Part I – Edinburgh

Part II – Isle of Skye, Harris, and Lewis

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Day 7 – Inverness and Lochness – Scottish Highlands

Urquhart_Castle’s history can be traced back almost a millennia to the Picts, early settlers of Scotland.  Supposedly a Pict King was converted to Christianity here by St. Columba from Iona.  The castle was built in the 7th Century and them intentionally blown up by the British at end of the 18th century to keep the Jacobites from overtaking it.  It sits on the edge of Loch Ness, providing a unique view out over the water.

River Ness runs though the town of Inverness, in the Scottish Highland, which is equal parts historic and hip. Inverness is also on the northern coast of the Great Glen Fault. This fault line formed most of the Lochs over 300 million years.

We ate at The Kitchen Restaurant which was an unplanned treat. If you can believe it, we fought over the last piece of pickled herring (if you can believe it!) and shared a fabulous duck entree.  We then got gelato at Miele’s Gelatoria, they even have non-dairy options.  Finally we ended the night with a few half pints of the local beer at Black Isle Bar.  It was a real treat to sample the micro-brew culture of the Scottish Highlands.

Day 8 – Clava Cairns and Culloden – Scottish Highlands

Clava Cairns are ancient Bronze Age burial sites, shaped like a slabbed letter C.  (C is for Cairn, that’s good enough for me.) The other edge is large boulders that hold the larger stones.  They are about 1.5 meters high and about 30m in diameter.  They are found all other the Scottish Highlands and Ireland as well.

Culloden Battlefield was chalked full of history about a tragic last stand in what could be described as a British civil war.  The Scotsman that fought for the insurgency of Bonny Prince Charlie were ill prepared to fight against the heavy artillery of the British government.  Yet they bravely and tragically fought the lost cause anyway, which is why it is romantically commemorated.  The show Outlander tells the story of the highlander clans from the perspective of a time traveling doctor (no, not THE Doctor, that’s a different show).

Day 9 – Stirling Castle – Stirlingshire, Scotland

Stirling is just south of the Scottish Highlands, so please forgive us from including in our “Highlands” post.  It might have been our favorite town, it is filled with history yet light on the tourists.  The old town sits on a hill, with Stirling Castle on top.

For our anniversary dinner we when to the Stirling Highland Hotel and had a lovely 3 course meal. The big surprise was that Juliette and selected the location because of one unique feature.  Their building used to be a high school and in 1888 an observatory was added to house a one of a kind telescope. Cooper was thrilled to photograph this awesome little rotunda with rotating roof.  Although the hotel runs tours, only the Stirling Astronomical Society can use the telescope to star gaze.  It is worth coming back one day.

Day 10 – Stirlingshire – Scotland

Another treat for pop culture geeks was our visit to Doune Castle, Deanston. You might recognize it from Monty Python and the Holy Grail (if so, according to the very comedic woman running our guest house, you are probably male).  Otherwise, and more recently, the castle can be seen in the TV show Outlander as well as Game of Thrones. Visitors are given complimentary headset guides narrated by the Python Director and historian Terry Jones.  Outlander fans on the tour are occasionally treated to the dulcet tones of the historical heartthrob Sam Heughan.  Come early to this castle to get the best experience, sans large crowds.  Be warned, you will run into at least one “Thrones-er”, “Sasanach”, or Knight that says “Ni!”

We recommend taking a tour of the Deanston distillery, if the spirit compels you, since it is very close to Doune Castle.

Not only did we get to taste a dram or two but we also got to see the entire facility, including the aging room.  Deanston may be the only distillery in the world that relies solely on its own renewable power generation.  The facility had previously been a cotton mill, built in 1830, that harnessed the flowing water of the adjacent river Teith to run turbines.  After a few upgrades the plant now generates enough energy that the distillery only uses 25% of it, the rest feeds the grid!

Airth castle is a funky hotel in Airth.  There we met Wallace McIntosh, an old English Sheep Dog. He ran right for Cooper, who was tickled purple!

Our final stop was in The Helix in Falkirk at sunset.  There we admired the grand modern horse sculptures known as the “Kelpies”.  Kelpies are a mythological creature know for taking the form of a horse and feared for dragging their victims under water.  Luckily these Kelpies just lit up and remained inert.  It was the perfect end to an amazing tour of Scotland.

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(Our First Days in Edinburgh)

Day 4 – Isle of Skye – Scotland

Our first stop was in the sweet, small harbor town of Portree. We used it as a home base, staying at the Portree Hotel in the center of town. We drove out to nearby sites including, the Old Man of Storr, The Fairy Pools, and the Fairy Glenn.

