We found that the International Student Union puts on trips around Scotland for little cost, so we were happy to book a day trip to Loch Ness! It'd be the first real get away from Glasgow we've had since we got here nearly two months ago and the first real chance to see something so internationally known. I was actually super excited to finally be able to see it, along with the highlands that we had to drive through to get there. We even drove by Balquhidder where a lot my my ancestors are from!
We had to be in city centre at 8 am to leave early enough to make the trip which was kind of the pits, buuut the bus driver made up for it by filling the nearly 4 hour bus ride with all sorts of interesting facts and tales about Scotland. I've written a few of these out near the bottom of this post. They're very interesting, so I'd recommend spending the few minutes it'll take to read them all.
We stopped for roughly 10 minutes at a beautiful waterfall in the highlands that was absolutely breathtaking. When they say Scotland is the most beautiful country in the world, I'm inclined to agree with them.
We finally arrived at the Loch and, after eating some lunch, had about 30 minutes to wander the ruins of Castle Urquhart before boarding a boat for a 30 minute river cruise. While we were waiting for the boat to arrive Ash and I slipped away to the shore to touch the water. Now I can say that I've not only visited, but also touched the waters of Loch Ness! It was dreary all day, but when we got to the castle and got on the cruise it had cleared up into the most beautiful of days.
Wisdom's passed down from our Scottish bus driver:
The Phrase Armed to the Teith
There's a river in Scotland that we drove over called The Teith River. There was an important trading post along the Teith which fell directly between two hostile territories, so when folks would travel to the Teith to do their business they would make sure to be heavily armed in case any conflict occurred. So, the person in charge would tell their men to "come armed to the Teith" to be prepared!
Rob Roy McGregor
This guy's story is hilarious. Our bus driver explained him as "The Robin Hood of Scotland, except he'd rob from the rich AND the poor". He told us a story about an old lady who was six months behind on her rent, so Rob Roy McGregor comes along and gives her enough money to pay the 6 late months and 6 more months in advance so that she wouldn't be kicked out of her house. He then waited for the landlord to come down the road from getting paid, beat him up, and took all of his money back. That's the Scottish Robin Hood for you!
Blackmail
The bus driver told us that the term blackmail also originated here. Cattle and sheep rustlers, basically people who stole livestock, would come around and steal people's animals and then force the owner's to buy them back. The word "black" came from Scottish Highland cows that had black fur at the time, and the word mail came from another, older definition of mail meaning "tribute, rent". So, there you have it!
The Massacre of the Macdonald's at Glencoe
I'm just going to steal this from Aaron's blog because he's a much better writer than me:
"The MacDonald clan, even to this day, still hold bitterness and contempt surrounding the unlawful slaying of their family in 1692. It all began when William III took control of Britain from the French and demanded all Scottish clan chiefs to swear loyalty to him. The chief of the MacDonald clan travelled through wintry snow, but failed to arrive by the deadline. He was assured that his oath was successfully taken, but little did he know that he and his family were about to made an example of.
The king sent his army to Glen Coe and they asked to stay with the MacDonald family. For two weeks, the MacDonalds took in the army, fed them, entertained them, and treated them like family, as was the Highland custom to accept guests in winter times. Taking advantage of this custom, the army came to know the clan very well, and so when the order came to murder the MacDonald family, they couldn't bear it. To cope with the order, they cut their throats in the beds and allowed a few to escape into the dark night (but they didn't last long in the cold season).
Descendants of the MacDonald family still come from all over the world to Glen Coe to mourn the loss of their clansmen and lament how the sacred laws of hospitality and protection were broken. "
Robert the Bruce
Robert the First, better known here as Robert the Bruce, was King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329. Robert was one of the most famous warriors of his generation, and eventually led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England. He fought successfully during his reign to regain Scotland's place as an independent country and is today revered in Scotland as a national hero. William Wallace fought alongside Robert the Bruce during this time, also making a name for himself. He suffered a really terrible death, though. He was captured in Robroyston, near Glasgow, and handed over to King Edward I of England, who had him hanged, and then tied all four of his limbs to horses and sent them galloping in different directions (effectively pulling his limbs off). for high treason and crimes against English civilians.