Satterfield Photography

May 1 - Glasgow

Today was spent on travel and housekeeping.  Working on my blog, which is woefully behind, due to having so much fun being a tourist!  I also had to spend some time working on the rest of my Scotland agenda.  It is beginning to look like the weather is not going to cooperate and I am dubious about the wisdom of trying to  camp out in the car on the NC200.  The driving and sleeping are fine, but cooking, washing clothes and me, spending time in the car when it is raining too hard or the wind is blowing 90 mph...not so much.  So, I need to find some lodging options and they are difficult, everything has been booked for weeks in advance.  Also had a Zoom call with the family, they had lunch, I had dinner.   The time difference makes calls a bit of a challenge, but we have managed.  Fortunately, I have a lovely lodging here in Glasgow and it is central to all the places I want to visit.  Tonya and I have speculated about why there are no mirrors in the bathrooms in Ireland and Scotland.  And, why is it that there is a plug that will work for a men's "shaver", but not with the blow dryer?  A big surprise was finding a McDonalds right down the road.  I actually had a cheeseburger for lunch today.  Tasted pretty good, and it was very cheap!  Fast food in the UK doesn't always follow what you find in the US, the McDonalds was much better here than at home.

May 2 - Glasgow

Glasgow Cathedral was built between AD 1136 and 1484, first as a Catholic Church and then following Reformation principals, such as Christ alone, faith alone, Scripture alone, and two sacraments only.  As a result, the images and statues of saints, crucifixes, relics, and elaborate vestments were all removed from the new "High Kirk" as it was now called.  The word Cathedral was no longer used and the building was subdivided into three different parish churches.  From the Cathedral website:  "In 1835, the High Kirk of Glasgow reverted to being one parish – renamed ‘St Mungo’s.’ The building became a single sanctuary again. The word ‘cathedral’ reappeared. There was also interior redesign and restoration: the typically Old Reformed central high pulpit gave way to a more balanced lay out of pulpit and Communion table. There was a turn to more ceremony. An organ was installed along with a robed choir to enhance the musical experience. The clear windows were reglazed and stained by German craftsmen, but these Victorian windows were replaced in the 20th century. Use of the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed was reintroduced as was more awareness of the ‘Christian Year.’"

I wasn't able to go inside the building on the day I visited, but the chance to wander about the grounds made it so worth the trip (and the very high parking fee to park 5 blocks down the hill!) that I didn't really mind too much.  As you can see from the photos, it was a dark, cloudy day which only made the photos that much more thought-provoking.

May 3 - Glasgow

Today I headed west and south to the coast for stops at Glasgow Fort,  Dunure Castle, Troon Beach, and Dean Castle.  Glasgow Fort, the name notwithstanding, is a huge shopping mall.  I wanted to check out opportunities for souvenirs, but unfortunately there were no such places to be found.  I did, however, find a TK Maxx and a few cosmetic items that I needed.  Interestingly, even the upscale shops charge extra for bags.  I saved several of the heavy duty ones plastic bags I bought at Tesco to hold groceries and have used my tuck-in bag almost every day for something.

Dunure Castle was all I could have hoped for in the way of a photo op with a castle ruin on the coast.  Since it was Tuesday, there were only a few other tourists so I spent several hours just wandering along to coastline and around the ruins.  What a fascinating place this must have been to live in - smoky, dark rooms, cold stone walls, entertaining Mary Queen of Scots in August of 1563, and eventually almost "wholly ruined" by 1694.  Evidence suggests it was blown up during the Civil War period and much scavenging of materials took place after that.  I could find no references to the circular path and garden found just up the coast from the castle, at a guess, it is a much later addition.  The Doocot at Dunure Castle is the largest one I've seen so far.  It is a short distance from the castle and has space for 200 nesting boxes.  According to the Ayrshire Guide, it would have been essential as  source of supplemental food, providing eggs and meat for the castle residents during the lean winter months.

I did not visit Troon Beach as originally planned, as the heavy cloud cover precluded any chance of photos of the vista to the Isle of Islay and the Ailsa Craig.  It goes on the "next trip" list.

Dean Castle did disappoint, but only because I picked a day when there were no tours.  It is being restored, as are so many of these wonderful castles, churches, homes, and other historical buildings throughout the United Kingdom.  I'm so glad they are being preserved so that many generations to come will be able to find their roots and history as they visit.

May 6 - from Glasgow to Fort William

After a couple of days of steady rain during which I spent time working, it is time to head to Fort William for that iconic shot of the "Harry Potter Train" crossing the viaduct. Luckily it isn't a long drive, which meant I had plenty of time to stop and take photographs along the way.  My path is past Loch Lomond, through Trossachs National Park,  and thence to Glen Coe so I stopped several times.  Well, as often as I could find a place to pull over, that is.  As everywhere in the UK, pulling off to take a photo isn't an easy thing to do.

