the generator filled the air. And there were 3 other guests: a guide and two men fishing and hunting. Apparently this place draws a lot of people looking for the country sporting life. Anyway, it's a bit run down, but it was the experience of the thing, right? And, WOULD YOU BELIEVE... the two men staying there with their guide WERE FROM FLORIDA??? What the heck are the chances of THAT? And honestly, folks, they gave Florida a BAD name. All the stereotypical stuff: Floridians are rednecks with semi-automatic guns and lots of booze and they like shoot stuff and eat roadkill. So, our dinner was sadly overshadowed by a lot of testosterone and a bunch of bluffing while they three of them all tried to out-talk each other about their trophies and kills and basically how violent and stupid they were. So let me just say: they were NOT typical Floridians. Just a pair of dumb rednecks with more money than sense. Sheesh!

The North Coast, Smoo Cave, and Castle Varrich

On the Thursday of our Holiday Plan B, we headed up to the North Coast. That would be the extreme northwest of Scotland, where the Pentland Firth meets the Atlantic Ocean. On the way, we stopped at the Riconich Hotel for a coffee (but mainly for a bathroom stop -- you take those where you can find them around here).

Lots of sea lochs up this way. The town of Kinlochbervie is up to the far right. Honestly, I wasn't all that impressed with it. It seemed quite run-down and dumpy to me. Such is the way with a lot of the northern Highlands.
There are parts of the extreme northwest of Scotland that are so bleak, it puts you in mind of the surface of the moon. Seriously. In fact, later this same day, a man from England said the very same thing. It was so strange! This photo does not begin to show you what it is really like. There is nothing but brown, and you see no signs of life ~ no birds, no sheep, no nothing. It's sort of creepy.

Here we are on the Balnakiel end of Durness. The beaches are lovely, if VERY windswept. We plan to go back to Durness for a few days, to really explore and go on all the long walks they have. As well, there is supposedly a "haunted beach." Well, this IS Scotland.
We had lunch (a full Scottish breakfast) and this was the view we had from the restaurant. Amazing!
Now here we are in Smoo Cave! Smoo Cave is a sea cave just outside of Durness. Evidence has been found of human occupation here dating back 5000 years! When the place was excavated, there were also, of course, indications of Viking occupation. This is a view of the underground waterfall. It was so LOUD, and very misty.
Smoo Cave is a sea cave, but also a karst cave in the back. It is limestone, surrounded by gneiss and quartzite. The entrance is quite large, but was originally a swallet cave. The sea has enlarged it. The geologists say Smoo Cave was formed over many thousands of years along the line of a weak fault. Here is a view looking out of the cave.
The cave was excavated in 1992, and an Iron Age midden was found. There is some evidence of Mesolithic occupation, as well. Inside the cave, you can see lichens, liverworts, and mosses. Apparently a lot of birds make their homes in and around, too.

Looking up through an opening at ground level above.

We went down on the west side and came back up on the east side. This is the view towards the cave from the east side. See, I told you the geology here is amazing!

This a just a little further along the north coast. We are headed towards Tongue, where we hoped to find Castle Varrich.

And there it is!

Castle Varrich is a small tower house perched high on the hill overlooking Tongue and the Kyle of Tongue (a kyle is like a firth - a sea inlet). It was built in the 1500s, but the site is thought to go back to the times of the medieval bishops of Caithness, and before them, to the Norse. It is a good trek to the castle. You have to park in the town of Tongue, walk down the hill into the glen, cross the river, and walk back up the hill on the other side. It's a steep path, but it's well worth it.

Castle Varrich is also believed to be the ancient seat of the Clan MacKay, and there are supposed to be caves underneath which were once inhabited by MacKays. The castle which stands there now had two floors plus an attic. It's very small, and very remote. I would think it would be a very well-defended type of place.

Looking out over the Kyle of Tongue. It is late in the day in this photo...about 5 o'clock.

You can't really tell, but the ground here is so steep, I was actually afraid I would roll down it. And where Ian is standing to take this photo, there is a steep drop from a cliff into the bay below!

You can see Ian hanging on to the rock... he is thinking about the steep drop as well!

You can see the unique wall construction from this photo.

The laird is at home!

It is a remote place, but well worth the walk up. The mountains of Ben Hope and Ben Loyal can be seen from here, as well. For those of you who are related to them, this is MacKay country.

