DAY 1
Monique: " So, this tour rocks!!! I have learned so much. Now i can see the things in my head in reference to the books and apply them to real life. I cant wait to go home and read the books all over again and experience all the drama, emotions, craziness that Claire and Jaime go through. Thanks to Samantha and Scott, I have been saturated in the the Scottish culture, and i feel that this will be an experience of a lifetime. "
Julia
I enjoyed seeing, "Crainesmuir" today. The gardens were beautiful. My mom enjoyed sampling the huge assortment of herbs. Nancy was great with mimicking the chickens and sheep [where's Aven when we need her?] . I enjoyed the wee post office. I purchased stamps and post cards to send home. Lunch was great at the village pub. I had the Ploughman's platter; Stilton cheese, bread and pickled chutney, potato leek soup, salad. It has been a wonderful day.
Debie
WOW OH WOW! Such beautiful flowers [in the Crainsmuir gardens]!
I feel like Ive gone herb hunting with Claire and Gellis. I Tasted Haggis, not bad. Saw a kilted band playing bagpipes, I am really in Scotland!
Cindy
What a wonderful place!!! The mountains are so beautiful and the book becomes so much more vivid and clear once you are here.
Nancy
Lovely, the trip has been wonderful so far Scotland has been great such a great country and 'guid crack'.
Glenda aka Julia's MOM
Great day! Wonderful hosts and such lovely people to travel with. Having dinner just now and Julia, Monique, Debie, Scot and I had haggis, very intersting food, every thing has been good but then again when you are walking and traveling with fun people, everything tastes better.
Sam
This was another tour of 'firsts' - It was the first time that while at our Lallybroch we met with the current REAL Laird and Lady of the 'big hoosie' and the estate for a wonderful tour around the interior of their home. Upon our arrival, we were shown into a huge room with many of the family's ancestral paintings surrounding us and we were treated to refreshments including lovely home baked carrot cake. Some of the paintings were from our Outlander time with names of ancestors who had helped shaped the history of the Jacobites. The Laird spoke candidly about his family tree and life now, versus life on a full working estate over the past few hundred years. The room in which we sat has been restored to how it would have looked around 1720 - so that's right in the Lallybroch style.
The estate has it's own chapel, farm fields, working farmers and of course sheep. In the words of some of our Outlandish Spirits on this adventure, "They were such gracious and down to earth hosts and she (our Hostess) was stunning and beautiful." We have met and shared a wee tipple with real folk from this part of the world spanning the ages.
Our other 'first' for these Jamie & Claire journeys was a discovery I made this evening; if you want to clear a restaurant of Americans and New Yorkers (in a league of their own LoL) don't yell out "Fire!" Yell, "Bagpipes!" as a pipe band marches past the window. I've never seen a table empty so quickly in my life.... this is already proving to be a lively group.....ahem. We later marched up the street with the same band into the night and back to our B&B.
Though not the first time, Scot was able to finally stop at his favorite brewery on the way up and has already started sharing the different bottled brews with the others...one bottle at a time. One of our prior travelers, 'Badlands Scot' (not to be confused with our own 'Highland Scot'), would appreciate some of the new ales.
A phrase that came up after dinner a few times as we enjoyed various sips, compliments of our New York OS's was "Line 'em up!" Do I detect a possible name for this tour? The 'Line 'em Up' tour group. Me thinks the 'Grain Tour' group have new rivals....time will tell.
Hello to all our past Outlandish Spirits and a special Feasgar math to Carolyn & Marilyn!
DAY 2
Cindy. What a wonderful and inspring day for me, Walking along mountain tops of Scotland and seeing the sheep running through the fields, rainbows everywhere and of course the secret. My inspiration to start the Outlander books again.
Debie Well, I'm still here [stone reference]. That said the spot was lovely, the standing stones didn't speak to me or invite me in, maybe it was the time of year... Hard to express how I feel, a little disappointed but I do like my reality.
Monique "I dont have any words to describe how i feel today. after an hour hike of tracking in "muck" and getting my pants and hiking boots filthy, i was able to view the world that Claire and Jaime experienced in a new light. It is a surreal experience. i really dont know how i feel. i have so many emotions right now the only thing i can think to do is list them: happy, inspired, overwhelmed, excited, exhausted, and totally in awe of this country. Then at lunch i figured out the reason i was here...Thick Hot Chocolate! I would hop plane at any time and go to any place to get it. I think i just feel in love!!!!!
