Scotland part 2

The adventure continues...

Loch Lomand and Trossaches National Park was a nice region. The Lake was very still, damp and kinda mystical.... there were walking paths around the information centre at the Lake. We walked around the fog with a warm drink in hand. .. it was kinda eerrie as it was so quiet and still.

the walking path also took us through some greenland and bush near the lake.

 

as we continued to drive through the highlands we often pulled over to take in the sights.. Scotland was very dramatic- huge beautiful green mountains with hair cows and sheep wandering around.

Lunch break in a cute seaside town. 

Kilt Rock on the most Northern part of Scotland! beauty! (the rock behind the waterfall resembles the pleats of a scottish Kilt :)

                                           

*We say moskitos,Irish and Scotish people say "midges" or "midgets".. .. imagine our surprise when we heard our  Irish riend say "I went for such a nice morning run, but there were so many midgets around"... LOL.. huh? ..we asked Linda to clarify what she meant..she meant "moskito" 

When we travel we buy a large 1.5 L water bottle. If we have a car or go through a lot of water we buy a 5 L jug which we use to refill our 1.5 L water bottle. *If you travel with your own wheels I would recommend buying  a big jeg opposed to several small water bottles.. It's a great way to cut back on plastic wastage. 

..anyways the cute little water bottle is Dan's. ha ha 

The Loch Ness is the biggest fresh water Lake in all of England. It is also famously known as the lake where the "Loch Ness Monster" was spotted.

We went through the visitor centre which guided us through the history of the monster myth. We heard recordings from those who swear they spotted a large creature, then we heard about scientific evidence proving that a monster did not exist. We heard from scientists who performed extensive research and went looking for the creature. Their 'team'  had facts supporting the sightings of the monster. So in the end we could believe whatever we wanted to believe. I personally think it's a fun story and I choose to go along with it.  

                                           Do you believe in the Loch Ness Monster??

Back to the East Coast, we walked around the beach. Very nice stretch of white sand. Nobody was in the water it was too chilly for swimming, but many families were enjoying the beach.

The Falkirk wheel is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It is a dramatic 21 century landmark to recreate the historic lock flight.The wheel raises boats 24 meters. This wheel  is the only rotating boat lift in the world.

We read and heard the hype of this wheel so we called to reserve 4 spots on the last boat lifting tour of the day. We arrived in the nick of time. But were surprisingly disappointed. The boat lift tour was not nearly as exciting as we had expected. ..lol..

Thank you to our sweet mini van that kept us safe and warm while exploring the beautiful Scotland. Also a special thank you to Kelly and Dan for sharing this experience with us. It was a whirlwind, but excellent trip! thank you for being easy going travel companions. xo 

Reunion/Scotland

Kelly& Dan, Ashton & I, Brock & Katelyn and Colton all drove down to Dumfries to attend the McKenzie Family Reunion.

Kelly socializing with the bagpiper

McKenzie Clan

When the sun is out and your surrounded by family, what better way to enjoy your time than sitting outside in a Scottish pub to enjoy some drinks 

Karen and Peter are cousins who live in Dumfries!

Colton, Brock, Katelyn enjoying some drinks

Reagan, Chelsey, Ashton having a laugh

This beautiful castle near Dumfries is surrounded by a moat and nice green landscape. 

Sightseeing by day, .. a nice family supper, and fun afterwards

Shop til you drop! McKenzie style!

The following families were able to fortunate to travel to Scotland for the reunion

                                                                         The committee

Kelly made this beautiful family quilt which was a hit at the silent auction

Well, that's a wrap!! An excellent 2015 McKenzie Reunion in Scotland

Kelly & Dan and Ashton & I continued on exploring Scotland in our mini van :) 

Dan noticed the below sign in a coastal town that we were walking around. See the curling rock?? 

a couple phone calls later and a 15 km drive form where we were, we located the curling rock factory in Mauchline. "Kays of Scotland" curling stones have been used in the Olympic events since 1924. The granite comes from a small island west of Scotland. Every 10 years the factory workers go to the Island and remove sufficient amount of granite to create curling stones, whiskey stones (for your drinks) and limited jewelry. 

I'm in the sliding position beside the bulk granite.. 

The manager was friendly and told us about the process of making curling rocks. Due to health and safety laws we were not allowed in the factory. (however, by the size and look of it, that suited us just fine) 

Glenfinnan Viaduct has the famous Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express Bridge (yeup it was in the movie)

                                         Our favourite part of Scotland, the Isle of Skye

We hiked along the 'fairy pools' which was my favourite part Scotland, with it's waterfalls, rock path and gorgeous green mountains all around, it felt like we were on the cover of the national geographic!