Scotland with family - Day 8

This was our last day in Scotland.
We woke up really early to clean the house and be in Preston before night time.
But our way home was hindered by the wall of fog that had just appeared over night. Not a little bit of fog but literally a wall of fog all around us. We had at best around 50 metres sight and that together with small streets and sheep everywhere was an interesting experience XD

But we pulled through and prevailed XD
In the afternoon we arrived in Preston and relaxed until we met Salle and a friend of hers at the pub to get something to eat =D
The evening then went on in the Roper Hall and I got scarred for live.
It all started with screams and yells from the boys from the neighbour table. Following that I just heard that the yells got louder and that Salle's friend gasped. I looked over to the other table again and one of the boys had his genitals exposed O.o I thought he showed his thumb but he's just that small XD I think he wanted to scare us but it backfired on him as we only called him "mini wienie " after that XD The group left soon after and we all were glad for that.
After some time at the pool table we went back home and watched TV together for the last time before my family left.
Next morning was pretty stressed as my family had to get away on time so we packed everything really fast and after they dropped me off at my flat they went back home. (For anyone curious it takes about 14/15 hours from northern Germany to Preston =D)
Now I'm back in Preston and the adventures will continue (though the exams are coming too x.x)

Love
Thym

Scotland with family - Day 6 and 7

Why two days in one post? Because on the sixth day of our family holiday nothing happened XD Absolutly nothing XD We stayed at home and just enjoyed some quiet time =D

On the seventh day though we explored the Scotland's countryside again =)

We got up early in the morning to drive to Glasgow and find a car boot sale there. Car boot sales in Scotland are the same as flea markets in England =D So lots of old, antique and interesting stuff for less money than normally =D My mom went crazy on the shopping but I can totally understand her XD The things were really nice and I enjoyed talking to the people about the history of some of the articles they sold. =)

After an hour or two on  the market we stuffed everything into our car and took off to Alexandria. Yes, the city is really called Alexandria XD 

After a short stop at McDonalds we drove further into nowhere to Balmaha (our "Bahamas" XD). 

Balmaha is a super small village at Loch Lomond but it's THE place to go if you want to get on the island Inchcailloch. You can get a ferry ride from Balmaha boat yard to Inchcailloch for around 5 pounds per person, return inclusive. We got on the island with the nice Lady Jean =D

There is also the chance to rent a rowing boat but the current seems quite strong when there's wind (which is nearly always XD) so the ferry is nicer =D

Inchcailloch is a really interesting island as nobody lives on it and it has quite a lot of history for such a small island =) 

We used 2 of the 3 possible tracking routes on the island and it's just perfect =D The trails are done well enough that you can hike comfortably but not so obvious as that they would destroy the view. Oh and there are animals everywhere =D

the boat yard you get dropped off at =D

find the trail =D

Walking around is really nice and everything is so quiet! There were relativly few tourist so you could really feel like an explorer find new things everywhere =D

I would absolutly recommend to take the hiking trail that gets you on top of the mountains. The few is just fantastic! (and there are benches there in case someone need a pause XD)

On the island everything is green =D Everywhere you look seems as if it could hide some magical secret or be an entrance to a magical new world =) Places like this are where fantasy stories are born =D

love the "wood monster" XD

If you choose to go around the whole island halfway point is of course the other jetty of the island. There is a nice sandy beach, some toilets and an area for grilling =D 

the beach

And, as it's still Scotland with way to many golf courses, my mum found this at the beach:

On the way back to "our" jetty we came by the Inchcailloch burial ground. This place has a sign with lots of very interesting information about the island, its former inhabitants and the graves on the burial ground. Though it is quite creepy with the remains of the old church and some graves that nobody knows who's in them. 

the burial ground is actually bigger than this but I didn't want to photograph random people

From the burial ground it's only a short walk back to the starting point =D Another thing I liked about the island was that every sign is in English and in Gaelic ! Makes it all seem more magical =D

While waiting for our ferry back we meet Daisy Duck. 

