Across the Skye Bridge on the Isle

Here we are on the Isle of Skye, with a view of the Cuillin Mountains. By now it's late afternoon and it's been a long day. From the Skye Bridge to the cottage was at least an hours drive, of course again longer because of the photo taking.

The view from my bedroom window.

My journals and books for the trip.

We were delighted with the cottage we had chosen to stay at, 6 Fasach, in Glendale. The heat was on when we arrived and so cozy. It's a good job we got there while it was still light, because it would have been very hard to find in the dark.

Christy

Still on the road to the Isle of Skye

Glenfinnan, this is the viaduct at Glenfinnan and when we were there, there was actually a train going across. It has appeared in many films, such as Charlotte Grey.

A true Scottish scene of heather.

This was in the area of The Five Sisters of Kintail. I'm not sure if these are The Five Sisters.

Loch Dunne

Eilean Donan

We had a glorious Saturday to travel on up to the Isle of Skye. It seems that Scotland and the Isles have had their wettest year in 100 years, but all that rain in just 50 days. I think we had the only week that did not rain. As when we got back to my sisters and I looked at the weather forecast, it was raining again up there. How fortunate we were.

Isn't Eilean Donan so romantic, a little austere, in that Scottish way how wonderful to build a home on a rocky outcrop, looking up the Loch both ways.

We passed through Fort William, the name makes me think of cowboys and indians. Ben Nevis rises here, the highest mountain in the British Isles. All names that conjure up pictures and stories in ones mind.

Christy

The Journey Begins, 1st Day, Loch Lomond

Peugeot 308 diesel, and my brother-in-law taking photos at Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond at 9:00 am

A man and his dog on Loch Lomond

Ranoch Moor

Our journey to the Isle of Skye from my sister's house in Suffolk, began after midnight on Saturday 12th September 2009. We travelled up the M1, which is the first Motorway built in Britain and it gets very congested, so leaving at that hour of the morning was great, because it meant that we were sitting by the side of Loch Lomond by 9:00 am drinking coffee and eating biscuits even though we stopped a couple of times on the way up.

I had rented a car at Heathrow airport, but it was a Ford Focus petrol and probably got about 38 to the gallon, I was able to change the car at Stansted airport, which is not too far from my sisters for a Peugeot 308 diesel, which averaged well arround 58 miles to the gallon, so 20 miles more per gallon, which is a big savings. I was so happy that I had bugged them to death to change the car.

From Loch Lomond on, all the way to the Isle of Skye is A and B roads, so the going from then on was slow. Made even slower by me wanting to stop quite often for photos. I had not travelled any of these roads since my teens.

Scotland has a desolate beauty, which cries out across the ages of it's history. Bringing back to mind songs you sang in Primary School, "I'll take the high road and you're take the low, and I'll be in Scotland afore you ..." We passed through such places as Ranoch Moor, The Sisters of Kintail, Fort William, to name a few. And some in our recent history, Lockerbie.

So begins my journey.

Christy

Age 13, Portree, Isle of Skye

This is me the last time I was on the Isle of Skye. I was about thirteen. I'm sitting in a boat on the water's edge in Portree, Isle of Skye. On my lap is my favourite anorak. It was reversible I remember, but I almost always wore it on the side shown. I also have my black leather bag, which I remember my mum and I going to buy at the leather shop in town. I had it for many years.

We stayed on a campsite which had a panoramic view down to Portree. My dad's aunt and uncle were with us, their youngest daughter was just a few years older than me, and we got along well together.


It will be interesting going back over forty years later, seeing what I remember and recording my views, feelings and how I see it now.

Christy

Three Column Template

As you bloggers know. All Blogger templates are two column templates and many of us yearn for a three column template. Not quite sure why blogger does not add a few, but look what I did. Don't ask me how I did it.

Well let me see. First of all I found this Blogger lighthouse template adjusted by another party @ free template 3 column. Then I downloaded it, figured out how to unzip the file, extract it, save it to my desktop, uploaded it to my template and brought back in most of my saved widgets.

Total trial and error, but I think it's done.

Christy

My Husband's Family Name Gordon

Gordon Weathered

Red Gordon Muted

Red Gordon Modern

Red Gordon Ancient

Gordon Muted

Gordon Dress

Gordon Ancient

Gordon Tartan

How can you go to Scotland without thinking of Tartan. I thought I'd feature the Gordon tartan, as this is my husband's family name. I had no idea that there are so many Gordon tartans, the most familiar one to me, is the bottom one. What child didn't have a tartan skirt, or kilt when I grew up. Hope to pick up some lovely tartan fabric or a nice tweed.

Which are your favourites? Mine are Gordon Dress and Gordon Weathered.

Christy

P.S. You probably figured it out but the names of the tartans are below each tartan.

Reading Matter for UK Trip

It's always fun to receive a package in the post. I think that's part of the fun of Ebay. These are some of the books I bought. The one on England was printed in England, by Methuen & Co. Ltd. 21st edition, printed 1934. 1st edition was 1927. The book on London is a paperback DaCapo press printed in the States, no lovely sepia photos in that one, and of course the one I most wanted on Scotland printed by Dodd, Mead and Co, USA 7Th printing 1933, 1st printed 1929.

So from all the printings of H.V. Morton's books, you can see how popular he must have been in his time.

I do have one more book on it's way from Canada, an Ebay purchase on South Africa. I couldn't resist because his writing is so quintessential to the time he is writing in and a snapshot back for us to the last century. You never know I may one day get to South Africa, I'd love to go.

The Avon at Stratford

Portree Harbour