Where to begin? Bashing through the Highlands and tromping around Loch Ness was such an amazingly incredible experience. I suppose the best way to share my stories will be to bring you through some highlights of the day. Hold onto your seats!
Around half past eight this morning I boarded a bright yellow Haggis Adventures tour bus which, by the by, had the slogan “Wild & Sexy” plastered along the side. Now you have an idea of what we’re dealing with, here! Our tour guide, affectionately known as “Uncle Fergie”, was very indicative of what you might imagine a Highlander to be, complete with the voice of Sean Connery. (I’ve decided that tour companies purposely hire guides which absolutely embody local stereotypes, maybe so clients will feel like they’re getting their money’s worth.) As we began our ascent into the Highlands, Uncle Fergie kept us entertained with terrific stories of bloody Scottish history, his rugby days in secondary school, and what whisky can do to your face.
We made a brief stop in Dunkeld, a tiny village where I was most interested to learn that Beatrix Potter vacationed with her family. Another stop which left quite an impression on me was seeing Ben Nevis. Apparently, the top of the mountain is usually covered in mist and cloud but today, in the brilliant blue winter sky, we all got a chance to spy the highest point in Britain. I brought out my Scottish flag, which had been packed for such a moment, to score some epic pictures. Although most people on the bus thought I’d lost my marbles, they soon began to ask if I would let them borrow the Saltire for their photographs. Ha! The power of thinking outside of the box prevails! Driving along A9 made me almost weep at the beauty of this country. I could live here, really, I could. Of course, all of our five-minute stops and hours of driving led towards one ultimate destination: Loch Ness.
Loch Ness is perhaps one of the most well-known destinations in Scotland. Not surprisingly, tourists have flocked to this tiny town in droves since the 1920s, when a main road along the loch was constructed. That road, by the way, is incredibly fun to travel along when your driver is pushed for time and running the bus like a bat out of you-know-where. Seriously, pummeling past Urquhart Castle and the Great Glen filled me with wild abandon.
Uncle Fergie told us that if we pulled up our trousers past our knees, waded in the water, had a friend snap a photo, and scream “I believe!” at the top of our lungs – we would be guaranteed to have Nessie appear in our photographs. Remembering my personal goal to step in a loch, I did my own version of the ritual. Pictures do prove that I, Victoria, stood ankle-deep in Loch Ness on a frosty morning in Scotland. While most people opted to go for a boat cruise, I decided to keep things simple and quiet. As I’ve said before, I think Scotland is cultivating a need for solitude in my life. I crave the still, quiet peace of nature.
As to spying an ancient sea-creature, I like to think that the world is a huge place and anything could be going on beneath the surface of even the most serene waters. To be honest, I’m not sure why tourists go monster hunting at all when they can see thousands of plush Nessie dolls in the gift shop every day. Who doesn’t want a goofy looking Made-in-China dinosaur wearing a tartan and smoking a pipe on their desk? My big purchase of the day was a tea towel that marks several important events in Scottish history. Besides serving as a lovely wall decoration, it helps me remember little tid-bits from the day, since we actually drove past many of these historic locations.
All too soon our schedule required the Haggis Adventures tour group to pack-up and head-out. Perthshire is such a lovely country to drive through, especially as herds of deer are racing across the valley and the sun is setting over the snow-capped mountains. Unfortunately, the soundtrack to this amazing scene was Backstreet Boys - communal iPod privileges were sorely abused! - but, thankfully, I had my own iPod and was soon listening to something just as cheesy, the soundtrack to Braveheart. Hey, at least it was Scottish!
I would be forgetting a very important part of the day if I didn’t mention 24/7 prayer. This week, the Christian Union is sponsoring a week of prayer for St. Andrews and Scotland, leading up to their big events week. A group of us went on a prayer walk around the town. We ended up at the pier, overlooking the city. St. Andrews was magically illuminated against a crystal clear night sky. God must be an artist.
With these lovely thoughts in my head, I’m signing off for the night. May sweet dreams of the wildly beautiful Highlands swirl around my head tonight, and the comfort I find in Christ encourage me in the morning!
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