Lesson on Orkney Archeology, and Seven Men from Invermoriston

Day 16 Walking, Friday, June 21 

The Summer Equinox 

Drumbuie Farm, Drumnadrochit to Craik Na Dav, Invermoriston.  

8 miles, about 4 hours, Steps 24837

Breakfast was French toast with bacon and a few strawberries and blueberries, and a view looking out over the mountains. 

Learn the black cow with the white stripe in the middle is called a Belted Galloway.  There were a few of the Highland cattle in their fields, but their winter coats were off and they didn’t look very exotic.   One very small ‘hairy coo’ that the family was taking extra care off was also out in the pasture. It had no tail.  Apparently the mother took a bite and bit it right off.  Poor little cow.  

Walk the 3 miles from the B&B to Castle Urquhart. Caught the bus to Alltsigh Youth Hostel. Climbed up to the Great Glen Way route and walked the 5 miles of the route that was skipped on Monday because of painful heel. 

Before the City Link bus arrived I tried to take the plastic tips off the trekking poles.  Couldn’t manage as all the street walking in Inverness had forced them on very tightly.  Approached one of the bus drivers waiting with his coach (his passengers where exploring the Castle) to assist. He got out a little pair of pliers.  I pulled on one end and he pulled on the other end, and they came off.  I apologized for the mud/sheep droppings that were all over his hands.  He laughed and said that’s why he carried baby wipes with always, just in case.  

Unfortunately there will be no train travel on this trip. Too bad because I love riding the trains.  But I’m very thankful that there are frequent buses.  At least along the Great Glen route which has a main highway running next to it.

Sections of the forest are cleared every 25 years to encourage new growth and to help with wildfires.

Couple at breakfast was from Gloucester and were returning south after 12 days on the Orkney islands.  

We got chatting and they told all sorts of stories about visiting the Neolithic ruins from 5000 BC that were vandalized by the Vikings. When the Vikings came they wrote all sorts of graffiti on the walls of the homes and ruins.  Crude and lurid things about men and women.  Sort of like modern vandals.  Nothing really changes except that someday most of them grow up and beyond that sort of behavior.  Kind of strange to be reminded that long ago those long dead humans were just that - human.  

There were tombs on the Orkneys that were specifically for cleaning of the human bones after they had died. 

The Tomb of the Otters, and Tomb of the Eagles are examples.  In each case the humans were left  to die outside, and after that the bodies were moved into the tomb.  There must have been a large group of otters living near by and this gave them a good source of dinner.  Same for the Eagle tomb, located near an Eagle nest.  The otters and eagles were encouraged to pick the bones clean.   In those tombs were lots of human bones piled up, but not connected in anyway to make a human skeleton. 

The archaeologists now realize that the settlements on the Orkney Isles pre-date Stonehedge and all other English stone monuments. There is a new theory that the people settled up there first and then migrated south through Scotland and down into England. 

Ferns taller than me. 

Took the gel heel pads out of the boots, wore two sets of socks, plus the elastic ankle brace on the right foot. That seem to feel a bit better and the arch was supported more.  Walking was improved.  Hope for the future?

As much as I liked walking with Sue, Joe, and Lynne the first few days, walking alone, and not chatting for hours and keeping to other people’s pace and agendas, is my idea of a perfect hike. So pleased I could walk fairly well today.

Had lunch at the Glen Rowan Cafe.  Squash and corn soup with 3 slices of fresh homemade bread and lots of butter.  Took two slices of the bread totally smeared with the butter to have later in my room.  

In Invermoriston there is a new outdoor sculpture to commemorate the Seven Men from the village who helped Bonny Prince Charlie escape.  It was just set up about two months ago on private property.  I have now asked five different people what it’s about, and all the locals just shake their heads, and say nothing, nothing, it’s nothing, it’s silly to have it out there in the field.  

I understand what it’s all about and it makes perfect sense to me. SCULPTURE!  

The person who owns the property lives in Denmark and only visits twice a year. The locals say he has all his minions do all of the labor on his estate.  But, to me the odd thing is there is a fence with a locked gate so no one can really get up close to the sculpture circle.  

Learned that a lot of wealthy Danish people are buying up the large estates here that the original landowners can not afford to keep up. 

I could see the circle from above while descending the GGW path into town.  Also went to the cemetery where it was possible to get fairly close, and I could take some photos.  One way to beat the ‘system’ of the enlightened Danish man. I wonder if he eats good pastries 😀

A story on the news this morning was about the Shetland Islands, which are 300+ miles north of here. Today has 19 hours of daylight and during the other hours it never gets dark.  Summer Equinox!  Reminds me again of Baffin Island Gary. 

The Stone Cave was passed by on the trail today. It was built to offer shelter to a washerwoman who had to travel between Alltsigh and Invermoriston.  It’s kind of small, but it seems well built, and could be used today if a storm was heavy. 

View out one of the windows of the Summer House. 

Wandered down to look at the waterfall and the Summer House here in Invermoriston, as I waited until the correct time to go into the bed-and-breakfast.  Today the time was after 4 pm.  

The Summer House is in the middle background under the stone arch of the newer bridge.  

There is another ‘sculpture’ on the edge of the village green commemorating the Olympic torch that was carried through Invermoriston on the way to the 2012 Olympics.  

The two sisters who own this B&B are retired nurses from southern England.  One is divorced and the other’s husband died of the adult version of SIDS.  Then their father had a major stroke and died and they decided to move to Scotland to be with their mum.  That was 10 years ago.  They love the new life.  

Chatted with the sisters about the history of the area and was lead to their personal library of Scottish history.  They loaned me 4 books on the area for overnight use.  A children’s book was very funny, but filled in a lot of gaps in my personal lack of historical events in Scotland.  

“Walking is the best possible exercise.  Habituate yourself to walk far.”  Thomas Jefferson