Islands, Sheep and One-Lane Roads

Last night we spent the night in the village of Glencoe. We enjoyed a little dinner and a pint then got ready for a nice slumber. Then the power went out. At first we thought that we, or someone in our B&B, had blown a fuse until we looked out of the window and saw that the whole village was dark, street lights and all. Frankly, as we were in bed and ready to sleep, having no power didn't matter, until I realized that no power meant no heat. Considering there is snow on the mountains, its raining and the winds are howling, yes it would be a very chilly night. Thankfully the power came on three or so hours later (I honestly have no idea when it came on, I just woke up and saw the light on, turned it off and went back to sleep). We found out this morning that the power outage was widespread through the whole northern part of Scotland, from our area in Glencoe all they way out to the Shetlands and Orkneys, and even out to Skye and the Western Isles. So about 10,000 square miles or so of Scotland was affected, but only 200,000 people. You really start to understand how remote this place is when something like a power outage occurs.

We shared our morning breakfast with the other two guests, Germans, who were hiking the West Highland Way, which is a 95 mile hike from Glasgow up through Glencoe and ends near Fort William. Perhaps on my next trip I will give it a try! We have met other hikers who are walking it and the views they experience are incredible. During breakfast Freddie, our hostess, gave us a history of Glencoe. The village of Glencoe lies in Glen Coe, but Glencoe is not the original name of the village. It was actually something else but when tourists started coming and looking for an actual village named Glencoe, they changed the town name. Glen Coe is of course famous for a massacre which occurred in 1692. 38 people were killed, men, women and children. Freddie said that the worst part of the massacre was when the women and children tried to flee into the mountains. It was winter and they froze to death. What is significant about this massacre is the amount of publicity it received. The Campbells had been guests of the MacDonalds for two weeks. Then, on the orders of the English and with English military support, they violated the Highland laws of hospitality. Campbells and English soldiers attacked and slaughtered the MacDonalds of Glen Coe. The Jacobites used this massacre to aid their cause of Scottish independence and published the story from the MacDonalds' perspective, which is rare since history is written by the victors. For once the victors were condemned worldwide for their actions. The English didn't want the world to know what they were doing...cleaning out the Highlands of Scottish resistance...ethnic cleansing. As such, the massacre at Glen Coe has been remembered for centuries from the MacDonalds' view, a tragic example. 

After touring Glen Coe we headed towards the Island of Mull. Since we wanted to take the ferry from Lochaline, we had to travel on a one lane road for about an hour. The road did have passing places which was nice. But it also had curves and it is virtually impossible to see if anyone or anything is coming. So, when we went around a corner and suddenly met a truck, one of us slammed on the brakes which sent everything flying forward, and the other exclaimed rather loudly and clutched her seat belt. We lived but I had to turn down the car temperature and roll down the window. The near death experience suddenly made things very toasty. Anyway, the drive was quite pretty as it ran along the coast. There were numerous sheep wandering around, in the road and on the side so there was a lot of, "Look out! There's a sheep in the road!" Some of the sheep were rather recalcitrant and sometimes it was a stare down between a sheep and our car. When the stubborn sheep reluctantly moved, it made sure to baa it's displeasure. After all, the road belonged to the sheep! 

We waited about 45 minutes for the ferry to Mull. They were only running the ferry once an hour. The water was incredibly choppy. In fact, the ferries from Oban to Mull were canceled. Crossing from Lochaline to Mull was very rocky, our car even jumped and jerked. I do not get seasick but even I felt a wee queasy because of the waves. Anyway, we got to Mull and guys, it was beautiful! We really hit it at the perfect time. The sun was shining, only a few clouds here and there. The water was such a deep blue and in some places, turquoise. The way the light and wind hit the water made it look like satin. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and gorgeous views to take a few short walks to various viewpoints. I think this could possibly be my favorite place in Scotland! Freddie told us something interesting about Mull. She had been telling us about Scottish Gaelic and how it is taught in schools but isn't widely spoken. The English did a good job of stamping it out. On the islands, however, it lasted longer. When the census takers came to Mull in the mid 1800s to record the residents, they were met by Gaelic speakers. But the census takers were Englishmen from London. They could neither speak nor understand Gaelic. So when the Mull residents gave the Englishmen their names, they gave them in Gaelic. Since the Englishmen couldn't understand or spell the names, they gave half the island the last name of Smith! So imagine trying to do ancestry research on Mull!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

