Hey everyone, sorry about getting the Isle of Skye posts up so late. I've been busy and the Internet service has been very poor! I'll just give ya'll a quick update about my day so far.
Tuesdays Kyle and I have Marketing and Branding Scotland from 8-9 am and then I'm done. Kyle doesn't have his other class until 3.
So today we decided to go into town to get some grocery shopping done. We have both spent so much money on food for each meal because we haven't gone to the store yet to get things we can actually cook. Also, both our flatmates have rudely decided to take up almost every inch of fridge and freezer space so we couldn't really put anything in there anyways. Tired of all the money spent, we went to the bus stop and hopped on a bus that we thought would take us to the Stirling City Center. However, the bus brought us to Bridge of Allan, the next town over from Stirling. The town was only a few minutes from the university, but I kind of started to panic because I wasn't sure where the grocery store was. We hopped off at the first stop in town and decided to search on our phones to see if there was a Tesco's (cheap grocery store) in Bridge of Allan. As we walked a few steps down the street from the bus stop we noticed there was a Co-operative Food store right in front of us. However, I wasn't sure if it was as cheap as Tesco's so I decided we should look for the Tesco's first. When we found it, we discovered it was an express store and didn't have much options so we went back to the Co-op food store. We got a lot of good food and it wasn't too pricey either. I made sure I got stuff to make sandwiches with along with some frozen dinners. Luckily there was a bus stop very near the food store so we didn't have to walk far with all our bags. The bus that arrived was the correct one and we were back at Stirling in about 5 minutes.
That was our first time to ride the bus without a group of people and we did alright if I do say so myself, especially for unintentionally going to the wrong place!
Tonight it's been raining hard nonstop so Kyle and I are just going to cook our frozen dinners and maybe watch a movie since we can't do much.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Third Day of Isle of Skye Trip
June 24, 2012 - This was unfortunately the very last day of the trip. This experience was so amazing and Danny was such an awesome person I just didn't want to leave! We had to be out of the hostel, all packed up, by 8:30. Apparently our bus driver from the day before called Danny and told him his bus broke down. So we had to get another bus AGAIN. Fortunately, the new bus came right on time without any complications. This was the day we visited the much anticipated Loch Ness!
First stop - Loch Ness view/Urquhart Castle. Our first stop was a view of Loch Ness and the Urquhart Castle. This castle makes you pay to get anywhere near the loch and it planted hedges all around so you can't really get pictures of the loch. It was also raining, but I did my best to snap a couple pictures.
Second stop - Nessieland. This is where all things Nessie the Loch Ness monster related are. From hats to condoms (yes they even have Nessie condoms...), you can pretty much buy any kind of Nessie paraphernalia you want. Along with the store, there is also a viewing area of the loch where the giant purple Nessie lives. She usually floats out in the water, but since it was bad weather that day she was resting under some trees.
Third Stop - Culloden Battlefield. We stopped here to get some history of the battle of Culloden which was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. The battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie against an army commanded by The Duke of Cumberland who was loyal to the British government.
Fourth stop - Abbey Moore. We stopped in Abbey Moore to get some lunch. Unfortunately we only had 30-40 minutes for lunch and all of the restaurants were packed so we didn't have time to wait. We ended up just going to Subway. I had gotten a fountain drink and once I had finished it off I went up to the dispenser to get some more. I mean it was Subway, and I do this all the time at the Subway at home. But as soon as one of the workers saw me refilling my drink they scolded me and said NO REFILLS! I felt really guilty and ended up just throwing the drink away without taking a single sip.
Fifth stop - Restroom break. Our next stop was the forest which had no restrooms obviously so we stopped at some public bathrooms 10 minutes before arriving. I really had to go but was furious when I found out I had to pay to use the the toilets. I thought it was ridiculous they were charging 30 pence at a "public restroom."
Sixth and final stop - The Hermitage Forest.
