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Thursday

April 4 & 5: A failed attempt at camping & Medieval music!

Hello friends |

I beloved the Falkirk Wheel!

We’re currently inward Cupar , which is a flake of a tiny , nix town but close St Andrews.  We’re staying amongst an unbelieveably sugariness solid unit of measurement nosotros flora on AirBnB as well as they couldn’t last to a greater extent than dissimilar from Fergus.  They invited us to direct maintain dinner amongst them (making us a veggie risotto amongst some wild Scottish herbs as well as wild garlic.  It was incredibly tasty) as well as they laid us upward inward what used to last servants quarters inward the house.  It’s good kitted out amongst scented candles as well as a multifariousness of teas.  Needless to tell , they’ll instruct top marks when nosotros direct maintain to review them.

Nicholas inward awe of the Falkirk Wheel

The yesteryear duet of days direct maintain been hectic.  Yesterday morn , Nicholas went as well as picked upward our hire machine , which nosotros got from a little fellowship called Celtic Legend.  The guy nosotros emailed amongst was really , truly , 100% called William Wallace.  He signed his emails “Willie”.  We swung yesteryear the Great Britain version of Walmart to alternative upward a whole heap of non-perishables as well as in all likelihood 8kg of bananas , earlier nosotros started heading to our get stop: The Falkirk Wheel.

Not to pelting on Nicholas’ Falkirk Wheel parade , but I wasn’t wholly excited well-nigh the whole rotating bicycle thing.  It was pretty cool when nosotros really got there.  It replaces well-nigh eleven locks , which used to direct maintain 8 hours or as well as then to instruct through.  It takes iv minutes as well as uses the amount of ability to boil vi kettles.  “How?” you’re in all likelihood bespeak (maybe you’re not. I wasn’t until I saw the informative video).  Inertia.  For that argue , given Archimedes job inward the hole ‘inertia’ matter , the footling go boat nosotros went upward the bicycle inward was called The Archimedes.  We sat behind a pair of really annoying children who got the best spots inward the boat.  That business office was annoying.  Nicholas almost moisture himself amongst engineer-based excitement.  I abhor to encounter what’ll occur at Legoland.

We hung some at the Falkirk bicycle for a while.  I admired all the dogs , who were much ameliorate behaved than the children.  Nicholas watched the Falkirk Wheel inward amazement as well as took lots of videos , as well as then he could relive the sense over again as well as again.  I joked that he should’ve worn his GoPro on the 50 infinitesimal boat journeying upward the bicycle , through the tunnel as well as dorsum downward the bicycle , as well as he got a glint inward his oculus similar he thought it was a skillful idea.  I shouldn’t joke well-nigh such things.
Nicholas pretending to instruct inward for a passionate osculation amongst i of the Kelpies

They had installed some lights to lite upward the Kelpies at nighttime but some leafage was growing inward the way.  Foliage is as well as then cool.

After we’d finished at the Falkirk Wheel (read: I convinced Nicholas that instead of deliberating over which Falkirk Wheel postcard to purchase , he should but purchase them both as well as instruct going) nosotros headed to the Kelpies.  The Kelpies are huge.  There’s non a lot else to tell well-nigh them.  We didn’t produce a tour because nosotros had to pay also much for parking.  We ate inexpensive loving cup noodles spell everybody else ate really expensive H2O ice cream.

The Kelpies!

We stopped at a really beautiful hold off out on the agency to our army camp spot.

From The Kelpies nosotros needed to notice somewhere to camp.  We had enough of fourth dimension earlier sunset to notice one.  Scotland has much to a greater extent than relaxed camping ground laws than Commonwealth of Australia as well as we’d read the code , as well as then felt pretty good equipped.  We flora i spot that looked promising , but kept driving to a loch we’d seen on a map because nosotros thought that’d last much to a greater extent than picturesque.  It was.  We railroad train army camp as well as were but well-nigh to ringlet out our mats when some rangers told us to motion on because it was a reservoir as well as human excrement as well as all that.  Not ii minutes later they left as well as nosotros were pulling out pegs , the heaven darkened as well as nosotros saw the Sun dip behind a mountain.  Not promising.

This would direct maintain been our amazing army camp spot.  Sadness. 

We decided but to caput to the previous spot nosotros had seen.  It was a bog.

