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

[DCampbell16B]

I hope people are enjoying this thread. I see it is being read.

[DCampbell16B]

Walked. Found old Perthshire style stone house abandoned. Had 2 wall beds, tin roof over wood slabs. Fireplace, coal, chimney in gable. Fireplace through the roof, overhang hearth. Wall paper, many layers over stove inside. Byre, props for roof show just as I.F.Grant "Highland Folkways". Large flags on the floor of the byre.



Lamb came up and sucked on my finger - couple weeks old, not afraid. Falls of Lochy nearly empty due to Hydro, but rocks are impressive. Am feeling much better than when I left States. Then if one little thing went wrong I felt awful, but kept on. Now I'm relaxed enough to not care. Girls sweaters Susan? Mom, Buster, boys [this is all family while I was wondering what to bring back to them. Sweaters for my sister's and step sisters (I did something different)]. Sharon [sister] should come just to see the gardens. Spent £120 on living so far. £125 on jacket/train [not living expenses]. Purple rhododendron in profusion here. Thought I saw a fox at Hydro Lochy [? does that make sense?]
Well, am still tired today, some little diarrhea, but better than yesterday. Maybe it wasn't the tea. 3 kilts Clachaig [seen? Don't know what I meant]. Large group of French kids w/ leader through Killin today. More than anything French reminds me of someone trying to gargle [Sorry all! Especially French speakers! Not one of my languages!]. Group of Italians at Bridge of Lochy Hotel. Very hazy today. Lady is working on the restoration of Menzies Castle, am helping her out. Mrs.Storrier? Hills gradually becoming visible. Trying for Oban Tuesday- Friday. Got through on phone [to hostel] 7:00, was asked to call back 7:30, couldn't. Tried ½ hour, the op the[?] couldn't get through. Oh well.

[DCampbell16B]

Mrs. Storrier [address] of Fife. Wants info on 18th C Highland dress for Menzies Castle restoration.
17p ice lolly
56p tea
48p 2 rolls
£1.80 hostel

Ride to Crianlarich. Walked up toward a pass between two hills aptly named on the map as "Bealach Eadar Bheinn" [literally "pass between hills", which were Ben More and Ben A'An (also named Stob Binnein)] by waterfalls. Delightful. Ate lunch at bridge, bottom. Met 5 French, 1 man who played fiddle and guitar. Bluegrass like American ("Freight Train") and some Irish. Also Yorkshireman living in Washington State who played Irish fiddle. Went a bit up the West Highland Way, south of Crianlarich. Hill has[? unclear pencil] sound of drying peat [underneath the surface]. Hillside thumps when hit.
Checked into hostel. [At this point in the journal I changed from pencil to pen. While it didn't and hasn't smeared as much as the pencil, it was harder to write neatly] Ate supper then played pipes on hill behind Crianlarich. What a gorgeous evening. Haze lifted, breeze. Pipes played fairly well. Pleased self, locals and tourists. Met 3 Canadian high-school girls (Ann, Ashley, Alex, all cousins), one thinking of going to SUNY Binghamton [where I had just finished, now Binghamton University], all Campbells. Took them up that same hillside. They've been to Inverary. Bus to Oban 10:50. Couldn't get to castle on Loch Dochart [marked on map]. Water very shallow, but mud deep.

[DCampbell16B]

I'm working on the next entry. I think it would be interesting for those of us outside Scotland to know what things are like now compared to 40 years ago. What are prices like? Have major routes changed? Are areas built up? Are hiking routes are exactly the same?

[DCampbell16B]

