Post #4: Scotland-5 Day Tour of the Orkney Islands

“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu


Wednesday, September 8, 2010
“Ahhhhhh” I find myself saying as I turn over and turn off my watch alarm.  It is 7:30 and I need to be departing for the Orkneys--northern Scotland-- in half hour.  I quickly gather my belongings and head down to the lobby to rendezvous with Blake.  We say our farewells to the staff and we are off--the 5 day adventure is officially underway.  

Upon arriving, we check in and meet some of the other people on the tour.  There is a fellow Canadian named Will from Toronto who is on a ten day trip before going back to school, two guys from New Zealand named Sam and Andy who have been travelling around Europe together for the past three months, a guy named Joe who is from Idaho and is on a ten day trip prior to going back to America, a girl named Carmen from Italy who is travelling around before going back to school in Germany, Blake, about ten other people and myself.  Along with the tourists, is Carol our bus driver and tour guide.  We pack up the bus and head for our first destination--Inverness.

Along the way our driver/tour guide Carol, presents us with a history lesson of the territory that we were driving through.  I won't go into too much detail but rather just post some pictures of the places we saw along the way with a description.

There were a lot of people that we saw during the trip that would be taking pictures of our bus instead of the scenery.  It was quite hilarious because a lot of the time it was little old ladies who were very impressed by the "Wild and Sexy" bus.  Maybe they liked it so much because it helped them reminisce back to the good old days (lol).

The tour bus

 The first stop we made was at a place called Dunkeld.  We were stopping here to visit an old Cathedral that was built between 1201 and 1560.  The Cathedrals are very inspiring; I didn't think that I would be influenced by the Cathedrals as much as I have been.  Not in a religious sense, but more in terms of appreciation for what past human beings have accomplished. 

"Oh what a nice Lake," I say as we empty the bus. Carol looks over at me with this look of contempt and says, "It is a Loch not a lake."  Apparently they take it as a personal insult if you call their Lochs Lakes. It was all in good fun though.

The next stopping point was an old battle field called Culloden.  It is the scene of the last major battle in Britain in 1746.  It was very interesting to imagine how both armies would have rushed the battle field in union.  I know the picture isn't great and it basically just looks like an open field, but there really wasn't much to photograph. 

An old hut on the battlefield

We got back in the bus and made the rest of the journey to Inverness, Scotland.  That night we ate some food and went for some drinks and everyone on the tour got better acquainted with one another.

I am in the blue and white shirt on the right

Thursday September 9, 2010
On Thursday we woke up and headed for the Orkney islands.  We reached the most northern part of Scotland--before having to aboard a ferry--called John O'Groats.  Once there, we boarded the ferry and made our way across Pentland firth.  Little did I know, that the Orkney islands are home to more archaeological ruins than anywhere else in Europe and luckily our base for the next two nights.
 

The view from the ferry while on route to the Orkneys

 On the way we stopped at the coastline of Scotland and the North Sea.

It was really windy and I was a little hesitant to move towards the edge.  Luckily, I didn't fall in. 

Blake contemplating life (lol)

Once getting to the Orkneys, we made way for our hostel and relaxed and prepared for the next day which would be full of adventure.

Friday, September 10, 2010
The first destination that we paid tribute to was Skara Brae; an old stone village dating from the Neolithic period and was inhabited between 3,200BC and 2,200BC.  As you can see in the pictures, the village is made up of eight dwellings and some still contain the furniture that was utilized.

There would have been some sort of tent for the roof

These villages were built right on the coastline of the North sea as you can see the water in the background

A room with beds, a mantel and a fireplace--how sophisticated

 The second destination was the Ring of Brodgar.  Historians don't know what these huge stones were used for. They are arranged in a circle and the erected stones are also scattered--which seems to be at random--throughout the area.  Despite the fact that we didn't know what the stones significance was, it was still very fun to imagine how the stones would have been erected seeing as each one weighs to the equivalent of sixty elephants.

