Scotland: Falls of Dochart & Callander

Further along the way, I came to the famous Falls of Dochart. The water cascading down both sides of Crow Island is truly a sight to behold.

The view up one side of the falls.


Video.


Up the other side.


Up both, as seen from the bridge.


Below the bridge is the island of Inchbuie, burial place of Clan MacNab.


Video.


Inchbuie means "yellow island", and when you look at the autumn leaves, you can understand why.


I drove down to Callander, but just before the town, I saw some tourists feeding a couple of Shaggy Coos. This was too good an opportunity to miss, so I promptly turned around and walked in to the Trossachs Wollen Mill outlet to buy some veggies for the hairy ones. My TripAdvisor review:
"Ok, full disclosure... I've never had a meal here (in fact, I didn't even know they served food until I read some of the other reviews...) and only bought one scarf, which I lost within the week. But I'm ever the sucker for fluffy animals and when I found out you could buy bags of veggies to feed to the shaggy coos, I was sold. Yes, it's touristy. Yes, you're bascially paying them to feed their animals. Yes, you have to fight for room with the hordes of coach tourists who've seemingly made this place one of their must-see stops. But when you're stuffing carrots into the face of a young shaggy coo and inadvertently get your hand licked, it's worth it. Ah lubs these animals."
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g190803-d2579451-r531509825-Trossachs_Woollen_Mill-Callander_Loch_Lomond_and_The_Trossachs_National_Park_Sco.html#



Sadly, only the little one came over when I called to them.


I have video of him stuffing face.


The big bull stood a ways off to the left. His name was Hamish.


Then a busload of tourists came by, purchased the last of the veggies and lured both cows to them. Fuckers.


I got videos.


They even managed to attract Hamish. Sigh.

Scotland: Pitlochry area

Wednesday, I hauled ass north to the Pitlochry area. My first touristy destination was Queen's View, where Queen Victoria visited in 1866. Whether the view is named after her is a point of contention, as some claim the name is much older and pertains to Queen Isabel, first wife of Robert the Bruce. The view would probably not be as popular today if not for ol' Vicky, though.

The View is located on the northern shore of Loch Tummel.


Looking west.


I also took a video.


The Queen's Pew. We are not amused.


Naturally, I was skeptical of the whole thing.


The eastern end of Loch Rannoch. As you can see, it was quite windy that day.


Short video.


I then took a slow, narrow road down south to Callander.


It had some nice views along the way.


In one place, a sheep had gotten out from under the fence and was trying to get back in. Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose...


Fog was partially covering the hillsides.


This was a very nice spot, so I took some videos.

Scotland: Carnegie Birthplace Museum

My efficient day Monday allowed me to make an extended visit to the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum on Tuesday. I didn't know much about Carnegie when I arrived; only that he was a filthy rich steel baron from Pittsburgh and that he became famous for giving away a lot of his money. My TripAdvisor review:
"Rare is the museum that not only informs and entertains, but also moves you almost to tears with the treatment of its subject. I didn't know much about Andrew Carnegie when I came here, but I left a wiser man and that's no small feat. Go, see the small, humble room where he was born - then go downstairs to the hall and read about his accomplishments, his philosophy, his talents. Carnegie financed almost 3,000 libraries around the world, leaving only one stipulation: That each one should contain, prominently, the words "Let there be light". This museum shines that light."

And that just about sums it up. It is clear from the start that someone born into a tiny house in the poorer parts of a small Scottish town and subsequently rises to become possibly the wealthiest man in the world, has to have some special talents. This was the room the family shared. Here they made their meals, here the kids played, here the father had his little office.


The tiny fireplace where food was cooked.


The bed where Andrew Carnegie was born, and where he later slept.


Here, his parents worked the infernal contraption that would produce clothes. They soon fell on hard times, like most of the country. His father more or less went bankrupt and his mother had to work extra hours as a cobbler. They left for better opportunities in the US in 1848, when Andrew was not yet 13.


