Onward to North Uist

Hi All,

This morning we took the ferry from Uig on the Isle of Skye to Lochmaddy on North Uist, back in the Outer Hebrides.

It was a beautiful day and Uig was picturesque as we departed

On board we met three UK birders who helped us identify many of the birds we saw. Puffins, murres, guillemots, shearwaters and a loon were sighted. They even pointed out a white tailed eagle! When not watching birds the scenery was wonderful.

We also met two Dutch women on a backpacking trip. Here is one full pack complete with coffee cup and wine glass. These Europeans really know how to rough it!

Once in Lochmaddy we stopped at the local museum and found an extensive exhibit about the island of St Kilda, 44 miles further out in the Atlantic. Once a thriving community, the island is now occupied by only wildlife researchers and military radar operators.

There's not much to see on N Uist and we struggled to find even that. We did, however get good looks at some iconic Highland Cattle.

Love ,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Isle of Skye

Hi All,

Another glorious day touring the Scotish Isles.

First stop was the Museum of Island Life, reconstructed 18th century stone and thatched houses. This one is a fisherman's shack.

Adjacent to the museum was the tomb of Flora MacDonald. She became famous for helping smuggle Bonnie Prince Charlie out of Scotland after the disastrous battle at Culloden in 1746.

The ruins of Kintulm Castle dominate this headland on the north coast of Skye.

Over the past week, Sandy and Elliot have taken thousands of sheep/lamb photos. This was Carl's first opportunity (using his iPhone) when two lambs ran in front of him.

The waterfall at Kilt Rock is so named due to the folding of the rock face, resembling the folds of a kilt.

Eilean Donan Castle was very picturesque. It is not someone's name, "Eilean" is Gaelic for Island.

Castles on this site were built and destroyed since 1300. The current reconstruction dates from the early 1900's.

The town of Portree has this colorful row of buildings along the harbor front.

Tomorrow we ferry back to the Outer Hebrides for more adventures.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Isle of Lewis

Hi All,

A very busy day seeing the sites around Lewis Island.

First stop was the 1840 Castle of Lews overlooking Stornoway Harbor.

Next we drove to the village of Bostah on the north shore. The sand and water were beautiful, looking more like the Caribbean than the UK.

This is the site of an Iron Age house discovered under the sand. It was occupied from 400-800 by the Pict people.

After lunch we visited the Standing Stones of Callendish, the most impressive stone circles we've seen so far. This is the central monument stone.

In addition to the circles, there is a long corridor of stones leading off to the west.

Here is a huge arch made from the jawbones of a baleen whale, probably a fin whale.

Last stop was the northernmost point on the island, the "Butt of Lewis". The fog blew in cutting visibility but giving the place a mysterious look.

Fog was particularly thick at the lighthouse. This was the site of the highest recorded wind speed in the UK.

Ten minutes later the wind shifted and blew the fog offshore giving us a clearer view.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Across Northern Scotland

Hi All,

We awoke early to catch the ferry back to the mainland and were greeted by this beautiful Orkadian sunrise.

A short drive brought us back to Stromness where these colorful workboats lined the wharf.

This sea-stack on the Isle if Hoy is called the Old Man.

We met Haimish, a tourist from Edinburgh at a pub a couple of days ago and met him again on the ferry. The sea stack is behind him and he wanted us to caption the photo,"Two Old Men".

Once back on the Scottish mainland, we drove across the northern coast. We stopped at a few interesting places including this beach in Smoo.

Our second ferry of the day taking us to Lewis Island in the Outer Hebrides, left from Ullapool. The trip was pretty smooth given how windy it was in the harbor!

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Orkney Day 2

Hi All,

Since we persevered through the bad weather yesterday, today we were rewarded with no fog, no rain and occasional sun.

First stop was Yesneby Head, a beautiful spot overlooking the Atlantic.

Next stop was Maeshowe, a Neolithic tomb from 3,000 BCE with Viking inscriptions from 1,100 CE when they raided the tomb. Unfortunately, interior photos were not allowed.

Broch of Gurness was next. This aerial photo from the visitor center shows the layout of this Bronze Age dwelling and defensive structure.

The central tower overlooks the bay.

And each of the dwelling units has partitions and a central hearth.

In "downtown Kirkwall" we visited St Magnus Cathedral founded in 1137. To reinforce its Nordic roots, this cathedral was part of the archdiocese of Trondheim Norway until 1468!

This section dates to the 15th century,

Across the street we found the Earl's Palace, built in 1606 by Patrick Stewart, grandson of James V.

We were free to wander throughout the palace and many rooms had information about the contents from a 1653 inventory. This information helped bring the stones to life.

Also nearby was the home of the Bishop. Not as grand as the palace but very nice for a 15th century building.

Of course there is more to see but we have covered a lot of sites in the Orkneys.

Tomorrow we head for the Outer Hebredes.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Orkney Islands

Hi All,

We needed an early departure at 5:30 to catch the Orkney ferry at the tip of northern mainland Scotland. The ferry was very nice but the fog and rain prevented any sightseeing.

Orkney has many pre-historic sites and we saw three today.

The Standing Stones of Stennes was a circle of stone monoliths similar to Stonehenge but older still.

Next stop was the Ring of Brodgar, two concentric stone rings with many more still standing.

Last stop was Skara Brae. This World Heritage site is a 5,000 year old village with seven dwelling units, all the same. Each has a central hearth, storage shelves on the back wall and sleeping places along the side walls.

Each unit was roofed with a conical frame covered in animal hides then sod for warmth.

The seven units were connected by covered walkways to move among units while staying warm.

Speaking of staying warm, we did not do that today. At all three places, we toured the sites in 45° weather with 25 mph wind and horizontal rain. We may revisit some tomorrow with the promise of better weather.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone

Loch Ness

Hi All,

We began the day with a boat ride on Loch Ness aboard the Jacobite Warrior.

Elliot kept a vigilant watch for the Loch Ness monster to no avail.

We did find Urquart Castle along the shore.

and the sky began to clear as we left the castle.

We then drove to Fort Augustus. This stone house along the canal dates to the 1600's. The five satellite TV antennas were added later;-).

The Caledonian Canal connects the North Sea with the Atlantic. At Fort Augustus there are four locks that raise boats to the level of Loch Lochie.

Three small boats locked up while we were there. Here they enter the first lock.

After the water level is raised, they move into the next lock.

On the way back to our rented house we chose an interesting back road along the south side of Loch Ness. Here we enjoyed the joys and terrors of UK back roads. Though the scenery was wonderful, most of the road was a single lane (not in each direction, just one lane total) with occasional wide spots for cars to pass. At every blind corner and hill crest we wondered if we would be greeted by a 50 mph oncoming car. It seems to work in the UK where they really do yield right of way but if there were roads like this in the US they would be littered with bodies.

We are off to bed early since we leave at 5:30 AM to catch the ferry to the Orkney Islands off the northern tip of mainland Scotland.

Love,

Sandy & Carl 

Living & Traveling in our Motorhome

Volunteering across America

greenbaum2@gmail.com

www.livingourdream2011.blogspot.com

617-435-8502

Photographed and sent from Carl's iPhone