A Downton Abbey Holiday

So, does this look familiar?

If you're a Downton Abbey fan,  then this should be familiar from the last episode.  Well, how's this for excitement......   we are staying a stone’s throw from that beautiful castle.  Can’t wait to get out and explore the area tomorrow! 

But first, let me share the exciting adventures in getting here.  (You knew that there would have to be some sort of excitement involved, right?)

  

We awoke to bright sky in the distance, but large snowflakes gently falling outside the window.  It certainly seemed an odd combination, but, really, it was far better than the rain…….or at least we thought it was!  And it looked so lovely.

Although there was a Catholic Church just a few blocks from our B&B, we chose to drive back to Doune to attend the 9:45 a.m. service there, because the one in Callandar was scheduled for 11:30, and we wanted to have a jump on the day.

Well, it turns out that the same priest covers both churches, and a third in Killin, which is really a bit of a drive.  Today there was a collection for S.C.I.A.F which supports missions in Africa.  The priest mentioned that a quarter of the monies received generally go to the bishop and the pope.  He then went on to say,  “Well, we’ve got no bishop (due to the recent scandal that I mentioned earlier in the week), and we’ve got no pope (due to Benedict resigning), so I decided that all of the money would go to the missions.”  Couldn’t help but laugh at that admission.

What was really entertaining was the unique way that this parish collects funds for this charity.  In the back of the church, they set up fine china teacups, bring in coffee and tea and home made baked goods, and after mass, they accept a free will offering for a cup of tea or coffee and a sweet.   Due to the parking situation in the lot where people just park in rows, we found ourselves with nowhere to go but back inside to join the locals. 

Of course, they were curious about us, and wanted to know where we were from.  On this trip, people generally presume that we are Canadian.  In fact, a woman at the zoo was surprised to hear that I was from the U.S.  She said that I had such a lovely, genteel accent.   How nice was that? 

After some interesting conversations, we headed to our car, bracing ourselves for the bitter cold wind and the snowflakes that were slowly falling.  

We were traveling on the edge of the Trossachs, and it soon became obvious that we had been in the midst of some amazing mountains, but the snow-capped tops had blended in with the mist, so we never knew!

The drive through this area was amazing.

Snow capped mountains in the background…sheep grazing in the fields along the road, and every now and then, we’d see an escapee munching on the grass right along the side of the road…..because you know that old adage…….  The grass is always greener on the other side!   But some were certainly risking their lives for tastier fare.

It wasn’t long before it became quite obvious that we were driving in and out of travelling snowstorms.  One minute, I’d see a beautiful snow capped mountain, Marty would pull over, and the top would be gone in a white haze.  It actually became quite comical after awhile because we felt like we were literally being followed by a cloud.

We stopped at the Falls at Dochart, and suddenly, the snow really began falling, making for quite a picturesque scene.

Doesn’t it look like a painting?  Can you see the snowflakes? 

Pretty amazing, don’t you think?

By this point, we found the weather situation to be rather amusing, and it actually became a joke with us as to whether or not we’d actually get to see the spectacular sights.  More than once we commented that we were sure that the views were amazing…….had we been able to see them!

We stopped in Invernan, at the Drover’s Inn, which is a hotel/pub that has been in existence for centuries.  

We decided on some tea and scones while taking in the interesting surroundings.

All I have to say is that you better not complain about the food!

……..back in the car…… and in just a few minutes, we found ourselves on the “bonny bonny banks of Loch Lomond”.   At least, at first glimpse they appeared to be bonny.   The road was narrow, with nowhere to pull of, but we came to an information center with a parking lot.  Marty parked, we jumped out of the car, and within seconds, the view had disappeared.

Here you can see Marty with the Loch in the background.

Well....at least you can see Marty.

We were on our way back to the car when the sun suddenly poked through the sky, and we scurried back to the viewpoint to capture the moment before it disappeared again.

To the right of the parking lot stands an amazing power plant, with a lovely mountain behind it.

Well, looking at that photo, I suppose that you’ll just have to take my word on that one.

Feeling bonny to have been able to catch a glimpse in between snow squalls,  we  jumped into the car continued on our way to our destination.

The snow seemed to be at bay for awhile, and we were able to really enjoy the beauty of the Argyll forest.  I took this photo from a stop on the side of the road.

And this one at a stop light on the road 

which was there because the road was down to one lane due to rocks tumbling down the cliff, and repairs being made to prevent further damage.

Soon we were  on the edge of Loch Fyne headed towards Inveraray.

Our hotel is located right on this street.  Marty dropped me off so that I could check in and find out where to park the car.  Within minutes, a woman behind the counter looked out the window and commented on the heavy snow that was falling outside.

