Outlandish Spirits

The Last Day.
We leave Lallybroch and head to Edinburgh.
Rebecca here and we have been giving the last adventure today through the streets of Edinburgh. Scot spent some time reading from our bible and gave me a chill as he read of the reunion of Jamie and Claire, total goosebumps. This has been an experience of a life time not only have we been mesmerized by the sights that Scotland holds but we have developed a bond with each other that will stand forever. So I guess we have created our own history in this historic Land. We separate today and a tear wells in my eye, but this will not be the last time we meet. A BIG thank you to Samantha and Scot for taking the time to create this tour and giving us the experience of a life time. Girls I will never forget you, you too Scot. This is me saying good bye for now....
Scot: And so another piece of history is written - The Droch Isean May Tour 2011. Fair ye weel a while ladies. We have enjoyed yer company just fine. We await to see the …

Today is all about Lallybroch.

Scot here, blogging from a window seat in a fine tall sash and case window overlooking the lawn surrounded by trees in Lallybroch.  The lasses are all away exploring and are ecstatic.






I've just spent WAY TOO LONG creating something for you - the Blood Oath that Jamie says to Claire as they marry, translated into Gàidhlig and in a sound clip, so you can hear it.

"Ye are Blood of my Blood and Bone of my Bone.
I give ye my Body, that we two might be one.
I give ye my spirit, till our Life shall be Done." (Copyright Gabaldon)

"Blood of My Blood" in Gàidhlig

Sali, here.  We're east of Edinburgh and the Bard has a nose-bleed because he's so far from the Highlands. The rest of us are experiencing significant withdrawl.  The Highlands are behind us?  After months of anticipation, weeks of excitement and days of reveling in the rarified air, haunting ruins, and pervasive history of the Scottish Highlands - it's over?

Okay - enoug…

We didn't find time the other day to keep you up to date with the Blog and our visit to Culloden.  Here's Kelly's words.


Kelly - The afternoon brought us to Culloden. Some time was spent experiencing the interactive exhibits and then touring the battlefield; very difficult in such a peaceful place to remember the horror and sacrifice that took place. I believe that we all left with a sense of compassion for both sides and their pain, suffering and losses.


DAY 6
Today we follow in the coach tracks of Claire a-la Inverness to Edinburgh in search of A.Malcolm.  We are doing the two day coach journey in four hours over two days.  It's a long way, you realise, when you travel in the Highlands.

Dannelle:   We survived our guideless afternoon and evening in Inverness, last night, without the assistance (or interference) of the local authorities, though we did manage to irritate the security guards at the pub that we (ahem) raised a bit of hell at far into the wee hours.  I lo…

We thought we'd do something different on this tour (indeed, there are many "firsts" on this one.  More of that later).  We've given the lasses a day of two halves.  In the morning we stopped in to pay our respects to the Clan Chief - Lord John MacKenzie, Earl of Cromarty.  He furnished us with the traditional mark of hospitality  -  a wee dram - before showing us around his home.  I've not spoken to the lasses this afternoon about the visit but the looks of wonder on their faces as Lord John described some "new part" of the castle from 500 years ago were priceless.  I'd say they got a real sense of the historical details found in the Outlander books. After all they touched them, sat on them and smelled them.  We'll perhaps find out tomorrow what they thought.



Which leads us to the new idea of the tour.  We've given them the afternoon off.  They are unchaperoned in the town of Inverness.  Lord John doubted they could find any "hell"…

DAY 4

Sali here - (Hi, Boo!) It may be Day 4, but three of us are still giggling over last night's hunt for Isabella, the resident ghost of the baronial mansion where we passed the night. (Remind me to tell you about our utterly decadent four-posters!) The evening began with fluets of champagne toasting an utterly marvelous day - a day that saw us at the top of the world as well as beneath the earth. After dinner, our personal Bard regaled us with tales of Silkies and light-houses, his audience in rapt attention not interferring with sips of wine, coffee, tea - and the inevitable Pims & Lemonade. As midnight approached, Samantha and Scot floated off to their romantic plaid in the heather, and Dannelle and Rebecca to their sumptious suites. And that left three . . . night-caps anyone?

A Baronni and a couple of Pims & Lemonade had Kelly, Courtney and me following Simon and the keys to the mansion through one locked door after another, examining paintings and searching sha…

DAY 3 - a day of surprises

Firstly, here's the tweed jacket. Fine aye?



Rebecca-  Today I experience a wilderness that called my name.  We walked around a beautiful park that exposed trees and water rushes, a place God must look down and smile at his amazing work.  We had a reading to remind us of the times Jamie and Claire spent romping throught the wilderness and slept in the heather (which was to my surprise, very comfy). Imagine a time when the sky was you roof and the wind dried your hair, amazing.  I am truly having an experience that has exceeded my expections.  This is me logging off for now.....

Scot: we laid the surprises on thick today.  We're not telling YOU, of course, but here's the faces when the lasses found out where they were staying.



That's all your getting Followers!
Scot

DAY2

Hello all. This is Courtney and Kelly blogging for day 2 of the tour. After a lovely evening and delectable breakfast at a B & B we took a short drive to see an Ardsmuir-like prison Barracks. It was amazing to see how impressive it was to build a 4 story stone fortress without the aid of [modern] tools, and also how an individual could survive there once the task was completed. The view was breath-taking!

The second stop brought us to Wedding Chapel; one can just imagine the ceremony of Jamie and Claire! Did we mention BREATH TAKING VIEWS!

We certainly worked up our appetites to enjoy a spot of tea and sandwiches with some quite delightful desserts! The atmosphere was perfect and just what you would expect when having a proper afternoon tea. We are loving the tour, our tour companions, and our guides and having the time of our lives!

GREETINGS, ALL - Sali here. Is it still Day 2? We are packing so much into the days, it feels like Day 5 at least! At another B&B - bed l…

It's here again! The May Tour.

Let me introduce the ladies. Left to right
That's Courtney and her mother, Kelly. Hiding in the back is Dannelle and her mother Sally. In the front is Rebecca.

As followers of the Tour blogs will know. The first thing to do is establish the name for this particular, unique adventure.

Somewhere in the run up to the tour, Ducks were mentioned, so The Odd Duck Tour, is a possibility. If you'd met the ladies you'd know why that is appropriate. Then we found out how "witty" the ladies are (that's sarcastic) so Scot suggested "Droch Isean". It's a term used for badly behaved children, roughly meaning, "little brat". It's literal translation is "bad chicken".

So An Turas Dhroch Isean it is. The Tour of Bad Hens.


And here's some of Geillis Duncan's hens - we were in her herb garden this morning.



Musical accompaniment to this photo: "I see a bad moon risin'. I see trouble…