The Spin from Skye to Edinburgh

Hello again, Blogonauts!

You find me now sitting in a coffee shop above the Edinburgh railway station, awaiting my train to Glasgow. But before I go, let's take a look backward to the final bits of my Highland & Skye tour.

First, we drove for closer look at the Black Cuillin mountains; by the time we arrived, most of the snow had melted. Our guide enjoyed sharing legends about the area, including a tale where the the dreams of the people of Skye are fashioned from curdled deer milk by an old couple living in a cave in the Black Cuillins.

(Fanciful, I know. But it sounds no more weird than Zeus sending lightning or the Red Sea parting. Click on this link if you want the full story.) 

Black Cuillin Mountains

On our return trip to Edinburgh we first stopped by the Eilean Donan castle. It was first built in the 13th century, but was turned into a ruin during the18th century's Jacobite rebellions. The castle was reconstructed in the early 20th century and reputedly mimics the earlier fortress.

Eilean Donan Castle

Next, we took a short hike through the woods to see the Summer House, a small stone hut where J. M. Barrie is said to have written "Peter Pan."

The Summer House

View looking upriver from the Summer House

We stopped for lunch in Fort Augustus, where I had a chance to momentarily look for the elusive monster.

Loch Ness from Fort Augustus

Locks connecting lochs (to enable boat traffic between the lochs) in Fort Augustus

We stopped by a site commemorating the Commandos, formed during World War 2, and noted for performing high risk espionage and sabotage operations during international conflicts. This area was (and is) where Commandos are trained.

Commando Memorial

Finally, our last pit stop before returning to Edinburgh was a small but eye-catching town of Pitlochry, where we could wander momentarily, ice cream cone in hand.

Pitlochry.

Soon the next leg of my journey begins, so stay tuned!

And again, if you want to leave a comment here on Jaunticles, please include your signature or slip me an unambiguous sign. Otherwise I may start believing you're curdling deer milk and fashioning dreams.

Blog to you later!

Location: Edinburgh, UK

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 13, 2024 at 8:15 AM

    Larry. Thanks for taking all this time to share your adventures with us! Really enjoying your trip. George & Karl

    ReplyDelete

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