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NOTE: Some of you have told me that if you're not on Facebook you sometimes have trouble with the photo links. Starting today I will have a second link following the facebook one--shared albums from my Google account. Unfortunately right now, it doesn't include the videos, but I hope to get those up as well. I also hope to edit the previous ones to get the alternate links up!
Since I also unexpectedly had today to explore (instead of if being a travel day from South Uist) I decided to head down to Drumnadrochit, which is a town near Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. I'd been there before because it featured in MUST LOVE KILTS, but there's a couple of scenes in MUST LOVE MORE KILTS that could benefit from being nailed down description-wise, so I took advantage of this time.
I set out and it was a beautiful day, only partly cloudy. I saw some new-shorn sheep, and I swear they looked all pleased with themselves, basking in the sun, a great weight off them. One even looked like he had a smile on his face, chin angling toward the sun.
When I arrived in Drumnadrochit, I could hear bagpipes. Thinking it was a cafe catering to the tourists, I was pleasantly surprised as I headed by the green and saw a bagpiper! (Don't worry, I took pics and a video!)
When I got out of the car I realized the longsleeve shirt and light sweater was too much, so I changed into a t-shirt! Packing advice for Scotland is so true--pack for all seasons!
After buying a walking map, I headed over to a likely spot for a scene I wanted better description for. That didn't pan out, so I headed over to another, larger river nearby and started down the woodland walk. It's a nature-lovers dream! I took video and talked about the scene and what I was looking for (but no spoilers). The sign had said there was no "official" path to Loch Ness but I was hoping to find an unofficial one :)
When I reached the official end, I at first thought it was the end of the line, but then I saw a shallow ford and decided to test my LL Bean boots I got for Christmas (thanks Mom!) They worked, but I went and ruined it by lifting a foot a little to enthusiastically and sloshed water in through the top!
With one wet foot, I went down the little foot paths, other footprints attesting that I wasn't the only one (plus the worn path). And then I found it, the shores of Loch Ness!
I sat for a bit and journaled, seeing if I could dry out my sock (no luck). I still hadn't found what I was looking for with my scene (a natural landmark), so I headed back to try and find another river nearby.
Successfully forded the river again, but this time splashing water into my other boot!
I did have an idea on the way back about how to used the shape of the river banks as my landmark, yay!
Changed my socks, and then headed down another one-laner to Dhavich Falls, which proved to be the site inspiration I needed for another scene :)
Just in case another river nearby might work better, I headed down the A82 past the castle and missed the turnoff for the river. On the way back, I glanced to the side and gasped and "Oh my goodness" -- stretched out over Loch Ness was the full arc of a rainbow! (It had sprinkled a little earlier). I stopped and took a shot from the road while no cars were coming, and then went forward until I found a pull-off. A family was doing the same thing.
"You going to the rainbow?"
"Yes!"
We climbed over a rusty metal gate which I then realized was the turn-off I was seeking. No wonder I'd missed it! And considering it was locked and the road overgrown, that excursion was a bust anyway.
It was great experiencing it with them, plus they were able to take my pic instead of me having to try to make a selfie work (which wouldn't have fully encompassed the rainbow, I'm sure)
Check out my day's photos! (alternative: view on Google)
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