Edinburgh and Scotland, places steeped in history and frozen in fairy tales. Our first exploit in this bonnie land was a bus tour to experience the Highlands. Scotland is bisected into the Highlands and the Lowlands. While the Lowlands are hilly and green, the Highlands are home to mountains, moors, and lochs. Excited, our little band of adventuresses prepped for the occasion by reading Gabaldon's Outlander (Two out of three sassenaches liked the book).
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| Beth having a cuppa while enjoying a gorgeous view. |
Before properly crossing from the Lowlands into the Highlands, we stopped at a tiny cafe to get a cup of tea and a "toastie". A toastie is sort of a cross between an British panini and an empanada: a hot sandwich made with a press that seals the edges and traps the melty contents inside.
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| Britt with a cheese toastie. |
There is an undeniable wildness in the vibrant green of the Highlands and my first instinct was a deep kinship with my favorite fantasy authors. Any minute now a trail-worn Frodo might appear through the swirling mists dodging orcs or the Hogwarts Express might burst into view from behind a mountain. You could almost see thickets of faeries peeking out from behind the ancient rocks. Rain and fog veiled the landscape but only seemed to magnify the vastness.
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| Glen Coe |
This is Glen Coe, the site of the Glen Coe massacre. A bloody feud between two warring clans, Campbell and MacDonald, culminated when the MacDonald clan failed to swear allegiance to King William on time due to weather delays. Deciding to make an example out of the MacDonalds, the king enlisted the Campbell clan to punish them and the Glen Coe massacre ensued. Those that weren't killed in battle fled into the hills to starve and so the majority of the MacDonald clan was destroyed.
On a less magical note, this bus ride was unfortunately quite full and we were stuck sitting next to a vomiting child for a decent chunk of the journey. This bus ride included a trip to Loch Ness and a hunt for Nessie but that story will be chronicled at a later date.
Footnotes
Bus Tour courtesy of The Highland Experience
More on the history of the Highlands
Decide if you are into Outlander
did you love these pictures of the scottish highlands? check out more on my flickr page!
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