Kingussie and Bon Voyage Scotland

Our time in Scotland is coming to an end. One last hike, as we drive from Dornoch to B&B in Balloch, then flying out of Glasgow.

Kingussie. We tried for a well-waymarked lovely circular hike through the woods. Got a bit lost. Had a lovely walk nevertheless. Lunch in a wee coffee shop on main street. Our last toasties, Scottish tea and Coke (with no corn syrup) until next summer.

What are we leaving behind?
Cool weather, drippy skies, refreshingly clear breezes.
Verdant green carpets of moss, featherlight ferns, soft scented pine needles, crunchy gravel, eternally moist sand on the beach, spongy grass of the dunes and golf course.
Extremely polite and pleasant people.
Time drifts slowly forward.
Toasties, tatties, chips (fries), crisps (chips), scones, porridge, ham (bacon), boot (trunk), bonnet (hood), trolley (golf pullcart), little dark (half pint Guinness), large one (pint Tennents), Burn, muir, kyle, strath, strait, firth, ness. Manse, kirk, close, mews.
Scotland separation referendum.

We'll be back.

Balblair Woods, and Foxy

Today hiked Balblair Woods, Maikle Woods. A lovely circular uphill... forest paths and gravel roads. 

 There were tons of mushrooms, I started photographs half way through. We had fresh locally picked chanterelles for dinner two nights ago in Bonar Bridge. Saw those here as well.

We came upon two huge horses, just tied to trees, muching on hay. 

No one in sight.  

No one. 

Aha. These horses pull the logs felled on the hillside in the forests too steep and windy for trucks. 

A view spot over Kyle of Sutherland. 

What is a "kyle" you ask? 

Well, in our desire to understand Scottish names for bodies of water, I will look it up. 

A kyle is a strait, a smaller body of water connecting two larger bodies of water. 

The viewspot was disappointing, said my guide Mike. 

They should cut down those trees to let us see the kyle fully. 

He's going to look into who to tell. Maybe the Queen, next time he sees her. 

He also thinks that "green" is not the best color to choose for waymarking trails. 

Too camoflaged. 

It's okay to make the post green, but the stripe should stand out. 

There's dozens of other colors, such as red, blue, orange, yellow, purple. 

Why ever choose green?

Logs.

Logged row. They only log one row of trees per quarter mile of path. 

Here's guide Mike with one of the hard-to-see green stripe waymarking posts. 

And the gorgeous Kyle of Sutherland beyond. 

Now at Royal Dornoch. Want to get a good shot of the signature hole, number 14, called Foxy. 

It's a sly little vixen.

So I am at the footpath, looking south over #3, and you can see golfers on #14 green. 

Looking north over #3 green, towards the holes on the hil. 

Down the footpath I go. 

Oops, got to snap these thistles. We are in Scotland after all. 

I'm standing on dune on east side of #14, looking towards the green. Golfers are on the green. You see all the movement, all the undulation especially on the right side of the fairway. 

As I think I was disturbing the next group of golfers (his tee shot literally soared over my head, which was a really bad tee shot), I walked through the dunes to the beach.  

Looking north.  Then south. 

Back at Foxy, #15. The threesome are hitting approach shots. 

Back up on my footpath above the course. 

One last look. 

A daisy. 

My mother's favorite flower. 

Always think of her when I spot one. 

All good things must come to an end...

Sounds and Smells

Nothing visual today.
Sounds and Smells.

