Scotland: Neist Point Lighthouse

We drove several hours on narrow winding roads across the Isle of Skye to see Neist Point Lighthouse. Imagine my disappointment when we arrived to thick fog. We couldn't see anything! Erick and I decided we would hang out for a bit and see if it would clear up...

It cleared!! I stayed up on the clifftop to try to get a good photo:

Joey and David decided to hang out in the car and watch a movie. They had a pretty great view from the car:

Erick, Bailey, and TJ decided to hike down to see the lighthouse up close. The pictures below are from their adventure. Do you see the little white dot in the rocks at the bottom of the cliff? That is an ill-fated sheep. Watch your step!

Neist Point Lighthouse was build in 1909. It became fully automated in 1990. The buildings surrounding it used to be the home of the family who manned the lighthouse. Then for a time, they became rental properties for tourists. Now they are mostly abandoned:

Scotland: Eilean Donan Castle

Eilean Donan castle was probably my favorite castle to photograph, with a stone bridge leading to the entrance and a beautiful lake surrounding it. I struggled, however, to capture the castle without hoards of people in every shot. I have learned through my travels, that patience often pays off.

After touring the castle and preparing to leave, I noticed that there was a lull in the number of visitors walking along the bridge. I jumped at my chance, and captured a few of my favorite photos from this trip:

The tide was out, so Erick and the kids hiked all around the grounds and under the bridge. It is a beautiful place!

Brief History: The name Eilean Donan means island of Donan. Donan was the name of an Irish Saint, who came to Scotland in 580 AD. Many churches and buildings in the area share this name.

The first fortifications at this location were built in the 1200s to protect the inhabitants from Vikings, who terrorized this area.

In the 1600s and 1700s, Eilean Donan played a role in the Jacobite uprisings. In 1719, English ships bombarded the castle, which housed Jacobite supporters. Afterward, soldiers went ashore and blew up the castle.

The fortress remained in ruins until until Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap bought the island in 1911. LTC Macrae-Gilstrap had the castle restored and opened to the public.

Scotland: Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

As we were driving to Loch Ness, we saw a sign for a public toilet on the side of the road. At that stop we saw a beautiful river and two stone bridges. I wish we had planned more time for just hiking through these mountains and along these rivers...

When we arrived at Urquhart Castle, (no surprise) it began raining again. Also, I wasn't feeling well. I took a few photos - all posted here - then I went and sat down in the cafe while the kids and Erick explored the castle ruins more in depth.

With the clouds and fog, I felt that the ruins and the lake felt much more mysterious than they had when I visited before. It seemed much more likely that the Loch Ness Monster might make an appearance. The kids looked fervently, but didn't see anything unusual.

After exploring outside, we all ate lunch in the cafe. The kids and Erick tried Irn Bru soda for the first time (not pictured). I still don't really like it, but the kids thought it was alright.

Quick history: Urquhart Castle was the center of much excitement during the middle ages. The Scottish Clans and the English battled over it repeatedly, and ownership of the castle changed hands multiple times. In the 1300s, Urquhart was the only Highland castle able to hold out against the English.

The main tower, called Grant Tower, was built in the 1500s.

In the late 1600s during the first of the Jacobite Risings, Urquhart became a garrison. In 1692 soldiers blew up the castle. It then fell into disrepair.

It is now one of the most visited castles in Scotland. (info from www.historicenvironment.scot)

Scotland: Glenfinnan Viaduct and Glencoe

 While in Scotland, we were hoping to take a train ride on the Jacobite, a steam train that travels across the highlands. Sadly, the train was completely booked during our week-long vacation. So instead, we went to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a portion of the track made famous by the movie Harry Potter.

In an effort to get a decent picture, Erick and I trudged through some serious mud. Can you see it? I made the kids stay on the path. They wanted to climb up too, but I just couldn't handle the idea of all the mud when we still had hours of driving ahead of us. It didn't stop them from getting soaked in the rain, though.

We really loved the wild and rugged landscape of the highlands. I asked Erick to pull over often, so I could capture the beautiful scenery. It was raining most of the day, and the clouds and fog covered many of the mountains. Every once in a while, it would clear up a bit.

We ended up driving through Glencoe, a famous, scenic, and historic area. There is Celtic lore that originates in Glencoe and lots of Scottish history surrounding the MacDougall, the MacDonald, and the Campbell Clans. Most recently, the movies Skyfall and Harry Potter were filmed here.

When there is rain, there are often rainbows!