April 2 & 3: A cemetery for dogs & cracking the da Vinci code

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Nicholas getting inward touching on amongst his Scottish Heritage

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few times nosotros had intended to larn to Edinburgh castle , but this was the twenty-four hours it all came to fruition. We got upward squeamish together with early on , walked downward to the castle together with started off amongst a tour.  The guy's hollo was James together with was , manifestly , business office of a long trace of piece of employment of James' to pass fourth dimension at the castle.  It was a pretty brief touring , going over some Scottish history that he claimed he wasn't quite hence good versed in.  We didn't know whatever amend hence nosotros couldn't right him.

We had a flake of a compass out of the Scottish jewels which were non quite every bit spectacular every bit those at the Tower of London , but I was pretty fond of the staff.  Scotland is cool.

Next , Nick together with I popped into the Great Hall , where a real Scottish looking lad was giving weapon demonstrations.  Nicholas was lucky plenty to endure picked (or , I was obvious plenty that I wanted him to endure picked) to endure rugged upward inward Highlander chic. He had the laurels of beingness a Scottish pigfarmer named Hamish from but exterior Inverness , recruited to struggle inward the Battle of Culloden (like inward Outlander).  I recall I enjoyed it to a greater extent than than he did.  That’s ok amongst me.

Nick beingness kilted upward (it takes a human to wearable a dress)

You tin flip the tartan over your caput for a handy hood inward mutual frigidity weather.

Our handy guide demonstrating a peachy means to stun your opponent if your weapons don't produce the trick: but disrobe.  "Because if there's i affair to a greater extent than intimidating than a horde of large , hairy , angry men chargin' towards yous , it's a horde of large , hairy , angry naked men."

Just downward from a tiny niggling chapel in that location was a cemetery for soldier’s dogs.  This made me particularly deplorable but also happy because it reminded me but how much the Scots beloved their dogs.  There are dogs everywhere inward Scotland.  On the strange occasion yous come across places signed that state they demand to endure on a atomic number 82 , but most of the fourth dimension they but roam costless , trotting along yesteryear their human’s feet.  It’s amazing.  It’s the best.  I beloved Scotland.

The cemetery for soldier's dogs.  RIP Scamp.

I bailed early on from Edinburgh Castle , leaving Nicholas to facial expression at the state of war museum department yesteryear himself.  I walked yesteryear a huge plain of daffodils (daffodils are everywhere inward Edinburgh) to the High St , where I was having a handling at the Lush Spa.  In illustration you’re non aware , I move at Lush together with I beloved Lush (Lush is Love.  Lush is Life).  In some countries (ie non Australia) , they receive got spas that are amazing inward everywhere together with similar tiny English linguistic communication province cottages that odour amazing together with serve yous tea together with jammy dodgers.  I had a handling called Synaesthesia , based on the status , which 2 of the founders have.  It was totally immersive together with smelt hence proficient together with the massage was also hence good.  I beloved Lush.  It was a proficient day.

 The 1 o'clock gun hence yous tin synchronise your timekeepers onboard!

Edinburgh together with Arthur's Seat 

This whiskey is thirteen 600 pounds.  POUNDS.  We did some whiskey tasting though.  It was gooooood.

There are lots of pictures of Nicholas inward this post.  Here's i of me.

We were thinking close heading to a pub for dinner , but were hence relaxed from our spa that nosotros caput dorsum to Fergus’ identify to lookout adult man some Outlander (I watched Outlander.  Nicholas read Sherlock Holmes , fifty-fifty though he totally wanted to lookout adult man Outlander).

The side yesteryear side twenty-four hours was Good Fri , hence a reasonable twenty-four hours to see a religious establishment.  Cue: Rosslyn Chapel.  The conditions was pretty poor together with nosotros had to run for our bus.  The staff at the Chapel were incredibly sugariness niggling erstwhile women.  One annoying affair close Scotland is that most places solely give yous concession access if you’re  a) actually erstwhile , b) disabled.  Students don’t count.  At the Chapel , I asked if I could larn concession entry amongst a pupil carte du jour , she asked if Nicholas together with I were both students , nosotros said solely me , together with she waved her paw together with gave us 2 pupil tickets anyway.

Then she said , “Now , today is Good Fri hence in that location volition endure quite a few people inward in that location praying.”

We nodded , expecting her to inform us that nosotros needed to endure serenity , pay our respects , etc.

“Just ignore them.  They’ll complete upward close three.  Have a proficient twenty-four hours ,” she said.  It wasn’t what nosotros expected.

We went within , were handed a pair of sound guides yesteryear some other friendly erstwhile lady , together with started making our means roughly the Chapel.  It actually is an incredibly detailed carved Chapel.  This was all real beautiful together with in that location were some cool stories behind some of the carvings (all the information could endure found inward pictures together with videos exterior the Chapel: it was real high tech) but in that location was also a cat.  The cats ever win inward my book.

The Chapel

Standing exterior the Chapel

So many daffodils inward Scotland right now!

I’ll tell yous i affair close the Chapel earlier I tell yous close the cat.  There was a pillar that a stonemason had made , together with he requested his apprentice brand another.  Basically , when the bricklayer went away for a piece , the apprentice made i that was a meg times amend together with , when the bricklayer returned , he was hence mad close beingness upstaged that he hitting him over the caput amongst a stonemasonry tool together with killed him.  Here’s a less bastardised version of the same floor I found on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosslyn_Chapel#Apprentice_pillar

Back to the cat.  One Lord's Day , a identify unit of measurement from the town of Roslin wandered to the Chapel together with their niggling dark together with white kitten followed them.  They left.  The truthful cat found the identify plumbing equipment together with stayed.  Perhaps ironically , or perchance they changed it afterward they adopted him , his hollo was William (William St Clair was the founder of the Chapel).  Another friendly together with tiny erstwhile lady distracted William from the pats Nicholas together with I were showering him amongst to give him biscuits.  She started telling us a host of stories close the quite large tuxedo cat.

On i occasion , a lady was getting married inward the Chapel inward a beautiful designer gown amongst a long train.  They asked her if she wanted them to relocate William for the service together with she said he was fine to remain inward the pews , where he unremarkably liked to sit.  As she processed downward the aisle , William decided to accept a ride on her develop together with hence curled upward for a slumber during the “I do”s.

On some other occasion , he brought inward a one-half eaten rabbit together with dropped it yesteryear the altar during Eucharist.  I couldn’t brand this materials upward if I tried.

You can't accept pictures within the Chapel , where William was , hence I pinched this i off the internet.

After Rosslyn Chapel , nosotros felt a flake obliged to come across a few landmarks together with monuments that nosotros hadn't had a jeopardy to come across yet.  I couldn't tell yous what they were for or who commissioned them or what they were called.  It was actually mutual frigidity together with I was feeling a flake coach sick from the trip to Rosslyn.  Here's a yoke of pictures. (I wrote this earlier I looked through the pictures together with in that location were real few of the monuments together with but a lot of me , which shows yous were Nicholas' priorities were)

Me inward front end of Edinburgh

Holyrood Palace (which nosotros also never had fourth dimension to see)

One of the aforementioned monuments

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April 26: Historic Orkney

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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 12^th 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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