Aviemore

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Aviemore to Inverness

10:02 AM

20 days to go… boohoo. I’m really settling into this routine of packing and unpacking, settling in and moving on! At this time tomorrow, I’ll have been gone a week. That’s a QUARTER of my trip over, zip, done. I’m glad I’m getting into the ‘stuff’ I’ve really wanted to see. I think it really makes a lot of sense to get through Skye to Fort William, climb the Ben ,and go into Edinburgh for a day. Loch Lomond is supposed to be so beautiful.

… (more rambling about plans!)

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Inverness: 7:05 pm

I decided to go to Orkney on a day trip which will delay my schedule by one measly day (the Ben will be Wednesday). My Orkney day will be expensive; I’ll be ‘blowing’ the extra cash I’ve got. Once I get that out of the way, I’ll still be on my budget, but I won’t be ahead anymore. Who cares? I’ll only be here once! Besides two whole days of exploring Skye appeals to me. Now, if I could only get through to book the hostel! (I would have been ‘stuck’ on Skye Monday, anyways, since Haggis doesn’t do the southern ‘Skye-Edinburgh’ circuit on Mondays. Neither does it do the northern ‘Edinburgh-Skye’ circuit on Sundays.)

8:07 pm.

Well… I’ve got my accommodation booked straight through to next Thursday morning! It’s really nerve wracking, spending all this cash so quickly. At least Skye and Fort William are only £8.50 (no breakfast, of course). I figure that if I get some serious non-perishable food shopping going, I’ll be able to make up for my little folly of going up to Orkney.

I had a very lovely afternoon here in Inverness. I went up to the castle (blech!) and ended up this awesome tour about the ’45. (that’s the Jacobite rebellion of 1745.) I was smart and asked if there was a student price. There was and I save a whole 30p ! Well, that’s a chocolate bar here! (Speaking of chocolate, I don’t recommend chocolate ice cream in Scotland. Every time I ordered it, I was disappointed. It didn’t taste at all like chocolate. ‘Wall’s’ ice cream, the kind on a stick, has good chocolate, though.)

Anyhoo, the group was treated both congenially and as a troop enlisting in the army would have been treated. It was very interesting, the setting of the tour alone was worth the money (it began with a descent into a creepy cellar down damp stone steps and along candlelit walls!). Inverness itself has charming places, but it’s not great. It’s one place where I knew I’d be disappointed, but hoped I wouldn’t be. Still, from certain angles, the castle is stunning, and the bridges spanning the River Ness are pretty; one’s a suspension bridge and it literally rocks as people walk across it. Back on the ‘mainland,’ one feels that one has been on a boat!

This trip is unlike any other I’ve taken and this journal reflects this. I mean, I’ve got bad stuff in here like disappointment and discouragement! But there’s triumph here, too. I want to remember all of this trip.

 

This hostel is unbelievable. It looks and feels like a 5-star hotel. Everything’s carpeted and brand spanking new but… empty, I guess. The top bunks are high up! I don’t know whether to be claustrophobic and sleep up there or whether to be ‘heightaphobic’ and sleep down there! (During my stay, I only slept on a bottom bunk once and I didn’t sleep too well! The best bunks were the ones without ladders, believe it or not! They were easy to crawl onto and get off of and had the best mattresses! Offhand, I remember them being in Perth and Kyleakin, but there might have been a few other places.) There aren’t any keys, either. Instead we have those new-fangled magnetic card things. I hate ‘em. (My first time in Glasgow I had keys. When I returned, they had *just* changed to magnetic cards!) We need them to go almost everywhere in this hostel (into our rooms and into the lounge/laundry/ common room area). And I think that both here and Glasgow got a special on really ugly tartan carpeting! (although, like Glasgow itself, this carpet is growing on me, and I’m becoming rather fond of it!)

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Hiking Around Aviemore

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2:27 pm

I’m writing this from the majestic shore of Loch an Eilan, a 13th century castle ruin just a stone’s throw away. Unfortunately, it’s not accessible. It was raining when I left Aviemore this morning, but now the sun is shining and the clouds are clearing. I can see the blue Highland sky. The hills around me are all awash with rain, and so brown. A few more days like this and they are bound to explode into fiery purpleness.

What a bonnie, wee castle it is! I’m so jealous of the birds that come and go from it as they please. It is overrun by trees and bushes; I have a view of the ‘front door’ into the courtyard, but it is blocked by foliage. The ground here is boggy, boot sucking, cranberry jelly slurping out of a can boggy. I’ll have to do more laundry tonight ! Well, it’s a long way back to Aviemore, so I’ll be going.

Oh, the Highlands are bonnie, bonnie indeed!

