Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for scotland
Skye Walks
By Linda Tancs
Built in 1900, Neist Point Lighthouse is one of the most famous lighthouses in Scotland and can be found on the westerly tip of Skye near the township of Glendale. A concrete pathway leads to the light, offering as much interest as the famous light itself. The fairly easy walk down (in suitable weather) brings views of high cliffs and the lighthouse itself, a must for landscape photographers. The walk generally takes 45 minutes, but allow more time for breaks on the steep trek back up.
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Honoring Writers in Edinburgh
By Linda Tancs
Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson are three of Scotland’s most celebrated writers. You can explore their lives at Edinburgh’s Writers’ Museum. The gems you’ll find include Burns’ writing desk and a plaster cast of his skull, one of only three ever made. Scott’s childhood rocking horse is there, along with the printing press on which his Waverley Novels were first produced, once among the most popular and widely read novels in Europe. Stevenson’s reputation as a storyteller is commemorated by a ring given to him by a Samoan chief, engraved with the name “Tusitala,” meaning “teller of tales.” The exhibits include a wide collection of portraits and works as well. This free museum is easy to locate just off the Lawnmarket, the top part of Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile, in Lady Stair’s Close.
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A Flag, a Cup and a Horn
By Linda Tancs
Located on the Isle of Skye, Scotland’s Dunvegan Castle has been the seat of Clan MacLeod since the 13th century. As the country’s oldest, continuously inhabited castle, you might imagine that some family heirlooms have accumulated. Those include a flag, a cup and a horn. The Fairy Flag is a treasured clan possession, associated with a handful of tales concerning fairies and magical powers. Another relic is the Dunvegan Cup, a ceremonial cup gifted by the O’Neills of Ulster as a token of thanks to one of the clan’s most celebrated chiefs for support against the marauding forces of Queen Elizabeth I. A third historic treasure is Sir Rory Mor’s Horn, a drinking horn allegedly derived from a bull killed by Rory to save a man’s life. Capable of holding over six cups of liquid, custom has it that each successive clan chief should fill it with wine and drink it in one sitting to prove his manhood. Explore the clan’s history and legends by taking a guided or self-guided tour of the castle.
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Scotland’s Highest Village
By Linda Tancs
At about 1,532 feet above sea level, Wanlockhead is Scotland’s highest village. For many centuries, lead mining was the mainstay of its economy. In fact, in the 1600s the Duke of Buccleuch built a smelting plant and workers’ cottages to support year-round production. Lead wasn’t the only treasure there, however. The area also yielded zinc, copper, silver and gold. Interestingly, some of the world’s purest gold was found there and used in the Regalia of the Scottish Crown. No wonder the area became known as “God’s treasure house.” As one would expect, the Museum of Lead Mining tells the story of the local industry. The museum experience includes a guided tour of the Lochnell Lead Mine, the miners’ cottages and a gold panning area.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Iron Age Roundhouses
By Linda Tancs
A broch is a round tower found in Scotland. Dating to the Iron Age, it has an inner and outer dry-stone wall (that is, assembled without mortar) of imposing height. The best-known example is the Broch of Mousa on the island of Mousa in Shetland, Scotland. Its renown as one of the best-preserved prehistoric structures in Europe is no doubt due to its remote location. Enjoy a climb on the winding staircase to the top of the tower during the open season (April to September).
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Tall Trees in Britain
By Linda Tancs
Some of the tallest trees in Britain are located in the gardens of Blair Castle near Pitlochry in Scotland. You’ll find them in Diana’s Grove, a tranquil wooded area adjacent to the castle. The Banvie Burn runs through the grove and is crossed by two 18th-century bridges giving access to the ancient Celtic ruins of St. Bride’s Kirk. The herbaceous borders are particularly resplendent in Hercules Garden in summertime, where a life-sized statue of Hercules presides over a nine-acre walled Georgian garden. If you can tear yourself away from the exquisite environs, then be sure to take a self-guided tour of 30 rooms in the castle, covering 700 years of history of the Atholl family.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Heart of Scotland
By Linda Tancs
Perth, Stirling, The Trossachs and Highland Perthshire represent the very heart of Scotland. You can experience all of it on the new touring route known as Heart 200. It’s a 200-mile road trip comprising six sections: the Wooded Western Edge, the Highland North, the Riverside East, Perth, the Historic South and Stirling. Gems abound throughout the route, like Loch Tay (the largest loch on the route) and the nation’s oldest tree in the Highland North and Loch Leven (where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned on Castle Island) in the Historic South. You’ll find a plethora of places to stay, too, from five-star hotels to campsites.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Going With the Flow in Scotland
By Linda Tancs
Stretching across Caithness and Sutherland in the far north of Scotland is Europe’s largest blanket bog, a morass of deep peat and bog pools. The region is known as Flow Country, a wildlife reserve of nearly 500,000 acres sheltering, among other things, birds with small populations there like the white-tailed sea eagle and hen harrier. The area has been growing for 10,000 years, and the peat is over 32 feet deep. Start your orientation at the Forsinard Flows Visitor Center, located in the former station building at Forsinard on the Wick-Inverness railway line. From there you can take a wooden walkway to the Flows Lookout Tower for amazing views. Another must-do is the Forsinain trail, a waymarked path across the peat bogs and forestry at the heart of Flow Country.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Scotland’s Answer to Stonehenge
By Linda Tancs
Predating England’s famous Stonehenge is Scotland’s Calanais. Also known as the Callanish Stones, they’re located in Lewis (at the top of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland’s west coast). One of the country’s best-preserved Neolithic monuments, they date back over 5,000 years. The reason for the stones’ construction is uncertain; the site may have served as an astronomical observatory or a place for ritual activity. You can explore their construction and potential uses through an interactive exhibition at the visitor’s center.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Light North of Shetland
By Linda Tancs
The perils and adventures of lighthouse building no doubt influenced Robert Louis Stevenson, whose father and uncle designed some 30 lighthouses around Scotland’s coasts. One such lighthouse, Muckle Flugga, is the U.K.’s northernmost light, located on a rocky outcrop off the northern tip of Unst in the Shetland Islands. The island’s remote location is cited as inspiration for Robert’s novel, Treasure Island. These days Unst is conveniently linked with the rest of the Shetlands by a bus and ferry system, giving you the chance to experience the island’s treasured grasslands and coastal cliffs for yourself.
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As coronavirus proceeds, it is likely that the vast majority of us will be limited in our travels. But this, too, shall pass. Our love for travel remains, so Travelrific will continue offering travel inspiration in this medium. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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