Scotland: Old Man of Storr

While I was researching the Isle of Skye before our trip, I saw gorgeous pictures of distinct tall narrow rock formations. The photos that I saw online were breathtaking, and I wanted to see the rock formations for myself. 

I knew it would be a bit of a hike to get to the rock formations, but I was excited to do it. I was sure the kids would love it! The sky was still overcast, but the weather was mild. 

The tallest and most famous of the formations is called Old Man of Storr. In the next picture, you can sort of make out the shape of it in the center. Unfortunately, the higher we climbed, the more dense the fog became. 

We decided to stop and wait for the fog to roll off. Waiting had already worked once today at the lighthouse. It seemed like a good idea...

The longer we waited, the more thick the fog became. Eventually, we decided to continue our hike up toward the formations. We hiked all the way up until we touched the Old Man of Storr. And that's when the wind and the rain started coming down. Hard:

We hiked back down a very wet and muddy mountain. It was quite an adventure! Once we got back to the car, we were dripping wet. We had the boys strip down to their underwear, so they wouldn't be too cold and their clothes could dry. Joey and Bailey wouldn't go for that idea themselves, so they just suffered for the five hour drive to Edinburgh.

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)