United Kingdom

Scotland 5: Day 25

/ Dav / 2 Comments

03.25.16 | Fort Augustus, Scotland | 07:38

I’m sitting in my bed, hoping that the ‘clacking’ of my keyboard doesn’t wake my two hostel roommates. One is a girl from Florida who is currently attending University in Dublin, Ireland. She told me that she has a few days off, so she’s traveling through Scotland with two of her friends. The weird part is that she arrived yesterday and spend the entire afternoon in the bedroom, reading or working on her computer. Maybe she has a class assignment due. There’s not a whole lot to see here, but there are a pretty loch and a few restaurants, at least. I wonder if her two friends are staying at another hostel.

09:26

The weather today is perfect! There is no cloud in the sky- this is the first day on my trip that I don’t have to wear even a light jacket! I just walked down and grabbed some breakfast, and said goodbye to the sweet old ladies who fed me for the last three mornings. They wished me a safe journey.

09:47

I guess the good weather was short-lived. I’m watching as clouds are quickly rolling in. It looks like rain.

Inverness, Scotland | 15:50

I just took a walk around part of Inverness and took some pictures, mostly of old churches. I love love, love churches, especially old ones

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23:56

The Inverness hostel is just as I remember it. The only change I can see is that the piano has been moved to the other side of the common room, and it needs tuning. Oh- and the staff has changed. Andre, the current manager, tells me that they tend to change up staff about every 4 to 6 months. He says in another four months he’ll probably move to another hostel with the company. I think that would be a sweet job! Think of the number of people you’d meet!

I met a guy staying here named Grant. He’s originally from British Columbia but is living here now and working for some restaurant. We decided to see Superman vs. Batman at the cinema last night. I had such a hard time staying awake during the movie. I never actually fell asleep but did catch myself trying to yank my leg hairs out in an attempt to wake myself up. It was brutal! I thought the movie was good, but I will most likely see it again when I have some energy. In my mind, there is a HUGE section of the plotline that is missing.

Scotland 5: Day 23

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03.23.16 | Fort Augustus, Scotland | 19:08

Today was simply incredible! I left the hostel at about 09:00 and had planned on booking an hour ferry ride on Loch Ness. Years ago, I did this from the Inverness (north) side, and it was a really great experience. When I approached the ticket office, I noticed that there was one ride that offered a 90 minute trip on a speed boat that went all the way from Fort Augustus to Urquhart Castle and back. I thought this would be better.

I told the guy behind the counter that I was interested in the 10:00 90-minute ride and he said that one had to be canceled since there weren’t enough people interested. Instead, I purchased the noon ride.

I found a restaurant and went to get some breakfast. As I approached, I turned back around and saw a bunch of people getting onto the ferry for the 10:00 ferry ride, and the guy who I had just spoken with was the one letting them on. This confused me- he had just told me it was canceled. I thought that maybe this was a private group and they’d chartered the ferry for them self. Still, why would he lie to me and tell me that it was canceled for lack of interest? I was determined to find out the answer. I decided that once I was done with breakfast, I’d go back and ask that same guy what the situation was. I was going to be nice but needed an answer.

After breakfast, I crossed back over the street and approached the guy behind the counter. He informed me that that was the hour tour and that since I requested the 90-minute tour, that’s the reason. Ok, it’s all clear now. All is well!

Let me tell you- I am so glad that I waited for the noon ride! This was no leisure float on Loch Ness- this was stinking awesome! Our guide was a man named Marcus. I think he said he’d been doing this for 22 years or something like that- so he knew his stuff! He was funny and interesting and all that. He told us he was a bit rusty because their season had just started 3 days ago and we were the very first group he’d taken out on the water so far

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Not only did I get some a few pictures, but I shot some video! This afternoon I spliced them all together I have entitled this Loch Ness Tour. Make sure your volume is turned up! Enjoy!

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Scotland 5: Day 22

03.22.16 | Aberdeen > Inverness Train | 09:22

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Another steeple, as I am walking to the train station in Aberdeen,

I checked out of the hostel in Aberdeen just after 06:30 to get to an early train. I found breakfast at the train station: The Pumpkin Cafe. A breakfast sandwich that had been sitting in a cooler. I could taste that it hadn’t been made in the last 2 or 3 days. A danish with chocolate chunks and a bottle of Ribena washed it all down. If I recall, Ribena was one of my friend Colee’s favorite parts of the United Kingdom when we visited years ago (this trip was my very first visit, back in 2002).