Elgin Cathedral

How can humans both build and destroy such magnificent places of worship? I will never understand. Elgin Cathedral is the "spiritual heart of Moray" according to Historic Scotland, which now maintains the property. It is one of Scotland's most beautiful medieval buildings, all in yellow sandstone. This cathedral was the ecclesiastical center of Morayshire. The bishop's seat came to Elgin in 1224 and remained there until the Protestant reformation of 1560.

This cathedral is often known as "the lantern of the North." When it was built, and during its use, it dominated the landscape.

You can walk the spiral staircase up one of the towers. It is not for the feint-hearted, which I apparently became halfway up!

We think some of the stone steps must have come from recycled stone, but we're not sure.
This cathedral must have rivaled the biggest and the best of them from all over Europe.

It is home to a number of stone effigies of bishops, knights, and earls.

Once he rested inside the cathedral... now he is exposed to the elements.

The octagonal chapter house is largely in tact and is the most magnificent and complete one in all of Scotland. The sense of awe and sacredness when you walk into it is all-pervasive. I could have stayed in there all afternoon, were it not so cold! (and were we not confined by opening hours and closing times)

Looking out one of the chapter house windows. You can imagine the light was magnificent!

The resting places within

A cross slab ~ probably Pictish?

An artist's interpretation of what it might have looked like in its day.

An aerial view of the cathedral and its surrounds.

Elgin Cathedral also contains Scotland's tallest grave stone. A strange thing. It is 5 metres high and happens to belong to the Anderson family of Linkwood from 1674 to 1813. Also... Elgin Cathedral was actually burned in 1390 by the "Wolf of Badenoch," the name given to Alexander Stewart, the younger son of Robert II. The Bishop of Moray at the time excommunicated him for marital infidelity, and this was his way of getting even. Can you imagine? I mean, some things are just unfathomable to me. What kind of self-important pompous ass would do such a thing?? It was repaired, but as I said, the beautiful cathedral fell victim to the Reformation. It suffered its final indignity when, in 1711, the central tower fell down, destroying most of the nave. Someone please tell me how the destruction of beautiful places of worship is a Christian thing to do? As far as I can see, the supporters of the Reformation were just as violent as those they opposed. It's sad.

Burghead Well and Spynie Palace

Here is the entrance to Burghead Well. This well is something of a mystery. No one is really sure how it came to be. It was cleared out in 1809, but the original well was hewn completely out of rock. It consists of a flight of steps leading down to a chamber, within which is sunk a tank fed by springs. The chamber contains platforms and shelves, too. It is completely unique in Scotland, considered to be from the Dark Ages, and there is conjecture that it was originally a pagan monument but was later blessed and consecrated as a Christian site, possibly even a baptistry. No one really knows.

Here you can see the chamber. Kinda creepy, isn't it??

The town of Burghead is in Morayshire, on a peninsula, right on the water, with the sea on all three sides. There was once a Pictish fort here, although much of it was destroyed when the current town was built in the early 19th century. Historians think it was a major Pictish area. Ian and I didn't really like the feel of the place, but I think I would maybe go back and do more exploring.

Nearby, just south of Lossiemouth (where Ian's brother and family live) is Spynie Palace. It is a Historic Scotland property. It was closed when we got there, but we could still prowl around the outside. Spynie Palace was the seat of the Bishops of Moray for over 500 years.

It was a fortified palace (everything had to be fortified then!) and was originally on a sea loch, much of which has disappeared or been drained for farming, and was also in the middle of a medieval town, all of which is gone.
Once again, the religious wars the broke out because of the Reformation directly impacted Spynie Palace. The place began falling into ruin in the 1600s.

You can read a lot about Spynie Palace here.

And as it turns out, Ian's brother will be getting married here at Spynie Palace next summer! We're not sure how that works, but apparently it is done, so we are looking forward to that wedding.

Brodie Castle

WELL... I am a fiend for all things castle, as most of you know. Castle ruin, complete castle... doesn't matter to me. I just love the idea of castles! I am truly enamoured with this one: BRODIE CASTLE. And YES, we had lovely weather for this!

Unfortunately, all we have are external photos of this magnificent place. They simply won't allow interior photographs, and I defy you to find any on the Internet, because I sure couldn't! There are a few, but they are of public apartments. Yes, you can actually rent and stay in Brodie Castle.

This is the drive up to the castle. I am standing near the castle and looking back down the drive. Lovely, isn't it?
Brodie Castle was originally a Z-plan castle (much of which survives) and was built by the Clan Brodie in 1547. It was badly damaged by a fire in 1645, which included the death of its mistress, as she was dozing too close to the fireplace, and sparks came out and ignited her skirts. It's a tragic story. However, most of the castle was saved, and rebuilt fairly quickly. The inside of Brodie Castle is magnificent, and it is filled to brimming with ornate plasterwork, ormolu, French furniture, fine paintings, European and Chinese porcelain, toys, Japanese art, and so on. It is really incredible to see. There is even a letter from Robert the Bruce to the Brodie of the time, telling him to fix the flooding problem on the farm!

