Return to Dunnet Head

I took Siri to see Dunnet Head, which is as far north as you can go on the British "mainland". We also made a brief stop at the utterly horrible John O'Groats which is at the top of my list of places in need of a thermonuclear detonation.

The lighthouse at Dunnet Head.


View to the west.


Just north you have the Orkneys.


A windswept Siri.


Yes, my shirt reads what you think it reads.


After seeing this German-registered monster vehicle, both Siri and I are convinced they're up to something. Again.


A boat at John O'Groats.

Smoo Cave

We had lunch in Durness, and I was surprised at the size and quality of the pizza I was served. The food up here is vastly better than what you're usually served down south. After lunch we walked down to Smoo Cave, which has probably gotten its name from Norwegian "smug", meaning hiding place. They've found traces of habitation from several thousand years inside it.

I was damn proud of these two pics. No flash!





The cave mouth is the largest in Britain.


Today the sea comes in through a gorge, but once this was part of the cave. The roof fell in thousands of years ago.


Siri the cave woman.


A cave ape.


The beach at Durness.

More pics from the Northwest

One of the little ironies of Scottish geography is that the northwestern corner is called "Sutherland". That's because to the Vikings who settled there, it WAS the southland. Most of the people here and in the neighboring area of Caithness have Scandinavian blood in their veins, and I wouldn't be surprised if the same went for the sheep. It's generally very far between the settlements and little to do on a night, so think what you will; there's only so much praying and feuding and whisky drinking a man can do before he craves the warmth of a wolly ewe. Uhm. Disregard that last sentence.

Anyway, we were both in agreement that the scenery was stunning all throughout the north. The weather couldn't have been any better; it was 24-25 celcius (77-78F) and nary a cloud in the sky. The more I see of Scotland, the more I adore this country.

From the harbor in Ullapool.


Not too far out from Ullapool.


This is Loch Assynt with Ardvreck Castle. It was mighty purdy in the sunshine.


This too is from the Assynt area, a geologically interesting piece of real estate.


A deep valley further north.

A Friday in the northwest of Scotland

We've gone from Inverness to Wick this Friday, and not the quick little trip up the east coast, no sirree. We've gone the long way, crossing Scotland over to Ullapool and then up over mountains and lochs and by the western and northern coast. We've seen caves and lighthouses and more sheep than any man can reasonably be expected to deal with in a lifetime, most of them idly strolling in the middle of the single lane road.

And I do mean single lane.

One fucking lane, with numerous areas for passing but nonetheless excruciating in how much it slows you down, because just when you've gotten up to speed, some German in a huge RV will come around the bend and it's touch and go if he remembers which side of the road he's supposed to be on.

The first place we stopped in at was the Falls of Mesach, which we'd been recommended by the very nice people who own the B & B we staid at in Inverness. I've been there twice before and again, I cannot recommend the Mardon Guest House enough. Iffin yer ever in the Inverness area, this is the place to go.

The Falls.


Downstream.


A lake a few miles before the falls.

Quote of the Day

One should either be a work of art, or wear a work of art.

- Oscar Wilde

Quote of the Day

Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative.

- Oscar Wilde

Glen Nevis II

Some more pics from Glen Nevis. Again, that river valley with the water fall and the tall hills all around and the river running and and and... it was possibly the purdiest place I've ever seen.

A few meters across from the wire (you can see it in the background) I slipped and fell on my ass.


The last couple of hundred meters was wet and marshy and I almost got stuck several times.


The waterfall. Mighty purdy.


Yours truly on top of a rock in the river.


Siri is a gurl, so she didn't dare to jump across the rocks. I crossed that river and I'm mighty proud of it. There were huge rocks all round that I had to traverse and I'm a manly man and so yeah. Uhm.


The road back down the glen again.


The road further up the valley. I have no idea how far you can go, possibly all the way to the east coast.


Siri walked back on the wire too and some Germans said she looked like a ballerina, which made her day. Then again, they were Germans so what did they know.


This was the last pic, on the way down, before the battery on my camera died. It's American so I need to buy a new, proper converter for the plug. In the meantime I've had to resort to my old cam.

