Scottish Mountain Holiday.
I have just returned from a most deserved holiday.
It had been decided that a visit to the Scottish mountains would be the desired destination.
So after the deliberation of what to take and what not to take, the bags were packed and so 4 friends and myself were ready for the trip. It took some time to get there though was well worth it as there were so many beautiful sights on route, the every changing scenic beauty of the nature that Scotlands enviroment has to offer is so beautiful, the low hills, high mountains, rivers, lochs, coniferous forests, deciduous forests and of course the wildlife as well as the sky which is especially changable, especially in Scotland. On holiday with me were 4 of my friends, we had such a laugh at times and they really brought themselves in to the spirit of the holiday in their own individual way. It was so refreshing to enjoy the company of friends on holiday, a big thank you goes to them.
While in Scotland it was not a surprise to see a man wearing a skirt or kilt as known in Scotland, the colours of these kilts were mostly mixed colours of different tartan clans / family colours and were so full of visual impact, not only that it was men wearing these garments but the history behind the garment. Man.
On the first day of the holiday we went out of our way to visit some really good shops. We found some really nice fashion items to purchase, some items had been made locally and were unique to the area and of course the makers, their craft skill and creativity is paramount to the success of their small but unique businesses although we also seen labels / brands which are more widely recognised through out the world. Famous labels / brands were present in some shops although we were looking primarily for more unique fashions which sometimes prove hard to find, especially for the hard to please.
We also visited very fine food establishments that were using produce from the local areas to sell or produce a most charming platter for the taste buds and of course then there is the rarely seen haggis, a small hairy animal which has 4 legs, 2 off which are shorter than the other 2 but on the same side of their bodies. It can rarely be seen, although if spotted it is almost certain that it will be running clockwise around the mountain sides and if you see one and shout the Haggis chant at it the Haggis will look around and in doing so, will be caught off balance and fall over, thus enabling you to catch one. Maybe !
Eating Haggis by boiling is the usual prefered cooking method, served along with Neeps (Turnip) and Tatties (Potato). The Haggis can also be eaten deep fried in a batter mix, as can the Mars bar, these foods should be available at the local chip shop ! Try it oooo.
Then it was on to our next mission of the holiday burn off the calories in the mountain climb !
A mountain which is at the very centre heart of Scotland, taking in to account latitude lines and longitude leads us to Schiehallion ( Fairy Hill of the Caledonians). When a hill in Scotland measures over 3000 feet or 914.4 metres in height it is refered to as a Munro, there are 283 Munros in Scotland. The Fairy hill of the Caledonians ( Schiehallion ) measures 1083 metres or 3553 feet in height. The vista from the top is tremendous with a panoramic view of Loch Rannoch and Loch Tummel not to mention the mountains 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and landscape. Breathtaking.
Attempting to climb were just 3 brave souls, the other 2 were trying to communicate to others via telephone or internet with various amounts of success and misfortune. The weather had been blue skies and hot, so in t-shirts we set off on the adventure climb, we were not even half way when i thought to myself, is that a tie-dye grey t-shirt my friend in front had worn but as we climbed higher i noticed the colour would darken on my friends t-shirt, so now convinced it was actually perspiration from effort i did not mention it as the more we climbed the more the colour change, it reminded me of the Stone-Island colour changing Ice Jackets. Eventually we reach the summit and now we can have a well deserved rest, actually no, because it has now started to pour with rain. So now soaked through we make our decent although one of us slipped at least 3 times in a fun capacity on the way down getting a wet bottom, not only did we have soaking wet t-shirts but our other garments were also as wet, lucky i was carrying a jacket but my trousers, shoes, underwear, all soaked from the rain deluge. Reaching the bottom we were filled with laughter when one person slipped and the other laughed but at the same time swallowed a swarm of the famous scottish Midge, coughing and laughing, a cocktail available only in Scotlands outdoors, we had such fun. So happy to have climbed rain or shine.
Today we are glamming up with the make up and wearing the new purchases, looking good and feeling good, well most of us anyway as the girls out vote the guys. We are having a relaxing look good, feel good, eat plenty carrot cake day, we visit local tourist attractions and places of interest. So we see one of the oldest living things in Europe ( Yew Tree), Healing Stone ( Cured Plague), Pontius Pilate (Birth Place).
Live and Learn.
Although we had chose to go to the Heart of Scotland, we did find love as expected from a heart. Scotland.
When in the remotest of places it was a sight to behold, the quietness with the awe of the scenery, the beauty of the countryside along side the people who were very pleasant and friendly, we seen some people carry their style wherever they go, good to see such an eclectic mix of humans in a remote location where the population is very low but people gather as this is the only shop for miles. Enabling me to scout the style stakes and i was not dissappointed. Scotstyle.
Conclusion to fashion in our adventure is Love is all Around.