32p drink
£3.15 bus
80p fish and chips
£2.30 hostel
10p shower
25p lemonade

Oban bus from Crianlarich. Goes by Tyndrum, Glen Orchy, Dalmally, Loch Awe and Kilchurn. Pass of Brander, Ben Cruachan, Taynuilt and Dunstaffnage. [These were all places that I had read or heard about for years. It was hard to believe I was right in the middle of them.]
Dalmally very new looking town. Duncan Ban's Monument! Cruachan impressive, immense. Kilchurn and Loch Awe, inexpressable, what a rush. Highland cattle! Etive tidal race changing under bridge! See Dunollie, Dunstaffnage. Oban good sized. Cooler, smells salt. First impression I like this place. But then I'm so glad to be here. McCall's! Banc na h-Alba and Banc Rioghail! Fish and chips, tail still on, on credit, didn't have wallet. Paid [as soon as I got my wallet]. Window shopped. Sweaters expensive. Lots of jellyfish in harbor. Checked bus to Inverary. An Commun Gaidhaelach [I was a member]. Buy bread, spam? Soup? Tea, dry milk, sugar, biscuits?
Call Macleod
[I had three reasons to go to Inverary. One, I'm a Campbell. Two, there was a planned Gathering to celebrate 5 years of reconstruction of the castle. Three to meet the son of the older couple I was to stay with in Lewis. The son owned a business in Glasgow, and was to meet me to vet me. His cousin was an acquaintance in the States and had set this up.]
Hostel room overlooks bay. Beautiful evening. Try shower, dinner. Dunollie Castle and Conc? Sat in window.
Met two Swiss German girls who escorted me to Dunollie Castle [actually it was the other way around]. Castle built with masonwork like cottages in Glencoe. Anna-lies and Anita. 3 girls last night and 2 tonight and not a bad one in the lot. I could learn to like this. [Bear with me. I just finished two straight years of nearly monastic existence doing graduate work.] Anita was getting degree in agriculture and Anna-lies teaches sewing and embroidery to children 8-16 in a small village. They spent last night in a sleeping bag on a beach at Lochboisdale [so to be on time to catch the ferry to Oban at like 5am]. [They had taken an immersion course in English in London. The challenge at the end of the course was to see how far they could hitchhike then be back. They lucked into a long ride north and ended up in the Western Isles. They insisted on speaking English that evening.]


Oban from the hostel window


Kerrara from the hostel


Sound of Kerrara from above Oban


Dunollie Castle

[DCampbell16B]

MacBrayne's in today, missed by 5 min last night [I found I liked watching the ferries come and go]. High tide 6:30 - 7:30. There is no room at the in (read Hostel) this evening. If among 1st eight then may stay. Must be here early, sitting in front of hostel watching bay.

Plenty of room tomorrow, perhaps stay on Mull til tomorrow? Or stay on Mull tonight? Why doesn't this pen write? Where is paradise? What is the meaning of life? (Must ask Monty Python). Anita said islands (Western Isles) were paradise on a clear day. Anna-lies didn't say much at all. She won't speak English for the same reason I won't speak German [embarrassed].

They are seriously thinking of stopping train service north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and MacB is cutting services to the Islands. Perhaps the north will again be as cut off as it once was, barring roads. Watched jellyfish swim. Oban Harbor is very clear [the water]. Most jellyfish like Boston. One orange and fancy. [I have no idea what I meant by that]. Anita and Anna-lies came along, talked, then checked their bus, then climbed to McCaig's folly. [I had to speak German with them this morning. They spoke German rather than Swiss German, which they said I wouldn't understand. And they were right].
Went with them to the bus and got addresses. Spoke a great deal of German today, better than I thought, but not as good as they said I was. Good practice though. Spoke little English.

Dugald Stewart, Post, North Uibhist. Anita had a card from him. Tell Susan McD. Fed birds on the Esplanade. Sea gulls eat out of my hand [several of them got into flying laps and would take chips out of my hand as they flew by. It was very entertaining for some bystanders]. Note: Shandy contains beer [I didn't know!].

Hostel, people waiting again. Fresh breeze from the Sound of Kerrera, but it doesn't clear the haze. I can't stop thinking in German, and they left 4 hours ago. 6:15 a little cloudy, but Mull mountains beginning to show over Kerrera. Can see the length of the Sound. Evening. Up to McCaig's again. Can hear pipers practicing for show at Corran Halls. Can see more Mull mountains. Duart Castle and Benderloch, over Lismore. Went down and listened to Pipe Band warm up. Young band no one looked over 25 (there are, PM, bass drummer, and PS?) Full reg, w/plaids + feather bonnets. Man in Gordon kilt around the last two days.



McCaig'sFolly

[figheadair]

What is really interesting about this diary, amongst many gems, is the details of the weather and in particular reaching the snow level at some point (well before the top) in early July.

These days winters are far shorter and less severe than even 40 years ago. But for a few hidden patches in the tops of the highest hills and north facing gullies, it would be rare to find any snow after May.

Jock may correct me but I think even the Snow Goose no longer lasts through the summer every year.