Glen Nevis

Wednesday we went out to a place I would never ever have gone to on my own, but looking back on it I'm so very glad I did. Allow me to explain. Siri had a travel guide which described a waterfall she thought sounded nice, so being ever the gullible and good companion, I decided to trot along. Well, strictly speaking I had to, since the place lay a couple of miles outside Fort William, and she couldn't drive the rental car (cuz girls apparently can't drive on the left, neener neener).

So we set off and drove into an ever narrower valley. The road curved and swerved like a drunken Scot and sheep roamed freely in the road. After a while two lanes became one and several times we thought "this must be the end", but no, it kept going. Finally, we came to a parking lot where the road stopped and went out. Keep in mind that at this point I still thought it was a short stroll to the waterfall. Well, the slightly more than one mile described in Lonely Planet turned out to be 1.6 mile, largely straight up a fuckin' hillside.

I should have known what was waiting for me when I saw the sign warning of mortal danger, but being just too goddamn stupid I kept going along. Dear reader; I climbed, I scrambled, I wheezed, I fell. I walked over uneven rocks, stumbled over roots in the road and my shoes almost got stuck in swampy marshland. I crossed a river on a steel wire while holding on for dear life to two support wires. I skipped from rock to rock at the bottom of a waterfall and thus crossed the river yet again. I then had to cross the main stream yet again, but not wanting to risk life and limb a second time on the wire I just thought "fuck this" and walked across in shallow water and got absofuckinlutely soaked. Then I stumbled and crawled and rambled down the hill to the car again (it took appx 35 mins to walk down, I have no idea how long it took up).

We then drove to the nearest restaurant, where I stuffed face on chicken fajitas (I was famished by now) and back at the hotel again I wolfed down a cheesecake. Because I deserved it. My shoes are still wet from crossing the stream so I've had to resort to sandals for now (and it's been pissing down Thursday). But the scenery up in that valley, with the waterfall and everything was just stunning. It's the kind of place where I would love to go again, maybe with some food and water stuffed in a backpack or sumfin', and at least now I know what's waiting for me.

All Scotland 2013 pics here.

Think I'm kidding? This sign stood where the path took off from the parking lot.


It was a steep climb up the hillside.


Some of the trees along the way were straight out of a fairy tale.


As were the rocks way down below in the river.


Very purdy flowers made the walk a little lighter. Also, they smelled mighty nice.


After the climb up the hillside, the valley opened up onto a river plain with the waterfall at the far end.


Siri crossed the stream first.


These three pics were taken by Siri with her camera. Proof positive that I did actually cross over on the fuckin' wire. At first I was very tentative.


Head down, tongue sticking ever so slightly out of the corner of my mouth.


Sweet effin' fuck, let this be over.

Ranoch Moor

From Doune we drove south around Loch Lomond and then up the A82 over Ranoch Moor all the way to Fort William. As always a very purdy tour, and again I'm happy to report that Siri liked the Highlands.

Yours truly by the parking lot over Loch Tulla.


One of the tops in the Buachaill Etive Mor ridge of the Highlands.


Kings House Hotel. There has been a building here since at least the 1600s, and the British army started using it after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.


Deer walk around outside the hotel and you're warned that you feed them on your own responsibility as they're wild animals and may charge you.

The Stirling Area

Finally in Inverness, where the internet access doesn't suck donkey balls. Here are some of the pics from the Stirling area (including Doune), where we spent Tuesday. I am happy to report that Siri, who has never been to Scotland before, loved both Stirling and Doune Castle and the Wallace Monument. I climbed the latter for the 4th time, and even went on a walk around Doune in the evening.


One of the weavers who make the two remaining "Hunt of the Unicorn" tapestries in Stirling Castle. Five are already hanging in the James V's palace.


From the kitchens at Stirling Castle. Almost all of the people who worked here were MEN.


From Argyll's Lodging, a house just down the road from Stirling Castle.


Purdy interior.


You knows you wants it. The shitter.


From the top of the Wallace Monument.


A windswept Siri on top of the Wallace Monument.


A wascally wabbit, one of at least a dozen we saw running around in a field on the outskirts of Doune.


One of the many nice buildings in Doune.

Quote of the Day

The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.

- Oscar Wilde

Quote of the Day

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction.

- Oscar Wilde

Quote of the Day

In these modern days to be vulgar, illiterate, common and vicious, seems to give a man a marvelous infinity of rights that his father never dreamed of.

