Wolves and Heroes... and a cat

DAY 3


Claire- Today has very fun so far. We have been hiking around again. Scot told me some tips about hiking such as where to step and certain things to look out for. I got about an inch away from quite a few birds. I think they spotted my cookie crumbs. Right now I am blogging in a restaurant. I'm hoping our food comes soon... I seem to be hungrier than I thought I was. Oh well... Ciao 4 now!! :-) (^@^)~

That's fresh air and a hike through the highlands for you.

We've had such a full day that there's been little time to write. We'll give it in pictures.







If you're wanting to know, that's reading about Jamie and Claire's honeymoon and meeting the wolves; a couple of heroes; in the wilderness; and visiting Lord John at The Castle.

Dafties

Ach, What a day!

I blog from Hootenanny's. There's a great wee three piece on the stage of the pub doing traditional songs; we have heather honey ale in the glass (ooh too easy on the pallet, but dangerous tae yer feet).

Anyway. To the adventures of the day. In picture format, for those who like graphic novels.

This is what she calls a "stable moment". They are in a stable, a "hay loft" if you get the inference. These are apparently, a major part of the plot of Ms Gabaldon's novels for Vicki

This morning we have been to a place that myself and Sam argue about. I say it's like Ardsmuir, she says it's more like Wentworth. Of course, my interpretation is the more accurate.

The kids have a different kind of stable moment. Kids will climb,... and fall

Tales at the Chapel. A wedding Tale of course.

Jim - Day two continued to be an exciting day. We got to see an old church just up a hill and do a reading from the book about Jamie and Claire's wedding. it was really nice and then Scott played his harp and told us a story that was really excellent. We had tea and snacks today at a castle as well, which was a real experience. To wrap up our tour for the day we went by Loch Ness. Vicki, the kids and I had to put our feet in the Loch, it was cold and refreshing. As hard as I looked, I did not see Nessy! Now we are settling into our B and B for the night and then we will head out to dinner. The weather has been sunny and wonderful again today. I feel like we are very lucky to have such wonderful weather!!! I forgot to mention our stop by the old barracks. As a military man I found the barracks interesting. Even in the 1700s, the barracks were built with what we now call a quad, it is where the formations would be held, etc. I was impressed with the kitchen, and bathrooms. As with many things from this erra, I like to imagine what it must have been like to live then. Also, in keeping with the books, what must Claire must have thought to find herself back 200 yrs!

Scot - Bathrooms are not awfly common in the rural Highlands. Mother Nature has plenty of opportunity. Vicky: "It's not a great claim to fame, but I have peed in many countries but I have to say that Scotland is my favourite."
Aye, well, Vicky's a wheen o' fun. I relate to Jim. We men have learnt to be undemanding.

Scot - Picture the scene, I've got the camera and Jim is stood ankle deep in the water. He's the only one not squeeling with the cold. The others won't stay in long enough, all together, for me to get a photo of them, so Jim's getting colder and crotchety as he's the only one freezin' his toes off.

This is the one called "Dafties"

A mother and daughter moment

Sam - April in the Highlands has been even better than we expected. We know the weather is usually quite good during this month, but we're in a heat wave; fantastic! The Daffs are up everywhere and the cherry blossoms are just coming into full bloom. The sky is so clear, that we could see the top of Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in Britain, beyond the chapel. I really think I'd like to start an annual tour in April....hmmmmmm. It's been great fun traveling with our Outlandish Spirits and their enthusiasm is catchy. We're teaching them Gaelic words and the local Scottish lingo and they love trying all the local fayre!

Vicki- What a wonderful day! Old barracks, high tea at castles, wee chapels, fabulous B&B,but really, if you're going to Scotland, you must sit on the side of a hill, in a very old cememtary, overlooking a wee old chapel. BUT, to add to the already overwhelming experience, while you sit there you must have a storyteller with a harp telling a good old story that relates to one of the headstones you are looking at. A bit surreal. Scott tells an enchanting tale. My cup runeth over today. Clotted cream, scones, and a Ragnald MacDonald love story. As I type I am having a beer in Hootanany's listening to great music with great company.

Scot - here's a couple of video clips of the trio we're listening to as we blog. Sent to you by bluetooth, mobile phone and carrier eagle. How cool is that? Let me know in the comments if they don't come through.

Jame and Claire on the Jamie and Claire Tour

DAY 1

Scot here.  We're outlandishing a private tour for an American family from Italy.
You'll like this.  Vicky and Jim's bairns are called Jamie and Claire.  Aye, really.
What's more, wee Jamie has red hair and his current stature promises great height as an adult.
Cò-dhùi, anyway, I'll hand yeez over to them as they are prolific writers.