Standing beside one of the stones in the rain

We then moved on and visited a place called Tomb of the Eagles.  It is believe to have been built around 3000BC and was in use for 800 years.  The reason it is called "Tomb of the Eagles" is because there were eagle talons and bones found alongside the skeletons in the tomb.  It is believed that the Eagle was a totem for the people who inhabited the area.

Entrance to the Tomb

Me coming out of the Tomb on a skateboard type device

At this point the day had ended and it was time for us to head back to the hostel.  The place we were staying was actually some sort of army barracks--it was quite nice.

Saturday, September 11, 2010
Most of the fourth day was spent driving unfortunately.  We made our way back to Scotland mainland via the ferry and headed for Carbisdale Castle--where we would be spending the night.  There was some pretty scenery along the way seeing as that we got to drive up along the coast.

Would be a cool house to live in, so secluded

On the way to the castle I was thinking to myself, "Well, it is a castle so accommodation is going to be pretty glamorous I assume."  I walked in and right away there were 35 foot ceilings and statues in the main lobby--which was massive.  I verified my original thought that the accommodations would be exceptional.  However, opening the door to the room proved this not to be true.  The sleeping quarters were basically like any other hostel that I had stayed in up until that point--my expectations had not been met.  Nevertheless, the rest of the building was stunning and there were numerous rooms to appreciate.  I never got any pictures of the castle because we got there late at night and left in the morning when it was raining.  Here is one from the internet though to give you an idea.

Carbisdale Castle where we stayed the last night

Once we unpacked our bags we headed into town and found ourselves at this very small, cozy pub.  Here I met some people from Canada who were studying at Edinburgh and I also met some locals.  It was refreshing to converse with some fellow Canadians, seeing as that I didn't have to listen as attentively; nor did I have decipher the spoken words that were so commonly at that point draped across a thick Scottish accent (lol).  We ended the night with some farewell shots seeing as that half of the tour group was headed to the highlands (they were on a 10 day tour) and the other half was heading back to Edinburgh.

Deer in the headlights

Sunday, September 26, 2010
Sunday morning we packed up and headed back to Edinburgh.  Along the way, we would be stopping at the oh so famous "Loch Ness".  Apparently it is 37km long and contains more fresh water than all of the lakes in England and Wales combined (it's pretty big I guess lol). 

The next stop during our last day ended up being a massive cave.  I don't really know much about the cave other than the fact that it is big.  The tour that was suppose to be taking place wasn't in order so we just explored it on our own.

The houses help contrast the size of the cave

Inside the cave looking out

Waterfall in the cave

Well, that was the last stop.  We pulled into Edinburgh Sunday night exhausted but our crave for adventure had been filled. Some friends were made and my tour of the United Kingdom had come to an end.  In the morning, I would be departing for my next destination--Amsterdam;  I was excited to see what was in store and interested if the crazy liberal city of the Netherlands could weigh up to the laid back vibe of northern Scotland--only time would tell.

Post #3: Scotland-Edinburgh (Monday, Sept 6-Wednesday, Sept 8)

Monday, September 6, 2010

The train ride was quite a bit more enjoyable than the train I took from Manchester to Liverpool only days earlier.  This time, I actually had a seat and was able to stretch out my legs and embrace the scenery as I left England and entered Scotland.  I arrived in Edinburgh at 4:48pm Monday, September 6th.  Upon arriving, I headed directly for the hostel “Budget Backpackers”.  While checking in, I noticed a distinctive accent among the desk clerk.  As it turned out, one of the guys was from Watrous, Saskatcheawn—small world.  He had been working up here for just over a year on a two year working visa which I definitely took a mental note of—if you catch my drift. After checking in, I headed for some supper at a nearby restaurant called “Monster Mash”.  My European guidebook suggested this place for its quality food and low price—this was not the case.  The food was cold when it arrived and relatively expensive.  Nevertheless, I was hungry and didn’t care seeing as I hadn’t eaten anything the entire day. 