6:55

What a great day! I really felt up to par, not sickish at all. I had a refreshing 11-hour night (9-8 AM !) and then that delightful walk. Sure enough, Loch an Eilan means the island in the lake. Tomorrow, I’m on to Inverness. I’ve made an important decision. It’s obvious that I won’t see everything I want to see on this trip. So, I’ve decided to see only what I’d want to see if this was my only trip to Scotland, ever. The Orkneys (Skara Brae) and Skye aren’t on that list. I will spend 2 days in Skye, but the Wallacey and Brucey ‘stuff’ is more important. So? I’ll definitely get to Edinburgh for the 27th. Maybe earlier. After, I’ll see the W’y and B’y stuff I’ve missed. After I’ll see Aberdeen, St. Andrews, and Dundee. Then, the south. If, and only if, I’ve got a few days left (and cash) I’ll go back up to Orkney. This schedule saddens me a little, but it’s one I can definitely live with. I’ll regret missing Kildrummy more than Skara Brae, that’s for sure. Oh, and there’s Turnberry, too!

I can’t believe it’s already the 16th! I’m starting to feel the clock ticking. I’m getting to Inverness a little late tomorrow (around 3:00 pm), but Thursday I’ll try to get both CAWDOR CASTLE and CULLODEN in. Now this is what I came to Scotland for! I must admit I’m getting antsy for Stirling, Bannockburn, and even Falkirk. I might have missed the Stirling Battle anniversary, but I’m right on time (!) for the Falkirk one. Supposedly, there’s some ‘stuff’ going on to commemorate the battle. Personally, I’d rather forget it! No, that’s not true, and I find it extremely sad that Wallace was essentially disgraced after losing this battle. Hello? You win some, you lose some.

I’ll think I’ll ‘go out’ tonight. There’s a movie on at 8:15. Sure, it’s an American flick, but, as (my mother) suggests, it would be interesting to compare Canadian/American cinemas with British cinemas. Besides, it’s only £3.

I had a fine dinner tonight: soup with cheese, the chewiest and most delicious bagel I’ve ever eaten, milk and a Dutchie-like pastry that’s less greasy and more yummy! I’ll never be able to eat a Dutchie again and think it’s delicious! I’m tired, but not going to bed early tired. Yup, I’m going out. I’ll be back a little late, but I can’t imagine getting lost in Aviemore, there have to be more rabbits and slugs than people in this crummy joint. I agree totally with The Rough Guide (my slightly outdated, but still amazing guidebook). Aviemore isn’t great, but it’s surrounded by great walking country.

Speaking of which, I don’t think I could have made it to the lake without a map and compass. Coming back was easier, but I missed my turnoff and had to backtrack. I was walking through heather moorland, just like I’ve always dreamed, climbing over fences and jumping burns. I think this ‘flat level’ walk did me a ton of good. Yep, I think I’ll be ready for Ben Nevis! (at least I hope; in the papers yesterday there was an article about a man who fell off the mountain and died. Thanks for the encouragement!) That’s one thing I’d regret not doing.

… (more rambling about plans)

9:46 pm

I didn’t make it to the movie, finally. I found the building, it was run down, creepy, and empty. I wasn’t desperate enough to brave the ‘entrance’ and go towards the sound of 2 voices. Instead, I had a lovely walk to the edge of town. When I got back here, I settled down with a newspaper and a Kit Kat and tea I’d bought. Then, I planned my stay in Inverness. I’ll ‘wander’ around town tomorrow. I should be able to do both Culloden and Cawdor on Thursday, they’re on the same bus route.

‘My heart’s in the Highlands

My heart is not here

My heart’s in the Highlands

A chasing the deer

Chasing the deer

And following the roe

My heart’s in the Highlands

Wherever I go. 

… (Burns)’

 

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Pitlochry to Aviemore

9:17 AM

I’ve had a terrific night. My internal alarm clock is working fine!

Breakfast was definitely worth £2! I couldn’t even finish! There was fresh fruit (I took an apple to eat later, as a snack!), yoghurt, excellent O.J., hard toast (there were 2, I could only eat 1), cereal (Alpen, again. What can I say? It’s great!). I also drank some of the very good cool milk. I’m all set to face the day. There’s about 2 ½ hours to go until Haggis picks me up.

This is my 1st rainy morning in Scotland. It’s sort of a relief. I was getting used to the good weather! It’s time to take out the parka. It’s going to be a pain in the butt, though, this wet weather. I’m going to be soaked all the time and laundry will take longer to dry. Ah! Welcome to Scotland!!! Anyhoo, I’m going to look through my guidebook to see if there are ‘Wallacey’ places near Aviemore. (nope) The closest I’ve come to dear old Bill was yesterday’s hike through Bobby Bruce country!

