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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Bonny, Warm, Scotland!






















Bonny, Warm, Scotland!

Scotland: A Super Civil Society

My wife and I have just done something that on the face of things was not very rational: we left the warmth of Spain to travel to the very last point of the Scottish mainland, John O’Groats, which was very chilly, wet and miserable. There was a method to our madness, and the plane going over was carrying Scots returning from Benidorm, and the
plane that brought us back to Spain was filled with more Scots going to Benidorm.

We travelled to the town of Helmsdale on the East coast of Scotland to visit our son who works there at a hotel. Without that motivation we would not have ever found ourselves at the end of the mainland and we might never have had such a wonderful adventure. Scotland is a very special treat on the eyes, and as proof of that is the sheer number of native Scots people who tour around the Highlands in their motor homes.

Our journey took us from Edinburgh to Tomintoul, that is in the heart of the Cairngorms in the vicinity of Inverness; then on to that town itself. A trip to Loch Ness was in order, although I’m not sure why. There is no Loch Ness monster, and there never has been, although by now they could have built one to make scheduled appearances. Then on to spend the night in a town called Beauly that reminds me of certain Southern towns in America that are home to citizens of a Red Neck persuasion. The landlord of our Bed and Breakfast could not have been more pleasant and hospitable.

The next day we arrived at our destination, The Bridge Hotel in Helmsdale. Our son had only commenced his employment there the week before we arrived. The town is a very small fishing village, and the pace of life is slow. Our son will have to be creative in filling his spare time, but the people with whom he is working are a good group, and the hotel is wonderful.

Although it was getting towards the end of the day we all drove up to John O’ Groats, called the most Northerly point of the mainland. As mentioned it presented unpleasant weather conditions, and I could only wonder what life must be like for the residents of the Shetland and Orkney islands further North in the cold North Sea.

Our trip back down to Edinburgh was via the West Coast. In my opinion this is the best face of Scotland, presenting scenes of such incredible beauty that the mind needs time to fully take it all in. We needed to have stopped and had a picnic while saturating our senses. Even seen from a picture would not be sufficient to adequately tell the tale. There are unlimited lakes and rivers and mountains and valleys and forests and picture-postcard harbours and castles that you might get the impression that this is a grand park created for the tourists by the Scottish tourist Board.

The principal reason why the beauty of it all is so significant is that it is just how Mother Nature made it. If you turn your head away from the road that you are on you will see a kaleidoscope of terrain never ever touched by man. That is pretty special!

In recommending her homeland, a Scottish friend of ours promised that we would find Scots people more friendly than most. When we returned from our holiday I asked her if she meant that we would find some people friendly, or that we would find absolutely everyone, without exception so disposed? It was our experience that we did not find even one person having a bad hair day. How can this be?
I cannot leave this subject without a comment on the weather in Scotland in the Summer. The day we arrived there were thunderous rain showers that caused severe flooding. Throughout our sojourn we had high, freezing winds, dark clouds, the afore-mentioned rain, periods of bright sunshine and sometimes we had all those things in one day. You can only do this type of journey in the Summer. During the Winter snow would make it impossible. Lots of remote villages have snow gates that when closed, effectively shut all residents within the village. I imagine that to be caught on the road in certain areas when a blizzard starts would probably mean certain death.

Last thought: On our journey we came across a place called Nigg, in the county of Aberdeen. As best I can tell, a person would be called a Nigg; or multiple persons are Niggs. To be even more politically correct, they are all simply Aberdonions. (Just a bit of useless information.)

This journey was one of the things on my “Bucket” list that I am now able to cross off, and I am very glad that we had such a sensational experience. I would definitely pay a return visit to Bonny, Warm Scotland.

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael