Trip to Scotland 1983: Four and half months in the Highlands and Islands

[DCampbell16B]

Thanks. I made the change.

[DCampbell16B]

Edinburgh memory: I was fascinated by the bridges in the Old Town, like the George IV Bridge. What a reminder of how old this city is.

[Belay the windbreaker above. That was just pricing.]

1 July: Going to Comrie today. Met an Auckland New Zealander who crews/sails competitively. He was making a flying trip of Scotland.

79p breakfast; didn't note where I ate, but she called me darling and gave me an extra scone
2.30 hostel
1.65 bus to Courier-Journal
99p tea
1.65 return
1.00 white shirt (I don't know what I meant, unless I forgot to pack one)
43p thread and needles
25p chips

Notes during the bus ride again bouncy!
Saw the South Inch, bus went by Huntingtower (locals, please correct me if that doesn't make sense). If Comrie is not the Highlands it is close. Outside Perth the horizon is lined with mountains. Must change busses in Creiff. The ride from Perth to Creiff reminds me of the road from Dryden NY to Cortland NY (which I still drive occasionally today). There are gorgeous mountains on the far side of Creiff.

(I have a picture of/from Comrie looking west I'll add later)


Buses are cheaper for long trips. You meet local people. You go more places. Warm today with some rain in Comrie. There was some in Edinburgh last Monday. Only two days since here.
[The summer of 1983 was hot and dry across Britain. Roads buckled under the heat in parts of England, as per the TV news in the hostels. I had very little rain until the fall.]
[I have a note to myself to swap the kilt from the suitcase to the backpack and to put the tweed coat in the suitcase. The coat was a dark green herringbone Harris tweed a comfortably large on me. I wore a flat cape and really didn't stand out as a tourist. I got the coat from a thrift store for $5 and wore it (and the cap) through college, the trip, first jobs and finally gave up on it when my three year old son threw up on it so it couldn't be cleaned.]
__________

[DCampbell16B]

The purpose of my trip to Comrie was to visit the Tartan Museum. In keeping with my past entries I won't describe details of how clothes were sewn, or how the backs of target were constructed. But I see in my notes to contact or meet one P MacDonald. @figheadair would that have been you in 1983?

[DCampbell16B]

2 July

95p to Newburgh
85p fish & chips
15p tea
95p bus back
£2.50 gloves
£2.99 windbreaker (the non-waterproof one...)
£1.08 food
5p phone

[The wallet I used was a long bookfold one to carry travelers checks, cash, and passport. Walking to get fish and chips I had my jacket over my shoulder since it was warm. Getting on the bus I noticed it gone. I ran back and found it still lying in the road. It could have been a bad day.]

I made the bus to Newburgh. Had a layover. Day clear, breezy, cool. Newburgh looks about the size of Owego (NY where I grew up and still live). Very quiet ( because it was Sat morning?). Everyone very friendly, busdrivers wave, talk to passengers. Passengers on the local bus know each other and talk.

Need to get vitawheat, shortbread, jam, OS map of Pitlochry. [Went to a leatherworker by the name of Morris.] He said the fire at Inverary little was lost. Antiques carries out by chains of rows people and kept in homes out of weather until the castle rebuilt.

[DCampbell16B]

10p shower hot water
£1 bus
£2.60 hostel
£1.58 map
£1.80 food
80p fish and chips

Went to church. Was told it was Perth Holiday Fortnight so only 40-50 in church. Was invited to a meal with the pastor and wife. Cold turkey, boiled and fried potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and cheese sauce, blackberry cake with whipped cream [feast for me!]

[More bouncy bus notes]

Left Perth 2:30 cool, cloudy, threatening but no rain. To Cupar yesterday [not sure what I meant?] 3-4 ruined castles/keeps on small back roads.
Main route, no stops to Pitlochry
Mr Thomas of the Perth church usually wears a kilt to church, speaks Gaelic. Saw 2 men on the way out of town wearing kilts.
Heading over the Highland line for good. Unlike going to Comrie you can really see entering the hills. This is near the road to Grandtully.
Pitlochry reminds me of Waterville [VT]. Same Alpine. Little traffic, quiet except for wind, busses and birds.

Tomorrow cash traveller's checks, post a card and printed matter [I shipped home printed flyers and a couple small books in two packages. Only one made it. I know better how to pack things now.], freight the suitcase ahead [to Crianlarich].

Went window shopping. Need matches!
Bedroom and dining room look over Pitlochry and Creag an Fhithich.
You'd better check food, last town in [is?] Kinnloch Rannoch til Loch Tay? Killin? and you may not get food after!!!

Food, now have some spam, 2 boxes vitawheat, shortcake, need some small cans of food, matches.
Meths [methylation spirits] white spirt, down main street by tourist[?] shop and flower shop.

