Photo Trip Report: England and Scotland

[Ginjaninja]

That's the Lecht ski centre Buksida. A popular route for N.E. bikers. Easily a day-trip for anyone living in the N.E. coast or Inverness.
I did it with Mrs. GN. last summer.
Used to going skiing there as a wee lad.

[buksida]

We noticed a lot of bikes on that road, and riding was one of the few things I really missed about Thailand (not that I've had any chance since I've been back with this incessant never-ending rain ).

[buksida]

For £120 a night (5,000 THB), we did expect a little more than the basic box room we got with a roof-obscured “loch view”, no cold water, and a shower cubicle that a Hobbit would have trouble squeezing into, however, I guess you’re paying for the location in these places. Since the sun was still out, we walked over to the loch edge, found a comfortable rock, and cracked open our box of red to enjoy the tranquility. The fresh water looked inviting but at an average temperature of six degrees, even dipping a toe was out of the question.

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[Big Boy]

At least you saw Nessie for you £120, that's something most of us have failed to do

[PeteC]

I think I would be tempted to do the "I swam in Loch Ness" routine. Or at least put a bathing suit on and submerge myself once before running back to the room.

[buksida]

Some lunatic actually did it a couple of weeks ago: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lin ... e-63144405

[buksida]

The next morning the mist had settled in as temperatures plummeted overnight, shrouding the loch and adding an eerie overtone that could almost justify the whispered Nessie stories that were shared over breakfast at the hotel. We went down to the jetty to get on the Jacobite Warrior tour which would take us down Loch Ness to the famous but uber-touristy Urquhart Castle. With such glorious weather when the mists had cleared, the boat was almost full, as was the castle grounds when we arrived.

The ruins date from the 13th to the 16th centuries, and it was built on the site of an early medieval fortification to control access to the waters and further inland. Urquhart was partially destroyed in 1692 to prevent its reoccupation by Jacobites (supporters of King James).

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[Big Boy]

After all of the stories coming out of the UK about the glorious summer, that is the sky I was expecting throughout your photos. It certainly compliments your photos well.

[Edit] I've just looked back at my photos of Loch Ness from 2009 - we had exactly the same clear blue skies when I was there. Of course, your posh camera makes the sky look bluer

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[buksida]

The boat captain said it was very unusual to get such weather in early September.

Speaking of weather, it was quite windy on occasion in the castle, and some were clearly not dressed for those conditions (or maybe they were) ...

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[Big Boy]

LOL, how long did you have to wait for that shot?

[buksida]

More from Urquhart Castle ...

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[buksida]

Upon return from the tour we were ushered through the trinket shop loaded with Nessie toys and paraphernalia. It was here that I discovered racks of key rings, fridge magnets, shot glasses, books, and tartan for all the different names of the Scottish clans ... and that our own family name was listed among them. Each clan has its own area and historical time of dominance, coat of arms, and tartan colours, and this set me on a mission to find out more as I had no idea our family had Scottish roots.

Our family tartan

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Edit: you can look up the clan names here - https://clan.com/families

[buksida]

With such glorious weather, we decided to use the rest of the day to explore the lochside towns, driving southwest to Drumnadrochit, and Invermoriston where we found a picturesque little bridge and waterfalls.

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[Dannie Boy]

Buks, when you post the pictures, would it be possible to put a date against them - the weather does indeed look glorious!! Thanks

[buksida]

They have all been taken throughout August. The Loch Ness trip was on Sept. 1.