Leaving Inverness

We have enjoyed Inverness ... it is a small city but very accessible and easy. I really liked the houses in old Inverness. Like a lot of cities that have been around for along time there is the old and the new and somehow the new does not seem so interesting. Often it is business parks, malls and modern apartment living ... but the buildings seem so sterile. As I write this I think of ChCh ... there is a lot of new going on in our city and a lot of old has been demolished and either replaced or non existent. I am not sure that there was a lot of old worth keeping, but there were some really nice old churches and old buildings that had been around since ChCh was settled. What makes the places that we have visited so interesting is the age and the architecture of the buildings. Many of them looked alike but somehow they looked amazing to me and so interesting. I felt like they were the living remains of how people used to live and their lives. I wonder how some of the buildings in ChCh will look in 100 years, if our planet still exists.

An early morning photo of Lars and Roxcy ... 

A supermarket that we shopped at was doing a collaboration with Orla Kiely, a fabric and textile designer, for shopping bags. She is an Irish designer and has a real 70's vibe with her designs, which I love. We have one of her curtain designs at home. I bought a few of these bags to use for my grocery shopping.

 Lars had been asking to play soccer pool for days. We had fun ... although some were better at winning and loosing than others, no names.

We visited Fort George, which was the largest Fort in Europe when it was built in the late 1700's.  Pete and Lars were quite interested but I was a little bored. I tried to find things of interest ... these remind me of a Split Enz song ... I See Red.

There is something deeply moving to me about this photo...The painting behind Roxcy shows the terror and slaughter of those awful battles of WW1. The loss of so much life, so many young men dying fighting for their country. Grandma Gibson lost many of her friends from Glasgow in WW1 and we have had a number of family members who were killed in WW1 and WW2, including Pete's grandfather. Roxcy is completely oblivious to it all. Her attention is captured by something else in the room and she is unaware of all the death behind her. I hope she never experiences this kind of death and loss.

Don't mess with me ... Every female soldier should have a pair of unicorn flip flops as part of their kit.

Lars is wearing the whole kit ... gas mask, bag and gun. He is so much fun, I love the way he just gets fully into it. He is absolutely ready to face any enemy here, which at times could be us.

These buildings really transport me back in time. Fort George is still used today as a training facility for the army. It is very imposing but Lars claimed that Fort Ticonderoga in New York state was better. Pete and Lars then had one of their arguments about which  one was best. Pete claimed that Fort George would "kick Fort Ticonderoga's butt" (a real Pete saying) if they were side by side. Lars had no doubt that Fort Ticonderoga would win, although he did admit that Fort George was impressive. Both were built in the 1700's. Pete, Mike and Lars went past Fort Ticonderoga a few weeks later after visiting a high ropes course in upstate New York.    

We made a trip to Findhorn which has been a long standing intentional community. It was founded in the early 1960s by a husband, wife and friend. It is still a thriving community and gained a reputation for its enormous vegetables. We took a walk around it, which Lars and Roxcy hated. They are so patient. Pete wanted to get a good look at their vegetable garden, which is impressive. Here is Pete ... I can just see his mind planning another planting box in our yard for vegetables and how he wants our garden to look.

Lars and Roxcy were in deep conversation about Findhorn and the type of people that live here. Roxcy ... "What type of people live here Lars?" 

Lars with authority ... "Everybody here is probably a student, or a communist."

We had lunch at their cafe ... the food was yummy! I had this delicious stuffed potato. We would often have stuffed potatoes for dinner when our children were young ... stuffed with mushrooms, onions and lots of cheese. 

We drove to Losssiemouth where Great Grandma Gibson was born in 1901, her Father was the local policeman here. Their house had a small jail attached to it. When Grandma's father was away, her mother would sometimes let the prisoners out for some fresh air. Her Father was very upset when she told him about this years later. He said he would have lost his job if one of them had run off. But none of them ever did. It is beautiful, a beachside holiday destination. I love the white sand and blue ocean.

I am not sure if you can see this clearly ... but I love this photo of Roxcy just embracing the wave. It was a really hot day, but the water was still cold.

These are the remains of Roxcy's chocolate biscuits ... she eats around the chocolate chips! I would eat the chocolate chips.

On our way to Balmoral Castle Pete wanted to take a train ride. It was a very short train ride and uneventful except for Lars and Roxcy sticking their heads out the windows.

We dined at Balmoral Castle cafe ... I had to take a rare photo of Lars eating a real Scottish Shepherds pie, it was yummy with very generous servings!

