Circus, Circus

Mushrooms and eggs accompanied by a croissant again for me this morning.  This may be my new guilty breakfast pleasure! 

We have been traveling in the mountains. Called “Ben” or “Munro” here depending on the height.  A Munro is above 3000 ft and named after the bloke (Sir Hugh Munro) who catalogued them in 1891.

We are on a single lane road much of the time,  which requires much patience and politeness.  

We had a very quick stop for a selfie at this cute phone booth,  Claire and I cheated and took each others photo. 

We stopped for a coffee and the Whistle Stop Cafe in Torridon, Claire and I shared a

Bakewell Cake raspberry filling with yellow cake and a light lemon icing.  

The scenery was lively and today the sun is shining!    

Inverewe gardens were lovely.  I saw many plant I had not seen before.  Others planted in such a way that made my heart sing

and yet others that gave me ideas for planting next year.  

There were California redwoods that are about 100 years old!

We made a couple of other photo op stops and finally ended up with a back of the hotel view and a shower that does not work at the Gairloch Hotel,  this hotel has been an absolutely nightmare. We arrived and were told that there were not 2 keys to the room. We then were efficiently checked in, Claire got undressed and tried to take a shower, and we could not get the shower to work, so she had to hid in the corner while I got the manager who said she would be up in a minute, we waited quite a while and finally the manager showed up, and said it would be a bit before the maintenance man could have a look at it because he was dressed in traditional Scottish garb and was busy with a performance. SO she finally got fed up with waiting in a towel. (Though i mush say the towels here are huge,) took a sink bath and got dressed. We went down and Claire asked for another room and the room she (the manager) gave us the key to was horrid, tiny, dark, and one bed did not ok like it was going to be comfortable for anyone. SO we went back to the desk and the lady at the desk and she said our options were to stay in the room with no shower (by now I had voided in the toilet while waiting) and a toilet that would not work, Keep the unacceptable room, or move to a different hotel and she would take us there and leave us. OR we could share a bed. So we tried to call “Stephen” and he did not answer the number he gave us day one. SO we went back to the desk to say we would share a bed if necessary and there was a Bloke there now who gave us a key to another room and off we went to see this room and Claire walked in on another couple who was in bed. (So I am sure they are thrilled).  The bloke came racing down the hall as he realized his mistake,  but the deed had been done At last we were given another key. Now we are both a wreck and have lost our free afternoon. AND not looking forward to dinner due to the embarrassment at walking on another couple on this trip. Honestly 

Dinner was actually ok, we sat across from the couple and they seemed less disturbed then Claire did.  Dinner was a very large glass of wine, (comped by the bloke) ham fried potatoes (that I am sorry to say just begged for Ketchup) and Carrotts. Followed by a lovely raspberry and frangipani tart and coffee!

I came back and had the hottest bath I think I could stand and tried to finish this blog, but some fotos are not coming through.

Rain, rain, rain go away, come again September 17

The huge bus was gone from our view this morning but there was some sort work van thingy in its place.  I did manage a pic without it.  

There was a coffee maker in the room and I was overjoyed however I struggled with it.  Hopefully in the morning it will be easier.

Scrambled eggs and sautéed mushrooms, a piece of ham, and a croissant with butter and apricot jam and of course coffee for breakfast.  I decided to give the sausages another try, but no, just no.

We took the Skye bridge to Skye and it rained and blew!  Mr Personality really does not know how to sell things, rather portends gloom and said we might not do this or that if the weather was bad.  Regardless we went to Dunvegan Castle which is still inhabited by McLeods on the top floor.

Maids Quarters, it had a list of chores beginning at 0400!

Maids corrdor

Lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s hair gifted to Flora McDonald who is one of whom is regarded as to having saved him form the English.

One of my favorite things was the dungeon, only because i had seen the concept of a hole in the castle where people were just left. And this one was actually in the walls of the castle, they said it was so they could smell the food the maids were bringing to the table through the walls and that it punished them more. 

As I went through the castle,   I wondered what it might be like to share your home with the public like that?  People are so careless if other peoples things.

There were lovely gardens there as well and I was surprised at the variety of

Things growing i.e. rosemary a huge old bush and I would not have thought it would survive. 

I particularly enjoyed the water garden 

We had a rather disagreeable experience in Portree, Skye. 

 We were dumped out and told to make getting lunch a priority and we were turned away from 4 establishments and the 5th was not even open finally to Chinese which while not execrable didn’t encourage me to fail my dieting attempts.  It was supposed to be sweet and sour chicken and I knew it was chicken nuggets but honestly what is sweet and sour chicken?  Regardless we didn’t really get to spend any time in Portree nor was it a culinaryj success.  AND to tip it off “Stephen” just sang the Skye Boat Song.

We stopped for a look see and a wee dram at this monument, it is in honor of Collie and McKenzie statue which over looks the Sligachan river which is reputed to bring eternal wisdom or eternal beauty ( depending on which tale you hear / or believe) to anyone who plants thier face in the river for 7 seconds.  I did not to this as I believe in agreeing gracefully!

The Sligcchan Hotel is near here, but not near enough, caught out in the umpteenth rainstorm my lovely new red corduroy coat bleed all over my tan jeans (you would think I would learn my lesson as yesterday it bled on my cream sweater) so a beverage was in order.  I tried a local scotch, nicely smiley. Accompanied with a Murray mint, it was Devine.  

We came back, I showered do I will be ready to roll in the AM and we went to dinner here in the Balmacara Hotel. Claire and I got a pre dinner drink, which I took in to dinner.  I had a Cesar salad replete with more then one anchoise,  A lovely Scottish salmon with Hollandaise sauce, mashed potatoes, carrots and broccoli. Cream Brûlée and Shortbread for dessert but I was woefully full by this point. 

It Sure Isn’t Outlander!

Departure time was 7:50 today, breakfast was scrambled eggs and ham, some lovely tiny pastries and coffee.  First we went to Luss to see Loch Lamond, 

 It was a cute little village and the views of the lake were lovely.   

That look is determination to get a decent selfies, not crabbiness!

From there we stopped at a Green Wellie, to see the best BR in the UK,  I was not impressed.  I liked the bathroom yesterday better!

Then after traveling amongst lovely beautiful lakes glens  and streams we got let out at a visitors center which irritated me to no end as we had passed up several opportunities to stop and taking photos from inside the bus is shoddy at best. We eventually found a scenic view after being forced through a gift shop. And there was a Peet

house there too which was quite interesting.  Mother Nature took the opportunity to make my umbrella wet and it was off to the next stop of Ft William. 

 I was pretty excited to get there and there is only a stone wall left.  It had a size able part in Outlander’s first season.  We dined on goat cheese, artichoke hearts  and honey for me and potato, spinach and courgette soup for Claire.  I had just made this at home and was not interested. It tasted about the same though.

We then drove to Eileen Donan Castle.  Built in mid 13th century, it was partially destroyed by the Spanish in the Jacobite uprising of 1719.  IT was purchased / rebuilt by a McCrae in 1911 /1932.  There are still McCrae family members who are custodians of the castle.

Regardless it was beautiful and the wild weather added to the ambiance of the place.

We are staying at the Balmacara. Hotel right on the water.  It is crazy out there right now, windy and blowey who knows what tomorrow will bring.  But we did get to see the schedule at dinner!

Speaking of dinner it was good, Tomato soup with a roll, Chicken and mashed potatoes I think the chicken was stuffed with Haggis.  

And for dessert Cranachan which is whipped cream (the real stuff) raspberry oculus, toasted oats, honey and whiskey accompanies with a shortbread cookie.  Pretty yummy.