Trip to Scotland 1983: Four and half months in the Highlands and Islands

[DCampbell16B]

Mrs. Storrier [address] of Fife. Wants info on 18th C Highland dress for Menzies Castle restoration.
17p ice lolly
56p tea
48p 2 rolls
£1.80 hostel

Ride to Crianlarich. Walked up toward a pass between two hills aptly named on the map as "Bealach Eadar Bheinn" [literally "pass between hills", which were Ben More and Ben A'An (also named Stob Binnein)] by waterfalls. Delightful. Ate lunch at bridge, bottom. Met 5 French, 1 man who played fiddle and guitar. Bluegrass like American ("Freight Train") and some Irish. Also Yorkshireman living in Washington State who played Irish fiddle. Went a bit up the West Highland Way, south of Crianlarich. Hill has[? unclear pencil] sound of drying peat [underneath the surface]. Hillside thumps when hit.
Checked into hostel. [At this point in the journal I changed from pencil to pen. While it didn't and hasn't smeared as much as the pencil, it was harder to write neatly] Ate supper then played pipes on hill behind Crianlarich. What a gorgeous evening. Haze lifted, breeze. Pipes played fairly well. Pleased self, locals and tourists. Met 3 Canadian high-school girls (Ann, Ashley, Alex, all cousins), one thinking of going to SUNY Binghamton [where I had just finished, now Binghamton University], all Campbells. Took them up that same hillside. They've been to Inverary. Bus to Oban 10:50. Couldn't get to castle on Loch Dochart [marked on map]. Water very shallow, but mud deep.

[DCampbell16B]

I'm working on the next entry. I think it would be interesting for those of us outside Scotland to know what things are like now compared to 40 years ago. What are prices like? Have major routes changed? Are areas built up? Are hiking routes are exactly the same?

[DCampbell16B]

32p drink
£3.15 bus
80p fish and chips
£2.30 hostel
10p shower
25p lemonade

Oban bus from Crianlarich. Goes by Tyndrum, Glen Orchy, Dalmally, Loch Awe and Kilchurn. Pass of Brander, Ben Cruachan, Taynuilt and Dunstaffnage. [These were all places that I had read or heard about for years. It was hard to believe I was right in the middle of them.]
Dalmally very new looking town. Duncan Ban's Monument! Cruachan impressive, immense. Kilchurn and Loch Awe, inexpressable, what a rush. Highland cattle! Etive tidal race changing under bridge! See Dunollie, Dunstaffnage. Oban good sized. Cooler, smells salt. First impression I like this place. But then I'm so glad to be here. McCall's! Banc na h-Alba and Banc Rioghail! Fish and chips, tail still on, on credit, didn't have wallet. Paid [as soon as I got my wallet]. Window shopped. Sweaters expensive. Lots of jellyfish in harbor. Checked bus to Inverary. An Commun Gaidhaelach [I was a member]. Buy bread, spam? Soup? Tea, dry milk, sugar, biscuits?
Call Macleod
[I had three reasons to go to Inverary. One, I'm a Campbell. Two, there was a planned Gathering to celebrate 5 years of reconstruction of the castle. Three to meet the son of the older couple I was to stay with in Lewis. The son owned a business in Glasgow, and was to meet me to vet me. His cousin was an acquaintance in the States and had set this up.]
Hostel room overlooks bay. Beautiful evening. Try shower, dinner. Dunollie Castle and Conc? Sat in window.
Met two Swiss German girls who escorted me to Dunollie Castle [actually it was the other way around]. Castle built with masonwork like cottages in Glencoe. Anna-lies and Anita. 3 girls last night and 2 tonight and not a bad one in the lot. I could learn to like this. [Bear with me. I just finished two straight years of nearly monastic existence doing graduate work.] Anita was getting degree in agriculture and Anna-lies teaches sewing and embroidery to children 8-16 in a small village. They spent last night in a sleeping bag on a beach at Lochboisdale [so to be on time to catch the ferry to Oban at like 5am]. [They had taken an immersion course in English in London. The challenge at the end of the course was to see how far they could hitchhike then be back. They lucked into a long ride north and ended up in the Western Isles. They insisted on speaking English that evening.]


Oban from the hostel window


Kerrara from the hostel


Sound of Kerrara from above Oban


Dunollie Castle

[DCampbell16B]

MacBrayne's in today, missed by 5 min last night [I found I liked watching the ferries come and go]. High tide 6:30 - 7:30. There is no room at the in (read Hostel) this evening. If among 1st eight then may stay. Must be here early, sitting in front of hostel watching bay.

Plenty of room tomorrow, perhaps stay on Mull til tomorrow? Or stay on Mull tonight? Why doesn't this pen write? Where is paradise? What is the meaning of life? (Must ask Monty Python). Anita said islands (Western Isles) were paradise on a clear day. Anna-lies didn't say much at all. She won't speak English for the same reason I won't speak German [embarrassed].

