Onwards to Aberdeen, meaning "city on the Dee", the River Dee (Dee being a woodland spirit) flows through the 2nd largest city in Scotland. We parked our ridiculously posh BMW out front of our second Courchsurfing host, Hasan, house and went to say hello. There's nothing like driving up to someone's house, intent on staying the night for free because you're trying to say a few pence, and you arrive in a 2014 BMW.
Anyhow, Hasan was the perfect host, too perfect actually because it was like we had a free apartment for three days. Hasan worked nights, leaving around 7:30pm and returning home after we'd leave to go explore the city in the morning. He said that we could use his kitchen, including any food that we found, his washer- which we really needed, and anything else we found. It was awesome. We felt bad because we never really saw him, so we were basically using him. I guess that is how some couchsurfer host like it -they feel like they are helping people - a mithaz of sorts.
So Aberdeen has some of the oldest buildings to date. We walked, and walked, and walked until we found Footdee, a small town right on the water that still has people living there. All the houses are handed down from generation to generation. It used to be surrounded by rolling green hills and water, but since oil made all the Aberdeenians rich, the town is nestled among smoke stacks and barges. If you didn't know the town was down there, you would never venture through the docks to get to it. On the other side of Footdee is the ruins of a castle that we wanted to go to, the only problem was no bridge across the jetty and it looked as though the walk around was super far. Luckily we had a bus pass and so, 45 minutes later we found ourselves hiking between the edge of the jetty (this time on the correct side) and the edge of a golf course. The ruins turned out to be what remained of the retaining wall of the castle and a pit of trash, but the view was spectacular. Especially if you were playing golf.
I'm told that the Scots invented golf and I'm inclined to believe that as truth as there is a golf course just about every town we've driven through. They pop up suddenly and if there's not enough room for a full 18 hole course, there will be small pitching wedge courses or 9 holes. If I have a free second, I'm gonna see if I can play 9 holes. I'll suck, but I can proclaimed I played in Scotland.
Ok, the castles that we visited next; quick epitaph for each: Dunnottar Castle- rests on a bluff overlooking a lake and surrounded by rocky cliffs and steep stairs. Robby and I hiked all the way down the stairs to the castle, but decided that we were too cheap to pay the 6 pound fee to get in, and so we hualed ourselves back up the rocky steps and were content to just take pictures of the outside. It really was a magnificent castle to see from the road. Almost majestic and proud. But it had a bunch of birds flying around the towers and for anyone who has seen the unknown Christain Bale movie, "The Land Fairaway," you'll find the birds a little funny because you'll understand their connection to the castle.
Crathes Castle - a beautiful 1500's castle that has a large garden attached to it. A gorgeous place for a picnic, as many of the Scotish families were doing. You can buy a year pass to many of the castles throughout Scotland and I think people do that so they can enjoy a rare sunny day laying in the grass, drinking wine and playing frisbee. Sounds enjoyable if you had a bunch of free time on vacation or if you lived in Scotland, it's their version of going to the beach. Kind of reminded me of the families that go to the Getty and hang out all day.
Walt Disney's inspiration for Disneyland supposively came from Craigievar Castle. It has a fairytale look to the outside with numerous turretes and flags bowing in the wind. The outside is kind of pink as well - made me think of little girl princess parties. The castle is set back in the woods and peeks out amongst the treetops.
Scotland has a weird policy of everything closing between 4-5pm everyday, including weekends. Nothing really opens until 9-10am either. It's like they really want their family time and so when we arrived at Fraiser Castle at 4:23pm, they told us they closed at 4:15pm and to come back another time. Yep, so easy when you live in California. I'll just pop back by next week. Fraiser is one of those castles you think of kings living in. Your horse-drawn carriage approaching a towering masterpiece of stone along a mile long driveway of green lawn. The closer you get, the larger the house. Beautiful from the outside, no idea what it looks like from the inside.