Driving off the mount as well as downward to Kilsyth nosotros started having a hold off online for motels.  Looking for a motel at 8.45pm on a Sat nighttime on a long weekend inward a tourist town isn’t promising.  On in all likelihood the 7th house nosotros called , nosotros got a winner.  It could’ve been the 6th house , which was the Antonine Inn.  On bookings.com the most recent review was 1 star , proclaiming “THE STAFF WERE AGGRESSIVE.” Nicholas as well as I had a skillful chuckle to this , thinking they’d direct maintain a bad experience.  When nosotros called the inn to enquire well-nigh the booking , the receptionist real abruptly said , “We don’t direct maintain bookings over the phone.  You’ll demand to instruct to bookings online.”  They really were quite aggressive.

We stayed upward far also belatedly watching the Da Vinci Code as well as looking at places nosotros had been on our trip , similar Rosslyn Chapel.

The Wallace Monument (looking quite foreboding inward the fog)

Today nosotros got upward relatively early on to brand job of the costless breakfast included inward our hotel stay.  All that haggis as well as blood pudding inward the bain marie really puts i off their mushrooms as well as beans , to last honest.  Only inward Scotland.

Ignoring the fog , nosotros laid out for the Wallace Monument , jumping some fences to cutting across the roads.  It was also really foggy as well as already filled amongst tourists.   We decided against paying the fee to instruct upward the monument , considering how foggy it was.  You’d hardly encounter anything from the top.
I'm loving all the daffodils.

Such mist.  Very monument.

Nicholas using The Wallace Monument equally the backdrop for his prog stone album cover.  He thinks he looks similar he's air guitaring.  I intend he looks similar a terrible tango dancer.

Did I refer I beloved daffodils?  Did I refer at that spot was fog?

We were also neat to instruct to Stirling Castle.  To celebrate Easter long weekend , Stirling Castle had been turned into something of a Renaissance fair , amongst falconry as well as 16th century dancing as well as hurdy-gurdy playing.  I was most excited for the dancing.  Stirling Castle was pretty beautiful as well as the weather condition turned out to last amazing.  I fifty-fifty managed to instruct a whole solar daytime without whatever thermals – but a t-shirt. 

This owl was also tired to bargain amongst the tourists at the falconry session.

These ladies were the superlative of fashion (once)

We watched some really cool displays as well as I made friends amongst an owl.  We ran out of fourth dimension to encounter everything at Stirling Castle , in all likelihood because I was also busy dancing amongst ladies inward wonderful dresses , but that's ok.  There was a fatty human playing all kinds of foreign as well as wonderful instruments.  He directed us to his YouTube channel as well as says he also does weddings.  I'll proceed it inward hear if I e'er instruct married inward Scotland.  https://www.youtube.com/user/JimTribble/videos

Nicholas is a jester as well as I'm mortal dressed similar a Flemish painter

Stirling Castle (the forepart sentiment was obscured yesteryear an H2O ice cream truck , as well as then you lot instruct this i instead)

We walked some as well as tried on costumes as well as lazed some inward the Sun as well as eventually headed to the lovely solid inward Cupar where nosotros are now.  Nicholas is watching James Bond: Skyfall as well as looking at Glen Coe , where nosotros volition last inward well-nigh a month.  I’m looking at our pictures as well as non watching Outlander , fifty-fifty though I’d similar to be.  Tomorrow nighttime nosotros really DO army camp , as well as then wishing us luck!

We also drove yesteryear a town called Dollar as well as then nosotros stopped to direct maintain a painting demo amongst the Dollar Sign , because we're tourists.











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Tuesday

April 26: Historic Orkney

Hello friends |

Orkney isn’t built for camping.  On our foremost 24-hour interval , nosotros saw a lot of people amongst camper vans who had come upwards over on the ferry in addition to they were rattling well-equipped.  We were short-sighted in addition to , non for the foremost fourth dimension , nosotros regretted going amongst a auto in addition to tent over a camper.