This trip was definitely an experience of a lifetime. I had an amazing time with Kyle and made some new friends along the way! I can't wait for my next adventure.
Cheers!
First stop - Loch Ness view/Urquhart Castle. Our first stop was a view of Loch Ness and the Urquhart Castle. This castle makes you pay to get anywhere near the loch and it planted hedges all around so you can't really get pictures of the loch. It was also raining, but I did my best to snap a couple pictures.
 |
| The pretentious castle |
Second stop - Nessieland. This is where all things Nessie the Loch Ness monster related are. From hats to condoms (yes they even have Nessie condoms...), you can pretty much buy any kind of Nessie paraphernalia you want. Along with the store, there is also a viewing area of the loch where the giant purple Nessie lives. She usually floats out in the water, but since it was bad weather that day she was resting under some trees.
 |
| mean Nessie |
 |
| cute Nessie |
 |
| There was a single cloud floating right above the loch |
 |
| Our group from Stirling (we're missing 3 people) |
Third Stop - Culloden Battlefield. We stopped here to get some history of the battle of Culloden which was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. The battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie against an army commanded by The Duke of Cumberland who was loyal to the British government.
 | |
| The red and blue flags show where the original battle lines were drawn |
Fourth stop - Abbey Moore. We stopped in Abbey Moore to get some lunch. Unfortunately we only had 30-40 minutes for lunch and all of the restaurants were packed so we didn't have time to wait. We ended up just going to Subway. I had gotten a fountain drink and once I had finished it off I went up to the dispenser to get some more. I mean it was Subway, and I do this all the time at the Subway at home. But as soon as one of the workers saw me refilling my drink they scolded me and said NO REFILLS! I felt really guilty and ended up just throwing the drink away without taking a single sip.
Fifth stop - Restroom break. Our next stop was the forest which had no restrooms obviously so we stopped at some public bathrooms 10 minutes before arriving. I really had to go but was furious when I found out I had to pay to use the the toilets. I thought it was ridiculous they were charging 30 pence at a "public restroom."
Sixth and final stop - The Hermitage Forest.
This trip was definitely an experience of a lifetime. I had an amazing time with Kyle and made some new friends along the way! I can't wait for my next adventure.
Cheers!
Day Two of Isle of Skye Trip
June 23, 2012 - I woke up at around 7:30 am to be ready for the day by 9. This is the day that we actually went up and toured Skye, which is an island. I went downstairs after getting ready and made toast for breakfast. We had to get another bus before heading out for the day because of the accident from the day before. Luckily Danny planned a boat trip on the loch that our hostel was located on so we didn't have to wait around for the bus.
The boat trip. When Danny said we were going on a boat with a local fisherman who would show us around, I thought the boat would be nice and we would all just sit around enjoying the view. This definitely was not the case. After waiting for a few minutes on the dock, this old, rickety fishing boat with no seats pulls up. Everyone just kind of stood there not sure what to do. I don't think anyone thought the boat was going to look like THIS. With some encouragement from Danny we all finally got in. The sides of the boat were low and we had to stand the whole time which was freaking me out. With my clumsiness I was afraid I would fall in! Luckily that didn't happen. So the boat trip wasn't actually a trip after all, it was more of a fishing trip in which we didn't really go anywhere besides the water around the hostel. Despite this, the fishing was fun because the local fisherman who was with us, Neil, was very funny and nice. He had a couple of the girls in our group drive the boat and had everyone else throw in the net and pull it back up for scallop fishing. After the net had been in the water for a while, dragging about on the loch floor, we had to bring it back up to see what we caught. When the net was brought back up, there was a huge pile of sea creatures that fell out. Everyone was so excited, grabbing for all these different organisms and taking pictures with them. There were lots of starfish, sea urchins, hermit crabs, and of course scallops. There was also these weird snail things that were huge and the back of their shell looked like an orange. We had to pick out all of the scallops and put them in a bucket. Neil then started picking them up, opening them, cutting out the scallop and offering people to eat them. Almost everyone tried one except for me. I'm not much of a seafood person and I definitely do not like raw things that have just come from the bottom of a loch. No thank you! However, he did take the rest into his little captain's area and came out with them cooked and seasoned. I don't know how a stove top or anything could have fit in that little thing. It is still a mystery as to how he cooked them, but I tried one then and it was actually pretty good. After the scallop fishing, Neil drove the boat over to a floating ball in the loch which he pulled out of the water. A rope was attached to it and attached to the rope was a basket of brown crabs. He put the basket inside the boat and opened it up. We were able to hold these little guys without them snapping their claws at us because Neil clipped their claws. Neil put one on my arm and it just grabbed a hold, hanging out upside down for a few minutes. Despite my hesitation about the boat ride at first, it was actually really enjoyable.