We went to the elusive Old Man of Storr in the Trotternish peninsula. We hiked for about two hours into the mountains hoping to see the natural formed stones. Patience was key because for most of our hike the stones were covered by a think mist. After exploring and testing our new drone, the Old man finally revealed himself, but only for a few moments.

Next we made our way to Mealt Falls and Kilt Rock which stands at 90 meters allowing for a magnificent view of the north-eastern cost of the Isle of Skye. Kilt Rock is made of dolerite Jurassic strata rock, that’s right this part of Staffin hosts the most impressive collection of Scottish dinosaur remains found along this coast!

Day 5 – Isle of Skye – Scotland

Our second day in the Isle of Skye, we took an early morning boat ride on Stardust Boat tours in hopes of seeing some native wildlife.

We made our way out around the Raasay Sound in search of golden eagles and seals. Even with a long lens it is challenging to see golden eagles because they blended in so well with the scenery.

The natural waterfall known as the Fairy Pools boasts vivid blues and greens and are the habitat of a variety of animals. When we were hiking the tourist friendly trail we spotted two golden eagles mating in the sky. 

Continuing our search for mysterious fairies, Juliette drove to the small hamlet of Uig. There, just outside the little harbor town is the magical Fairy Glenn. A landslip in miniature and a winding road leads visitors to a breathtaking view of rolling hills.

Day 6 – Isle of Harris & Lewis – Scotland

One of our favorite places to visit on our Scotland trip was the Isle of Harris and Lewis. We drank gin, made friends with the locals and honored Scotts of the past by visiting the ancient standing stones.  Ferry goers are met by the distillery when they roll into the port.

We took a lovely ferry ride (Juliette’s new favorite thing!) and enjoyed beautiful ocean views. The Harris Gin Distillery was right next to the ferry so even though it was early in the morning we went ahead and visited and tried some delicious G&Ts!

Driving around the island was breathtaking. We rarely saw other people as we made our way along the countryside. Juliette was on a mission to see the neolithic Calanais standing stones made famous by the show Outlander.  Be careful not to touch the center stone because you will likely travel back in time. Travellers will find other stone monuments commemorating various clans, mountain climbers and Jacobites throughout the Isle of Lewis.

The Calanais stones were a focus for ritual activity during the Bronze Age and now make a great place for selfies!

The Stones create a circle pattern of thirteen stones with a monolith near the middle. Five rows of standing stones connect to this circle. Two long rows of stones running almost parallel to each other from the stone circle to the north-northeast form a kind of walkway.

There are shorter grouping of stones to the west-southwest, known as Cnoc Fhillibhir Bhig (aka Callanish III) that we visited.  We were greeted by a herd of cows that were tending their calves.

All of the stones are all the same rock type, most likely from the same quarry. Over the years the site was used as a burial site, then in the bronze age it may have been used for farming. Others believe that the stones hold power and that they are monuments used for rituals therefore they hold a special significant to the locals.

Our Scotland trip be continued in an upcoming part III.

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Day 1 – Edinburgh – Scotland

On our first day in Scotland we landed safely at the airport and made our way into town. It was challenging for Juliette to adjust her driving to the other side of the road, but she managed to get us to our guesthouse in one piece. The city of Edinburgh was full of life! We opted in and took a city bus tour on our first day to get the lay of the land. I loved weaving in and out of the streets and hearing all of the stories of Edinburgh’s past. We glimpsed beautiful stone buildings, monuments while hearing bag pipe music flowing through the air.

We arrived just before Edinburgh Festival so the town was slowly getting ready for one of it’s busiest theatre season.

After our bus tour we visited a local fun house, the Camera Obscura!

One of the best meals of our trip was at The Witchery near Edinburgh castle. The occult decor set the mood, the food was magical, and they even accommodated Juliette’s casin allergy.

Day 2 – Edinburgh – Scotland

On our second day, we took an English style horseback ride with Seacliff Stables and glimpsed the famous Bass rock from North Berwick beach.

We also toured Edinburgh Castle located at the end of the Royal Mile. The Military Tattoo was also in full effect when we visited. It is an annual series of events held in August where British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands perform in teams on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. We didn’t have a chance to see the performance because tickets are sold out far in advance.

We ended our last night in Edinburgh with a very extravagant 6 course meal at The Timberyard. If you have the time (and the resources) you must stop by for some of the finest cuisine in Scotland.

After dinner we took a late night precarious hike up to Arthur’s Seat to see the city filled with light.