Because Balmoral is still lived in there was very little that we could see, but we had full access to the gardens which are beautiful.

We spent our last night before Edinburgh camping at Blair Castle campground. It is a beautiful spot. I loved the drive way ... how would it be to have this as the entrance to your property? It looks like something from Downton Abbey.

We walked around Blair Castle in the evening, the  white looked spectacular against the evening light. Unfortunately we never got to look inside but the outside and the grounds were beautiful. We would never have stopped here if it had not been for our very dear friend SuZie ... this is her clan, so we had to make a visit. We got up very early the next morning and headed into Edinburgh the last leg of our journey.

Isle of Skye and back to Inverness

Every time I start a new post I feel like I am trying to write the introduction to an essay ... I was useless at it.. I would get so stressed my brain would freeze. I am not sure I was a very good academic student ... I lacked a lot of confidence. I am glad those days are behind me.

We have nearly done a complete circuit of the NC500. Pete has really enjoyed driving along this coast line ... he has loved the long straight stretches and sweeping bends. For anyone who likes driving they will know what Pete means. He has often mentioned how much he would love to drive his Fraser along this route.

We are heading back to Inverness and onto Edinburgh now ... we are really having a wonderful adventure with Lars and Roxcy. They are the best to travel with ... we have done this a few times with them now. I think they are quite adventurous to get onto a plane and fly to the other side of the world ... away from home, their favourite food and Mum and Dad. We had discussed going to Hebrides Island, the big island. There was a music festival happening on the island and the ferry was booked out going over ... we could have gone standby but there was no guarantee about coming back. So we decided to go to the Isle of Skye instead and stayed at a seaside village called Portree ... we have no regrets.

We came across the Mackenzie Bakery. Scottish bakeries are different to NZ bakeries. In NZ the bakeries sell hot foods, filled rolls and some are like the Bell Bird specialise in selling artisan breads. Most of the Scottish bakeries only sell cold items and we never came across an artisan baker.  

There was a fair on the wharf of Portree to raise money to replace their search and rescue boat. There were lots of people and entertainment, mostly for the children. We got to look around the search and rescue boat and Lars got to have some fun on one of the rescue crafts. He looks like he is totally in role here ... heading out to sea to save some one from a grim death.

Of course there was the usual sausage sizzle and face painting ... this is one of the best face paintings I have seen in a while ... our very own fairy. I love the colours Roxcy has chosen, she is like Chris and has a real eye for colour.

We cam across a great bookshop that had some beautifully illustrated children's books ... I am a sucker for a beautifully illustrated book with a good story. I love to collect children's books and we have quite a few at home now, some of our favourite family classics like Goodnight Mr Tom, We are going on a Bear Hunt to name just a couple. I loved reading to our children when they young, it was the thing that I looked forward to at the end of our day and I love reading to our grandchildren.

Lars and Roxcy experiencing life in a paddy wagon, one of the things that was on display at the fund raiser. I feel like this photo is a glimpse of Lars & Roxcy when they are older, hopefully not in a paddy wagon.

We were told by someone at Inverewe to visit the Fairy Pools on the Isle of Skye. They certainly attract the crowds. In New Zealand there would be lots of signs, board walks for the wet areas and fences to stop people falling to their death and maybe the odd spot open to people to swim. In the States we would be paying money to see them. In Scotland there was neither.

The water was freezing but this did not stop Lars & Roxcy from jumping in and swimming. Here is Roxcy our very own fairy. On our way out we saw a man attempting to jump from one rock to the other. He missed, slipping down the rock and was only saved by his backpack. There was a rush of people to rescue him, he was very lucky. It was a very scary and tense moment. As we were walking back to our van Lars said ...  'I know this is a bit sick but the best part of the day was seeing someone nearly fall to their death, not many people get to see that!' He found this very exciting, the person who slipped did not ... he looked very grey when he was dragged back up the rock.

We camped at Glenbrittle Camp about 30 minutes up the road from the Fairy Ponds. It's rated the best camping ground in the UK. Lars and Roxcy spent their evening paddling in the ocean. These two are not at all deterred by the temperature of the water.

We visited Dunevegan Castle while on Skye ... these castles are very busy with visitors all through the summer. After a while it feels like after you have seen one castle you have seen them all. There might be the odd difference but over all they seem the same. I seem to remember feeling like this when Pete and I visited the UK in the 80's. 

As usual I am looking at the decor and the textiles and Pete is reading the history. He comes away with all the info and I come away with photos of textiles that I really liked and find inspiring. Like this wall paper.

Another wall paper that I liked ... it looked like a painting to me.

Lucy emailed through this portrait of Pete that Marigold had done ... great colours, a little too much hair I think. Never the less an artist in the making.

I discovered this in a supermarket ... I had no idea that Cadbury's had their own version of Nutella. I learnt something new, I am no Cadbury's fan.

On the way back to Inverness we visited Mackenzie Castle. Parts of it are still lived in today. I am not sure I would like to live in a castle they are pretty dark and would be a nightmare to keep warm. James Bond in Quantum of Solace drove his Aston Martin over the bridge that you can see in the background. Parking was a problem and Pete had to park a bit of a walk from the castle, which is fine when you are starting out your day but not such a good idea at the end of an hour or so looking round a castle, feeling tired, hungry and walking in the rain. Pete was also struggling to remember where he parked. When we finally found the van Roxcy said, "Pete this has been a very bad experience. From now on you are not allowed to park the car unless one of us is with you." We have had many moments of being 'schooled' by Roxcy ... another Roxcy gem that she would sometimes say is  'something for you to learn'. Roxcy is hard to prove wrong ... I often found myself in a losing battle with her.

We spent a few days back in Inverness at a campsite right next to an indoor swimming pool and a gym which we all appreciated. Pete and I would have turns going to the gym early in the morning and then swimming in the afternoon for Lars and Roxcy. We also took Lars and Roxcy to see The Lion King, one of my all time favourite movies. I love this photo of them both sucking their thumbs at the same time, unconsciously. Lars and Roxcy enjoying the comforts of life again.

We saw these three wheeled cars at the carpark ... two in a row ... a family of three wheelers. 

Pete got a haircut ... it was nearly as good as the one he had in Turkey. I loved the colours of their display. 

Roxcy lost her flip flops early on during our travels, Inverness was a good place to replace them and unicorns seemed like a perfect match.

As we walked around Inverness we came across a few of these coloured statues ... I am not sure what they were about but they looked really colourful and seemed to attract a lot of attention.

Preacher Lars ... 

I got really excited when I heard Mr Whippy and then saw Mr Whippy come into our camp ground ... I thought he was just a NZ thing but no! He is also alive and well in Scotland. Even the tune they play is the same.

I love, love, love the chimneys in Scotland. We would drive down streets and there would be rows of houses with rows of chimneys, I would get so excited. 

Visiting Pete's Family Origins

I have already mentioned that one of the primary reasons for us being in Scotland has been to visit places where Pete's family came from on Grandma Gibson's side. Her family on her mother's side were the Mackenzies. We named our second son Mackenzie, a name I really love. When I was pregnant with him I felt really strongly that his name was to be Mackenzie. I am not sure that he felt the same way about his name growing up ... he got teased a lot, if I remember correctly and I think it was tough for him at times, but I do not regret giving him his name. I think there is a lot in a name and each of our children have something significant in their name that really meant something to us when we were thinking about what name we would give them. The other important part of coming to Scotland has been to drive the NC500 and if you ever get the chance to do that ... do!! Driving on this road has been spectacular, but I think I have already mentioned that. We are about half way around the NC500 in these photos.

After our 'Best Hot Chocolate in the World' we camped at Durness Campground, while there we did a quick cave trip and I mean quick, it took about 20 minutes. I am always a little anxious going into dark, confined spaces but it was not that dark and not that confined. 

I had to take a photo of our Satnav that was a life saver. It made driving round Scotland so much easier. The only real problem was Pete listening/trusting that the satnav was right?! There were a few moments when Pete got into a bit of conflict with it ... I don't want to call it 'she' even though it had a very nice British woman's voice.

We stopped at the Ardvreck Castle ... the same castle that can be seen on the Grand Tour. The Mackenzie Clan (Pete's clan) attacked and captured it in 1672. As many of you will know Pete is left handed, in his genealogy research he learnt that there is a anecdotal association with the Kerr's and left handedness ... Before she married a Mackenzie, Pete's great, great Grandmother was Jessie Kerr... part of the Kerr Clan.

These are the remains of Calder House that was built by the Mackenzies after they took over the castle. Apparently the family had riotous parties here and ran out of money not long after they had built it.

We spent a few nights in Ullapool which is a small fishing village on the coast... quite a tourist spot. As mentioned finding food that Lars and Roxcy liked to eat was a challenge at times ... here we hit gold. We found a Chinese take away that not only had food that Lars and Roxcy liked, but even tasted good.