The signs , advertisements in addition to text inward the Lonely Planet guide majority for Scotland that all proudly boat of Orkney’s renewable unloose energy , actually should’ve resonated amongst me more.  Even all the times that nosotros told Scottish people that nosotros were intending to campsite on Orkney , they precisely said things similar “there’s non a lot of tree encompass on Orkney , but you’ll uncovering something”.  Nobody mentioned that fact that the lack of trees is due to the unimaginable air current that would knock downwardly anything non erected inward stone.  Luckily , everything inward Orkney is made out of stone.  After all , there’s rattling petty woods here.

So nosotros slept inward the auto adjacent to a plain of sheep , waking upwards to the bleating of tiny lambs.  Nicholas woke upwards before I did , because I’d buried myself , wormlike , into my sleeping bag.  I recall we’ll slumber inward the auto i time to a greater extent than tonight.  We’re currently sitting inward the carpark exterior the Food Cooperative inward Stromness in addition to the hail is hence heavy it’s a whiteout on all sides.  I can’t fifty-fifty run into the electrical blueish sign that should endure 2m inward forepart of the car.  If nosotros always movement to Scotland , nosotros won’t endure looking yesteryear heated seats.  They’ve been our savior hence far.

Anyway , nosotros woke upwards this morn in addition to it was a Dominicus in addition to nosotros weren’t certain how much would endure opened upwards , hence nosotros decided to caput to some of the historic sites , similar every other tourist.  We started off at Maeshowe , which is a rattling ancient tomb non far from Stromness.  From a distance it looks similar a hobbit-hole amongst a petty door at the front.  As nosotros were approaching , Nicholas fifty-fifty said , “What’s that? I desire a draw of piece of job solid similar that?”  Obviously it wasn’t a draw of piece of job solid , but a tomb.

Somehow nosotros didn't instruct a moving-picture demo of Maeshowe.  Here's somebody else's picture.

Unlike other tombs , they didn’t throw you lot inward until you lot were almost alone os , afterwards leaving you lot out to decompose inward the plain first.  Robert , who was some other splendid guide provided to us yesteryear Historical Scotland , advised us that the reveal of bones remaining wouldn’t nearly brand upwards a whole skeleton.  “Birds would’ve nicked off amongst most of your fingers in addition to the similar ,” he said.

He showed us a lot of the graffiti inscribed yesteryear Vikings inward the 12th century , afterwards the tomb had been abandoned.  One of them featured a salivating domestic dog , in addition to said something along the lines of , “*Misc Viking Woman* is the most beautiful”.  Another said , inward perfect impress , “This was written yesteryear the best Viking writer” or something to that effect.  Another merely said , “This rune is written rattling high”.  They were apparently a creative bunch.  It’s the largest collection of runic inscriptions inward i identify inward the whole world.

You run inward in addition to instruct out Maeshowe yesteryear crouching in addition to walking along a hallway close 1m high in addition to 7m long.  Then you lot uncovering yourself inward an igloo-style stone dome , amongst 3 tombs off to the sides.  When nosotros exited the tomb in addition to works life ourselves subjected to the brilliant Orkney Sun in addition to overwhelming air current , nosotros were greeted yesteryear some other pair of sheep.  They aren’t kidding when they tell in that place are to a greater extent than sheep inward Scotland than people.

Probably from mutual frigidness in addition to all the extra calories required to walk through the gale that is Orkney , nosotros were already hungry i time to a greater extent than , hence nosotros caput to Skara Brae where nosotros assumed in that place was in all probability a café.  There was.  Their java machine was out of lodge , but they had an extensive collection of teas , hence nosotros had tea.  I had a scone.  Nicholas had a chunk of ‘fudge slice’ almost every bit large every bit the average spectacles case.  He sat inward a carbohydrate coma piece I finished off my lemon in addition to ginger tea.

Skara Brae Prehistoric Village

Everywhere nosotros become , people inquire us where we’re from.  Maybe they give-up the ghost on a tally somewhere or maybe my regal Loch Ness Monster t-shirt leads them to believe I’m a tacky American in addition to they can’t reconcile it amongst my accent.  We’re non sure.  Anyway , the chap at the Skara Brae store asked where nosotros were from , in addition to he knew mortal who lived inward Heidelberg but was coming dorsum to Orkney because she missed Orkney in addition to she missed haggis (why she does , nobody knows) , in addition to and hence nosotros chatted close animals in addition to Commonwealth of Australia in addition to Captain Cook in addition to videos of huntsmen on Youtube.  He told us close North Ronaldsay sheep , who accept adapted to alive on seaweed , in addition to are renowned for salty meat (something neither of us were especially interested in) but you lot tin also purchase their wool.  He showed us a majority close Orkney amongst a North Ronaldsay sheep on the forepart , standing on a rocky cliff amongst a oral cavity total of seaweed.