Day 3 – Fort William – Scotland

On day three we hit the open road, delicious sandwiches in tow to make our way to Fort William and the Glenfinnan Viaduct. The viaduct is famous for being featured in Harry Potter, taking the Hogwarts express to the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

We stayed in the lovely Mansefield Guesthouse for the night and were treated to a delicious breakfast the next morning. Having a full breakfast became routine for us, and helped to give us energy for the day ahead.

Our Scotland trip continues in Part II: The Isle of Skye and Beyond

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The audience used its tear off ballot to vote, Artist ANDRE and Marthalicia Matarrita were clear favorites in round one.

We both fell in love with Marthalicia’s first painting and were locked in a silent bidding war to purchase it.

Round 1 also saw Jaquelyn and Tony Carter eliminated but both had a decent showing.

Art Battle Round 2

Round 2 featured Ki Sub Lee, Krissy Whiski, A.E. Kieren and a Wildcard drawn from names thrown into a hat upon entry.

Shout out to our good buddy Soren Hansen for the lead on this fun combination of art, competition, theatre and adult beverages!

The Finals

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Garden of the Gods – Colorado Beauties

On our first day in Denver we decided to drive about an hour south of the city to Colorado Springs to see the Garden of the Gods red rock formations. The highway turned into a winding two lane road between giant red rocks.

The rock formations towered over us and we had a pleasant hike through the grounds. We saw rock climbers precariously scale the sides of the gods and about dozen deer just grazing under a tree.

Seven Falls

We then steered the car toward Seven Falls and along the way saw some whimsical kinetic wind sculptures on a private property we later found out were built by Starr Kempf. He was a beautiful soul that met a tragic end.

Once we reached Seven Falls we took a shuttle to a tram to get high into the mountains. Two hundred and twenty four steep stairs were our next challenge to get to the top of the waterfalls.

We almost collapsed on the way up, but the view was totally worth it!

Washington Park

On day two we explored Denver’s Washington Park and took a stroll around it’s beautiful lake. It was surreal being in the city but seeing those big rocky mountains in the distance.

Atomic Cowboy

After walking through the park we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with a Black Velvet (Guinness and Cider) at The Irish Rover. Then had brunch at Atomic Cowboy and ate Biscuit sandwiches that were the size of our heads.

Ratio Beerworks

Next stop was Ratio Beerworks,  a local microbrewery where we sat outside with locals and enjoyed a purple and pink sunset.

Red Rocks Amphitheater

The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, U2 and Radiohead have all graced the Red Rock stage. On this trip we got our 15 minutes of fame. I can’t imagine seeing a band concert at this venue. 

Root Down

After our performance we headed downtown to have dinner at Root Down. On the menu, pork tenderloin with farm potatoes and jam, lamb sliders and sweet potato fries, and kimchi ribs with a fried egg.

Sweet Action

We ended our night at one of the many delicious ice cream parlors Sweet Action, and Juliette had a vegan milkshake! I haven’t had a milkshake in three years.

Breckenridge Mountains, Colorado

On Day four, we took the long trek to Breckenridge, an adorable ski town outside of Denver to check out some skiers, and get a little more up close and personal with those powered Rocky Mountains. We didn’t end up skiing ourselves, but had some fun flying our drone camera, and getting stuck in some fresh snow banks.

All in all, Denver had great food, beautiful landscapes, and was very hip. I can’t wait to visit our friends Chris and Kate again.

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Reformed Church Cemetery History

The Flatlands Reformed Church was established in 1654, and this greek revival style church building was built in 1848. The Dutch Reformed Church was formed in the Protestant Reformation, its first church (now called the Marble Collegiate Church) in the Americas was in New Amsterdam, now Manhattan.

We brought tulips to the church cemetery since they are often associated with the Dutch.  While researching this post I discovered that the association has everything to do with a historical event called Tulip Mania.  It is the story of the first known economic bubbles, when the price of tulip bulbs became unsustainable in the Dutch market.  This occurred during the Dutch Golden Age (1568–1648) in 1636, this church was founded less than 20 years later.

A spooky mist rolled through the graveyard while we were there.

Reflections on American History

It is tragic when memorial sites are desecrated like those in a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia this week. This kind of religious persecution is why so many Europeans came to the New World in the 17th century. America was for centuries the land of opportunity and freedom, now it is beginning to look like so many other failed states that no longer protect their most vulnerable citizens.

Having a claim to three centuries of ancestry in the United States does not give one the cultural claim to this country. Escaping oppression is often the burden of the oppressed, yet we also must all overcome the desire to become oppressors.

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana

History repeats itself regardless of our memory, often by those who studied it the hardest. They are the scratch in the record that we refuse to take off the turntable.  It’s time to make new music.

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