High in the Misty Highlands

Family stories are great but they are just stories. Over time they can change, new details added or subtracted to make it more fantastic. We went to Bay Cottage in Balmaha because a cousin has a painting of the old MacGregor place on Loch Lomond and showed it to locals when she visited. Those locals pointed her to Bay Cottage. Our stay at Bay Cottage was very enlightening. We sat with Liz and talked about the cottage and the dye factory where my 4th great grandfather worked. The factory was torn down several years ago but there is a cottage next to it (and right smack next to Bay Cottage) that belonged to the factory. After examining some pictures and talking with Liz, we realized that perhaps it was the cottage next door that belonged to my ancestors not actually Bay Cottage. John was an acid man and it would make more sense if he lived in a cottage provided by the factory than in the cottage we stayed in which was built for the Duke of Montrose's ship captain or engineer. The family painting depicts an idyllic Scottish scene and excludes the reality: the dye factory, the logs, the workers' homes. From my understanding this painting was done by an artist who had never even been to Scotland. He used a postcard that a MacGregor family member had of the old home place. So how accurate is it? In any case, we know that John worked in the dye factory as an acid man here in Balmaha, census records prove that much. We also know that he lived next door so he either lived in that factory cottage or in Bay Cottage. Even if he didn't live in Bay Cottage, it is more than likely that the family was in Bay Cottage since the two were neighbors for about twenty years. Perhaps the land registry will give us more information! After breakfast this morning (side note, blood sausage was once again on my plate and it was delish, maybe I'm turning a corner!), we walked along the loch and took pictures of Bay Cottage and Balmaha Cottage (the factory cottage) since we know one of them was the old MacGregor home, as well as the rubble that was the dye factory. Balmaha Cottage will actually be demolished soon although they will keep up the one cottage wall that is next to Bay Cottage for history's sake. Then we went about a two miles down the road to the Buchanan parish church. It is likely that Margaret McLean, John's mother, died in Balmaha. She was 60 in the 1841 census and living with the MacGregors in Balmaha. So perhaps she is buried in the cemetery. We looked, but as we have noticed, many stones were so old we couldn't read the inscriptions and others were broken or had fallen over.

                Balmaha Cottage

                     Bay Cottage

Balmaha and Bay cottages, see how close they are together?

The dye factory was right where all this construction is behind the fence.

The view of Loch Lomond from the cottages. I can just picture little Elizabeth MacGregor playing along the shore or splashing her feet in the water!

Scotland may be famous for its haggis, bagpipes and kilts, but it is also famous for its whiskey and you can't visit Scotland and not have a wee taste! So, we went to the oldest whiskey distillery in Scotland, Glenturret, founded in 1775 in Crieff. Crieff is not too far from Balmaha, maybe a 30 minute drive. This distillery actually operated illegally for over 50 years. It wasn't legal to distill alcohol until the 1820s and the Glenturret distillery was perfectly placed up in the hills and in the trees, hidden from view. We went on a tour and it was interesting to see how whiskey is made. In order for the whiskey to be considered "Scottish," it has to be made on Scottish soil and aged in an oak cask for at least three years. As our guide explained, because of these regulations, Scottish whiskey has the best reputation in the world, but then again, he may be a wee biased! Glenturret is a small distillery and follows many of the traditional practices unlike larger distilleries which have modernized the process to make the production go faster. Also, since Scots are so thrifty, they give the grist and waste water to farmers, the grist to feed their animals, and the waste water to pour on their fields because it's high in nitrogen. Part of the tour involved two tastings. First we sampled the Glenturret single malt whiskey and then we had a choice of the various Famous Grouse blends. I chose to sample the Naked Grouse while dad chose the Black Grouse Alpha. The Black Grouse Alpha had a smoky flavor to it from the peat that is burned during the process. Neither of us found it as smooth or enjoyable as my sample of the Naked Grouse. Since we enjoyed the Naked Grouse and because we are in Scotland and because we are thrifty Scots at heart (and got a 10 pound discount), we got a bottle...for memory's sake of course!