I told her that she could thank us for that, because we had obviously brought the white stuff with us.

They still welcomed us, and I was taken to the top floor of the building to this lovely room.

The room is great, but, unfortunately, does not have the wi-fi connection that was promised.  So, I will have to post the blog from the breakfast room because all attempts at connecting up here have failed.

In the meantime, after unloading our bags, we decided to head out and investigate the surroundings while the snow was NOT falling.

The area is truly lovely, located right on the Loch.

But the best part of the day was walking just a short distance to find this castle, which actually, can be seen off the road while entering the town.

Certainly a nice place to take a holiday, don’t you think?  Unfortunately, it is closed for viewing  until April.  But that didn’t keep us from checking out the surroundings.

We walked around to the back of the castle where you can see the bridge that we crossed to get here in the distance.

The weather was still brutally cold, so we decided to call it a day, and we headed to the George hotel, which is just across the street, for a lovely dinner, next to the fire.

The fire was cozy warm, and the meal was delicious. 

The perfect ending to a wonderful day!

Monty Python, Crags and Waterfalls

Does the title of this blog sound like a crazy combination?  Well....let's just say that it has been a crazy kind of day.

We started out taking a morning stroll along the River Teith.........in the rain.

Marty was on the lookout for trout....

But ne'er a one was spotted, although we did see a few ducks.

We didn't get too soaked, but it was obvious that the day was going to be a wet, cold, and windy one.

So, we filled up on a nice hot breakfast supplied by our B&B, then hopped in the car, umbrellas in hand, and headed to Doune.

Our destination was Doune Castle:

Does this look familiar?  Here's a hint......."We are the Knight who say....'Neee'."

Or, how about....."We're knights of the Round Table, we dance whene'er we're able."

One more hint:  "One day, lad....all this will be yours."

"What?  the curtains."

Well, I'd say that if you are a "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" fan, then you've guessed the answer to the question.  Here, at Doune Castle, the famous movie was filmed.  And the audio tour entertained us by interjecting many of the quotes from the movie as we toured the castle.

The weather was miserable.  Freezing cold (literally) and rain pouring down.  Since I misplaced (Ok, I really LOST ) a glove, my fingers were freezing. So, when I saw a pair of Lamb's wool gloves in the tourist shop as we were exiting, I grabbed a pair to buy.  The best decision of the day!

After spending quite a bit of time at the castle, and managing to capture some outstanding views

We hopped in the car, and returned to the Old Rectory Inn

where we warmed up with a cup of tea in the room before venturing out into the town.

We had decided to see the Bracklinn Falls which were on the East Side of Callander, so we bundled up, found the road to the footpath, and trecked through the woods, with the cold wind blowing, until we came to the falls along a gorge.

Do I look cold? Windblown? Crazy?  (you needn't answer that last question.)

There was an interesting footbridge across the falls which gave one a great vantage point of how the water has literally worn away the rock along these falls.

Here you can see Marty posing next to the bridge.

In this case, the hike was worth the end result, and the photos really don't do the grandeur of these falls justice.

We decided to head back to town and plan the rest of the day. The sky had finally stopped raining, although there was no sign of the sun, and the winds were nearly gale force.  We thought that we'd probably have to opt for something inside.

But, as we were walking back to the B&B, we spotted something in the distance that had been hidden by the clouds until then

Can you see that in the distance?  It's a mountain....with snow on the top.  The cloud had blended right in with the top, and we had no idea!  We then decided that we would hike the Callander Crag walk, up to the top, to see if we could admire those mountains from a different vantage point.

Ok, so that sounds like it would be an easy idea.   But, once we found the trail, it was obvious that this walk might be just a bit more challenging that what we had expected.

Marty kept saying, "I think we're almost at the top", at least a half a dozen times.  The trail would no sooner level out, and we'd see another hill to hike just around the corner.  We focused on finding the top because it just seemed like we should be there.  We were concentrating on our footing, as the trail was steep AND slippery, when we looked up and saw that we were definitely being watched.

Can you see that sheep at the top?  She never took her eyes off of us.  I'm sure that she thought that we were crazy.  But, we kept on climbing, and then, we just couldn't decide what to do.  Remember how I said earlier that I have this problem where I just don't know when to call it quits and turn around?

Well, Marty was sure this time that we just couldn't keep on walking and that we should probably just give it up and go back down.

I turned around, for some reason, to  check out the way back down, and I looked up and saw this

I let  out a gasp, and began laughing while I told Marty to look.  We just couldn't believe what we had missed because we were busy looking for the top of the Crag!

We took a celebratory photo near the top.  (Note the sheep in the background.)  

Then we decided to go a "wee" bit further, just to see if we could get an even better view.