Claire-    Today we visited to a very hilly place, not a mountain though. I am not exactly sure where we went. I found it very enjoyable. We hiked all around there, and we saw lots of sheep. Jamie ran all around trying to "catch" some sheep. [Aye, a true MacKenzie at heart : "I was just Borrowing them".] It was sort of funny. We stopped at a spot where standing stones used to be. We read a little bit of one of the Outlander books describing Claire's journey through the stones. It was very descriptive, and I liked it a lot. The men hiked all the way up to the top of the hill, but they did not bag a monroe... too bad. On the way to our hotel, we saw lots of little baby sheep, they were sooooooooooooo cute!! I am very exited to see what tomorrow brings. :-D

Jim, he "went up a mountain and came down a hill"

Jim - Well today began the tour!  I didn't know what to suspect but it has really turned out to be more than I had expected.  After getting sandwiches for the day, we were off. It was as if Scot and Samatha and our family had known each other for quite some time.  After eating our picnic lunch at the edge of a field, we took a hike into the hills. I learned that even the hills were very wet and bog like.  I just thought that it would only be like that in the lower areas.  Scot decided to take a hike to the top of the hill over looking valley and I decided to join him on this adventure.  It was quite a hike to the top, but it was incredible.  The view was worth the effort.  After a day of hiking, we drove to our B and B for the night.  It too is very nice and we are sitting down at dinner this evening at the restaurant, the food is very good and the conversations are great.  I am anxious to see what tomorrow will bring!

Vicki-After many many sleepless nights or nights filled with strange Samantha dreams.........the day finally arrived.  Sam and Scott picked us up in Edinburgh. We stopped at a busy store to pick up sandwiches etc for the day.  We headed out driving and getting to know each other.  We stopped at their beautiful house.  What a lovely place to spend your time.  We headed out to places unknown to me.  We arrived a the most Scottish looking place you can imagine.  We sat on a pile of stones for lunch.  We gathered ourselves and headed up a large hill although not a Monroe.  There will be no "bagging" a monroe as they are a minimum of 3,000 feet.  I feel the hill Jim and Scott climbed should count as a monroe.  The kids Samantha and I hiked up to a large clefted stone.  It was so perfect. As Sam read the excerpt from the book I could "feel" myself checking out of this reality and into 18th century Scotland.  You could see the grove of trees that Claire stumbled into after coming through the stones.  I could imagine the small battle between the Highlanders and the Dragoons.  If you sat on the side of this hill, and kept yourself very still......you really could place yourself in the story.  Besides the clefted stone, I could imagine how Claire must have felt sitting next to Jamie looking out over the beinns and trying to get a sense of how her life was going to be.  Just spectacular!!!  We reluctently left the quiet peace of that place and headed to our b&b.  Cozy, beautiful, perfect.  now we are sitting at wonderful restaurant awaiting our dinner.  YES, we have already had our hagus.  It was a big hit with my Jamie the red!!

Red Jamie, guddling a trout?  Na, washing the mud off his feet

Jamie-    well today we were picked up mr.Scott and Mrs. Samantha, and they took us us on a long car ride to a "secret location" that was very hilly and rocky. it was very very pretty. shortly after arriving we sat on rocks and had a wonderful picnic, then we began the hike up the hill, there was a beautiful stream going down the hill, I tried wading in it but i decided not to get frostbite. We then got to the "jamie and claire" rock were claire is sent back in time. after reading a bit of the book i saw some sheep and decided to chase them. I had chased them quite far down the hill until I realized I couldn't get them. I started to run up the hill until I stepped in a sinking bog, my shoe came off and I got really muddy and wet. All in good fun though. shortly after we headed back down the hill to the car and drove off to our hotel and currently I'm having hagus and salmon... I cant wait until tomorrow.


Scot - it was good to loosen the winter cobwebs (and the leg muscles) with a climb today with Jim.  NOW it feels like the touring season has begun.  I'll get a bit fitter so that I can look forward to punishing, I mean meeting, a few of yerselves when ye come adventuring.  It'll be a pleasure.  

Scot

The New Western Isles Tour

I'm a wee bit cock a hoop.  I'm just after uploading my new website www.ansgeulaiche.co.uk which contains the new tour

"Journey to the Western Isles"

This is the tour we took The Sisters on last year, with a few tweeks.

The Western Isles are a real pilgrimage for the traveler - it takes a couple of days to get there - so they don't get much visited.  This is why we're looking forward to sharing their beauty with visitors who don't have the time to hire the camels, find an interpreter guide...

Eileanan na Siar, are still verra Gàidhlig in their outlook.  Hard living people in my experience.  Reserved, sharp witted.  Grand sorts.

The scenery is beyond words (and photos).  Imagine standing on the windy driven shores looking west out over the slate blue Atlantic, knowing that the next parish is America.  Nothing but gulls, storms and the cluster of rocks called St Kilda between you and the lands that many of these hardy folk were forced to emigrate to in the 19th Century.

