Finally11

Saturday November 25 2000

Hello there in the cold Netherlands and wherever you are, here it's also cold!!!
Here a report from last week, a very nice tour with MacBackpackers through Scotland:

Saturday left early (a small group: Dianne & Amber and Chris the tourguide, unfortunately on Tuesday 17 other persons joined up the group) and went to Stirling, to the spot where William Wallace (Braveheart: see the movie, ladies and gentleman!) led his heroic deeds and to the monument of Robert the Bruce, an other great Scottish hero. We've also been stopped at the grave of Rob Roy (see this movie too, guys).
Around 12 we had lunch in the oldest pub maybe of the world (about 1700) where Rob Roy drank his Guinness, it's still authentic. At last to Kilchurn Castle and this will not be the last castle we 'll stumble.
Sunday first driven to Isle of Seil and that's the only place where you can walk on a small bridge across the Atlantic Ocean! Then driven to Kilmartin, "Valley of the Ghosts". On the graveyard there're still tombstones from the Middle Age. Nearby is Temple Wood where are stonecircles, these graves are at least 5000 years old, so: older than the pyramids!! At the end of the day to Carnasserie Castle and in this castle you can see clearly how it ever was before.
Monday we've been driven to Clencoe Valley and this was incredible beautiful!!!!!!!! Chris told us the story of the MacDonalds clan and how they've been killed by an other clan and here I wiped away a tear. We continued into the mountains and suddenly we where in the snow!!! Hihi.
In the twilight to the castle of the MacLouds clan, this is the spot where the Highlander movie has been record. Spending the night in Skye and the Isle of Skye you can't explain, you have to feel that, very quiet and very beautiful!!!
So Tuesday joined up 17 persons.....
Today explored Isle of Skye, many many mountains and the group climbed one, but I didn't, for I'm a wally, I got a lot of pleasure of the view, the trees, the mountains, the water, the silence and sometimes the sound of a bird and before I noticed one and a half hour went by and the group returned. At he end of the afternoon driven to Faeries Glen, here the good ghosts (faeries) are living. It looked like as in a fairy-tale movie and it was very quiet there and sometimes it was a little scary.
Wednesday got up early and made a walk through the village of Skye. The greatest part of the day we've been driven and now and then had a peestop or stopped for the nice view. End of the afternoon made a walk through the forest to a waterfall. In the evening in the pub we learned 2 Scottish dances and we've been doubled over with laughter of course, was very funny.
Thursdaymorning made a walk to Glen Affric, this is the oldest wood of Scotland and here used to live the Pics (Coloured People, because they were tattooed completely, so they were recognized more difficult in the forest), after that we drove to the Clansman Centre in Ford Augustus and there they showed us how the Highlanders used to live and survive formerly. This was very interesting to me!