Skara Brae was quite a beautiful site in addition to the museum that was attached to it wasn’t also bad either.  They had reconstructed i of the houses (Skara Brae is a serial of 10 or hence interconnected homes that most probable had a household unit of measurement grouping inward each) to walk through.  Previously you lot could walk through whatever in addition to all of the petty homes , but they’re degrading also chop-chop straight off hence you lot tin only await from above.

The air current was coming inward off the body of body of water something violent , in addition to my hands were freezing inward my jacket.  The Historical Scotland guide who was hanging some was brilliant cherry-red inward the human face upwards from the air current in addition to the cold.  We had a wander some Skara Brae for quite a piece , discussing how cool the houses were in addition to comparison different tribes in addition to groups that are nomadic in addition to those that settle.

Looking into the hamlet of Skara Brae

The beach beside where Skara Brae straight off sits.  The shore wasn't nearly hence closed when the hamlet was foremost built.

Just close Skara Brae is the restored domicile of the human being who works life the site.  We popped into this draw of piece of job solid – Skaill House – which was a pretty fancy 1950’s home.  They had a tiger peel carpeting inward i room , but Nicholas in addition to I especially liked the library , which had 3 of import things.

1.     A circular window
2.     A bookcase that rotated to reveal a hole-and-corner cupboard
3.     A map amongst sea monsters on it

The hole-and-corner bookshelf cupboard

The monster on the map (above OCEANVS)

Some books I actually wanted to sift through

We decided non to become to the beach close Skara Brae , in addition to caput to the Yesnaby Cliffs , precisely S of Skaill Bay.  We had tiffin inward the auto before nosotros braced the winds (hiding out behind an onetime armed forces edifice to boil H2O for some loving cup noodles) to accept a await at the Sea Stacks , or castles , every bit they’re sometimes called.

They weren’t also dissimilar to structures nosotros accept at domicile , similar the 12 Apostles.  The biggest differences were the conditions in addition to how much it made you lot experience similar a tourist; similar everything inward Orkney , the cliffs were mutual frigidness in addition to extremely windy , in addition to in that place were no laid paths , only i other duad walking around.  This meant that – dissimilar when you lot view the 12 Apostles – you’re non waiting for hordes of other tourists to movement out of your pictures , in addition to you lot don’t accept i wooden platform to stance from.  There was also the little possibility that the cliffs could collapse beneath you lot , because the Scots alive dangerously.

Yesnaby , close the stacks

The Yesnaby 'Castle'

He looks similar a petty robot human being amongst ii stubby legs

Sea caves at Yesnaby

From hither , nosotros made a detour to option upwards some fresh breadstuff in addition to got stuck inward a snowstorm exterior the Food Cooperative , every bit I mentioned earlier.  The mountains over on Hoy , which we’d been sizing upwards in addition to contemplating climbing , were straight off completely white.  The Sun was starting fourth dimension to laid , because it was nearing 9pm , hence nosotros laid off to the Ring of Brodgar to sentry the Sun become downwardly over the standing stones.

One of the standing stones of Stenness - you lot tin run into the Sun coming through the snow-bearing clouds

Hoy , freshly covered inward snow

The stone circle at Brodgar is a laid of 36 stones from , presumably , close sixty standing stones.  It was a huge circle , amongst stones standing upwards to in all probability 4m.  One had been cracked inward ii yesteryear a lightning strike inward 1980 , in addition to its severed piece lay on the flooring adjacent to it.  We spent most of the fourth dimension taking pictures , because nosotros were losing lite quickly.  In the loch across the route , i roundish stone was sitting on some other stone , appearing to float on top of the water.

Given that the air current hadn’t allow upwards , the auto thermometer was reading a less-thank-balmy 1 score Celsius , in addition to the Earth was moisture amongst snowfall in addition to sleet from the tempest , nosotros slept inward the auto , overlooking the loch that housed the floating stone.

The Ring of Brodgar , soon before sunset

The Ring of Brodgar , during sunset



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