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09:29

I just passed through the town of Keith. I have dear friends who told me they are coming to Keith sometime soon. My advice to them is to bring your own entertainment- Keith looks like a very small village, at least that’s my perspective from a train passing through.

Fort Augustus Hostel | 18:19

Once I arrived in Inverness, I walked down the street a few blocks to the bus station where I purchased the fare to Fort Augustus, yet another destination I’ve never been to. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous at what it’d be like, the bus driver kept referring to it as “Fort Disgust-us”.

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The road from Inverness to Fort Augustus follows Loch Ness.

Thankfully, Fort Augustus is anything but disgusting. I actually love this small town on the beautiful Loch Ness. Before you ask, yes I have seen Nessie earlier today. We hung out.

Fun fact: The guy who served me my fish n’ chips at lunch looks just like Jared from Subway. That is to say, child-molester Jared from maximum security. It was a bit freaky. Picture Jared but with a Scottish accent.

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The hostel is a pretty big house, and there seems to be a large group of students staying here who are very loud. I may be forced to hurt somebody. I have three other guys in my room, all of them are staying here long term and working in the town. In my mind, they would have much better options if they moved to one of the cities instead. But what do I know?

Back to the beginning of Scotland 5 | Forward to Scotland 5: Day 23

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Scotland 5: Day 21

03.21.16 | Aberdeen Hostel | 20:24

Once again it’s laundry day. I’m next in line to use the washer and dryer, so I’ve set up my little “camp” right here in the laundry room. Two people have brought their clothes in and both of them have been turned away, as I’m clearly next. I told them I’ve been waiting and I’m leaving early tomorrow morning so I won’t be giving up my place in the queue.

Today was so much walking! When I told hostel mates that I was here on holiday, they all wondered why I chose Aberdeen. My first visit here, five years ago, was simply because I’d never been. This is also where I caught the ferry up to Shetland. And now I’m back to explore a bit more of the area.

I thought today was a good day to explore more of the city. I have no complaints, it’s like so many other cities in Scotland. I want to learn more about it. I walked up and down streets. I saw a great deal. Felt like I burned so many calories!

Back to the beginning of Scotland 5 | Forward to Scotland 5: Day 22

Scotland 5: Day 20

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03.20.16 | Aberdeen, Scotland | 20:26

On Sundays, like today, I try to do things a bit differently. I left the hostel this morning at about 09:00 and walked to church. It wasn’t too long of a walk, maybe 3 miles or so. The congregation made me feel very welcome. Everybody was too kind! I had a conversation with one of the older men, and he asked me if I know Elizabeth Smart (remember the gal who was abducted by those psychos? Search her name if you don’t). I told him not personally, but I did know who he was speaking of. He told me that she’s married to his grandson. No way! It was great to sit with him and chat!

After church ended, I quickly said goodbye and headed back to the hostel. The reason I left so fast was that I knew they were going to have a congregational potluck. I know they would have been okay with me joining them, but when I was in Oban two weeks ago, they asked me to stay for one, and I felt terrible when there wasn’t enough food to go around. It was good to go to church today, though.

Tonight, I spent some time walking around aimlessly. I found some dinner while I was out and about. When it started to get dark, I found myself in a not-very-good area of the city. Nothing happened. It just looked at the type of place where I would have been robbed and/or raped after dark. Since I wasn’t in the mood for this, I headed back to the hostel.

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Scotland 5: Day 19

03.19.16 | Aberdeen Hostel | 21:23

Sadly I don’t have any pictures to share with you on this post. This is because I haven’t taken the time to explore as of yet. I did make it on the train safely to Aberdeen, however. My hostel is located a few miles west of the city center so it was quite a walk with my huge pack on my back. I decided to just hang out here for a bit and have declared today a day of rest.

Later this evening, I trekked back into the city (without the huge backpack) and went to see the movie 10 Cloverfield Road. The plot of this movie was a million percent different than I thought it would be. For once, the previews gave away very little. I’m not complaining, though. I feel like trailers give away way too much as it is. For this one, even though the acting was spot-on, I recommend waiting for it to get to Redbox. Probably not worth the cinema price.

