Trip to Scotland
(For a better reading experience I would suggest you to open a separate tab on your browser and view the pictures of our trip to Scotland. Then you will be able connect better with what I am going to describe.
)
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Imagine miles of blue sky splattered with patterns of clouds. As you change the angle of your neck to the eye level, add endless peaks covered with brown moss with the tops covered with patches of snow. Then sprinkle a few valleys between these mountains and fill it up with sheep that know nothing other than chomping grass and growing innumerable coats of fleece. Finally dot the landscape with small cottages that are scattered miles apart. Now cover the entire picture with a continuous drizzle. This is my description of the highlands of Scotland in the summer months. It is funny that you don't get tired or bored of the landscape though the same stretches far and wide. This magical effect may be an outcome of the refreshing mountain air that almost pumps a fresh lease of life into your tired body. Every cool breath you take urges you to thank the Creator for having created such a wonderful place on earth.
This is exactly what I felt on my memorable trip to Scotland. The first part of our journey involved travelling by train to the historical city of Edinburgh. The city easily amalgamates the old with the new. One can find spotless new high-rises amidst colossal ancient architecture dating back to the 1700's. The University of Edinburgh stretches on for miles and the castles and palaces are never ending. Add to this, there are thousands of gifted musicians and artistes who put on a grand show on every main street. At the same time the addicted shopaholics can spoil themselves in the multitude of shops and malls! We stayed overnight in the luxurious Marriott hotel. The cots were so huge and the beds were so bouncy and comfortable that we could hardly open our eyes even at 10 AM the next day! Travelling by train to Edinburgh and then hiring a car was a fabulous idea.
The first stop on our 4 wheel drive was Pitlochry. We visited the Pitlochry theater and had an unforgettable high tea. Resting on comfortable couches we sipped tea and ate hot doughnuts watching the serene river flow. There was an added attraction of watching people trying to fish in the swirling waters. There was a small hanging bridge across the river that reminded me of 'Lakshman Jhula' in Haridwar. With just a mild drizzle the entire landscape was awash with sunlight. It was a great sight to watch old and retired people socializing and young hot ladies taking their dogs for a walk!
The next destination was the picturesque village of Aviemore. We were welcomed into the village by groups of cud chewing, orange, shaggy highland cows. They have so much hair that one cannot make out their eyes. They seem so cuddly inspite of their razor sharp horns. Like the previous night, we had a pleasant stay at the Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel. We dined out in a restaurant called 'Spice of India', oddly though, run by Bangladeshis. The best part of the stay was the English breakfast the next morning. There was a wide variety of fruit juices, toasted, beans, tomatoes, fruits, egg dishes to choose from. Having filled ourselves with a healthy portion of the aforementioned items we proceeded to try out the Funicular train on the Cairngorm or the Blue mountains. Again, a breathtaking experience. It was surprising to find patches of snow on the mountain peak. But once we reached the peak, we could not see a thing because of the mist. This is an ecologically protected area since age old moss and lichens still grow on the mountain top. We also got to see UK's highest post box on top of the mountain. Interestingly, in the gift shop, there is a small machine which accepts a 1 penny coin and imprints the funicular train on the coin. So, now, the coin is no more circular; rather it is elliptical with the picture of the train. Defacing a coin was illegal for a very long time. But now the rule is abolished and people can get this souvenir for just 50p.
On our way back to the base, we came across a boating center on Loch Morlich. Being the first time, I was a bit scared to go canoeing but later enjoyed it quite a lot. I would love to repeat this activity in the future. Canoeing in a 40 feet deep lake was an exhilarating experience. Changing the direction of the canoe is a challenging task and one has to learn this pretty soon if being pushed towards the shore is something that you don't want!
The next location on our journey was Inverness. On our way to Inverness we witnessed many more highland farms with woolly highland cows. They are just unbelievable huge but seem to be very gentle. The drive along Loch Ness in Inverness was truly delightful. We felt as though the lake was never ending and would accompany us to the end of the world! Then we enjoyed a cruise on Loch Ness. We visited the ruins of the Urquhart castle. Though ruined and blown up in the 1600s, it was a pleasant place to explore with great natural views on all the sides.
The final place on our journey was Fort William. The drive along Loch Ness up to FW was mesmerizing. A part of me did not want this journey to end at all. The icing on the cake was the Bed and Breakfast that we had booked for the night. After having stayed in grand hotels for the past two days, we were a bit apprehensive of staying in a converted home. But all our fears were laid to rest when we checked in to our rooms. Though compact, they had all the luxuries of a star hotel. We had an amazing view of the Loch Ness and the surrounding mountains right from our window. After having dined out, we flopped down on the lawn on the B&B almost until 10 in the night. Enjoying the setting sun and the cool breeze we almost missed the huge hairy white cat that was trying to sniff us out. As usual, the next morning we enjoyed an excellent spread of cornflakes, fresh milk and butter, toast, baked beans, tomatoes, potato roasts and coffee. The hairy pussy kept a very close eye on us until we vacated the building. It was almost like Mrs. Norris from HP.
Then we started back on the long drive back to Edinburgh. The mountains along the way were magnificent. We were so engrossed in nature's beauty that we forgot to check the fuel gauge. When we realized the gravity of the situation, we were in the midst of nowhere. The nearest fuel bunk was 11 miles away. We kept praying the entire distance and heaved a great sigh of relief when we spotted a bunk in the next village. Though a little bit scary, it was quite tingly to imaging ourselves being stranded on a road with no human contact for miles together!!!
Our safe return brought us back to Edinburgh and after a hearty lunch we boarded the train back to sweet old Petey town.
Comments
Post a Comment