They are seriously thinking of stopping train service north of Glasgow and Edinburgh, and MacB is cutting services to the Islands. Perhaps the north will again be as cut off as it once was, barring roads. Watched jellyfish swim. Oban Harbor is very clear [the water]. Most jellyfish like Boston. One orange and fancy. [I have no idea what I meant by that]. Anita and Anna-lies came along, talked, then checked their bus, then climbed to McCaig's folly. [I had to speak German with them this morning. They spoke German rather than Swiss German, which they said I wouldn't understand. And they were right].
Went with them to the bus and got addresses. Spoke a great deal of German today, better than I thought, but not as good as they said I was. Good practice though. Spoke little English.

Dugald Stewart, Post, North Uibhist. Anita had a card from him. Tell Susan McD. Fed birds on the Esplanade. Sea gulls eat out of my hand [several of them got into flying laps and would take chips out of my hand as they flew by. It was very entertaining for some bystanders]. Note: Shandy contains beer [I didn't know!].

Hostel, people waiting again. Fresh breeze from the Sound of Kerrera, but it doesn't clear the haze. I can't stop thinking in German, and they left 4 hours ago. 6:15 a little cloudy, but Mull mountains beginning to show over Kerrera. Can see the length of the Sound. Evening. Up to McCaig's again. Can hear pipers practicing for show at Corran Halls. Can see more Mull mountains. Duart Castle and Benderloch, over Lismore. Went down and listened to Pipe Band warm up. Young band no one looked over 25 (there are, PM, bass drummer, and PS?) Full reg, w/plaids + feather bonnets. Man in Gordon kilt around the last two days.



McCaig'sFolly

[figheadair]

What is really interesting about this diary, amongst many gems, is the details of the weather and in particular reaching the snow level at some point (well before the top) in early July.

These days winters are far shorter and less severe than even 40 years ago. But for a few hidden patches in the tops of the highest hills and north facing gullies, it would be rare to find any snow after May.

Jock may correct me but I think even the Snow Goose no longer lasts through the summer every year.

[Jock Scot]

What is really interesting about this diary, amongst many gems, is the details of the weather and in particular reaching the snow level at some point (well before the top) in early July.

These days winters are far shorter and less severe than even 40 years ago. But for a few hidden patches in the tops of the highest hills and north facing gullies, it would be rare to find any snow after May.

Jock may correct me but I think even the Snow Goose no longer lasts through the summer every year.

You are quite correct Peter, the "Snow Goose" is gone by early summer these days. I don't venture out to the high-tops these days, but I don't hear anyone who does, talk about coming across a "hidden" snow pocket these days much past early June.

[DCampbell16B]

Thank you. I hadn't even thought about how warming temperatures would change things. I have not put every penny I spent in these entries, but each of those items or fares must be much more expensive now.

[DCampbell16B]

£3.15 Ferry
£1.00 Castle
98p tea
£1.35 bus

MacB 8:00 to Mull. Whole town covered in mist streaming from harbor to over hill. Even if it is only a day trip to Mull I'm heading for the Islands... Kerrera slowly being lost in the mist. Can't see Mull or Benderloch or Lismore. Dunollie was easy to see against the background of mist, [unreadable]... Mist reminds me of the whale watch out of Boston [college trip, moderate seas, heavy fog, many sick, but the whales surfaced next to the boat]. Mull to port. Duart Castle rises out of the mist. [As we passed into the Sound of Mull the mist was so heavy we couldn't see anything. Most of the passengers were tourists and most of us were on the fantasy. But as we passed Duart Castle the mist opened for about 10 seconds. The castle just seemed to float in mid-air. Oohs and Ahs all around, but it was so fast I couldn't get a picture. But the memory is there.]

Morvern starboard, Craignure, water very clear, can see 8ft or so down into it. Walked to Duart Castle, stopped at a graveyard. Exhibition cannon outside castle. British gun with garrison carriage, resting on trunnions, one carriage backwards. From castle can see Lismore, Eilean Musdail, Lady's Rock, Loch Linnhe, Morvern, and some Mull hills even with mist, even Kerrera. I get the feeling the zmacLean family run the Castle Tearoom. Weather today cool, cloudy, misty. Thistles finally blossoming. Hitched a ride to Salen with older lady, (very adventurous feeling) then to Tobermory. Native [??writing unclear] gone to Glasgow to teach English.
Bus at 3:30. Adventurous feeling stops. Must not only be practical, must spend more money [to be practical. Meaning I had to be back in time to catch the ferry as all my stuff was in Oban].