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Next stop, the Queen's summer home- Balmoral Castle. It's only open a few months a year to the public because the Royal Family still uses it. The property is 378 acres housing a castle, mini homes of 10 bedrooms, a school, gardens, sheep grazing, deer hunting, and lots of nature. The house was originally built to house sick people, but went to ruins in the 1700's because lack of funds and bought by Queen Victoria for her husband, Prince Albert, in 1852 as a summer home. Since it was built with the infirm in mind, the rooms are smaller than normal, the main dance hall is rather narrow, but it didn't stop the extravagant parties that the Queen threw.
Down the street from Balmoral is The Royal Lochnagar Distillery, given the name "Royal" by Queen Victoria, who enjoyed their spirits on a tour to meet her neighbors in the 1800's. Us, being in Scotland, had to try at least a shot of whiskey, and so we decided to see if royal made it better, not only in name, but in flavor as well. Our tour was surprising educational, being allowed to smell all the different ingredients, see the mixing vats, and of course, taste a 12-year-old single malt Royal whiskey. It really is quite smooth. I could smell all the grassy tones, hinted with green apple and honey. Robby smelled alcohol and sherry. She won't be judging any whiskey contests anytime soon.
Braemar Castle finished out our Sunday with a private tour, mostly because Robby and I snuck in 2 minutes before close, of the Braemar family home spanning 4-5 generations (the castle is now leased by the City of Braemar and open to the public). We were lead up a winding staircase, stopping at various rooms to view recreations of what they would look like with period furniture in them, and informed on the history of the family and the ghost that still lives there. Apparently the guy that tried to over take the castle and failed still haunts one room of it. the original owner loved the color pink and had every room painted the atrocious color, even going so far as to install pink lamps. For some reason the newer generations of the family never changed out the wallpaper- weirdos.
We made it to Inverness to spend the night in an actual hostel before heading out to explore the countryside on our way to the Isle of Skye. We drove on a one lane road meant for two way traffic with various passing turn outs, along a curvy, hilly road with sharp turns and steep sides. It was extremely beautiful, but so nerve wracking because all the locals drive like NASCAR drivers and don't care to get over, so Robby would swerve, and I would constantly peer down at the jagged rocks below. Now it was a lovely, sunny, 70 degree day today - just imagine it being rainy and dark. I'm surprised the locals are still alive. Yesterday we saw a car half off the side of the road, stuck through a fence, so you know people drive carelessly (the owner was ok and talking on the phone to the tow truck driver).
Continuing our narrow road journey, we tried to find the waterfalls of Torridan, but after driving past the town and deeper into the woods, we realized the small road we were transversing lead to the last little town at the end of a very skinny road. We turned around and did the intelligent thing, asked for directions. The locals kind of laughed and said,"it's sunny out, you can't have waterfalls and sunshine at the same time." Go figure. At least the town was cute.
Next stop, Strome Castle. I only knew it was in the direction we were headed and it was a castle. Well, we found said castle...a ruin of a castle anyways. Perched on a hill overlooking a lake, the outer walls and a door remained standing. Apparently a prisoner at the castle overheard the washing women tell the army captain that they had accidentally poured their wash water on the gun powder, ruining it, and so when the prisoner escaped, he told the opposing army that the castle was unprotected and therefore Strome was blasted away.
We finally managed to see a real castle today, made famous by the original Highlander movie and used in a 007 film, Eilean Donan Castle. Built in the 6th century and destroyed in the 18th century, then rebuilt in the 1900's as a hunting lodge for the MacRae family, the original owners. It's four floors with 14 bedrooms, a large kitchen, a stone bridge leading to the entrance on a small peninsula, a cannon stationed at the front, and still maintains a homey feel. Great castle to visit if in Scotland.
Now I'm sitting in a quaint hostel on the Isle of Skye, typing this blog and laughing because I'm staying in the "Yellow Welly Caravan", a trailer parked outback in the garden with 5 bunkbeds placed in it. Kind of janky, but awesome at the same time. The people here are laid back and friendly, plus there's free hot coffee and tea 24/7.
Hope everyone is doing well. Until next time...
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