This lovely lady was dancing around and in front of us and kept expecting us to feed her. Sadly we didn'T have anything with us =( And I wouldn't let my dad feed her cigaretts! 

But she kept us entertained during the whole time we were waiting for the ferry XD Everytime we thought she was finished she showed a new trick XD

In the end we were back in Balmaha and from there to our cottage. 

I will never forget Inchcailloch and swore to come back there again. If only to have some place to really relax!

Love

Thym

Scotland with family - Day 5

The fifth day was our day to Stirling.
We woke up early again but I slept for the whole ride XD I seriously fell asleep in Dailly and woke up in Stirling XD As far as I know from my brother he had the same experience ;-D
To begin our city tour we went into the Old Town Prison. It's an old prison that was modified to function as a museum.

 The inside is really great and it tries to make you feel like an inmate while still keeping a funny air.
At specific times during the day there is a tour with an actor that I can only recommend! It's not too long and not too short and the actor is just amazing! He changes rapidly from a hangman to an old officier and then to an inmate trying to escape. It is funny if you know it's not real but I thingf it would be quite scary for smaller children. I wouldn't take anyone under 12 years in there (except when you know they can stomach it).
From time to time you get to look into cells on your own and explore parts of the prison. There is also a tower you can climb up (it's not that high ;-D) that gives you a fantastic view of the city and especially the castle =D

I totally felt like Ezio from Assassin's Creed XD My brother even fantasised about jumping onto another roof XD If there weren't those damn CCTV cameras everywhere....

Oh on the way out we even found some german on a board XD Yes, the following is from an official board in the prison XD

After laughing about the sign we started looking around for something to eat. I have to say I really didn't care what we would eat as I was just happy that it's free for me as my parents were paying (uni life at it's best XD).
What we finally found was something nobody of us expected. An austrian restaurant! =D Right in the middle of Stirling XD
My brother convinced everyone to eat there and it was delicious! The waitress came from Magdeburg (german city) and so we had our all german / austrian lunch XD Inlcuding Schnitzel for the boys and Käsespätzle for us girls =D Sooo funny XD And really nice :3 The whole meal ( 3 course meal) was really nice and I felt as if I'm back in Austria for skiing holidays =D

it even explained what a Schnitzel is =D

After that we were all stuffed and went to finally get to the castle.
The castle is amazing! I don't know where to start and where to end but it is just an amazing castle with a really interesting history! I would recommend the audio tour which doesn't cost any extra and has a lot of interesting info. The whole castle is a museum and the Great Hall was even rebuild and it is breathtaking! I can't even imagine how it must have been in the past when people from small villages got to enter this hall!

On the right side of the picture you can see what colour the whole castle had when it was build. Just fabulous =D Now only the Great Hall is this colour.
Inside the Great Hall is just huge and there are nice fireplaces along the side :3 The king that had this hall build really thought of the others in there!

From the Great Hall there is a direct way into the kings chambers and from there into the queens chambers (Lazy people ;-D).
The castle is really great and amazingly colourful on the inside =D I wouldn't have minded living in there in the past XD
And there even enough ghost stories to keep you busy looking for ghosts if you're not really interested in history =)

great chairs in the queens chambers =D

the king died before he could live in his chambers so there were never any linen put on the bed 

After exploring some more we looked around the outside and the view from the castle is jsut amazing =D I loved it and the weather was great too =D

We then went into the war museum that is located in the older parts of the castle but sadly they were already closing so we rushed through and then went back to the car to drive home.
But before leaving I explored the remains of an old tower in the castle and it was really scary =O All dark and silent and nobody else down there... But I felt like a real explorer =D

But after me exploring the remains and my dad inspecting the canons we finally got back to the car and returned home =D
It was a great day and I can only advice you to go to Stirling! There is something for everyone =D