While Pete did some family research at the local library I took Lars and Roxcy out on a boat to spot dolphins and seals. We saw plenty of seals ... Lars said he saw dolphins and we definitely saw a porpoise.

A view of Ullapool from our boat ... so pretty.

The Mackenzie Tartan ... I bought some scarves in Ullapool. I was tempted to buy myself a kilt but they were either too short or too long!

These Double Caramel Magnums are hard to find in Scotland. You can get a pack of three from some supermarkets but they are hard to buy on their own. When we were staying at Ben Nevis Campsite Roxcy had seen one at the visitors centre and begged us to buy one. We said no as she had just had an ice cream and that we would buy her one the next day, Roxcy said that we would not be able to find one and that Ben Nevis was the only place in Scotland that sold them. We were convinced otherwise ... well the next day failed to happen ... it was days before we finally had to buy a box of three. Roxcy was right, she is always right. In NZ the opposition is Memphis Meltdown by Tip Top, which was Pete's go to before we went sugar free ... I really like the new vegan Magnums, they are yummy. 

Ullapool is lovely ... the campsite was right on the sea and the early morning's and evenings were beautiful. There were lots of children here and plenty of playing. Lars and Roxcy spent a bit of time mixing with the other holiday children in the camp playground and seemed to have a lot of fun. Lars came back to our van one evening after playing with another family at the camp ground and said in a rather loud voice ... 'There are some Germans staying here and they are actually really nice'. He had just finished reading about Germany and WW2. I felt a little uncomfortable for a moment ... I also remembered a conversation with Grandma Gibson ... she had been into the city (Christchurch) and was sitting in the square where our Anglican Cathedral used to stand as a tourist attraction. She had struck up a conversation with a tourist and this is how her conversation went with him. Grandma Gibson "What part of the world do you come from?"... Tourist "Germany" ... Grandma Gibson "Oh well, never mind." Grandma Gibson lived through two wars and lost family and friends in both. Her memory of Germany and Germans was very different to mine. Syd, Pete's Father who fought in the WW2 came back with a strong anti American view. Two very different experiences of the same war, one from the inside and one from the outside. I guess there are some things in history that are hard to get away from, but I do feel sorry for Germany, it seems like a hard thing to have to live with. One person can create havoc as we experienced in ChCh recently with the Terrorist Attack on our Muslim community ... one man shut down the whole city.

I loved this RV ... it was so cool and retro looking and also a 'happy camper'.

Achiltibuie is about 40 minutes up the road from Ullapool and this is where Pete thought his Great, Great Grandmother had come from. It also is on the coast and quite remote. But apparently she came from further round the coast from a n even remoter, even smaller place called Reiff.

Reiff ... it seemed very bleak and isolated to us but maybe that is because it was wet. 

After leaving Ullapool we visited Inverewe Gardens that are world famous. They are beautiful ... created from barren land by Osgood Mackenzie starting in 1862. There are many varieties of plants from all over the world and the gardens are noted for the breadth of their plants. We found Harakeke from NZ growing there. Roxcy and I got into a conversation that went a bit like 'If I were a Princess ...' in Roxcy's mind Castle = Princess. It was a good way of distracting Roxcy from walking in the rain, which she hated.

Lars 'did not' want to go to the gardens but was feeling much happier when we visited some war sites. While walking around Inverewe Gardens Lars was feeling miserable and fed up ... it was another wet day ... another castle...and another garden. When Lars gets angry he mutters away to himself about how much he doesn't like what he is doing. Here is how one of his angry conversations went with Pete . 

"This place is so boring ... and it's so boring, they don't have any fun things. Even if I was a Prince in one of the castles it still wouldn't be any fun. They would say don't touch this, don't touch that, because all the things are so old. They don't even have a President, Queens are boring. We have a President. If I was President I would ask them to make me a RV, it would have a king size bed and it would be sooooo big.'

On our way to Applecross we caught this view ... for me this is Scotland ... dramatic and so may shades of of light and grey.

At Applecross we spent the night in a Hobbit Hut (Pod)... some light relief from our van. Mike suggested that we get a room for a few nights, it was quite hard as everything was booked out.

We walked into the village for dinner and on the way back to our camp we spotted a wild Stag. We were so excited ... just get a load of their faces. Roxcy's philosophy of life is ...

'It is really important to have fun. You have to have fun! I don't like school work, school works is stressful for kids and the adults. Fun is not stressful for kids or the adults.' A great philosophy ... and Roxcy has fun.

Pete and Lars standing at the top of one of the steepest roads in Scotland. We feel so grateful that we have been able to have this trip with Lars & Roxcy.