The Scottish Highlands!

Took my first trip to the Scottish Highlands week before last and it was amazing.  I had always heard how beautiful the Highlands were, but hadn't done much research ahead of time on what I would be seeing.  The landscapes were so unusual.  I drove through areas that looked as if you were on the moon, then on top of the world, through lush forests, by ski hills (sans snow), next to pastures and fields, next to the sea, and through lovely villages.  Oh, and one can't forget, there were hundreds of sheep!

This is a map of my (and Riley, of course) journey.  I started out in Ladybank, at the bottom of the map, and took the highway to the left up north towards the large city of Inverness.  I was headed for the village of Muir of Ord to drop Riley off at his dog B&B, then to Strathpeffer, where I stayed 2 nights.  On the 2nd day, I took the circle journey to the left over to the northwest coast of Scotland.  Then I returned, on the 3rd day, on the highway to the right, so I could visit Balmoral Castle.

They never seem very impressed when I stop to take a photo.

As I drove along, I saw a few men down a hillside, working on some sheep.  I pulled over to take pictures and eventually they asked if I wanted to join them.  Yes!

Couldn't help but stop when I saw this group right next to the road.

This is a Texel ewe (I think the Texel breed resemble pigs, in an odd sort of way) with her twin lambs.

This is John, Robert and Stephen, working on lambs and ewes that John farms at Borenich Farm near Pitlochry, Perthshire, about an hour north of Ladybank.  They were castrating and docking tails on the last of the lambs that had been born in the past few weeks, shearing the wool caked with mud and manure from the ewes backsides, and drenching them to prevent parasite (worms) buildup.  They were also separating out any ewes that did not lamb this year, as they will be off to the abattoir (processing plant.)  They were so nice, answering all my questions, then asking me in for tea and sandwiches.  I was in heaven!

 Beautiful landscapes.  The iPhone doesn't do the scenery much justice here.

I was headed to Dingwall to attend the NSA (National Sheep Association) Highland Sheep Show.  It was new this year and well attended.  With the dreadful winter and devastating effects on lambing season in the northern areas, it was nice to see the farmers out socialising and enjoying the day.  There were several breeds of sheep that we don't have in the US and I was excited to see the differences.  Quite interesting is that the some of the sheep farmers who show their sheep actually shampoo them in a coloured liquid, so they come out a tan colour rather than white.  I spoke to a young gal working at one of the breed society's booth and she said it is common in the Highland area, but not throughout England.

These are actually white sheep, coloured for the show.

This boy had an amazing set of horns.  He didn't seem interested in getting up for a photography session.

Finally, I saw my first Zwartbles!  This is a breed originally from Holland and I think they are so striking.  No Zwartbles in the US.  Livestock can't be imported into the US, only semen.  Some breeders are crossing breeds and eventually they will have sheep that are 98% pure breeds.  I believe it takes 7 generations of cross breeding.  In Oregon, this is happening with the Gotland and the Wensleydale breeds.  However, as far as I know, this isn't happening with the Zwartble.

If I remember correctly, I think these are Leicesters.

The highlight of the show for me was watching sheep dog trials for the first time.  I'd seen them on television, but never in person.  This was a competition, but not for points toward the National or International events coming in August and September.  It was more for a fun day and practice for the dogs and handlers.  It was a beautiful day, about 62 degrees, but out in the sun it felt like it was in the high 70's.  Next time I will remember to bring a camp chair, as standing for hours wasn't very kind to my neck and back.  I was a magnetic for the geriatric crowd and found fine friends in 3 sheep farmers, aged 72, 74 and 80!  They all farm on the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland.  It was nice to find some friends who explained some of the specifics for me.

This is the last part of the run, as the handler and his pup are penning the sheep.  If you look to the top of the photo, to the right, you'll see a black truck.  That belongs to the fellow who lets the sheep out for each run.  To the left, you can just barely see a small patch of white - those are the sheep for the next run.  Between the sheep and the truck is a black spot - that's the dog who keeps the sheep corralled until they are ready for the next run.  For this competition, they didn't do the "shed", which is where the dog separates out 2 of the 4 sheep.

I was staying 2 nights at a B&B in the Victorian spa village of Strathpeffer, so I went back to rest for a few hours before taking off on another adventure.  Rona Mackenzie, who owns Linnmhor House with her husband Michael, recommended a trip out to the west coast.  Since it doesn't get dark until almost 11 pm or even later, there was plenty of time for another trip.  

By the way, the Linnmhor House was a lovely place to stay - highly recommended! I mistakenly did not take any pictures, so I "borrowed" this one of the bedroom where I stayed off of Tripadvisor.  This is the lovely room where I stayed and the breakfast room.  Rona did all of the decorating herself and she also does the baking for their coffee shop in the village.  