Brodie Castle is maintained by the National Trust for Scotland, and they have done a wonderful job of keeping it in its original form. In fact, the guide tells us it is one of the best-preserved castles, if not THE best, in all of the UK.

Photo above by Paul Warrener

When you are in Scotland, be sure to see Brodie Castle! It is about 4 miles outside of Forres, in Morayshire.

Boath Doocot and Kinloss Abbey

Boath Doocot (dovecote) is a 17th century dovecote belonging to Boath House. It is built on the site of an ancient motte, and it is also near the site where Montrose defeated the Covenanters in 1645. I would love to discuss the Covenanters and Royalists, but my mind boggles, and I have a hard time grasping it all!

Next, we see the ruins of Kinloss Abbey. Kinloss Abbey was a Cistercian Abbey with over 800 years of history behind it. It is the daughter house of the White Friars of Melrose Abbey. This abbey was founded in 1150 by King David I (probably Scotland's best king... I think it's been all downhill from there!). Kinloss Abbey came to its end during the Reformation of Parliament in 1560, like so many other beautiful houses of God. I have very mixed feelings about the Reformation, especially as I visit more and more of the incredible abbeys and monasteries that existed before it -- houses of learning and worship and prayer.

Can you believe that the ruins of the abbey were sold to Alexander Brodie (Brodie Castle coming up on my next post!), who then sold them to Cromwell so he could cart the stone away and use it to build a military post in Inverness? What sacriledge! I believe the photo below is part of the sacristy. It is really hard to visualize Kinloss Abbey from the ruins left. There are some ground level remains and some free-standing walls, but a lot of it has been lost. All around is a graveyard, as well.

Kinloss Abbey ruins actually contain a cemetery for the RAF, and there are many graves dating from WWII to the present. It is quite moving, actually.

Another view of the abbey with RAF graves in the foreground.

I often think earlier people had a better understanding of our mortality, and to whom our lives really belong.

Black Water River and Rogie Falls

I always feel closer to God when I am out in nature, seeing the glories of His handiwork, than when I am with crowds of people. Or even when I am in church. Ian feels the same way. You just can't look around at the world God created and not feel His presence, can you?

The Black Water River has an old bridge and a new bridge over it. I'm not sure who built the old bridge, but I suspect it was Thomas Telford. If you've heard of him, then you know what I'm talking about. He was an engineer, born in 1757 in Scotland. His legacy is all over Britain, but especially the Highlands. He instituted a massive project to improve communications in the Highlands, out of which came the Caledonian Canal, for one thing, and over 1000 bridges! Can you imagine? I can't even fathom what life up here would be like had it not been for Thomas Telford! Google him to learn more...

The rowan berries are out in full force just now. It is really pretty to see the countryside dotted with masses of red berries. We don't get the same kind of gorgeous fall foliage that a lot of America gets. A lot of our trees turn from green to brown or black, and the leaves fall off. Very little of the brilliant reds and oranges that I always think of when fall arrives. We do get some, and mostly yellow, but I suppose in a way, the berries make up for it. (That's our resident cameraman framed by berries alongside the Black Water River.)
This is the path leading to Rogie Falls. It was a little trek through the woods, and down a steep hill (seems like we spent half our holiday climbing up or down hills!). Don't you just love the possibilities that a path like this intimates?

We were both convinced this was a fairy house. As you probably know, there is a lot of fairy folklore in all of the UK, but especially in Ireland and Scotland. I can't imagine what else this could have been, can you??

Here is Ian, being brave on the swinging footbridge over the falls. Everyone had to be perfectly still if anyone was trying to take a photo. There were two other gentlemen who were exploring when we were.

A view of the falls from the bridge. I love the sound of rushing water. Such power!

The light was going when I tried to take this photo of the bridge from the other side. Just an idea of how it was nestled in amongst the forest and over the dashing water.

It's a paradox living here, really. There is some of the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. At the same time, it is such a small country, a person from America really feels the lack of choices, the government control of everything, the provincial (in a bad way) attitude of so many people. And having been so isolated for so long, Highlanders are very hard people. They are suspicious of anything or anyone new, and if a thing is at all different from what they are used to, it is suspect and assumed to be bad. Sigh... It's a struggle most of the time; it really is.