After sampling Scotland's finest drink, we headed north to Glencoe, deep into the heart of the Highlands. I thought I had seen some spectacular scenery until we got north of Glen Orchy. The high mountains sweeping down into the glens was incredibly dramatic. I was glued to the window and demanded we stop as often as possible to gawk in awe at the incredible beauty. It got colder the higher up we went and it was quite windy. There was also fresh snow on some of the mountain peaks. These mountains are at least 3,000 feet tall. But they aren't "rocky" like the Alps. Sure, they have rocks but the slopes gracefully swoop down into the glens. Part of that has to do with age. These mountains are much much older than the Alps, millions of years older, and have been smoothed over time by nature's elements. They feel ancient. If you stand out there, it's hard not to glean a sense of spirituality about the place. There is nothing around. No civilization. It is quiet. All you can hear is the wind.

On the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

Part of doing genealogy is taking the paths less traveled. Sometimes that means walking on small trails in ankle deep mud and wading through thorn bushes. Allow me to explain how we got to this point today. Last night we drove towards Loch Lomond and Drymen. We were looking for a B&B and passed one. We decided to see if they had a room and drove down a little ways to turn around. As we drove, we passed a sign that said "Kilmaronock" and we went "what??" If you remember, my 4th great grandmother Janet Meickleham was born near Kilmaronock at a place called Woodend. The family later moved to a farm between Drymen and Balfron. The Kilmaronock we had gone to was down south by Glasgow and it didn't make sense for the family to live down there and then move all the way up into the Highlands to the Drymen area. So when we saw this new Kilmaronock in the highlands, we wondered! We went back to the B&B and got a room. We asked our hostess, Hilary, about the Kilmaronock sign we saw. She brought out a walking map of the area and told us we were in the former parish of Kilmaronok which was right next to Drymen! To make things more interesting, Hilary told us that the B&B was the old Kilmaronock school house, built in 1790. We looked at the map again and lo and behold, there was a cottage labeled "Woodend Lodge". Hilary said that she runs by that cottage every day and it is very old, as old as the B&B. What are the odds that we would stumble across another Kilmaronock, one that actually makes locational sense, and end up staying in a B&B that was actually the Kilmaronock school house and find an old house called Woodend? It was too coincidental, almost as if some divine ancestral intervention was taking place! After some quick record searching I found Janet's christening record and the place is listed as being Kilmaronock, Dumbartonshire, Scotland. The same Kilmaronock! This also means that because of the years, Janet probably went to school in that school house. So I spent the night where my 4th great grandmother went to school. How amazing is that? We vowed to go exploring the next day but since all explorers need sustenance, we traveled the few miles into Drymen for dinner and ate at the Clachan Inn. The Clachan is amazing in itself because it was founded in 1734 and is the oldest licensed inn in Scotland! Even more awesome is that it was originally opened by MacGregors! According to the local lore, those MacGregors who originally ran it were closely related to Rob Roy. The bar area is actually original from the 1700s. So we each had an ale and I settled for a delicious vegetable curry.

Our B&B and the old Kilmaronock school house.

The old Kilmaronock church where Janet was baptized.

     The Clachan, established 1734.

This morning Hilary served us the typical Scottish breakfast complete with blood sausage. Then we went exploring! We drove into Drymen and went to the local church. It was built in 1771 although a church has been on the site since at least the 11th century. This church is where Janet married Alexander Mitchell in the summer of 1817. Janet's parents are also buried in the cemetery. We walked around the cemetery but there were many stones that were so faded they were unreadable. We did find four Meiklems, probably related. Meickleham can be spelled in different ways. In fact, Janet's christening record and her marriage record have her last name as Mcilquham.

The Drymen church where Janet and Alexander married and where Janet's parents are buried.

