I walked across Edinburgh early to pick up the rental car. Monday morning traffic was already starting to pick up, and many pedestrians filled the streets on their way to work. The rental went off without any problems, and I was on my way back to the flat to pick up the rest of the family. While waiting, a gentleman in the building asked Greene if she needed any assistance, and her reply was, “No, it’s okay. My driver is on the way.” Her driver I parked in a small lot behind the building and went to help carry the luggage around. While loading, I caught my bald head on an edge of the hatch, and started bleeding profusely. Greene had some band-aids to get me patched up, and we hit the road. After another cappuccino and pastry stop at Caffe Nero.
Our destination was Whitebridge, a small village halfway between Fort William and Inverness. We had a few stops planned on the way up. The first was the Kelpies, 30 meter high sculptures representing the improving power of Scotland’s waterways. It was a brisk morning, but the visitors center provided a brief respite from the cold and we pressed on. The next stop was the Falkirk Wheel. This unique wheel carries boats up 24 meters, replacing a standard lock flight which previously used 11 distinct locks. Tours are given which allow passengers to ride boats up the lock, through the canal to a turnaround pool, and back down to the original pool. Each turn uses only 1.5 kWh due to the balanced loads, less than a cold water dishwasher cycle. As Fran the Man used to say, “That’s Incredible!”
The next stop was Stirling Castle. We were greeted by the manliest statue in existence, that of Robert the Bruce. There was a boys choir performing in the Hall, so we slid in to enjoy the end of the performance. We walked the castle walls, taking in the view over Stirling and the craggy cliffs the castle was built on, making this a formidable place of defense. The Wallace Monument was visible from the north walls. It was considered the most important Scottish castle as it guards a vital Forth crossing, and changed hands between the Scots and English several times. We visited the residence halls before grabbing some more ice cream on the way out.
I’ll never forget the first time I watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was in a friend’s basement, and I’d never witnessed such comedic genius. So when my research into places to visit uncovered Doune Castle as one of the filming sites for the movie, I had to add it to the list. Fortunately, Outlander had also recently filmed some scenes at the castle, so the deal was sealed with dual parental agreement that we should make it a stop. The audio guide has an option to listen to Terry Jones provide commentary on the castle and from the filming. The kids had fun visiting another castle, I had fun galloping around with coconut shells shouting, “Run Away! Run Away!” and snarkily commenting that, “I told him we already got one” and Greene had fun imagining Jamie Fraser gallivanting around in his kilt. Win-win-win.
We took the A9 up through the Cairngorms almost to Inverness, with a stop in Newtonmore for a late lunch. As we approached Inverness, we turned back south on B851. We became the enlightened at this point. The single track roads we had heard so much about had been avoided up to this point. Now, we had 22 miles of it between us and a roof over our heads. This isn’t open, flat farmland. This is the Highlands, by gosh, and that means elevation variation and curvy roads. After some initial trepidation, anticipation of oncoming traffic (very rare) and Passing Place courtesy (very neighborly) were improved and we loved the scenic drive. We arrived at our AirBNB and unloaded, after some fumbling around with the key box outside. The excitement abounded as the kids found a Foosball table, Greene found a fireplace and the most comfortable couch in all of Scotland, and I found a cupboard with about twelve different single malt scotches, with an invitation to sample them all and a request to replenish what I consumed.
From Tennessee To Texas to Saudi Arabia 