I expound too much.  Go see the website and let me know it's all working well.
Moran Taing, many thanks, Scot
www.ansgeulaiche.co.uk

To Lallybroch We Go

So the May Tour Outlandish Spirits are going to be in for a treat. Amongst a surprise here or there we've told them that they're staying in their own Scottish Lallybroch.

With a 5 star reputation and lovely décor and everything in ship-shape order (Jenny would approve), our group will experience their own wee Estate lifestyle. They'll have time to walk the corridors, now carpeted, to sleep in the luxurious beds (probably no longer feathers and horsehair), to sit in the parlor with the fire and to gaze from the large sash windows out onto the great Scottish outdoors. They'll have first class dining experience around a big family table and a fantastic Scottish breakfast in the morning (if they have any room left). The stay is a new location and is a wee extra that Sam has been working on for the May tour guests. It'll be unique to them as it's probably a one time visit this year.

I've just checked with Herself, and she can make room for an eager one or two, but the tour closes very soon.

We have spring here today. Herself was working on her flower bed and I was making sure we'll be warm in the coming winter - chopping logs.

Scratch pad

Luchd-leanntain (followers).
I now declare this blogspot "a place where we journal the tours as they are happening and also a public scratch-pad where we invite you to play with new tour ideas that we are considering".

That work for you?

General:

As you might have understood, the way Sam's J&C tours work is that each one is a little different, based on the personalities that emerge as the guests sign on.  We like them to be a bit bespoke /tailored, without charging a custom tour rate.  It's more work for Sam, but we think it's worth it.

So, here's something we'd like the Outlandish Club to muse on.

LOWER MOBILITY
Sam is looking into a lower-mobility Jamie and Claire Tour.  We're thinking it would run in a second vehicle, in parallel to the usual tour, perhaps this September if there are enough takers.  The walks would be shorter, flatter, etc.

We're even looking into hiring mobility scooters for those who need that kind of support to be Outlandish. 

The two parties of the tour (two vehicles) would meet for lunch or dinner, sharing different adventures from the day, and people could swap between these two slightly different itineraries as needed.  Both vans would cover pretty much the same tour locations and itinerary.

What say you lot to a lower mobility option in September?

Scot, inveterate curmudgeon and blog stealer.

Wee Folk in Big Hills

DAY 6,

Castling – an obscure move in chess.

Our first adventure today was the lasses playing at The Falls of Dochart, a shallow, wide cascade that drops through the village. A light frost last night left rock-pools with a paper thin layer of ice for them to play with.

A stunning drive in the sun over the Sacred Hill of The Caledon Tribe (Shiehallion) took us along a single track road that is a favourite of mine for the birch trees and the loch. I took a picture from the viewpoint (at last, I hear the cry, some scenery). Here, the girls began to play on a rock amidst the trees. Charlie reflected that he can usually tell the quality of a place by his daughters' behaviour, especially Ella. They were playing a fairy princesses I think; the spot has a really comfortable and open feel to it.

The view point, Shiehallion snow-covered  in the back left

Enjoying the feel of Scotland

A bit of shopping followed once we got to Pitlochry, during which Cee Cee got a new hat to match her overall love of pink. Note the spangley boots. If they'd fit me, I'd have them off her feet.

We arrived an hour ago in the domicile of choice, Dalmunzie, to go a' castling. We've been lauding it as a castle to the party, but it's really a hunting lodge. Many were built in the Victorian period in remote parts of Scotland. This one is suitably antiquated. The corridors are wood panelled and narrow (for servants), the plumbing antiquated, the floors slope, lots of quirky charm and the rooms have been done out nicely in a period style. There's a distinct lack of modernisation to this place, which is to its credit. If you want a hotel with a pool, mobile phone reception and a lift that goes to the top (there is actually a lift, surprisingly) then go to a hotel that has these things. This place is about last century charm. The dinner this evening was fantastic. The “Kitchen Brigade” did a fine job.

It's been grand to have Aven blogging along with us, and of course the Silent Majority. Share the adventure one and all! Speaking of sharing adventure, the current idea is that the next May Jamie and Claire tour will cover new book territory. Sam is lining up a stay in Lallybroch, which is new, but that also puts us in a different park of Scotland that would allow us to do the whole Claire Fraser, Army surgeon in the battle of Gladsmuir; Jamie et al sneaking through the bog in the dawn fog to surprise General Cope's sleeping army. Looking forward to that one.

So, luchd-leanntain (that's gaidhlig for “followers”), today is the last day of the tour for the Barr-Welles family. They will probably do a bit of yomping on the hills around the castle afore we leave for Glasgow. I've put in a few pics of the locale for your benefit.