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 This was our next stop. Plockton. As beautiful as a postcard. Can you see why it's called the "Jewel of the Highlands"?
This lovely village sits in a sheltered harbor overlooking Loch Carron. The photo above was actually the view from my hotel room. Every morning. For 3 days. *sigh* As we drove south and west from our last stop at Dunrobin Castle, it was easy to see we were in the Highlands.
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 Our day at Dunrobin Castle didn't end with just a tour of the castle and gardens. We were there in time for a falconry display.
If you look in this photo, you'll see rows of benches about midway down the right side. The long stretch of open garden before those benches is where the display was held. And it was awesome! The falconer introduced us to three different birds, (two falcons and a hawk) one at a time, extolling their virtues and sending them soaring over our heads. Did you know a gyrfalcon can catch his prey on a straight course, flying at 90 mph or at dives approaching 200 mph? Or that the Peregrine falcon strikes its prey with the force of diving speeds clocked in excess of 240 mph? And pulling 25Gs? (FWIW, 9Gs is the human limit. Let that sink in a moment)  We said a reluctant farewell to Orkney on a dreicht morning. We boarded the ferry just before rainfall. Unlike our previous passage from Aberdeen to Kirkwall, a 6 hour journey, this crossing from Kirkwall to Scrabster on the northern-most tip of Scotland only took an hour and a half. As I glanced over my photos and notes, I wondered how I would fit all of this day into a single post. I can't. As with other posts, I decided to take my time and savor each step along the way. I really want to show you Dunrobin Castle today, so grab a cup of your favorite beverage. You're going to enjoy this. Shenanigans with Thorfinn the Mighty on the ferry. Just for grins.
 (Note: Ceilidh is pronounced 'kay-lee' and means 'party')
After spending the morning at Skara Brae, we headed for a round of shopping in lovely Kirkwall. Of course, Thorfinn came along. The cathedral you see in the background of this photo is St. Magnus' Cathedral, and I have Thorfin-less photos for you below. Known also as the 'Light of the North', it was built in 1137 by Earl Rognvald in honor of his uncle, St. Magnus, and as a final resting place for his relics. It is made of both red and yellow sandstone which gives the building its unique coloring. We of course found lots of wonderful shops, and arrived back at the bus with various treasures, ready for a short trip to the Standing Stones of Stenness. Needless to say, none of us found any activity within the standing stones, though we were allowed to wander among them, and Susie was not left wondering what happened to any of the group. But we enjoyed ourselves just the same. We arrived back at our hotel in time for a delicious dinner followed by a fun evening of learning some traditional dances. Our musicians were the Orcadian band Kirkjuvagr, which is an old name for Kirkwall.  Let me first admit I stole the title for this post from Susie Malcolm. But on our second day in Orkney, we traveled far, far back in time.
We visited Skara Brae. What was once thought to be a Pictish village, some 500 years in age, was proven to date back to the Neolithic Era--over 5000 years ago. This means it predates the first Crusade (AD 1095), the Fall of Rome (AD 476), the Great Pyramids, and even Stonehenge (2100 BC). |
AuthorThis is where I talk about things in my life outside of writing. Mostly gardening and dogs. Archives
December 2019
CategoriesAll Adventures With Rezso After Christmas Angus The Cat Anne Martin Gaelic Singer Armadale Bay Armadale Castle Arthur Cormack Gaelic Singer Basketball Bath Bath Time Beltane Tours Ben Best Toys Beth Malcolm Birthday Brough Of Birsay Caithness Caledonia MacBrayne Ferry Castles Of Scotland Cathy MacRae Ceilidh Celtic Crosses Celtic Music Chiropractic Treatment Christmas Church Of The Holy Rude Corgi Dixie Dog Training Dunnottar Castle Dunrobin Castle Dunvegan Castle Edinburgh Eilean Donan Castle Emily Smith Traditional Scottish Singer Euphonium Falconry Exhibit Ferry Fiddles Flowers Freki Fun On The Farm Gaelic Songs Gardening Gardens German Shepherd Gunnar Happy Birthday Harry Potter Train Harvest Helper Highland Distillery Holyrood Abbey Holyroodhouse Holyrood Palace Iain MacFarlane Fiddler Ingrid Henderson Harpist Isle Of Skye Jacobite Steam Train Jennifer & Hazel Wrigley Jim And Susie Malcolm Jolly Ball Kelpies Kirkwall Laidhay Crofting Museum Life With Dogs Life With Freki Maeshowe Malaig Malinky Band Monkey Puzzle Tree New Puppy Ninja Dog Obedience Class Odin's Wolves Orkney Pool Time Ring Of Brodgar Rosslyn Chapel Scotland Food Scotland Tour 2019 Service Dog Skaill House Skara Brae Snow Soccer #Sonicdrivein Spring Springtime Square Foot Garden Square-foot Garden Standing Stones Standing Stones Of Stenness Stirling Castle St Magnus Cathedral Swimming Pool Then And Now Thorfinn The Mighty Tracking Treats Vikings Water Games Where's Thorfinn? Whistles Winter Fun Wonderful Wednesday |