Love
Thym

Scotland with family - Day 4

Our lazy day at the beach =D
In difference to the other days of our vacation this was a day we started late and relaxed. We ate a big breakfast and a nice lunch before heading off towards Girvan.
On the way there we saw the weirdest hill ever. It was a perfect cone shape with a round top. While getting closer to the beach we discussed if it would be an island or just some strange mountain. As we found out in the end it's an island outside of Girvan.

our "mysterious" island =D

The beach was really nice but super cold  so we only walked up and down a small stretch of it until we gave up and went back into the car XD
I even found a dolphin stone =D

it's the one right in the middle XD

We then drove along the sea which is really nice =D The street is right next to the water and there are parking spots everywhere =D
We kept driving down and nearly made it to Stranraer but decided about halfway that it would take to long and as it was already pretty late we went back on small roads right through nowhere XD
On the way back my brother and father tried to hunt and catch some pheasants with their bare hands but, sadly, where unsuccessfull XD I really wanted one of those feathers =)
Another thing we saw were the dead moles on the fences I told you about in the first Scotland entry.
The small villages and the countryside were really beautiful and I really enjoyed the drive back home =)
When we arrived at Dailly we went to the only pub of the village. At 6 pm it was totally empty. Seriously, there was one other person and us four O.o It was the first time my mum tried cider and I just enjoyed my cola =D
After being kinda dissapointed by the pub we went back home for dinner and just enjoyed the evening with Scrubs and The big bang theory on TV =D

Love
Thym

Scotland with family - Day 2

Hiking Day =D
On the second day we all got up early as we wanted to explore the surrounding area. We went to the Co-op in the village and I introduced my family to the "meal deals" you can get all over England and Scotland. A meal deal normally includes a sandwich, snack (chocolate or crisps) and a drink. The price of one ranges from 2 pounds to 5 pounds depending on where you get one and what is included (the most expensive ones were at the service station at the motorway).
Sadly they didn't have my favourite (Chicken salad) so I got one sandwich with chicken stuffing. It tasted different but still very nice =)
We then took off to explore the area. Our destination was  Dalquhairn  Castle and the manor as we had seen pictures on the internet and it's supposed to be hidden in the forest =D
The first problem was finding our hicking route has new buildings were build on it and the redirection was not mentioned anywhere XD We were quite lucky that a nice couple told us the "secret" way to the bridge to get in the path =D It's right around the houses hidden and only accessible by a small trail.
Once we got into the forrest we immediatly felt enchanted by it's wild beauty. The forest is relativley small but you can fell the history and some kind of magic in it. I wouldn't be surprised if at one point someone saw a fairy in there XD
On our way looking for the castle we came across an old graveyard/burial ground in the middle of the forrest. It was really creepy seeing age old graves and newer ones (around 1900) strewn around. Some were toppled over and some looked like children's graves. The common thing on all though was that they belonged to members of the Kennedy family. One grave was opened and emtpy which was really creepy. My first thought was to watch out for zombies O.o My brother and I investigated some more and took photos of all the gravestones. Maybe we can find out what happened to the family (if I find out anything I'll post it here =) ).

After the burial ground and finding my mother that dissapeared while we were investigating the graves we went on towards the ruins of  Dalquhairn  Castle.
It only takes about 2 minutes from the graves to the castle.
The castle itself is nothing but a ruin anymore and apparently a place for the teens to hang out as we found quite a lot of beer bottles and other things that indicated such.
My brother and I tried to explore some more but my mother was really adamant on us keeping our clothes clean and not doing anything dangerous. So we could only explore the outer parts and catch a small glimpse of the inner castle that is only accesible by climbing up on of the old towers and then entering thorugh the upper floor. All normal staircases were either destroyed or to instable to use. This is one of the places I definatly want to come back to and explore some more. But next time without my mothers that worries over everything ;-D

I think everyone can see that the stability is... debatable XD

We decided to follow the trail some more to see if it would bring us to the mansion. Sadly we found out that the trail that is supposed to be accesible for wheelchars is really hard to walk on O.o

yes, that is the wheelchair suited trail!