First stop was Ballock Castle Park on the southern edge of Loch Lomond to find the Fairy Trail, a meandering exploration through the grounds to find those spots where Patrick Muir, a local tree surgeon has turned diseased tree stumps into whimsical carvings with a chainsaw.  There isn't really a trail as the carvings appear where trees have been repurposed and that isn't always along a walking path.  So a bit of adventuring is in order to find them.  Today my search was hampered by a steady rain that just kept getting worse.  I had to settle for a selfie with a dragon.

Continuing along the western shore of Loch Lomond I found several spots to pull over and take in the beauty of the Loch, albeit with clouds and intermittent rain showers. I missed the turnoff for the Bridge of Orchy, but did pull in to the Lochan na h-Achlaise View Point.  It was deserted and the overcast skies lent a haunting beauty to it.  Loch Ba Viewpoint, Rannoch Moor Viewpoint, Stob Dearg viewpoint carpark Glencoe viewpoint, and Glencoe Waterfall were some of the stops I made along the way.

I arrived in Fort William with plenty of daylight left to drive the short way to the Glenfinnan Viaduct and plan my photo shoot for early tomorrow morning as the train crosses on its way to Mallaig.

May 7 - Fort William to Alyth 

I am a very happy camper!  I was able to get to the Glenfinnan Viaduct early enough to get my shot!  Although, about 20 minutes before the train was due to arrive, I realized that I had arrived so early and with such single-minded focus that I had forgotten to pay for my parking.  Thus, I was the first one off the hill after the train went by, praying that my car had not been ticketed, or, even worse, towed!  It hadn't, and I dutifully purchased a parking ticket for the day.

Next stop was the Clan MacPherson Museum, my husband's clan.  An earlier visit found the Museum closed so I planned another stop in order to speak to someone about connecting the dots between Scotland and Oklahoma where I encountered a dead end with no where to go.

Then it was on to another one of my Harry Potter stops.  Loch Eilt is featured in the films in a number of shots, most famously as the location of Professor Dumbledore's burial site and also where Hagrid divulges the fate of Buckbeak.  I did not see Voldemort, nor any of his henchmen, but I did find a quiet, beautiful place to have lunch. 

I learned that one of the agricultural exports from Scotland (other than sheep) is rapeseed, or rape, a winter and spring oil crop.  It is related to mustard, cabbage, and broccoli.  It grows to 3-5 feet tall and is grown and harvested primarily for oil.  There are huge fields all over the Highlands.  I also discovered that I am very allergic to it.  

I arrived at my Airbnb just before sunset and was very warmly greeted by my hosts.  My lodging was an addition to their home and included not only a bedroom and bath but also a private little courtyard to enjoy their wonderful back yard.  I particularly appreciated the detailed directions to get to their house.  It was a beautiful place to stay and they were exceptional hosts.  He even helped me add oil to my rental car!

May 8 - Alyth

If you have ever watched The Quiet Man, there is a hilarious scene at the train station where John Wayne asks for directions.  Three people then get involved and the directions are thus - "well, ye go down to end of the lane...", "no, he'll want to go past the fence and then make the turn at the rock...", "nay, it's faster if you go past the bridge, then to the wee house on the right, and then past the hedge."  This was similar to the directions I was given to find the Witness Trees used during the filming of Outlander as one of the boundaries of Fraser's Ridge. In my case it was the beech hedge for a landmark.  I didn't recognize the hedge (I think of hedges as bushes around 3 - 4 feet high, this is a beech hedge, trees maybe 70- 80 feet high, who knew!), however I saw the sign for the Beech Hedge Caravan Park so I knew I was in the right place.  Sure enough, I found the trees and also found the Kinclaven Bluebell Wood, a lovely wood full of bluebells (even though it was very early in the season) and many trails to walk and enjoy them.  Then it was on to Dundee for a bite of lunch and the search for the Balgarthno Stone Circle.  Lunch was the best steak pie so far and the mashed potatoes and peas were served separated, unlike the usual mushy peas, which I enjoyed!!

The Balgarthno Stone Circle is next to a soccer (football in the UK) field and there is very little parking available.  Since I was there on a Sunday, all the street parking was taken by local residents so I ended up parking in the driveway leading to a construction site.  It being Sunday, there were no workers around and I thought there was little chance of me blocking anyone in.  In any case, I knew I wouldn't be long - it's a smaller circle surrounded by a fence so not many angles to shoot from.  I knew it wouldn't take me long to get the photos I wanted, and I was right.  As I headed back to my car I noticed a security guard looking at my car.  I let him know I was on my way and would get my car moved post haste!  He pointed out the NO PARKING sign and asked me if I had seen it.  I said I had, but didn't think I would be in anyone's way for the 20 minutes or so my photos would take.  He said he would have to give me a ticket anyway!  I actually begged him not to as I would be leaving the area in the morning.  Then he started to laugh...  We spent the next hour in wonderful conversation about the differences between living in Dundee, Scotland as opposed to Albuquerque, New Mexico USA and found we had much more common ground than either of us thought. I explained my mission and he shared that he is a part-time minister in addition to his guard duties.  We exchanged business cards and blessings when we parted.

