No trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit to the mysterious Loch Ness, which is the home to perhaps the oldest crypto-zoological phenomena still running, the Loch Ness Monster. As we travel down the Western side of the long, narrow, straight loch, we can’t help buy look out over the dark waters, hoping to catch a glimpse of “Nessie”. Nestled in the highlands and against a grey foreboding sky and yellow fields on the opposite shore, this entire region is breathtaking. It is the Scotland I have for so long imagined. It is the Scotland that my ancestors knew many generations ago. It is this Scotland where my heart feels at home, unlike any other place it has ever known.
We make our way towards the picturesque Urquhart Castle, which is often seen in pictures of Loch Ness, as it sits on a small peninsula guarding the ancient waterway. Upon reaching the castle’s visitor center, we sit through a short film documenting its storied history. Eventually, we make our way out to the castle ruins, which are still quite substantial.
Visiting multiple areas such as the stables, guard house, kitchen, blacksmith, pigeon house, it’s apparent that this was more than just a castle; this ancient ruin was once a community. Legend has it that this place was originally the stronghold of a Pictish King. Near death, he was visited and converted to Christianity by Saint Columba in the 6th century. No one knows precisely when the castle was built on this site, but early mentions of the structure date back to the early 13th century. After many years of service and changing hands multiple times, the castle was partially destroyed near the end of the Jacobite Rebellion in 1692 to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. The mighty fortress was never rebuilt, which is quite a shame given its ideal location on the Loch Ness.
The views of the loch from the ruined stronghold are amazing from practically any angle one can find. It feels ancient here, as if shadows of the past are watching over this great structure, or at least what remains of it. I wonder how many Nessie enthusiasts, both present-day and in the past, have spent time here scanning the murky waters for any sign of the monster. Alas, we see no sign of the beast and must move on to our next city and soon return to the states, but this is a trip that will never be forgotten by either of us.
“Braveheart” has always been one of my favorite movies since its release. This portrayal of Sir William Wallace, the Scottish national hero, speaks to my soul with regard to what a man will do for what he believes in. Leaving Edinburgh, I couldn't pass up the chance to see the monument built to honor this great man.
A short drive northwest from the capitol of Edinburgh lays the city of Stirling, site of one of Wallace’s famous battles with the English. And on a tall, rugged hillside overlooking Stirling, stands the Wallace National Monument. Completed in 1869 to honor the former High Defender of Scotland, the tower is menacing in appearance. Rising like a beacon for hope from the hillside, the tower holds vigil over Scotland, with a statue of Wallace himself on one of the corners.
After a bus ride to the top of the hill, we entered the tower and began making our way up the 246 steps sit in a spiral staircase on one corner of the monument; the only way up. There are four levels within the tower to visit. The first contains a holographic movie telling the tale of Wallace’s exploits against King Edward. Also, contained within this level is the broadsword actually used by the 13th century hero. The second level contains busts of several other notable Scottish heroes, statesmen, and artists. It also contains some beautiful stained glass windows. As the spiral staircase is extremely tight and step, and with the air frigid and thin, my wife decides to stay on this level, while I continue upwards to the top. Upon reaching the third level, I find a display of documents and informational posters talking about the construction of the monument; interesting, but not nearly as interesting to me as the levels below. Finally, upon reaching the top, I step outside to get a marvelous view of Stirling and the nearby River Forth. It’s cold up here though, and very windy. My stay is brief.
I make way back down, rejoin Cass at the second level. After the bus ride back down the hill, we continue on our journey to the famed Scottish Highlands.
We had been in the great city of Edinburgh, Scotland for the past couple of days. Our experience had been amazing. We had enjoyed some wonderful cuisine (I enjoyed haggis quite a lot) and visited some amazing sites, including a tour of the mighty Edinburgh Castle, defender of Scotland. The only struggle we really had in this beautifully old country was driving around. Adjusting to the driver sitting on the right side of the car, while driving on the left side of the road was quite challenging. Now though, it was time to test that driving skill once again, as we head out towards the highlands, stopping at a couple of sites along our way to Grantown-on-Spey.
Our stop sits about seven miles south of Edinburgh in Roslin Glen. Construction started on the now-famous Rosslyn Glen, which featured prominently in Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” and its movie adaption, in 1456 and was never completed, at least to the original plan. The chapel is only about one third of its planned size. No one is sure why construction was never completed, but the most obvious answer is money or the lack there of.
