After a month exploring on land and sea, sadly we have left Scotland! Glacial valleys and cirques, heathlands, ancient ruins, sea stacks and remote islands, green cool places, wild rocky highlands and oodles of wildlife and flowers! "How many kinds of sweet flowers grow ...... " tra la la. It is a magical place! Ancient rocks and land from a time when Scotland was in the Southern Hemisphere, part of the supercontinent of Pangaea. Truly! It remained joined with North America after the supercontinent split apart. Not part of Britain at all which was joined with Europe! Hmmm???!!
We have seen so much and have been overwhelmed by the magic, the grandeur of the rocks, the mountainous formations, the shape of the land that is entirely of an other time.
Yesterday we traversed the Rhins of Galloway driving past hedges of deep red and purple fuschia, stone walls, wee fishing villages. Then we finally walked the last little way to the southern most point of Scotland. From Dunnet Head to the Mull of Galloway, we have been to the most northern and southern points of mainland Scotland. In fact including the islands, we’ve been pretty much to all the cardinal points of Scotland.
What a stunningly beautiful country it is! No wonder the Brits/southern powerbrokers and Norse ‘negotiated’ over it! Fortunately, as they say, ‘the story is not over yet!’
In a few hours we will be in Northern Ireland. Soraidh and Dia dhuit!
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| Beinn Eighe, a massif in the northwest Highlands. Its name means File Mountain in Scottish Gaelic |
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| This wee loch was half-covered in white waterlilies |
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| A tiny port on a remote peninsula in the northwest |
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| Breathtaking scenery |
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| We had our eyes peeled |
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| .... and we saw a few! They look beautiful and majestic but they are a pest here |
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| The endangered Red Squirrel is being reintroduced into some areas |
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| They were everywhere - not just for 1 mile! |
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| Ba ba black sheep. Just love these little guys |
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| These gorgeous creatures ran over to me at the fence. I offered them some herbs but they just wanted to lick my hand. |
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| Portpatrick. A quaint little port where we had lunch (seafood paella) on the waterfront. |
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| Dogs everywhere! They are allowed on public transport and on in pubs and cafes. Love this sign |
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| The lighthouse on the Mull of Galloway, aother Stevenson design. With Heather behind and in front of the camera |
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| Spectacular views from the top of the Mull and a very good wildlife centre. |
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| This is a Burdock, member of the thistle family. |
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| Nasty looking hooks on the prickles. Ouch! |
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| Aren’t these sweet - Yarrow and also the busy insects! |
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| This beautiful fellow is a Red-tailed Bumblebee. Look at his leg pounch - it is chock full |
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