Another Mother's Day spent on the road.

May 9 - Alyth to Fyvie

Dunnattor Castle was my stop for today as I drove from Alyth to my new lodging in Fyvie.  From Wikipedia: "Dunnottar Castle is a ruined medieval fortress located upon a rocky headland on the north-eastern coast of Scotland, about 2 miles south of Stonehaven. The surviving buildings are largely of the 15th and 16th centuries, but the site is believed to have been fortified in the Early Middle Ages"  It is a stunning location, however, it is a fairly long hike down to the castle from the car park and not only is it raining, the wind is blowing about 20 miles per hour.  So I decided take a quick photo from the car park and then have some lunch (there is a nice Catering Van on the premises) and boy, was that a great idea.  One of the best lunches I've had so far.  It was just a hamburger, UK style, but it was delicious!

Then I was off to find my caravan for the next few days where I will have a full kitchen!  It is set up on a local farm where I was told I could mingle with the donkeys, chickens, and other critters.  Unfortunately, my hosts farm rapeseed, which I am very allergic to, so I stayed indoors.

May 10 - Fyvie

Dunnottar Castle is on the way to my other planned stops for today and since the wind is not blowing and the sun is out, I stopped by to get the shots I wanted.  Soooo glad I did!!  

Then it was on to Tolquhon Castle in Tarves, Aberdeenshire.  So worth the trip and the very small entrance fee!  This is a very well preserved ruin and signage means that you actually are told what you are seeing.  The castle was built by William Forbes, 7th Laird of Tolquhon, between 1584 and 1589.  It is currently in the care of Historic Environments Scotland.  

And I was treated to the quintessential pastoral scene on my way back to Fyvie, the yellow seen in the far background is a field of rapeseed.  And, as you can see, caring for the land requires tractors in Scotland, just as it does in Iowa.

May 11 - Fyvie

Fyvie Castle was my target for this morning, but it is closed.  No indication as to when/if it might re-open.  So I scouted a few spots for potential sunset photos.  I just sort of drove around on the roads looking for good spots with a place to pull off to the side, not paying much attention to which turns I was making.  This turned out to be a bad idea as my GPS stopped working and I had no real idea how to get back to my caravan.  :(  I did find a young lady walking along and asked her for directions to my Airbnb address, but she said she had never heard of that road name.  She was able to direct me back to Fyvie, however, and I was able to find my way home from there.  A sort of close call, but only because it was starting to get dark.  After all that, it was quite cloudy at sunset so there were to be no photos after all.  I ended up spending most of my day working.

May 12 - Fyvie to Garmouth

I must say, the day hasn't gotten off to a great start.  I woke up earlier than usual because I was cold.  Not a huge deal as this is a travel day; however, it appears there is also no hot water.  Something tells me that the propane tank has gone empty.  I let my landlord know and, sure enough, no propane.  Thus no shower, no washing my hair today.  Oh well, I can heat enough water in the kettle for coffee, oatmeal, and washing up the dishes.  I have a couple of stops planned for today anyway and a fair distance to drive to Garmouth.  I head out and find my way to the Forvie Nature Reserve where there are some pretty cool coastal views, including mudflats and heathland along with birds and maybe a seal or two.  Along the coast I find more evidence of the pounding the Scottish coast took during the course of last winter's storms, trees down, rock walls collapsed.  I was almost to the turnaround point in my hike when I happened to fish in my pocket and found that I had not turned in the keys to the caravan.  Of course, I had no cell service.  So, I got my shots and headed back to the car park where I was able to call my host and let them know I was returning to give them back their keys.  Yikes!  That meant, my other stop for the day was a no go.

May 13 - Garmouth

The Garmouth Hotel is smack dab in the middle of the Speyside Single Malt Trail.  And, I was told that I couldn't be in the middle of the Single Malt Trail and not go to a distillery.  So, I signed up for the Glen Grant and it was a great experience!  Very informative and a lot of fun as well.  The tasting after the tour was a bit hijacked by two couples that insisted on the full Monty when they found out I was an American traveling alone.  I think the distillery was wanting to close up for the day but we just kept hanging out while they plied me with questions about my adventures.  And, my tasting was provided by way of two small bottles as I was driving alone.