[My plan was to hike across Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe. Hence the following entry]
Well, if you get out on the moor and starve, you've no one to blame but yourself. Watched cluds whip over Creag an Fhithich and across Pitlochry. I'm here. I still can't believe I intend to do this. The immensity of the area has finally hit me. Also it's desolateness.

Card to McDuffie [my graduate professor]

I can lay in bed (top bunk) and look out picture window and see from the Linn of Tummel, the north slope of Creag an Fhithich to Carn Beag.

[I had cans to open and forgot a can opener] The hostel warden gave me a Swiss Army Knife from lost and found to use for a can opener. [I still have this].
Caisteal Dubh before breakfast?

[DCampbell16B]

Not much to speak of. Only 2 sections [stacks?] standing in the middle of a hay field.

[News on the hostel telly:] 40 men hurt, brawl with Scots Guards who were taunted about kilt.

[Shipped suitcase to] Henderson, General Merchant, Crianlarich.
Pack weighs 76lbs [about 35kg]

[I didn't have hiking boots. I had black Oxfords for any dress situation, kilted or not. For most walking and hiking (for now) I wore sneakers/trainers which were really running flats. A very thin sole and no heel.]

****[At this time I can only post by phone. I won't have access to accompanying photos for a few days. I will add them back to where they belong for the future, and also put them together for any who just might want to catch up.]**

Left Pitlochry at noon. Garry Bridge, small waterfall other side I couldn't get to.
Saw the Queen's View down Garry and Pass, Soldier's Leap. Ford at the River Garry (camp) look over Blair Castle. Hill which I took a picture of 5 min ago has a cloud over top now.
Nice footpath by Killiecrankie. Evening camped on bank of River Garry above River Tilt. [Asked a local man and he pointed over there by the river and said no one would bother me.]
~£2 to camp at a caravan site [not spending the money]
Evening gorgeous. Warm, no breeze. People walking around, locals and visitors. Now understand why always talk about the weather. Everything is based on it. Work done when the weather is good, but if very good enjoy. Watched a game of bowls at Blair Atholl bowling club (lawn).
Today did Pitlochry to Blair Castle.~8miles. Tomorrow maybe same. Depends on how long [I spend] in Blair Castle. May only walk from noon. Check map and estimate 10 miles. Not too tired but very sore. I keep moving to keep from freezing up. Rannoch Moor is looking very difficult at this stage and I am having second thoughts. Perhaps call Killin Hostel and warn them. Weather bad , could get stuck, then trouble. Estimate fastest time based today 16 miles/day. Will get better wt time but... Sun just going behind hill 9:08. Waded Garry to practice pipes.

[DCampbell16B]

£1.20 Blair Castle
£1.17 lunch
£1.00 supper and breakfast: 2 apples, orange, 2 crisps, 4 rolls, choc ice
85p tea
26p tip
[I'm not transferring all purchases. Some I can't read my writing, some don't make sense, and some are most uninteresting]

More in papers about Scots Guards in fight.

Broke camp and packed in about 45 min, taking it easy. Very light rain this morning. Weather reports not good. May try to catch ride after Struan.
Castle is ½ to ¾ mile from A9. Had I known, I'd have left pack in the village. 1 blister left foot, front on inside ball of foot. Poked with needle and wore extra pair of socks. A nuisance, but not really painful yet.

YOU IDIOT! You sent $1000 travelers checks in .. sporran to Crianlarich!

Blair Castle has impressive collection.

Walked to past Struan, picked up on B847 by couple and daughter (father from Glasgow) and put right in Kinnloch Rannoch. [He was very quiet, wife and daughter quite outgoing. They said they were Brummies as if that explained it]

Tea at Dunalister Hotel. Can sit here and watch Schihallion. Scones still warm. Even extra hot water to dilute dregs if pot.
Michael Douglas [?]- two more experienced "walkers" talked a while with me, particularly social gospel. Probably see them on the morning bus, 7:45. Gave them each a roll. Gave me ⅓ banana. Weather threatening. Schihallion has disappeared and reappeared.

Been a short shower, now over. Very impressive drive down by Beinn a'Cheallaich. No tree cover, very large.

Campbell east end of Loch Rannoch. Fly only.
Played pipes on the shore of Loch Rannoch.


Beautiful country, desolate, depressed, dangerous even, but beautiful.

[I remember playing for a while on the shore. When I quit there was cheering from what must have been a hotel or gathering or something further up the north shore.

That night was one of the two worst I remember. It was so pleasant I only set up the fly and climbed into the sleeping bag. A tourist family was walking by on the road above me, only saw me at the last moment and waved. I just grinned stupidly and waved back.

I should have set up the tent. All night the midges were at my face, despite any repellent. And it was hot, but I couldn't get out of the bag without getting covered with the wee things.]