- Oscar Wilde

Quote of the Day

So far as I can remember, there is not one word in the Gospels in praise of intelligence.

- Bertrand Russell

Quote of the Day

Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others.

-William Allen White

Quote of the Day

My wife says I never listen to her. At least I think that's what she says.

- Unknown

Quote of the Day

As in political so in literary action a man wins friends for himself mostly by the passion of his prejudices and the consistent narrowness of his outlook.

- Joseph Conrad

Quote of the Day

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles.

- Doug Larson

Quote of the Day

Self-pity in its early stages is as snug as a feather mattress. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable.

- Maya Angelou

Quote of the Day

Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes.

- Thomas Wentworth Higginson

Quote of the Day

I know few Christians so convinced of the splendor of the rooms in their Father’s house, as to be happier when their friends are called to those mansions. Nor has the Church’s ardent "desire to depart, and be with Christ," ever cured it of the singular habit of putting on mourning for every person summoned to such departure.
- John Ruskin

Quote of the Day

Gossip is just news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.
- Liz Smith

Quote of the Day

If you board the wrong train, it's no use running along the corridor in the other direction.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Quote of the Day

The only purpose for which power can be rightfully excercised over any member of a civilized community against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant.
- John Stuart Mill

Quote of the Day

There are two major products that come out of Berkeley: LSD and UNIX. We don't believe this to be a coincidence.
- Jeremy S. Anderson

Going down, down, down...

Weighed in at 106.9 kg this morning. Fears that I would become a complete slouch and just let myself go the minute I moved to another place seem not to have come true... yet, at least.

My next grand challenge will be Scotland. Despite the often poor stuff one gets offered in that country, it's usually got a lot of calories. They serve chips (fries for you yanks) with everything and it's soooo easy to grab a cheap dessert with the dinner you just had.

Must. Be. Strong.

Quote of the Day

It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.
- Thomas Jefferson

Quote of the Day

Hypocrisy is the vaseline of social intercourse.
- Unknown

Tentative route for Scotland

These past few weeks I've felt an ever increasing rattling in my old traveling bones, so to speak. It gets worse the closer I get to a departure; sounds, sights and especially smells can suddenly take me thousands of miles away. I get this bubbling feeling inside, and sometimes an actual, physical shudder. That's how much I love to travel.

As previously announced, this summer's trip will go to Scotland; possibly with a slight dip down into northern England for the last weekend, that part isn't fully planned yet. For almost the whole trip I shall be accompanied by my old friend... uhm, chum...uh... acquaintance, Siri. BUT imma drop her in Edinburgh the last Thursday and then spend an oval weekend in the borders, with the strong possibility of a visit to the actual Flodden Field.

The route as of now...

July 29: Flying from Oslo to Edinburgh, landing in the evening. I'll rent a car and drive to Stirling,  panicking over left-hand driving all the way.

July 30: I have hopes of doing Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument and Bannockburn Visitor Centre this day. The actual Centre doesn't open till next year, but the intermediary one I went to last fall was so interesting I want to go again. If Siri really gets into Stirling Castle, we probably won't have time though. We shall spend the night in quaint little Doune, just up the road from Stirling.

July 31: Planning on seeing Doune Castle in the morning, then drive on up through the Trossachs, possibly with a slight detour south to see Loch Lomond. Then it's over my beloved A-82 and the Rannoch Moor to Glencoe. We'll be passing Bridge of Orchy and Loch Tulla and maybe, just maybe we'll have lunch at the King's House Hotel. We shall spend the night in Fort William.

August 1: In the wee morning we'll have a looksee at the ruins of Inverlochy Castle, and if Siri feels like it, possibly take a quick detour to Treasures of the Earth where she can fill several suitcases with shiny objects and precious gems. I know I wanted to the last time I was there. Then the journey will continue up along Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle, before ending in Inverness for the night.

August 2: This will probably be the longest day of the trip, at least where driving is concerned. I'm thinking about going up from Inverness to Wick the loooong way. Up to Dingwall, then veer sharply northwest and then go around the highlands the whole day before hitting Wick in the evening. If we have time, I hope to see Dunnet's Head.