Marty was able to capture this photo, just as the sun decided to bless us by peeking through the clouds.

Is that awesome?  The water in the distance is Loch Vanachar, which, by the way, is the name of our room at the B&B.  

We climbed a bit more, determined to find the top, as it sure appeared that we should be at the top, and we took in the beauty of the town, which was on the opposite side of the mountains.

By now, the sun had yet again disappeared, and the winds were blowing at extremely high speeds.  I was concerned by all of the uprooted trees along the trail, and I surely didn't want to have to worry about one deciding that it was time to fall on the trail, or, even worse, fall on one of us!

So we made the trip back down the crag, which was, by the way, far easier than the climb up!!

Here we are, excited to have accomplished the feat:

After all of that unexpected excitement, I decided that it was time just to stay put at the Old Rectory Inn, relax, and just have a bite to eat in the restaurant downstairs.

The staff here is extremely entertaining, and there was a local, Danny, who was more than happy to strike up a conversation with Marty which lasted through our dinner, and, as a matter of fact, is still going on.  I gave up and came up to the room.  

But, if you're wondering just what type of temptation is keeping Marty occupied, let me just give you an idea.

Those are bottles of whiskey.  Countless types.  But Marty insists that tasting them must be educational, because the word, Library, is involved.

I'll let you know how that turns out.

On the Bonny Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond

Guess where we are?  Staying at the Old Rectory Inn where the establishment obviously loves  plaid.

This tartan runs from the front door, all the way up the stairs into the hall.  Don't you just love it?

Marty has chosen to take a week's vacation between plant visits, so we have headed west, and are on the outer banks of the Trossachs, not too far from Loch Lomond.  My friend started singing the ballad in the Family History Center last week, and I still have it stuck in my head.  (Thanks, Sharon!)

The weather is horrid, and we are hoping that it at leasts stops raining so that we can get out and explore the area.  Actually, it would be nice if the fog would lift so that we could actually SEE the area!

In any event, Marty worked half the day (here in Scotland, the majority of  people only work half days on Friday....it took Marty quite awhile to get used to that idea), then he swung by Inverkeithing to pick me up.  I had taken the train to join our "Steeler Nation" B&B friend whom we met on our last trip.  We went to Mass, and said the Divine Mercy Chaplet, then headed back to the B&B where I had a delightful conversation with the proprietors before heading off with Marty.  It was  a terrific start to the day.

Along the way to Callander, where we are staying, we stopped in Dublane to see the magnificent Cathedral that has stood there since the early 13th century.

We weren't sure if we could go inside because we could see that the lights were shining, and we could hear the pipe organ bellowing.  But once through the door, we were greeted by an extremely friendly man named Howard, who assured us that we could walk around at our leisure.

We were surprised to see this Pictish cross from the 9th century.

Can you believe the details in this aged stone?

The church pews had some very interesting carvings:

Here you see an angel in the choir area.

a bunny

and a camel.

I have no idea of the significance of these carvings, but they are all carved from Scottish oak.

We were ambling along, admiring the beauty of this immense Cathedral when Howard suddenly appeared and began to give us a private tour of the place.  He opened a large wooden door , and encouraged us to walk up the round turret to the second story to get the view from that point.

It was certainly breathtaking.

Behind me were beautiful Stained Glass windows that represented the Root of Jesse

Inside the church stands this beautiful stone pillar, placed in the church in March 2000.

The stone pillar stands to honor 16 children who were massacred by a gunman on March 13, 1996 at the Primary school in Dunblane.

An entire first grade class was lost that day, along with the teacher, and the gunman himself.  This story was hard to fathom with the recent events in Connecticut so fresh in my mind.

How could something so tragic, and so similar,  have happened without my having heard of it?  The stone's inscriptions touched my heart.

By this time, Howard had caught up with us again, and he was showing us all of the old keys that he used to lock up the place.  Then, he mentioned that there were some graves under the pews.

He pointed to one in particular, and began to tell us the story of how a man had come from America in search of his relatives.  He had given Howard the names, and Howard retrieved the registry, and found that the family was buried in the church, under the pew.   So, they moved the pew so that the man could take photos of the family graves.  Now, how is that for genealogy accommodation?

Howard went on to tell us that the next year, the man's grandfather came, and the year after that, another family member came.  (Perhaps they should have relocated the pew!)

The Church registers are held in this building across the street from the church.

Outside of the building there is a sign that says, "you are welcome to use our toilets".  Believe me, you don't see that too many places!!

Howard was a real gem, and a genealogy lover's dream.  So, if you know anyone who has roots from Dunblane, send them this way.  Howard would love to give them a hand!

Until tomorrow........