For a while we followed the river that goes around part of the forrest until my brother and I realized that the entrance gate we saw at the castle is probably the only way to the mansion. We turned back around and went through the remains of the gate.
The path to the mansion is very broad in the beginning and has beautiful plant on either side. At one point the trial turns right and right into the bushed and plants. That goes on for a minute or so and than your on a wide open grassy field that leads right to the main entrance of the mansion. =D

The history of the mansion is quite interesting. The following facts and informations are given to me by a local that knows quite a lot about the area and the mansion itself =)
At first there was the  Dalquhairn castle. The Kennedy family lived in there for a long time. Then at one point   around 1780 the mansion was to be built as the family wanted to move. One branch of the family stayed at the castle and the others moved to the mansion. At first they only build the inner part but later the two wings to the side were added to give more space. Shortly the before the second world war the mansion was ment to become one of Scotland's biggest youth hostels. But with the war starting its prupose was changed to become one of the shelters for children during the war. These shelters were often buildings far away from important strategic points and children from all over the area and even further away were brought to these safe places to protect them from the war (Think of the situation in the Narnia books).
During that time they even had a small building a little bit off from the main building to produce their own oil for heating.
After the war the building was used as a youth hostel well into the sixties but then closed due to monetary problems. Even before that they started to barricade some windows and make them unusable as you had to pay taxes on your house depending on how many windows it had. (In the beginning Dalquharran Mansion had 365 windows-one for every day of the year). As more and more money got lost and the taxes became to much eventually the roof got taken off as that was another way to lower the taxes you had to pay in the old laws. (Nowadays the laws are changed).
The mansion is truly magnificent and right now in the process of being rebuild to become an attraction on a golf course. 
The mansion has a cellar and had a ground, first and second floor. I imagine it was quite an imposing building back when it was build. Some spiral staircases and old ornaments are still preserved. 
You can even see some of the old fire places on the walls. 
The local person I talked with also told me that the basement was nearly only occupied by the servants and maids of the castle and that they had their own corridors under the mansion that led to staircases and small lifts that allowed them to bring food and other things to the house owner. 

The Kennedy family is something that we encountered very often on our travels through Ayrshire. The family is even mentioned in one of my ghost books that have stories about different ghosts in Scotland. I realy want to look deeper into their family history as they seemed very important and branched out into all the different areas in Ayrshire. 
While we kept walking around the mansion (entry is strictly forbidden) we got lost at one point. XD We were jsut walking around without a care in the world and the we looked up again and the mansion had disappeared O.o 
It was really creepy as we all were really sure that we had walked in a circle around it and the mansion is not  so small that you could just loose it. Luckily for us Gee, the security man of the mansion, found us wandering around and was so nice to show us the way back to the entrance =D We had to go through a deep and creepy jungle with upturned trees and mud and everything but in the other side, just 50 metres distance, was the mansion. I have to say, whoever started this garden was damn good at hiding a whole mansion with just  a few bushes O.o
After thanking Gee for saving us, thank you again Gee!, we went back to the track. On our way there we saw a deer right next to us! *__* I just love deer, they have this aura of a wild animal that you can just not tame. 

best lunch bench ever =D

We then kept walking until we were back on the trail =D At that point we were all starving and devoured our late lunch. 
After all this excitement and the rain that seemed to close for comfort we got back to our car and drove back to our cottage. Embarrassing thing is that it's only like a 15 minutes walk from our cottage to the castle but we only realized that on our way back home. It honestly looked further away on the map!
We then enjoyed the late afternoon and evening talking and catching up (we hadn't seen each other for 3 months!) and a nice dinner consisting of oven cheese (kinda like fondue) =D
It was a great and adventurous day and I really hope to be able to go back to explore some more =)


Love
Thym