Well I’m finally home, or course, and because of the hectic last day in Scotland, the trip home and not being able to post that last day, I felt I really needed to added one last posting regarding our trip.
Friday, we checked out early from our lodgings and headed up to Dunfermline. Dunfermline was Scotland’s capitol until 1603 and there is located the Abbey Church and ruins of the Palace. Within the Abbey are the tombs of 22 Scottish Kings and Queens, including that of Robert the Bruce. It was a MUST SEE Historical site for me, so that was our first stop……annnnddd….it was closed……….major bummer!!! We wandered around the grounds of the Abbey and looked over the fence at the ruins of the Castle but that was as close as we were able to get…..
After that disappointment we headed up to Dunkeld as we made our way toward our ultimate destination–the Enchanted Forest. Dunkeld is a beautiful little village on the River Tay. My favorite musician, Dougie Maclean lives nearby–didn’t see him–but it was great to be in his home town and see the places he talks about. Unfortunately I didn’t get any photos…it was POURING rain when we got there and I didn’t want to take the chance on getting my camera soaked. So we just heading off walking through town, visiting spots and finally ended up at the Dunkeld Cathedral, went inside and viewed all the items of interest–including the memorial to Neil Gow– one of the most famous Fiddlers ever and one of my favorite musicians. He is buried on the grounds of the cathedral. While we were in the Cathedral, the rain stopped and the sun came out–we walked outside and were greeted with some of the most breathtaking scenes of our entire time in Scotland……aaannddd….my camera was in the car clear at the other end of town… We decided to walk back in hopes of retrieving it and coming back but on the way the clouds closed back in and the rain resumed….bummer again…… Well, it is a memory that I will treasure regardless.
We finally ended up in Pitlochry, where we were to be able to see the Enchanted Forest in the evening. It was a great little town also and we were able to relax a bit, have a final meal at a local pub and then board the bus that would take us to the Enchanted Forest.
The Enchanted Forest is something that I had heard about a couple of years ago and thought it would be so great to see something like that. It is located just outside Pitlochry in Faskally Wood, in Perthshire’s Big Tree Country. It draws over 20,000 visitors each year for it’s approximately 3 week run. With all the rain that we were getting that day, we were really afraid that it might be canceled but that evening before we were scheduled to attend, the rain ceased and the skies opened up to the most brilliant display of stars above the canopy of the forest. It made for a cold (37 degrees) but beautiful evening and the lights and music of the displays at the Enchanted Forest were wonderful. I was able to get some photos and will post these in the slide show at the end of this blog.
We had hoped that the trip home would have been peaceful and uneventful…not the case….it was near as bad as the flight out–I’ll spare you the details, I haven’t got the energy to write about it now.
Being in Scotland was one of the greatest experiences of my life…it’s hard to believe I’m back in the US now–it went by so fast. We saw so very many things, places and breathtaking scenes, and at the same time missed so many other things that we would have liked to see because of time constraints or lack of daylight….or closed for the season time changes…. MAYBE someday I’ll be able to go back again. I never thought I’ve ever have the opportunity to go in the first place, yet I did. That certainly is an encouragement that it could be possible to visit again….hmmm…better get my list of places I want to see started…..
But another thing that really made it special and worthwhile was the fact that I was able to spend this time with my boys and enjoy all of it together. I will be eternally grateful to my son, Ryan, who made the dream-come-true. “We’re gonna do it, Dad!!” and we did….Thanks, buddy, I love you!!
Thanks for following along on the blog. I’m glad I spent the time recording some of our travels and photos–maybe it will encourage you to fulfill some dream that you’ve had of something you’ve always wanted to do or go see. If so I’m happy for you–it could lead you to one of the greatest experiences of your life as well….
Aye!
Howie
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