I walked around Aberdeen for a little while (of course I forgot my phone and camera, so you get no pictures) and ended up going to a club. I just needed to hear some loud music for some reason. It’s been too long since I have danced around with half-drunk people. No, I’m not falling to “the dark side”, well no deeper than I’ve already fallen without your knowledge, at least. Scotland is the perfect place for me to show off my dance moves- because they’re rather embarrassing and there’s not a chance I’ll ever see these people again. This will give them time to heal from the sight of my bum shaking.

Dinner last night was a healthy and delicious shake from the cinema. Oh- the shakes are not thick at all! Horrible, I tell you! I need to teach these people a thing or two. It’s like drinking flavored milk.

Back to the beginning of Scotland 5 | Forward to Scotland 5: Day 20

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Scotland 5: Day 17

03.17.16 | Pitlochry B&B | 07:31

Today I am feeling as if I’m spoiled rotten. As I explained in the last post, the hostel I stayed in last time I was here in Pitlochry didn’t allow me to book it. On further investigation, I see it may no longer exist. I’m hoping they’ll have some less expensive options here in the future. But this IS a nice bed and breakfast that I’ve settled into. It was so nice this morning when I was woken up by chirping birds and not snoring roommates!

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21:19

When I was in town earlier, I did manage to find the hidden hostel. I was looking in the wrong place. Still, I don’t think they were available for me to stay there. So many hostels like to rent out their rooms more long-term during the off-season. In Scotland, I’m learning that this time ends at about Easter.

After breakfast, I went for a long and awesome walk! Pitlochry is located very close to Loch Faskally, a beautiful loch that has a hydro-electric dam and fish ladder. It was such a breath of fresh air (literally) to be out there! I took my time and spent what felt like about 3 hours walking through the dam and around the loch.

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Scotland 5: Day 16

03.16.16 | Stirling > Pitlochry Train | 10:43

I really enjoyed two out of three of my hostel mates last night. One was the guy I already talked about, the Ukrainian who lives in Greece, the second one is a guy who joined us just yesterday. He’s from Germany but is staying and working in York at the moment. Both of these guys are in great shape. I’m almost inspired… almost. I’m in better shape than I used to be, but I still have a lot of work to do.

The third hostel mate was a girl from Taiwan. She more or less kept to herself. I tried to strike up a conversation, and even though I could tell she spoke good English, she just wasn’t having it for some reason. I would blame America but she wouldn’t really talk to the Ukrainian or the German either. I love it when it’s not personal.

I’m now on my way to my next stop, which is Pitlochry. I love this little town! This will be my second visit here. The first time I visited was simply because I’d remember seeing it from the train, heading north to Inverness. I wondered what it was all about… when I did finally stay in Pitlochry, I discovered that like most places in Scotland, it was great!

The hostel I stayed in last time I was in Pitlochry is either full or not open for the tourist season just yet. Since I couldn’t find any accommodation when I was booking, I had to use AirBnB and had to fork out some extra money. The good news is that it’s already paid for- so they aren’t going to charge my card. So many of the places I stay only take 5% down and the rest when you arrive. I don’t appreciate this because it’s so much nicer to pay for everything in advance.

03.17.16 | Pitlochry B&B | 07:18

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Pitlochry is as lovely as I remember. It is a dinky little village but so much beauty all around! I look forward to the next two days! For dinner, I walked around town, looking for something promising. Since it was just before 17:00, so many restaurants weren’t open yet. I hadn’t had anything for lunch, so by this point, I was searching hard. I finally found a pub/restaurant that seemed to have great food, even if the service was horrible.

I ordered a steak pie. I’m looking forward to having a REAL steak pie, that is baked in a crust. So far, however, it’s only been steak pies that are in the pot, and they lay some puff pastry over top. That’s cheating. The last real steak pie I had was in 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. Still, this one was a tasty fake- steak pie!