Even in its incomplete state though, the chapel is an architectural marvel to behold. The masonry work both inside and out is of the highest artistic level to be seen in buildings from this period. The inside of the chapel is supported by fourteen pillars, including the “Master Pillar” and the “Prentice Pillar”. The story surrounding these two pillars tells of a master mason having completed the first and then traveling Europe for inspiration for the second. In his absence, one of his apprentices took it upon himself to create the later and in such a way as to overshadow his master’s work. The “Prentice Pillar” contains a representation of the Yggdrasil from Norse mythology. Upon his return and seeing the work, the master murdered his apprentice in a jealous rage. The master was later executed for the murder and their representations sit in the chapel; the master’s forever gazing upon the skilled labor of his apprentice.
Cultural references in the stone work do not end with Norse mythology. There are numerous sculptures in the structure representing a myriad of different cultures, mythologies, and religions. One of the most peculiar is the framing of a window by some type of seed cone, which very closely resemble cobs of corn. This is strange since corn was native to the Americas, which would not be visited by Columbus for another 30+ years.
While no pictures are allowed inside the chapel, a very knowledgeable tour guide gave a very informative lecture concerning various aspects of the chapel. It was quite enjoyable and left us to ponder the structure’s amazing history.
With the choice of either a 5-hour or 10-hour layover in Philadelphia on the way to our honeymoon in Scotland, the 10-hour seemed a much better choice since it would give us time to leave the airport and explore the city a little bit. We chose to do this. Immediately after landing, we grabbed a cab and headed to the area of Independence Hall. While this was my second trip to see the historic site, it was my new wife’s first. The cab ride was uneventful and we were let at the visitor center, where we checked the tour schedule. Acquiring tickets, we realized we had a couple of hours to wait and so walked a few blocks in the area looking for an interesting place to have lunch.
We finally settled on a wonderful little bistro on a nearby street corner. The meal was wonderful, and included an appetizer pizza with four types of cheeses and slices of pear – strange, but delicious. After lunch and a couple of drinks, we made our way back to Independence Hall, taking a moment to view the Liberty Bell through the glass of its display building. We probably would have gone in, but the line was extremely long.
Just across the street lay Independence Hall, the birthplace of the great experiment we all America. Seeing it from across the courtyard, it resembles many other buildings of its ear, but it emits some type of aura that few can. It must be our forefather’s spirits holding vigil over the birthplace of their great labor. Unfortunately, the hall was currently under renovation during this visit. There was scaffolding all around the spire of the building, but the construction team, had carefully placed artistically painted sheets around the scaffolding imitating the structure behind it. It was a nice touch.
Upon entering the building with our tour guide and a few dozen other tourists, we made our way into the two main rooms. The first was the colonial courtroom from when this served as the regional courthouse. It was adorned with original furniture and decorative items, which made it easy to imagine the atmosphere of trials that may have taken place here.
The second room we were lead to by our very knowledgeable tour guide was the Assembly Room, where the magic happened. Just prior to the American Revolution, delegates from the thirteen colonies met in this room to debate an action who’s heart and soul would be captured in the words of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, which separated the colonies from England and initiated the Revolutionary War. Men such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock and many others sat in this room and debated the very nature of man and the truth of his existence in this world as it relates to his own freedom. They were titans and the work they did here defined a nation. One can’t help but feel the glow emanating from this small room.
In addition to the first two rooms, we also visited the Governor’s Council Chamber and the Long Room on the second floor of the great hall, and while they are certainly interesting, my mind couldn't help leave the Assembly Room and the amazing discussions that must have taken place there almost a quarter of a millennia ago.
Upon completion of the tour, we thanked our wonderful guide and made our way back to the airport. Time to visit the motherland.
Just as we had driven through Death Valley on the way down to Las Vegas, we drove through this most gorgeous of Nevada’s state parks on the way home.
Even the first site of the orangish-red sandstone stirs the imagination. This park is full of ancient Native American Petroglyphs and bizarre rock formations.
Our first stop, at At’latl Rock exposed us to a highly decorated rock formation. While being flanked by a platoon of cute little ground squirrels, we made our way up to the rock face, which is covered with numerous Petroglyphs. It is truly unfortunate that previous visitors in modern times have defaced some of this mysterious message from the distant past.
Moving on, we began searching the area for a natural arch, mentioned on the signs. As it turns out, the arch is fairly tiny and set upon a much larger boulder. Scanning the area at just the right angle will finally reveal the miniaturized natural wonder.
Our last stop before leaving the park required me to do a short hike, while Cass remained in the jeep. Traversing a short path over the sandstone, I found myself alongside the paved road we had entered on with the goal of my hike directly in front of me. Elephant Rock is an incredibly accurate name for this formation. Time and the elements have worn this particular boulder down in such a way as to make it closely resemble an elephant, with four legs, a head, and a trunk clearly defined. Nature is an amazing artist.