August 3: We'll spend some time at wonderful old Wick Museum in the morning, then down the coast by way of Badbea and Helmsdale and possibly even Black Isle before spending an hour at Culloden. Staying overnight in Inverness again.

August 4: Do Culloden iffin we didn't have the time yesterday. Onwards to Clava Cairn and Fort George. Maybe even the Dallas Dhu distillery, cuz it's run by Historic Scotland and so it's freeeeee. Spend the night in Elgin.

August 5: This is probably the most expensive day of the trip. We'll start out from Elgin in time to be at the Aberlour distillery for their 10 AM tour. Apparently it takes up to two hours. As you probably know, I don't drink, but distilleries are also an important part of Scotland's cultural and industrial history so I don't see the tour as a waste. Their web page announces that you'll have the "opportunity to hand-fill your own personalised bottle of Aberlour cask strength whisky", which, if I know my parents right, may take the place of an otherwise cheap bottle of tax-free vodka in my luggage. *sigh*

Additionally, we'll be spending the night at the most impressive Dalmunzie Castle, where we got their last room for a stomach churning £265 (much of it prepaid). But that's including a four-course dinner, so in the words of Joey Tribiani, "this is where I get my money back".

August 6-8: Not sure if we'll spend any more time in the wonderful Grampians on the 6th, but we're booked the next two nights in Edinburgh, at some rental apartment Siri found. So the 6th, the 7th and much of the 8th will be spent doing touristy stuff in Edinburgh. Holyrood Palace, Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh Castle, Scott Monument, National Museum, Canton Hill, etc, etc. One very interesting thing is that we've got tickets for the Military Tattoo on the 7th. Siri will fly home (or, if you want to be difficult about it, allow herself to be flown home in an airplane) and I will spend the night of the 8th in Linlithgow, just outside Edinburgh.

August 9-12: Having finally ditched the cow waved goodbye to my dear friend Siri, I'll set course south. I wish to spend a few hours at Linlithgow Palace and possibly also Blackness Castle but the main goal of this last weekend is the Borders area. I've booked a room in Selkirk for three nights, and plan on seeing as much old stuff, castles in ruins and old battlefields as I can cram into an oval weekend. During this part I might just cut into Engerland for a little while.

Imma fly home in the evening of Monday, August 12. Tuesday noon I've arranged for a tour of my new workplace and work will formally start on Wednesday 14, with three days of planning. The bastards pupils will arrive Monday, August 19. My long, wonderful, over two year long holiday will be over for good... unless, of course (and this I pray for with every fiber of my non-believing body) I win the lottery. Then all bets (see what I did there?) are off.

Quote of the Day

The whole foundation of Christianity is based on the idea that intellectualism is the work of the Devil. Remember the apple on the tree? O.K., it was the Tree of Knowledge. "You eat this apple, you're going to be as smart as God. We can't have that".
- Frank Zappa

Quote of the Day

No man is free who is not master of himself.
- Epictetus

Quote of the Day

Laws do not persuade just because they threaten.
-Seneca

Quote of the Day

Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is.
- Maxim Gorky

Quote of the Day

Anarchism is founded on the observation that since few men are wise enough to rule themselves, even fewer are wise enough to rule others.
- Edward Abbey

Quote of the Day

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
- Sam Ewing

Quote of the Day

Bargain: Something you can’t use at a price you can’t resist.
- Franklin P. Jones

Quote of the Day

Thou shallt not kill. Thou shallt not commit adultery. Don’t eat pork. I’m sorry, what was that last one? Don’t eat pork. God has spoken. Is that the word of God or is that pigs trying to outsmart everybody?
- Jon Stewart

Quote of the Day

Kill my boss? Do I dare live out the American Dream?
- Homer Simpson

Quote of the Day

When an American says that he loves his country, he ... means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.
- Adlai Stevenson

Quote of the Day

The chief business of the American people is business.
- Calvin Coolidge

Still inching down...

107,1 kg this morning. It helps that I've actually gotten some exercise from moving to my own apartment this week...

Quote of the Day

The most radical revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution.
- Hannah Arendt

Quote of the Day

Critics are like eunuchs in a harem. They know how to do it, they see it being done every day, but they themselves can’t do it.
- Brendan Behan

Quote of the Day

Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.
- Jean-Jaques Rosseau