After finishing my meal I headed back to the hostel. I went up to my room, cruised the internet for a bit and settled in for what was supposed to be an early night to catch up on some sleep.  The internet signal wasn’t working so I headed down to the lobby to get a stronger connection.  Down in the lobby I met a girl named Mariee—with two e’s—who was from Australia and also traveling around on her own.  I talked to her for awhile and she mentioned that she was thinking about doing a five day bus tour of northern Scotland and suggested that I consider it.   Once I consulted the brochure, I could feel my intuition suggest that this trip would be an experience. I then proceeded to book my ticket—at a cost of one hundred and sixty nine pounds--for the five day excursion leaving Wednesday, September 8th.  I was heading to what are known as the Orkney Islands of northern Scotland—a remote and rarely travelled area.  At this point, I never really knew what the islands were or what I was to expect.  I had no idea of the history that went with the islands or the glorious scenery that would ultimately ensue. 

Tuesday September 7, 2010
Tuesday morning I woke up feeling energized and was beginning to break the jetlag that had consumed my nights the last couple of days.  I woke to rain drops hammering on the open windowsill and decided to throw on my rain jacket and go explore the city for a couple of hours.  I had to be back at the hostel by 11:00am to attend a tour of the city that the hostel was putting on.  This would be a great way to learn the city layout and meet some of the people that were staying in the hostel with me.   But first, I felt I needed to explore on my own and get a taste for the city with no other subjective statements to influence my impression of Edinburgh. 

Me with my, much appreciated, rain coat

Cowgate street--right down from my hostel

There are alleys like this all over Edinburgh--very narrow with tall buildings on either side

Some sort of fortress by the looks of it

After getting acquainted with Edinburgh for a couple hours, it was time to head back to the hostel to meet up with the morning tour.  Along the way, I stopped at a little cafe to pick up some breakfast.  As it turned out, the place was small and full; therefore, I had to share a table with an individual who was sitting by himself.  I sat down and he introduced himself as Blake.  Coincidently, he was staying at the same hostel as me, going on the same 11:00am tour as me and going on the same tour of the Orkneys in northern Scotland that was leaving Wednesday morning; perfect, I had met the first person of the five day journey that was soon to transpire. 

There were about fifteen people from the hostel that showed up for the morning tour.  Our first destination would be an old cemetery behind the hostel where we were staying.

The first stop in the cemetery was a tombstone that belonged to a dog named Bobby.  Some of you may be wondering, "why is there a dog buried in a human cemetery?"  Well, the reason behind this is in fact very interesting.  Right to the left of Bobby's burial is the resting place of Bobby's owner who tragically passed away before Bobby's time. Bobby, missing his owner, would visit the tombstone every morning and lay in the grass that now grew in place of the deceased body.  People were amazed by the dog's loyalty and when the dog passed away, they buried him alongside his owner.   

First stop in the cemetery--Bobby's grave 

 Here is what Bobby's grave read:

Greyfriars Bobby died 14th January 1862 aged 16 years--let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all


The next stop was a wall that played an important role in the history of the Scottish people.  The wall shown below previously--hundreds of years ago-- enclosed the entire city of Edinburgh.  The wall's purpose was to keep the English out and to keep the Scottish people in.  If you wanted to leave Edinburgh, you had to pay a toll to get through the gates;  therefore, not many people left because they basically couldn't afford it.

Gateway to Edinburgh

If you look closely at the picture above you can see that there are gravestones right up against the edge of the wall.  These gravestones are of people who were contributing members of society and got to be buried within the confines of the wall.  However, if you walk through the gateway there are people buried on the otherside of the wall--outside the city. These people were the murderers, rapists, thieves and basically anyone who possessed an ominous spirit. 


In this shunned community of the deceased, we came across a rather interesting grave of someone who was known as Voldemort. For those of us who aren't familiar with the Harry Potter series, he was the main antagonist.  It is believed, that Voldemort is based off of the man that was buried there.  The reason this is believed to be true is because J.K. Rowling--author of the Harry Potter series--is from Edinburgh.  She use to write in a coffee shop that actually overlooked this specific graveyard.  Once we were told this, the guide continued on to point out another tidbit that ties into the history behind the Harry Potter novels.  Apparently, the school of magic that the students attend in the book is based off a school in Edinburgh which is shown below.