Fifth stop - Cuith-Raing. This was probably the most beautiful place of the trip. It seemed like we went to the highest point of the island and the view was incredible. We were so high up that clouds were not that far off the ground in some areas. There were sheep that weren't fenced in and I really wished I could go play with them. But I figured that wasn't the best idea.
After Cuith Raing we drove all through the big hills back to Stromeferry. Along the way Danny told us some history and stories. We stopped for a bathroom break in a little town that had a brewery. We went into the gift shop and Kyle bought a bottle of cider that we shared. It was actually really good! Danny also stopped to pick us up some fish and chips for dinner. When we got back home we ate dinner together as a group and then sat around a campfire made inside a wheelbarrow. We were visited by an adorable German Shepard who was quite fond of Kyle.
The boat trip. When Danny said we were going on a boat with a local fisherman who would show us around, I thought the boat would be nice and we would all just sit around enjoying the view. This definitely was not the case. After waiting for a few minutes on the dock, this old, rickety fishing boat with no seats pulls up. Everyone just kind of stood there not sure what to do. I don't think anyone thought the boat was going to look like THIS. With some encouragement from Danny we all finally got in. The sides of the boat were low and we had to stand the whole time which was freaking me out. With my clumsiness I was afraid I would fall in! Luckily that didn't happen. So the boat trip wasn't actually a trip after all, it was more of a fishing trip in which we didn't really go anywhere besides the water around the hostel. Despite this, the fishing was fun because the local fisherman who was with us, Neil, was very funny and nice. He had a couple of the girls in our group drive the boat and had everyone else throw in the net and pull it back up for scallop fishing. After the net had been in the water for a while, dragging about on the loch floor, we had to bring it back up to see what we caught. When the net was brought back up, there was a huge pile of sea creatures that fell out. Everyone was so excited, grabbing for all these different organisms and taking pictures with them. There were lots of starfish, sea urchins, hermit crabs, and of course scallops. There was also these weird snail things that were huge and the back of their shell looked like an orange. We had to pick out all of the scallops and put them in a bucket. Neil then started picking them up, opening them, cutting out the scallop and offering people to eat them. Almost everyone tried one except for me. I'm not much of a seafood person and I definitely do not like raw things that have just come from the bottom of a loch. No thank you! However, he did take the rest into his little captain's area and came out with them cooked and seasoned. I don't know how a stove top or anything could have fit in that little thing. It is still a mystery as to how he cooked them, but I tried one then and it was actually pretty good. After the scallop fishing, Neil drove the boat over to a floating ball in the loch which he pulled out of the water. A rope was attached to it and attached to the rope was a basket of brown crabs. He put the basket inside the boat and opened it up. We were able to hold these little guys without them snapping their claws at us because Neil clipped their claws. Neil put one on my arm and it just grabbed a hold, hanging out upside down for a few minutes. Despite my hesitation about the boat ride at first, it was actually really enjoyable.
 |
| The crappy boat |
 |
| Neil! |
 |
| Everyone pulling up the net (except me) |
 |
| Everything that was in the net |
 |
| Scallops! |
 |
| Cute little hermit crab |
 |
| These starfish were so cool looking! |
 |
| Brown Crabs |
 |
 |
 | ||||||||
Skye.