12:22 pm

I’ve just crossed over into the Highlands. It’s magical, misty, and (brown) heather covered. Just as I’ve always dreamt.

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4:25 pm.

I want to catch up on a ton of stuff that’s been lagging since Glasgow, so please excuse any rambling.

So… this is the Highlands. While Aviemore is butt ugly, They are majestic!!! Tomorrow, I’ve planned a hike around Loch an eilan, which I suppose means lake and island. There’s a castle in the middle of the loch (on the eilan, of course). This is the ugliest hostel I’ve ever stayed in. The building was obviously built with this purpose in mind. Walking down the halls, one’s feet resonate as they do when one walks through a mobile home. This group of French students has just come in and they’re loud! There is nothing to the town and it is very unfriendly. Still, it looks like good walking country. This is a ‘resort’ town and there’s an Americanish feel to it. I glanced at a restaurant menu and guess what was the first item on the menu? I’ll give you a hint. Their version comes with a choice of cheeses and sauces/gravies. Give up? POUTINE!!! And spelled just that way ! ! Unbelievable !

As I walked down to the visitor’s centre (a fair walk, but much more useful, cheap, and friendly than the information centre), there were these weird little black things on the ground. Thinking they might be dog poop, I tried to shove one aside so that people wouldn’t step on them. To my surprise, they were kind of… mushy. I poked on a little, trying to guess what on Earth it could be. Eventually, I gave up and went on my way. A few metres down, I found another. This one had a face. It was a slug. I feel so bad, I most likely killed the other one. I also saw a hare/rabbit in a meadow.

Now, some notes of a much more general nature:

1)         SYH (that’s Scottish Youth Hostels) sleep 5 nights, get 6th free. My 2nd night in Inverness will be free, I guess. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my voucher in Glasgow. If I did, tomorrow night or my 1st night in Inverness would be free. Oh well, I have a whole other voucher, too.

The hostels appear to have a ‘formula’. Big, comfy, comforters  with linen included in the price.

2)         taps: this is the 1st place I’ve encountered where hot and cold water come out of the same faucet (Yay! I won’t have to wash my hair in cold water tomorrow!)

3)         Haggis: basically, I call Edinburgh at least 24 hrs. before I want to move, give them my # (9337) and tell them where I want to go. I’m picked up at the time I was dropped. It’s that easy! The drivers chatter non-stop about anything remotely related to Scotland! Craig, whom I had today, seems more… approachable? than John whom I had Glasgow to Edinburgh to Pitlochry. Both, though, are excellent guides and heaps of fun!

4)         heather: the hills are fuzzy with the stuff! It’s just on the point of blooming, it has a purpley tinge to it already. I’ve been told that a few more days of sun and the hills will come alive, a full month and a ½ early! (no such luck. I’ll have to go in August next time!) Oh! I hope so !

I’ve probably forgotten some stuff, but that’s it for now.

past 8

The kitchen here is unbelievable! A long row of (gas) stoves and several others of sinks. All very clean. I just had soup and milk for dinner, I wasn’t feeling up to par today, maybe it’s the water?.. (I finally clue in!)

Can you believe I saw a car today that had honest to goodness, genuine HAWAII licence plates? I’ve seen a plate like that on a car in Chambly, but in Aviemore, Scotland?! Now, that car’s a long way from home ! Anyhoo, I’m going to retire with a book someone left on the pamphlet rack. Whenever I’m done with it I’ll leave it in some pamphlet rack ! I have yet to decide where I’m going to stay in Inverness. There are tons of hostels! I’ll ask for advice, I guess, I’d like to stay in a relatively small and quiet one.

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In Which I Discovery Whisky and Uskeba is Born

10:27 AM

I’m following the orange trail. I’ve stopped at the Golf pond. You should see the ducks! I shared part of my lunch with them!

11:08 AM

I’m sitting on a carved piece of wood that has a plaque which says ‘sit and enjoy the view’. So I am. The whole of Perthshire is laid out before me. Everything is so painfully beautiful and green. I’m following a road that Robert the Bruce marched across in 1306! Is it a wonder that I have ‘Scots Wha Hae’ running over and over in my mind! And to think that I couldn’t get myself out of bed this morning! It was 9 when I finally dragged myself out. Well, I’ll be on my way. I do want to make it to the distillery today and I must do so before 4. Lots of time, you say? I’m still at the beginning of this walk and it’s like 9.5 klicks or something. I haven’t felt so at peace since Colorado. Here’s another place where I’ll leave a chunk of my soul.

time? I don’t care! near noon

I’ve just finished an incredible hike up. The view here is so clear we can see straight through to the Glencoe mountains in the west. This place is called Craighower Hill. (The view out to Skye is ‘the Road to the Isles’, which can only be seen on a clear day, which are very rare. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky!!!)