Sounds.
Silence, that was deafening the first few days. Now is calming. Serene.
Gurgle of electric tea kettle, then the click off when boiling.
Very noisy dishwasher. But much appreciated.
Doves cooing outside, as windows are cracked open.
Lawn bowls enthusiasts cheering next door.
Flags at Royal Dornoch Golf's first tee slapping in the wind.
Chatter stops. Click of metal striking surlyn. Chatter continues.
Waves lapping at the wide sandy beach.
Birds chirping.
Small cars driving on wrong side of road, up the hill past our house.
Cathedral bells pealing the matins.
Scottish accents walking by as I get on with food shopping.
Peat burning to warm someone as they wake up to the day.
Heavy cleaver slamming down onto foot thick woodblock, separating lamb chops.
Potatoes falling over each other as I chose some from bin for dinner.
Thoroughly non-understandable words of greeting from cashier as I pay for pint of milk.
Motorcoach in neutral, waiting for tourists after a browse through our 800 year old cathedral.
Delightfully light British accents of couple walking with me up the hill home.
Footsteps on our gravel driveway.

Smells
Black tea steeping.
Fresh air cleansed by Dornoch Firth and verdant hills.
Porridge heating, smooth smelling.
Mossy moist as I pass graveyard walking downhill.
Wild roses, lavender, lilies.
Meaty and earthy inside the Dornoch Butchers.
Fresh scones and bere buns as I pass Harry Gows.
Disinfectant lightly in air at the Co-op.
Cathedral a bit musty. Over 800 years, thousands have entered here, searching for Light and Peace.
Cut grass of the lawn bowls court.
Salt and seaweed of the Dornoch Firth's waves.

I think it is the palpable silence that allows me to restore over here.

I leave you with that great Psalm of Restoration, Psalm 71. Written by King David, who slew the giant Goliath, wrote some great songs, strong King of Israel.  And adulterer, he sent the woman's husband to die on the front line, then his son died in battle.  He turned to God for forgiveness and for restoration.

19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
    you who have done great things.
    Who is like you, God?
20 Though you have made me see troubles,
    many and bitter,
    you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will again bring me up.
21 You will increase my honor
    and comfort me once more.

22 I will praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
    Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy
    when I sing praise to you—
    I whom you have delivered.

Massive quantitiy of pics - golf course, double rainbow, and doors

Mike's off playing at Nairn today. So I took three walks with my camera.
One circular around town center of Dornoch. Then it rained.
The second rambling the golf course. Then it poured.
The third down Castle Street to fetch dinner.  It rained.

BUT while walking home, a double rainbow.
Good things come to those who wait?

This is normal in Scotland. Changeable weather.
Tons of photos today.
At the end is a slew of  "Doors of Dornoch." I know it has been done to death. Here's yet one more.


Graveyard on our Golf Road. Walk past it every day. Reminds you that life is sweet.

Right across the street from graveyard is profusion of colors.

Green man on Dornoch Cathedral.

From inside Cathedral's cemetary.

Stained glass windows can be nifty from the outside as well.

Plaiden El, the standard of measure for cloth from 1500's.

Blue skies have appeared. That's the new clock on cathedral spire.

Dornoch's Mercat Cross, only a column. Granted by King in 1500's, it meant Dornoch  was a Royal Burgh, could hold official Market Days, do international trade, send representatives to court, etc.

Looking west down Castle Street, the main street of Dornoch.

Dornoch Castle Hotel, was Bishops home for 700 years.

Flowers in Dornoch town center.

Second walk, onto the golf course. 

Then I turned west, into the gorse and woods above the golf course.

The Earl's Cross. This is from 1600's, showing the border point of the lands of the Earl of Sutherland  and the Bishop of Caithness.

Two roads diverged in the woods and I,

I took the one less traveled...

Wild Blackberries are at the end of their season.

Back into the neighborhood. Grange Road. 

Exists there a man who doesn't pause to appreciate a white rose in bloom?

View over our back yard wall. That's the starter's cottage in the center up on the hill, with a few people standing on the tee.  Dornoch clubhouse is on the left.

Third walk. Starts out brilliantly sunny. Gull on top of Free Methodist Church. 

Plaid goes with everything in Scotland. 

And the highlight of the day - a double rainbow.

The Cathedral, in the sunlight.

Now for the DOORS OF DORNOCH

A gate is legally a door, to me.

A gate PLUS a door. 

Our next door neighbor, the Lawn Bowling Club. 

Home.