25/05/07 – 26/05/07: London to Inverness

My Scotland Trip begins! YAY! Got dressed in my ‘traveling’ gear this morning (ie, Kathmandu everything), made it through the last day of term (which, of course, included taking my year 10s out to play ‘football’ during last period), and caught a lift into London with one of the teachers who drives in from London everyday.

I’d arranged to meet with Dixon and Spurls earlier that week since my bus to Edinburgh wouldn’t leave until 10pm that night. Because I was quite early, I walked around Covent Garden Markets for some time – now that was fun. Just sitting there people watching – the smells, the sounds, the buskers, the food, the fun – it was brilliant! While I was off in my own world walking around the square, I was startled by a man who had followed me and suddenly started talking to me. I nearly screamed and he saw this, got a quick apology out of the way then started to ask me where I was from. I must have had my angry face on because I was naturally suspicious and he backed off pretty quickly. Later on, when my backpack got a bit too heavy, I sat down and listened to a busker sing country music. He was clearly nervous because he tried to make conversation rather than just sing. There was a younger man who sang a lot better, but was poorly placed next to the carousel. It’s all about location location fellas! And wadayano. That same desperado had picked up not one, but two poor, Asian, naïve-overseas-student-looking ladies. He was doing all the moves – the lean, the laugh, the cool-calm-collected-look and so on. Damn I wish I’d taken a photo. The busker was obviously getting a little pissed off that the people sitting around him weren’t listening to him, so he started talking to people who were walking around through his microphone: ‘yeah that’s right, just walk right by’; ‘anything interesting in that newspaper there?’; and then, my favourite, something along the lines of ‘check out that guy – he can’t even hear me – but he’s been chatting up every girl who walks by – trust me, I’ve been standing here a while!’ and so on. Which made me laugh.

When Emma and Sarah arrived, it was strangely as if nothing had changed in the last five years. Both girls looked as gorgeous as ever. Sarah had dolled herself up so nicely to celebrate the last day of term. It was almost as if we were having ladies’ night dinner at her house just yesterday. How strange! And yet so comforting. We went to a pub and had a drink and caught up on our gossip; and it felt pretty grand. I couldn’t have imagined a better way to begin my half-term break.

Eventually, I left and got a couple of tubes to Victoria station to get my bus. And it was uncomfortable. I slept as best I could, which wasn’t easy given that I was – of course! – seated next to a very, very, large man who – of course! – wouldn’t stop sniffing. Speaking of which, what IS it with me and people sitting around me on buses who won’t stop sniffing?! Ask me about my bus ride from Singapore to Ipoh sometime. It wasn’t a short trip. Nonetheless, I found myself happy enough in Edinburgh on Saturday morning.

I had signed up with a Haggis Tour. The bus was brand new, the group small – there was only 19 of us, and the driver was well suited to his job – young, hip, trendy, passionate, professional, perfect. Of the 19 tourists, eight of us were ‘Straaaayans’. There were four Canadians, a Londoner, three New Zealanders including a South African-New Zealander, and only three Americans. 21% of us were teachers.

We drove past Perth, went over the Firth of Forth using a dodgy Forth Road Bridge so that we could take pictures of the nice, decent, strong Forth Rail Bridge; played some ‘getting-to-know-you’ games and stopped by Dunkeld. Dunkeld is a lovely little town with a great deal of history. In Dunkeld, there is a lovely old cathedral with an effigy in there of the Wolf of Badenoch, who was an evil, horrible man. And when he died, an effigy was made of him. And it’s said that wherever the effigy was, bad fortune fell upon that town. So the church in Dunkeld was paid a considerable sum of money to house the effigy. And it’s there to this day. The cathedral sits on the bank of a small but powerful-looking river. So we took some photos there.

After the Cathedral, we went to the Hermitage, which is a small though beautiful national park where the tallest and some of the oldest trees in Scotland grows. The uncle or father-in-law of one of the Dukes of Atholl had planted all the trees there a long time ago, and they’re still there till today. In return, his nephew or son-in-law (I forget – should research it!) had built the old lothario a little circular building called Ossian’s Hall where he could take his mistresses. Legend has it that the entire inside of the little building was lined with mirrors. They’ve re-done the place for tourists, maintaining the outside façade (complete with one of those secret-hidey-doors that looks like a wall!) but lining the inside walls with ‘paintings’ which tell the story of the old Cassanova. The funny thing is – and I’m sure it’s deliberate – the massive information panels and so-called paintings are actually done on mirrors, and they cover the entire walls of the inside of the building!

My god the folly was pretty. Built right atop a waterfall, the balcony faces a magnificent scene of the Braan crashing, pounding, thundering water on rocks surrounded by lush, verdant foliage and mossy banks. Just standing there on that balcony was enough to get one’s blood rushing. I must say, if some guy brought me all the way up there… but this is a family program. And I digress. It was really pretty.

I couldn’t help myself – I climbed all over the rocks and then wandered off the path. It wasn’t until I realized I was the only person walking did I turn around. Halfway up the track I found the tour guide puffed out, running around like crazy trying to find me. Luckily, I wasn’t the only one on the tour with an ‘adventurous’ streak. We had to wait for Rob the American who had a tendency to wander off as well.

Lunch was at Kingnussie, and we headed off to Culloden after that. Boy that was sad. I nearly cried. The Battle of Culloden was what began the Highland Clearances – what was essentially ethnic cleansing of the Scottish Highland peoples by the English. And all on the whim and for the ego trip of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Such tragedy. It was strange that all it was was an empty field with flags marking the spots where the Highlanders and English stood. There were several mass graves and headstones marking the places where various Highlanders were buried; and people were just walking their dogs through the field. But there was a most reverent silence that echoed throughout the field that moved me greatly. I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Our very quiet busload of international guests then proceeded to a more touristy destination – Loch Ness! Not the most impressive Loch in Scotland, not the largest or widest or anything. Only special because there ‘might’ be a wee monster in it. Didn’t see anything when I was there though.

We stayed at the Inverness Youth Hostel that night (got the bottom bunk – Yay!). Not too bad. A most jam-packed 24 hours wouldn’t you say? Check out the photos here.