Scenery on the way to the northwest coast:

I was headed for Gairloch on the shores of Loch Gairloch.  (For my US friends, a loch is the Scottish Gaelic and Irish word for a lake or a sea inlet.  In this case, Loch Gairloch is a sea inlet.)   Just before reaching Gairloch, I took a side road and ended up at a little hotel in the middle of nowhere.  I stepped out to find the lovely little scene below.

From the harbor in Gairloch, they run pleasure trips for fishing and to view marine wildlife.  There was once a strong history of creel shellfish fishing and small scale trawl fishing here, but the shellfish processing businesses are mostly gone now.

I was headed to have dinner at a restaurant recommended by Rona called The Shieling.  Rona grew up in the village of Poolewe and worked for Donald who now runs the restaurant. She had told me to look for the palm trees - I wouldn't miss it.  And there I was, having dinner in northwest Scotland, with a view that looked like I was in Hawaii (that's actually the Isle of Skye in the distance.)  This area has a microclimate and unusual vegetation grows here.  I was reading up on the area and read on Wikipedia that in the memoir Pigeonholes of Memory, John Mackenzie wrote that his father was able to grow fruiting peaches outdoors.  I had a glass of wine and some very good portobello mushrooms smothered in cheese!

I thought this white farmhouse was located in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Just as I was approaching Poolewe, a little farther north, the fog came drifting in.  The A832 road heads steeply up Achtercair Brae and it felt like I was on top of the world.  

I was reading about this area and was interested to learn that the lands around Gairloch have mostly been in the ownership of the Mackenzie clan since the 15th century.  From Wikipedia...The Mackenzies were known for their attachment to their tenants.  During the 19th century, some of the Mackenzies refused to evict a single tenant during the Highland Clearances (forced displacement of a significant number of people during the 18th and 19th centuries carried out by hereditary aristocratic landowners as a result of an agricultural revolution), despite the estate running at a loss.  As a result, evicted Highlanders from other communities came to live in the area and caused Gairloch to maintain a thriving community even today.  

Before returning to Strathpeffer, I turned off at the Corrieshalloch Gorge.  The gorge is 1.5 km (1640 yards) long and 60 m (65 yards) deep and was formed at the end of the last ice age by erosion caused by meltwater.  You take a gravel path down to the suspension bridge to walk across the gorge.  Note: I am petrified of heights!  Many, many years ago, I walked across a very long suspension bridge in British Columbia with my good friends Robert Larsen and Marti Cosentino.  I was so petrified, Robert had to pry my hands off the handrails so I could make it across.  2nd note: There was not another person within miles and miles of this gorge, so had I not been able to make it back across this bridge, I would likely still be there today. 

Good thing I read about the bridge after I returned from the trip.  Seems in 2010, 2011 and 2012, structural engineers found "unacceptable wear and tear" and "cracks in the support hangers" and the bridge required major repairs.  The warning sign says no more than 6 people on the bridge at a time.  No mention of how much each of those 6 people should weigh.

On the 3rd day, I headed south again, through Inverness, and beyond.  This was the type of scenery I was looking at most of the day.

I mentioned in an earlier post, about my wee little obsession of anything "royal."  That meant a trip to Balmoral Castle, the Scottish estate belonging to the Royal Family, was required.  Balmoral Castle is located in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire.  I remember when Diana, Princess of Wales, was first identified as dating Prince Charles and there was a photo on the banks of the River Dee where the paparazzi first discovered her, hiding in the trees while Charles fished.  

The Castle has been one of the residences of the British Royal Family since 1852 when it was purchased by Queen Victoria and her consort (husband), Prince Albert.  It is the private property of the monarch and not part of the Crown Estate and now covers about 49,000 acres and is a working estate.  There are grouse moors, forestry and farmland, as well as managed herds of deer, Highland Cattle, and rare breeds of ponies.  Each year, the Castle closes for the months of August and September when the Royal Family is in residence.  

The ballroom is the only room inside the Castle that is open to the public.  Understandable, since this is a private residence.  In the ballroom, there was a special exhibition of portraits of H.M. The Queen, in celebration of her 60 years on the throne.  There were also several of her dresses, worn when she was younger.  Unfortunately, no photographs were allowed.  I was surprised how small the ballroom was, considering they have Scottish dances there every year.  There was an enjoyable video, from years ago, that gave a short glimpse of Diana dancing during the annual Ghillies Ball.  There was also a video showing The Queen going out for a walk with her grandchildren.  Prince William looked to be about 9 or 10 and he was leading a pony with one of his cousins aboard.  Prince Harry, Zara Phillips, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugene (just a toddler) also went along.

The public is free to walk all around the grounds.  There is an extensive flower and vegetable garden, all being prepared  for when the Royal Family arrives in August.

His Royal Highness, Riley

All and all, it was a terrific trip.  The Scottish National Sheep Dog Trials are in September in Aberdeen, so I hope to visit the eastern side of the Highlands then.  I would also like to visit my sheep farmer friends on the Isle of Skye sometime soon.