The school of magic from the Harry Potter series

Apparently, J.K. Rowling drew inspiration from this school and the tradition that went along with it.  Everyone would always joke and say that the school was a place that taught students magic and how to fly on brooms.  The reason this rumour/tradition started is because the school is a castle and is enclosed by a fence.  No one could see what was going on inside the school yard and thus, this story was created.  Interestingly enough, J.K. Rowling took this story and used it as inspiration and wrote the most popular series of all time.

The picture below is of a gate that leads into another graveyard; we were unable to enter.  The reason behind this was because of the fact that it is very haunted and people were getting hurt within it's quarters and as a result, the city was being sued.  So, they don't let the public enter it anymore unless with a specific tour guide--or ghost busters (lol). I  really think this is something that has been contrived to further drain the tourist's pockets since these specific tours coincidently require a healthy sum.  

Gate that leads into the haunted graveyard

 As the tour was nearing to an end, there was still one more final stop--Bobby's bar.  This bar, shown below, was built to pay tribute to Bobby and to remind the public that loyalty is a great virtue.

Statue of  Bobby outside his bar 

Bobby's bar

At this point the tour had come to an end--but our day adventure had just begun.  The guide strongly suggested that we visit Edinburgh castle--the biggest tour attraction in all of Scotland.  Most of us on the tour obliged and headed for the castle.

Walking up to the entrance of the castle

The Edinburgh Castle in the background--it is a lot bigger than it looks

Once inside the castle, we engaged in a tour that gave us a rundown of all the rooms within and the history that went along with them.  The castle was constructed in the 12th century;  over time, it has been added to constantly and is still in use today by the Scottish army.  It was said, that who ever had control of the castle would basically control all of Scotland.  It was very hard to attack due to being built upon a volcanic rock which explains it high elevation above Edinburgh.  Basically, in times of war, the enemy would try cease the castles food and water supplies, rather than try and take over the castle.

Entrance to the castle

At the very top of the castle--basically like a little town

Inside one of the rooms where we could actually take pictures

Some of the guys from the walking tour who were staying at the same hostel as me

A statue of the original brave-heart. As you can see, the comparison between the statue and Mel Gibson is uncanny (lol)   

The pictures that I have posted really don't provide justice in describing the experience and feel of navigating through a 900 year old piece of infrastructure.  After visiting the castle, we all decided to head to a pub for a beer and some food.

We ended up going to a place called "The Last Drop".  The name is significant in that people would go in to this pub for one last drink before being hung in the streets.  

People from the tour who were also staying at the hostel 

We had to move inside because it was getting cold outside

Going around the table in a clockwise motion we have Fay (the girl) from Brazil, Blake whom is a teacher from Australia, myself, a guy from Holland whose name eludes me, Dale from England and Moe from Brazil--Fay's boyfriend.  The day was full of sightseeing and finishing it up conversing with my new friends over a cold beer was a nice way to end the afternoon.

Having walked around/toured all day does a number on the feet. I was exhausted and decided to head back to the hostel for a nap; my thought that I had beaten jet lag was apparently premature.  I ended up sleeping from about 6pm till 10pm; at which point, I got up and headed for the pub called “The Oz” behind our hostel.  There was a walking pubcrawl that left from our hostel and everyone was already there for their first destination.  I met up with people from the tour here and we headed out to a couple other bars and eventually settled on this club whose name I don’t particularly remember.  It was here where I met some girls from Belgium whom I befriended; I spent the duration of the night becoming acquainted with my new friends.

As time crept up on 4:00am I found myself disconnected from the thought that I had to be up at 7:30 to start my five day journey of the Orkneys.  I eventually find myself climbing into bed and glancing over at my watch to see the time before shutting my eyes--5:30am it reads.  I think to myself, "damn you night guy, morning guy is going to hate you (lol)."  This thought then eventually drifts to, " I wonder what the accent is like on isolated islands in the far north?" To this I was unsure but I was excited to find out--morning couldn't come soon enough.