Scoutmaster trip to Eurpoe 2007

Monday, August 13, 2007

It rained most of the day so I spent time exploring Fort William, a small town that serves as the base for many adventures into the high-peaks region. In the morning, I drove to the end of the road in Glen Nevis passing some exceptional scenery that included really fast moving waterfalls. Literally at the end of the road there’s a trail head into the mountains; signs in Gaelic and some English point to various long walks. A little further down the path, a large sign warns: “This path becomes increasingly dangerous toward the gorge – Fatal accidents have occurred – Proceed with great care – Good footwear is essential.” So I decided to walk only a little further. In the woods here, the insect of renown is the midge; we might call them nats back America. The Scottish midges are smaller than our American nats, but they are just as annoying. As one walks through the woods, a cloud of these tiny insects appears. They gather around to bite you and generally pester you.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Here in northern Scotland, daylight breaks around 5:00 a.m. without an actual sun in the sky. It’s usually too overcast to see the sun. However, the sun came out of the clouds this morning around 8:00 a.m.; it had rained all night, and it was raining when I got up to prepare my breakfast in camp. Now, with the sun shining, I took down my tent and hung it out to dry for an hour, and I changed back into short pants and a T-shirt remembering it was still summer. For most of my trip in Scotland, I have been wearing long pants and a fleece jacket.

From the campground in Glen Nevis, I drove along back roads to a town called Plockton through some more spectacular scenery. Up to this point I have been driving on British “A” roads, good two lane roads but small by American standards. The “A” roads don’t have shoulders. The motor ways (like our Interstate Highways) have shoulders, but there are no motor ways this far north. Leaving the “A” road put me on a “single track” road (one lane). Cars still drive in both directions on “single track” roads. So every so often, there are “passing places” that are sort of small clam shaped areas to one side of the roadway. The idea is that one of the cars is supposed to pull over and let the other pass in the opposite direction. Needless to say, driving these “single track” roads can be quite dicey for an American. At least you drive down the center of the road, but you have to remember to veer left to oncoming traffic. I am getting good shifting gears with my left hand, and my sense of the left side of the car has improved a little.

Before leaving the “A” road, I stopped to see a well-preserved Castle called Eilean Donan. It’s supposed to be the second best castle in Scotland. Then following the high winding single track into the hills, I stopped to photograph a little highland village called Duirinish, just a row of houses along a stream that overlooks a majestic lake. Duirinish could easily be the town of a Scottish legend. Then a little further on I came to Plockton, somewhat well known as it has a magnificent harbor and a small hotel with a high rating for excellent seafood. Amazingly, in front of the Plockton Hotel, Palm trees grow!

In the late afternoon, retracing my path back to the “A” road, I turned west to cross the bridge onto the Isle of Skye. I drove along the coast to the town of Portree. Just past Portree, I found a small campground, and pitched my tent for the night. It was early evening and I went back into town to have dinner at an Indian Restaurant. Then after dinner, I decided to attend a concert at a place called the Aros Cultural Center. A musical group called “Caledon” was performing classical Scottish songs. It turns out that “classical” is not the same as “traditional.” Caledon is the “Three Tenors” in kilts! I enjoyed the program as did the other people in the audience, but I only recognized a few of the songs. It seems that Caledon has been around for some time, and that they tour extensively both in America and on the continent.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

After a few hours of sunshine yesterday, it’s back to rain. I packed up a wet tent this morning, and after breakfast, headed back to the mainland. My destination is Grailich, a very small village on a charming peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic. My route took me over some out-of-the-way highland country; I traveled both high up and also along the coast. The names of places along my route cannot be pronounced; they have too many letters in their names, and, in my opinion, the letters don’t belong together as words. In Grailich, I stopped at a Scottish hostel where I could dry my tent and sleep in a bed. Some of the hostels have heated “drying rooms” where people hang wet clothes and stack boots to dry. My tent was dry in a few hours.

In the evening, after dinner, I drove to the end of the peninsula to the Rua Reidh lighthouse. It’s an amazing place that juts out into the ocean. People can stay at the lighthouse; it has a few dormitory rooms that were full for the night. The road that leads to the lighthouse is the smallest, most winding, and the steepest road that I have ever driven.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

After a slow morning, I packed up and headed north once again. My destination, Thurso, is almost as far north as you can go in Scotland. Tomorrow I will make arrangements for the ferry trips to Orkney, Shetlands and Bergen, Norway.

On the way up to Thurso, I stopped in a small fishing town called Ullapool, and visited the town museum. The British Fisheries Association built the town as a place to process herring and other fish. The town is only about 100 years old, but the area has been home to Norse, and other ancient people for millennia.

Philip Sternberg
Scoutmaster, Troop 1131