After the boat trip we loaded on to our new bus which came with a driver. It was weird not having Danny drive us around but I'm sure he was glad to get a break. Skye was only about 20 minutes away from the hostel so it wasn't long until our first stop. We had to drive over a bridge to get to Skye because it is an island. The bridge wasn't built that long ago and for about ten years there was a really expensive toll on it. The only way you didn't have to pay it was if you had livestock to carry to and from the island. They finally got rid of the toll because people would just take a single sheep or something like that and throw it in the back of their car, saying they had livestock.
First stop - Caisteal Maol ruins in Kyleakin. The first stop we had in Skye was a view of the Caisteal Maol ruins in Kyleakin. This was Saucy Mary's castle. Mary was a Norse princess (during the time of the vikings) who's father gave her her own castle because he didn't know what to do with her. The castle was located by a channel that ships would pass through to get to the mainland. She was very lonely so she would try to get the attention of the ships passing by. She could never get anyone's attention so she decided to charge a toll to any boat using the narrow channel by hanging a
chain from the castle to the mainland to prevent unpaid crossings. She was finally able to talk to some of the people on the ships and was kept busy collecting tolls. However, the vikings realized that there was another route they could take so they didn't have to pay a toll. Less and less ships sailed by leaving Mary feeling alone again. She came up with a new plan to get people to stay. So after hatching a new plan, the next ship that came by Mary collected the man's toll and told him to wait there and she would go get his change. The guy waited there then looked up when Mary shouted from atop the tower of the castle. Apparently, Mary would show her ta ta's to the men and her planned work. The rumor started to spread and men would sail that way just to see some action. That is how she got her nickname Saucy Mary.
 |
| Many things in this town are named after Saucy Mary |
 |
| Saucy Mary's Castle Ruins |
 |
| The Bridge |
Second stop - "fountain of youth." Our next stop was at this little stream area where we all sat down on rocks and listened to Danny tell us some traditional Scottish tales. There was one tale about two giants and another about fairies. Supposedly there are fairies at the place where we stopped and they are really rude, trying to steal from humans. However, there is one thing that we can take from them, which is the water in the stream. It is supposed to have the power to give you youth if you stick your face in it. Danny demonstrated this and when he came back he said, "well I think I'm looking pretty good for 53" (he is clearly in his late 20s/early 30s).
Right as Danny was demonstrating this, it stared pouring rain. Even with rain boots, a rain coat, and an umbrella I got soaking wet running to the bus.
 |
| Danny just being...Danny |
Third stop - Broadford. We stopped here for a quick lunch. Kyle and I went to a cafe. I had delicious macaroni and cheese with chips (french fries) and a salad. Apparently macaroni is big here and they do make some of the best macaroni I have ever had.
Fourth stop - Creag an Fheilidh (Kilt Rock). We stopped here to take some pictures of the beautiful landscape and the creepy bagpipe guy who wanted steal my soul.
 | |
| So creepy... |
Fifth stop - Cuith-Raing. This was probably the most beautiful place of the trip. It seemed like we went to the highest point of the island and the view was incredible. We were so high up that clouds were not that far off the ground in some areas. There were sheep that weren't fenced in and I really wished I could go play with them. But I figured that wasn't the best idea.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
After Cuith Raing we drove all through the big hills back to Stromeferry. Along the way Danny told us some history and stories. We stopped for a bathroom break in a little town that had a brewery. We went into the gift shop and Kyle bought a bottle of cider that we shared. It was actually really good! Danny also stopped to pick us up some fish and chips for dinner. When we got back home we ate dinner together as a group and then sat around a campfire made inside a wheelbarrow. We were visited by an adorable German Shepard who was quite fond of Kyle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)