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Back to the beginning of Scotland 5 | Forward to Scotland 5: Day 17

Scotland 5: Day 15

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03.15.16 | Stirling, Scotland | 07:51

Just before I went to bed last night, the receptionist announced that there had been an infestation of bedbugs, so my room had recently been “de-bugged”. Luckily, It appears that I was not bitten in the night! Also, a sleep report: I did sleep incredibly well, even though I ended up with three roommates. Now I’m sitting in bed, getting ready to have a shower. I hope this place still has hot water left!

Earlier, I was looking at pictures on Instagram, and I spaced the fact that yesterday was National Pie Day! I guess it’s ok since I don’t know where I can buy a pie in Stirling yet. I have seen meat pies here but don’t know this area. If I see one when I’m out and about, I probably need to buy it.

08:56

Breakfast was right around the corner. I forget the name of the pub, but I ordered eggs with smoked salmon. It was so delicious! I’m not sure what they seasoned the eggs with, but there was some creme in them.

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I just tried to get into the Old Town Jail, but there was a sign on the front to let me know that it wouldn’t be open again until June. This is a classic example of “off-season traveler prejudice.” Yes- that’s a real thing, and it’s way too familiar! It’s my entire platform when I run for POTUS against Kanye. I’ve chosen the slogan, “Make America Sexy Again!”

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21:08

I continued up the street, looking for Stirling Castle, and I came across an ancient and very medieval-looking church. I wished it was open to going see inside, but nobody was there on a Tuesday morning. Next to the church was, of course, a cemetery. This piqued my interest as they tend to do. I spend the next 30 minutes or so walking around reading the names.

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Next, I climbed the hill to visit Stirling Castle. I lucked out by getting there just as a free tour was starting. The tour lasted just under an hour, and it was so cool to hear all the stories that the tour guide shared. I wish I could go back in time, as a shadow, unseen, to witness these people and events first-hand! I don’t want to be visible, though- I’m sure I’d get myself killed.

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After walking for quite a while, I made my way back to the hostel and tried to take a nap. If I did fall asleep, I don’t remember, and it wasn’t very long. I think I had too much on my mind to relax. For dinner, I found an Italian restaurant called Mama Mia. It was excellent food! I got there just after 17:00 when they first opened the doors, so I was the first one there. The gentleman showed me up a flight of stairs to the dining room, and I had the entire place to myself. It was kind of nice.

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As you can see, today was a great day- I probably put in a few miles of walking. I look forward to getting a great night’s rest tonight, and even though I have to leave Stirling tomorrow, at least I’m off to my next stop tomorrow.

Scotland 5: Day 14

/ Dav / 1 Comment

03.14.16 | Stirling, Scotland | 20:21

As I was leaving the Glasgow hostel this morning, I noticed it was remarkably sunny outside. I cold tell that it was going to be a perfect day. When my train arrived in Stirling, it was still just as sunny. Not a cloud in the sky. Today was indeed perfect!

The hostel is only about a five-minute walk from the train station and seems to be smack in the middle of this small city. My room is pretty small but they somehow managed to fit three bunk beds in it. So far I’ve met two roommates, one is an older gentleman who is from Dumfries in the south of Scotland. He is here to attend a lecture at Stirling University tomorrow morning. The other one is a man who is originally from Ukraine but has since moved to Greece. I don’t know what industry he works in, but that is how he has ended up in Stirling for the time. Both roommates seem to be really nice.

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After getting settled in, I needed to walk and see The National Wallace Monument. This is something I’ve wanted to see for so many years! By the time I got there, I was regretting wearing a coat and scarf. Scotland is funny, especially this time of year. Always be prepared for at least three different seasons.

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A very old bridge. This isn’t the original bridge in Stirling (where a famous battle involving William Wallace was fought). That bridge was wooden, and located about 25 meters upstream.

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The National Wallace Monument

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Looking Up From The Base

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The stairway leading up to the top is very narrow!

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This is the actual sword of William Wallace!

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I have always loved stained-glass windows!

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The beautiful view from the top of the tower. The dark spot you can see is Stirling Castle.

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After walking back to the hostel, I needed to rest for a few minutes. That hike was a hefty one, thanks to all the steps in the monument. I think there are just under 300 steps!

I have the surname ‘Wallace’ in my ancestry. They came from Scotland. Though there’s no record of William Wallace ever having children, I like to think that there’s a connection. What with my valiant and brave spirit and all.