Journey to the Land of Jamie and Claire Fraser

    About… hmmm 16 years ago…  oh man… that long?  Anyway.  About 16 years ago I read a book called Outlander by Diana Gabaldon.  This book changed my life, and began an obsession with Scotland.  Or maybe just intensified an interest so it BECAME an obsession.  It is the story of Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, and her Highlander, Jamie Fraser.  And all the events that led to their meeting and beyond.  It takes place mostly in the time of Bonnie Prince Charlie and his attempted freedom fight for Scotland then ended in the battle for Culloden in 1745.

And so….  Because I just HAD to see it for myself, in September of 1997, I went, alone, to Scotland for two weeks.  And had the time of my life.  I flew for the first time, left the continent for the first time, and traveled alone for the first time.  CRAZY!!!!  But oh my word, so wonderful.    The following is a bit of a picture diary of my journey.
 
I flew into Glasgow and got my passport stamped at customs there.  Let me tell you.  Getting off that plane and finding my way to the train station was one of THE most scary, but exhilarating experiences of my life.  I knew NO ONE on that whole isle of Great Britain.   I was ALONE, and totally dependent on myself, and I was loving every minute of it.

 
This is the picture only a real tourist would take.  The sign at the Glasgow airport.  *LOL* 
 
 
 
I traveled by train from Glasgow, immediately to Aberdeen where I stayed for a few days, visiting King’s College and St Machar’s Cathedral.  I also spent some time at a riding school taking English astride lessons.  It was wonderful, but my sore bottom and thighs stayed with me for the rest of my trip.   The focus of my trip was to see castles, some of which I had read about, some of which had intrigued me from the brochures and things I had gathered.  It is my dream to go back and rent a car, mostly because traveling by bus as I was, there were a few castles I missed.  Especially Castle Fraser…..  *chuckles* 
 
 
This is a sundial at Drum Castle that totally enchanted me.  You stand by the month you are in, and the sun’s shadow will accurately reflect the time.  It was in a beautiful walled garden, and the concept and the beautiful iron/tile work just captured me. 
 
 
 
This is Drum Castle, where the sundial is.  The original fortress was built the 1400’s and has been added onto extensively since.  There was a little stone chapel on this property which was absolutely gorgeous.  This place was amazing……  best samples or armour I saw, and a family tree going back all the way to the 15th century. 
 
 
 
This is Dunnottar.  This was the BEST castle that I saw.  I journeyed here between stopovers.  Which meant I hiked down into the ravine and all the way up to the castle with my big backpack.  That was a test in stamina, let me tell you.  But…. OH MY..  This place TALKED to me…. I swear, I could almost hear it all.  The stable hands, the guards, the music from the great hall.  See the people and animals milling about.  I was here for a few hours, just writing in my journal and breathing in the feel of the place.  I definitely have to return some day.    
 
 
 
 
This is Fyvie Castle.  They call it a fairy tale castle over there because of all the detail on the outside.  I was there in the late afternoon, and the sun was on it’s way down.  It was truly beautiful.  This place had a library that took my breath away, with French doors opening up onto the lawn.  I REALLY think I was born in the wrong time and place.  *chuckles* 
 
 
 
After traveling up the northeast coast of Scotland from Aberdeen, I ended up in Inverness, where I stayed for two nights while I toured the city and visited Culloden.  I avoided Loch Ness, just because I didn’t want to do what EVERYBODY did..  Although, now I wish I had gone because the castle there is amazing.  Oh well..  next time… 
 
 
This picture is the Clan Memorial at Culloden, built in honour of the Clans that were desolated and broken at the battle in 1745.  It was very eerie to walk these fields and imagine the nightmare of that battle and the horror of the broken spirits and lost cause at the end of it all. 
 
 
 
And this is me at Culloden.  *chuckles*  one of the yucky parts about traveling alone is you don’t end up with a lot of pictures of yourself at any of the sites.  But I met a cool lady from the southern US here.. and she took this photo of me.  My goodness it was windy that day out on the open moor..  we were hard pressed to stand at times. 
 
 
 
This cathedral at Elgin was the only place I had a guided tour.  He was a tall and skinny Scotsman with fire engine red hair, and had the best sense of humour and a lot of knowledge.  This place was mind boggling and has been in ruins for about two hundred and fifty years.   Just amazing architecture.. and all done by hand.  We know NOTHING about that kind of stuff anymore.
 
 
 
 
From Inverness, I took the train to Edinburgh, which was my FAVOURITE city.  I just missed the Edinburgh Tattoo.  They have this festival in the summer, during August which they originally started to boost morale during the war.  They have kept it up ever since, and it’s become a world famous event.   I saw the Scottish crown jewels while I was there, and toured Holyrood House, where the Queen stays when she’s in residence.  Kind of a funky ‘little’ palace, that one.    I met two girls from Ontario one night on a "Ghost and Ghouls"  tour of the catacombs of the city.  That was a CURAZY time.  I also went to an organ concert in St Giles Cathedral.  OOOOOOH my….  Intense, amazing, and heartbreakingly beautiful.  I wonder if that’s what heaven will sound like. 
 
 
From Edinburgh, I went to Stirling, to see the battle field there that was made famous in Braveheart.  The little town of Stirling had enjoyed quite a bit of fame since that flick came out, and the castle there is undergoing extensive renovations.    This picture is my favourite of all the ones I took on my trip.  It’s a Celtic cross from the graveyard at the Stirling Kirk….  Walked up a huge hill to get there  *laughs*.
 
 
 
And then from there… I went home…  back to Glasgow, where I saw an amazing version of Hamlet done from the perspective of a mafioso family.  It was awesome.   Then.. it was on the plane after an 18 hour flight delay.. and home again.    I was glad to be home… not homesick..  Just well traveled.  I can’t wait to go back though.  Someday… soon. 
 
I hope you like these pictures…  and if you ever want to know more, or get some travel tips?  E-mail me.