Brian and I have had a marvelous week of ‘driving the Scottish Highlands’ together, me in the driver’s seat, he in the navigational-support chair. We both decided the GPS & insurance package was an anxiety-saver, which has been the case. And today, the third day of our rental car (hired car, as they’d say), I learned I had gotten familiar enough to be more dangerous on the road than on the first day. But I get ahead of myself…
Brian is so very good at maven-led travel. My refrain when we first land somewhere is always, "You are so very good at this." He smiles, shyly but with pleasure. He finds the best-reviewed places. Sorts out the probable travel routes. Even researches the restaurant possibilities so to land at places he’d/we’d enjoy for some cost but not too much cost. The hotels have gotten steadily nicer as we’ve traveled as well, though I don’t know whether that was intentional. All have been marvelous in their own ways.
The first night was especially nice because we had traveled from London, figured out the rental car, then had to drive for the first time, “Scottish style,” i.e. on the left, with small roundabouts to navigate. Scotland is a great place to learn to drive on the left. Not as much traffic as Oxford/London, not as many people in general, and quite simplified roundabouts as a result. Traveling with Kendy and Dave, my purposefully sitting behind Dave as he drove us around southern England/Glastonbury was a smart move on my part. I got to practice feeling my way into it.
The drive to the Edinburgh hotel took about 6 minutes, which gave just enough of a taste that “I can do this” before parking the car and crashing in our room for the night. Well, pub first, where I got to try a local 0% beer I liked. We then meandered in a Redwood Grove, believe it or not, with adorable offerings for the Good People, or faeries. [Scotland is good terrain for redwoods, as it turns out, being introduced into Great Britain in the mid-1800’s; our hotel had 3-4 of them, surely planted at least 100 years ago, by the size of them.] It was good to sleep hard, well, long.
Driving the first full day was just fine. Even easy, one could argue. It was new and with conscious attention, it felt easy. Doune Castle–Outlander’s Castle Leoch–was easy enough to navigate. We drove on a variety of roads, finding our way up to Glencoe where we could hike, explore, landing eventually at our hotel right on the loch/river (I cannot remember…). Loch Leven Hotel, I think was the name.
The second day invited more driving-ease heading up to Culloden Moor around Loch Ness–scenic driving and easy access to things. The time at Culloden was suitably somber and inviting–historical story, Outlander energies/story, before landing at the Rowan Tree Inn. Sampled a Scotch that I actually liked, given it was local. I decided that choosing alcohol wasn't necessary but it would be fun to try local-offerings I'd not have access to at home. [Of course Brian now wants to get the Scotch for me at home, so I'll have to share my intentions more clearly. Not necessary nor desirable at home. :)] Apparently Scotch can be made sweet so this one was basically a delicate-light bourbon-esque Scotch. Perfect. Brian and I meandered the meadow behind the hotel after dinner, amazed at the beauty, the sounds and delightful presence of the sheep. Baby lambs chasing one another up and down the meadow? Can’t get much cuter than that! Brian was simply bowled over by the beauty, an embodied familiarity he had no conscious context for, to feel. It was delightful to sense him feeling so deeply without words to rationalize any of it.
It was today, the third day, that the driving became difficult! Scottish-style driving was now common enough to have become familiar, yet there are two familiars within me now–Scottish and American! I had to become verbal and speak my actions, so to make sure I was in the Scottish familiar! We made it safely here to the next hotel–a castle hotel/spa in Pitlochry. Brian really did outdo himself. Our room is luxury hotel with a balcony, an amazing view of the greenery and loch behind them, wildflowers. Fonab Castle Hotel.
Of course, the piece de resistance of our day today–a day where it would have taken only an hour to get to our next hotel, so a day full of “what shall we do on the way” commentary–required a seasoned Scottish driver. Which I apparently am! Brian and I set off for a stone circle close to the hotel (relatively): Delfour Stone Circle. An actual neolithic stone circle off the road from an estate and vacation-hub for zip-lining and outdoorsy learning. It was easy to visit, actually. Quiet. A real stone circle, with one large standing stone on the edge. Two women were coming to saddle up the horses nearby, so Brian and I didn’t stay very long. I wished we could have lingered more, as it takes me a while to drop down into my energetic sensibilities for such things. But it was marvelous to see, to be in, to have visited.
The Highland Folk Museum was next, which involved a good couple hours of walking, exploring, meandering. We took in Dalwhinnie Distillery, mostly because we were going right by it, but really enjoyed tea & cake at the Aviary, a coffee shop close to Dalwhinnie. We did research the possible distillery tour, but it would have taken waiting 3 hours to do so. Nah. Don’t like Scotch that much.
So we had spacious time to actually make the drive to Craigh na Dun, the fictional standing-stone circle in Outlander. You take a highway, then a B-road, then a really narrow collection of roads to get to the “middle of nowhere” in the Scottish Highlands. I could not have driven it on the first day, but by day three? I was familiar enough to drive the visible-narrows fast enough, poke-around the unknown/unseen corners of the roads until one could see again. And British/Scottish drivers are so hospitable! Everyone knows to drive slowly where you need to, and how to linger in a “Passing Place” while someone else drives past you. Craigh na Dun is an unmarked pilgrimage spot for fans like myself–nothing official, and no oversight. It’s a working sheep farm/estate that has finally acquiesced with a small gravel parking area, able to fit 2-3 cars. We got there right as a couple from the Netherlands (we found out) were arriving.
The rain came pretty heavily, but I got out of the car as she did. “Outlander fan?” I asked. She laughed and said, “Yes! That was some drive, was it not?” Brian and that couple lagged behind, talking and taking pictures of the sheep. I made a beeline for the hillock on which so much Outlander travel and drama happens. It was easily recognizable and delightful to be there, in the rain to boot. As we headed back to the car, I was elated. Not only did I get to see the spot, I had done the driving work to make it so! Of course the sun came out about 5 minutes after we had left the spot. We got to enjoy an intensely scenic ride back to the highway roads much easier to navigate. Brian did so amazingly well throughout the drive. I know he held his heart in his mouth for quite a while, but he also got into the adventure of it all. It was truly wonderful to share it with him, even though he’s not much of an Outlander fan himself.
Tomorrow will bring the Hopetoun House/Midhope Castle which are the two Outlander filming spots for Versailles and Lallybroch. We’ll need to leave this marvelous luxurious hotel spot by 9 a.m. to make our 11 a.m. ticket time, then drop off the rental by 2 p.m. or so. Or later, as we have it for the afternoon if need be. Then we will be in Edinburgh, on foot, until Saturday morning. Brian has things he wants to see, so it will be fun to prioritize those as we meander the small city. There is an Outlander walking tour of Edinburgh, of course, but I’m happy to relinquish that for whatever he may want to see, do.
He made me laugh as we were driving away from Craigh na Dun though. “When we come the next time, you won’t need to do the Outlander tour spots again, will you?” I think he feared we’d have to drive to Craigh na Dun all over again! I assured him that Outlander was just the trellis upon which we could begin our explorations of this land we both feel such a connection with, though we’ve never been here physically in these bodies.
I’d love to find fewer places to visit next time, with longer stays, quieter moments of ‘landing’ in each place/town/retreat center. Isle of Skye, perhaps. The West country? We’ll see. We can both do the research that beckons us.
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