Saw some Heather definitely in bloom near Tobermory. At ferry, clear now, can see all but tops of mountains, Mull, Morvern, all Lismore, sun shines some places, still cloudy. Ate, climbed to top of hill behind hostel (w/o trees) just as mist blew over. On way up could see Morvern, Mull, Benderloch, etc. Try again when clear. Especially behind to South and East to Cruachan, Ft. William. The occasional glimpses of mountains across the Loch, with sun streaming through and clouds, fog are worth waiting for, but nearly impossible to photograph. Call A. MacLeod. Call again Sat.

[DCampbell16B]

10p shower
62p lunch
86p F+C
10p card

Walked to Dunstaffnage. Past piper (Oban band) practicing. Dunstaffnage Marine Research right next door [thought about applying for a job]. I don't have my telephoto or flash. Oh well. Castle is closed Thurs afternoon and all day Friday! Darn! Argyll's Reg't under order, if they refused to obey they were under death sentence. Perhaps Glenlyon realized that he could accomplish with a military unit what civilian highlanders would not do. [Not sure about my ramblings here. Certainly no evidence I'm aware of, and no access to anything to support or refute.] Female Aussie Campbell in hostel this morning. Walked back to Oban. Went to McDonald Mills, no big deal except Miss or Mrs Wilson who said "Tha e fluich" and "Tha e blath". Disappointing g as first Gaelic in Scotland. Go back and buy tea. Ask in Gaelic and surprise her. Clearing this afternoon. Wrote Carolyn.*** Keep eye on weather for pic. On hill again. Very clear but clouds over some peaks and sun only shine [unreadable]. But that is how I imagined Scotland. Bring [unreadable] home?
[Here follows a list of pictures I took, some of which I seem to have lost.]
Dunstaffnage
North Lismore, East Morvern, West Benderloch
Sound of Kerrera, Tom Soillear distance? Ker right, Lorne left
Meall Riaghian, Ben Cruachan, Glen Etive left, Pass of Brander right
Sound of Mull, Mull (Duart) left, Lady's Rock, Lismore, South Morvern

Evening Haze building up again over Mull


Dunstaffnage


Meall Riaghian, Ben Cruachan, Glen Etive left, Pass of Brander right



Journal page.

***[Carolyn was my 8th grade crush. We kept in touch, and even went out a bit while we were in college. I heard later that this card arrived at a bad time for her. Two years after we were married. We still are.]

[I used to, and still do sometimes, look at the Oban Webcam to watch the ferries. My daughter and a friend took a trip to England and Scotland. When she was in Oban she drew this picture on the back of a card and sent it to us.



I just happened to be looking at the Oban Webcam that day and saw her and her friend walking across the North Pier. Not planned, although I knew they were in the area. What were the chances? ]

[DCampbell16B]

Last meal in Oban not much. Tea and Vitameat.
Perhaps on way north again [I will see] Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe. Saw all three much better this trip [on the way to Inveraray] than to Oban.
[Unreadable]around Dal here w/ [unreadable again]
[This part of the trip was in a postbus traveling 90 miles an hour down the road. A bit unnerving.]
Post stop at Acurrach Farm, leased to Lachie Campbell, the "Duke's cousin". [I had this crossed out as the driver kept saying this person and that person and the other person were "the Duke's cousin". I had realized the relationship was distant...] Very nice farm. Part of the Duke's estate. [At the] Hostel at noon [not open until later]. Drove right by the castle. Driver 3 years service 1st Commando, the RAF both paratrooper, instructor, also 5 yr Malay jungle survival school [I met ex-service members all over]. Bought food. Ate sandwich on Pier. Loch Fyne nowhere near as clear as Oban Harbor. Driving into Inverary was like home w/ the trees [coming down the hill into Inverary was heavily forested with mostly birch, so very similar to roads around here where I grew up]. Can see the "castle" in Dunniquaich from where I sit and eat. Signs around the castle in black and yellow [Campbell colors
I had a membership in the Clan Campbell Society, so had free passage into the castle. So that is where I spent my time waiting for the hostel to open].

Argyll servants in livery [mannequins], original clothes from 1780. Painting showing Cumberland [unreadable] w/ Lord Henry Campbell and Sir John Ligonier. Broadsword blade the width of my pen. Great collection of disks.
One inscribed "Thoir dhomh deoch fuil" [on one side, and on the other] Tha pathadh orm" [Give me a drink of blood, I am thirsty].
[Then comes more drawings and descriptions of weapons]

Saw Neil Munro's grave. [There is] one single standing stone a couple hundred yards west of Inverary Castle.

Tomorrow 3:30 Dark Blue Volvo, Hostel, MacLeod.
Today took 1hr to go 16 miles Dalmally to Inverary. [At 90 miles an hour, no less]


Kilchurn Castle and Cruachan. And in the foreground what a fence post looks like at 90 miles an hour.


Loch Fyne to Stron Shira, Dundarave


Inverary Castle


Inverary Village