12:58

Well, I’m back on the bench! It’s taken me 2 whole hours to get up and back. The road down was very twisty. The people who design roads in this country must be a little loco! The view from Craighower was incredible. I felt like I had the whole of Scotland at my feet. I used to find Canada rugged, well it isn’t, it’s untamed. Scotland has tamed its lands, while not foregoing an endearing ruggedness. ‘How could people have survived here for so long, fought to keep the land?’ (I took this paraphrase from the Lonely Planet guide to Great Britain) Oh! It’s so beautiful, better than in all my dreams! I walked through meadows of what I assume to be unbloomed heather. I’ll be on my way now, I want to do the distillery walk and the distillery opens in an hour. I can’t wait to taste the supposedly foul tasting brew. I’m told that most people don’t like ‘water of life’, so, since I’m so unlike most people, I’ll probably like it! Yeah right! I’m not expecting to enjoy it, but I look forward to finally tasting some.

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5:38 pm.

I think I’m in trouble. My initial reaction to whisky was the same as my initial reaction to beer: ‘I don’t like it, but I don’t hate it’. One knows how I have come to acquire a palate for beer, to say the least!

I’ve done more than enough walking for today! I am so stiff! I luxuriated in a scalding shower and put on totally fresh clothes, including jeans. I’m spending 2 nights in Aviemore, so if I launder straight away when I arrive I should have pretty much 2 full days for my laundry to dry! (turns out Aviemore is one of a few hostels I encountered which has a ‘drying room’—a room where the heat is turned way up at night so that clothes may dry more quickly.) I’m so pooped I can’t envision going down the steep hill outside leading up to the hostel in order to get dinner. I’ll have to go up it, after!

I’m very ahead in my budget so if I manage to get my butt ‘downtown’ I think I’ll have dinner in a restaurant. I should be eating more. Maybe that’s why I’m not up to my usual speed.

On my way back from Craighower, I stopped to feed the ducks (again). I got some to eat right out of my hand! One even clamped his beak down on my finger, but it didn’t hurt. One of the birds had a lame foot. I was extra generous to it!

It’s almost 6 so I guess I’ll go in search of dinner. I think tomorrow will be a ‘down’ day. They are necessary, I think. Tuesday, I’ll explore the area around Aviemore just like I did today in Pitlochry. Later.

7:48 pm

I returned from a yummy dinner of a veg. burger (hey, they’re cheap and filling, and this one was (and still is) the best I’ve ever eaten!) to find 2 guys in my room. Thanks to Edinburgh, I was hardly fazed. I nonchalantly headed down to the common room to discover that in my absence one of the ‘hostesses’ confronted the Aussie who was also staying tonight, claiming that she and I hadn’t paid for tonight! Well, my roomie got that sorted out. Anyhow, I found out that 6 guys had been put in the room and we had to move. It’s no big deal, but it is a hassle. I’d just spread out some wet stuff (now all those guys know what my undies look like!) and after rummaging through my bag, I’d left stuff strewn all over the bunk. Plus, I had to remake the bed. Oh well, it is better than sleeping w/ the sheep! I hope I won’t be hassled about ‘not having paid’ tomorrow! I asked for directions to the ‘small dining room’. I was told to look for a door marked ‘strictly private’… and go in. Boy, I love the Scots!!!

… (extremely tentative itinerary)

Hell, I’m never going home!

Despite its beautiful name, it would appear that there isn’t much in Inverness. That doesn’t matter, I guess, since I’ll be using Inverness as a ‘springboard’ to the northern Highlands. I’m even starting to think that I shouldn’t ‘rush’ things with Haggis and just make a quick ‘overnight’ to Edinburgh to meet John and Linda (the authors of the ‘MacBraveheart’ homepage). I think Skye will take a long time to explore. It would appear that Eilean Donan (castle) is worth the trip. Besides, Skye is part of the Hebrides! ‘And we in dreams behold the Hebrides’. (‘Canadian Boat Song’) I have to go!

It’s 8:35 and I’m just about ready for bed! I hiked almost non-stop and was up for 8 hours. I guess this is how I’ll feel once I’ve tackled Ben Nevis ! Actually, I have a ton of packing to do. Breakfast is from between 8 and 9 AM. And I have to be out of the room by 9:30. I’m supposed to be out of the hostel by 10 :30, but I’m sure I’ll be allowed to stay until the Haggis bus comes (there are 4 of us leaving, at least). I hope that the Aviemore hostel isn’t on top of a hill.I’m going to have to rethink my travel arrangements, I’m losing a lot of time.

 

I just discovered that Aviemore is in the Highlands!!! Yippee!!! This is way cool. Cool, cool, cool, cool!!!