Andrew got a job in a cotton mill, working 48 hours a week. He was then hired as a messenger boy for the telegraph and in short time was promoted to operator. He had a special talent; at the time, the telegraph worked like this: A message would come in, ticking long and short taps on the line. The sounds were turned into dots and lines on tiny slips of paper and then translated by someone qualified to read them. Andrew was, according to the museum, one of twelve people in the US at the time who could translate directly from what he heard on the line to letters on paper. This meant he had an advantage over all the other messengers in terms of getting the word out to his customers. Additionally, he memorized the location of all the major businesses in town and the faces of all the important people. Pretty soon, he had a network of rich and powerful people to aid him. One of them opened his huge library for young Andrew, and the boy read voraciously. It was here he resolved that should he ever become rich, he would open libraries so that other poor boys could enjoy the same fortunes he'd had. Eventually he was hired by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as their operator and soon had enough cash to make modest investments. The returns he got convinced him to stop working for the railroad and start up for himself, investing in all sorts of businesses, but mainly in steel. When he sold his large business empire in 1901, it was for as sum corresponding to almost $14 billon in 2016 money. He spent the last 18 years of his life giving away the money, mostly to build libraries and educational institutions.

Carnegie in his study.


There's tons of info on his many exploits in business and philantropy at the birthplace museum.

Scotland: Aberdour Castle

Tuesday started with a drive over to Aberdour Castle, which is one of two standing castles in Scotland built as early as the beginning of the 1200s (the other is Castle Sween, over on the west coast). I'll turn the word over to myself, at TripAdvisor:
"Aberdour Castle has some very nice rooms and some ruins that are just like umpteen other Scottish castles, but has less of the history to go with it. The terraced garden and the dovecot are nice, as is the bowling green. Not terribly interesting, but definitely worth a visit if you're in the area."

The most entertaining thing to happen all day was when I presented my lifetime membership card at the entrance and the girl on duty quipped that they were supposed to curtsey to life members.

Inner rom, I seem to remember this being the Lord's private chamber.


The ceiling is beautifully decorated.


Fairly modern looking Great Hall.


Fireplace. One can just imagine the pig on a spit roast. Mmmmm.


A shitter.


Exterior shot.


Another exterior shot.


The terraced garden, with a dovecot.


The inner garden, with a sun dial.


The enclosed bowling green.

Scotland: Dirleton Castle

Monday turned out to be a very productive day. I finished off my touristy obligations with a trip west to Dirleton Castle, which I had intended to see Tuesday. My TripAdvisor review:
"A very nice property, not just the structure, which was basically built in three stages by three different families, but also the castle grounds. A large garden with all manner of flowers and trees, very lovely indeed."

The oldest parts of the castle was built in the late 13th century. Three families held the castle over the next 500 years or so, and each added something new to it.


Ruins.


I know how to locate the shitters.


I believe this was the Lord's room, with benches in a semicircle and a big, nice fireplace.


It was a spacious castle, with lots of rooms.


I believe this later addition was the Great Hall.


View of the main keep from the Great Hall.


Lovely pine or something like it.


The garden holds nice alleys of trees.


And benches.


And a green where signs give you stern warnings not to walk on the grass.


The lowest part, by the road, held lots of flowers.


A very British garden indeed.


Down by the ticket center, some local schoolchildren had made a map of the surroundings on the back wall.

Scotland: Tantallon Castle

After lovely Craigmillar and disappointing Hailes, I continued north, to more brooding Tantallon Castle, built in the mid 1300s. It soon became the headquarters of the so-called Red Douglases, a famed family in Scottish history. Tripadvisor:
"Tantallon Castle is a handsome ruin of a once grand castle in a spectacular location, hugging the coastline east of Edinburgh. Climb the steps up to the tower or stuff face on a bench with views out to Bass Rock and the open sea beyond."

And that's pretty much what I did. I started out by grabbing a bench, though not one with views of the sea; rather I got one in relative shelter of the strong winds out there and proceeded to stuff face. Then I toured the ruins.

The approach to the castle is over green fields.


Getting closer.


Where I took refuge from the wind & stuffed face.


Bass Rock.


The inner courtyard.


From above.


During the Civil War, the castle was heavily bombarded by Parliamentary forced under general Monck. The tower was destroyed and the rest of the buildings abandoned. It was to be the end of Tantallon as an inhabited structure.


T'was a long way down.


The Great Hall.