Then we resolved to find the path to Woodend Lodge. We found a path that was labeled "path to home farm" so we followed it. We waded through mud, thorn bushes and some water before realizing this wasn't the right place to go. It did take us through some fields with a nice view of the hills. The sun was shining and the flowers blooming, so it was quite nice. We went back towards the Kilmaronock church and parked in the church parking lot. A field of sheep was next to it and they seemed rather perturbed that we were there. It was like a sheep domino effect. One would baa then another then another, and they were all staring at us. We realized we had parked too far away and went back past the baaing sheep, got into our car and drove further down to a pull out. We parked and walked a few yards towards the entrance to the path down to Woodend. It was a nice walk past some little ponds and fields. Woodend Lodge is at the far end of a gravel road, almost a mile from the main road. It is right next to a little river at the foot of a bridge. It is clear there has been some renovation as half of the cottage is from the 21st century, but the front of the cottage looks like it dates back to Janet's time. The style and structure are indicative of the late 18th century-early 19th century. We walked across the bridge and took in the view that Janet would have had as a child. She would have played along the river, run in the fields, and peered into the distance at the snow capped peaks. 

Woodend Lodge, the front part that dates back to Janet's time. 

      The view from Woodend Lodge. 

After exploring the Kilmaronock and Drymen area we went out towards Balfron. We took a wrong turn and suddenly saw a sign that said "Glenfoot Farm". Janet's family moved from Woodend to Glenfoot Farm. That is where her parents died. Then it passed into the possession of her sister and brother, both unmarried. We drove up the drive and saw a very old looking farm. Names don't change and buildings stay the same so the likelihood that this is the right place is incredibly high. We drove back a ways to get a better picture of the farm and then made our way to Loch Lomond.

                  Glenfoot Farm

Loch Lomond is famous and is the subject of perhaps one of the most well known Scottish ballads, The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. We found a trail that wound through the forest, up the hills, high above the loch. There were ruins on the way up. It was clear that it was once an extensive house or housing complex built of stone. There is a quarry a little ways away. Perhaps these ruins were a place for the workers to live. We continued on up the slope and made it to the top. Yes, we had to wade through some mud and brambles but the view was worth it!  It was beautiful! The loch, hills and islands, with the sun shining, so enchanting! In the middle of the loch there is an island which the MacGregors used as their burial ground. 

After our hike we went to our B&B, Bay Cottage. This cottage is special because it is where my great great great grandmother, Elizabeth MacGregor was born in the 1837. Elizabeth was the daughter of John and Jane MacGregor, remember them? John worked at the dye factory next door. His mother lived with them, presumably until her death. In 1852, the family immigrated to America. It is there that Elizabeth met Moses Meickleham Mitchell, the son of Janet Meickleham and Alexander Mitchell. Moses and Elizabeth were married in Binghamton, New York and then migrated to Canada where my great great grandmother, Jean Elizabeth Mitchell was born in 1858. She married another Scottish-Canadian, William James Russell and moved to Iowa. Their daughter, Elizabeth MacGregor Russell married Elmer Tow, the son of Norwegian immigrants, Andrew Town and Elen Sampson, remember them?  

The current owner of Bay Cottage is an older woman who is also named Elizabeth. When we arrived, she led us upstairs to our room and let us get settled while she prepared tea and scones for us in the sitting room. It felt so amazing to be able to sit, sipping tea and eating scones in the same house my ancestors lived. We told Liz about our connection to the house and our quest and she brought out several books about the area and suggested we visit several other MacGregor sites in addition to the Balmaha church. I can't express the feelings that are rushing through me. My ancestors lived here, they walked these paths, looked out at the lake (the cottage is right on Loch Lomond).

It's amazing. 

Cheers!

Elizabeth

View from Bay Cottage, same view my ancestors had when they lived here.

Roamin' in the Gloamin'!

Yesterday we left Callander and drove north to Balquhidder. Supposedly, this is the place where Alexander MacGregor aka Randy Sandy, was born. It is also supposedly where Rob Roy MacGregor, his wife and one of his sons are buried. Balquhidder actually belonged to the MacLaren clan. They took their name from an abbot, Labhran, who built the first church in Balquhidder on this site around 800 years ago. The MacLaren chiefs are buried within the old church's walls. In the 1500s, as the MacGregors were pushed out of their lands by Campbells, they moved into the Balquhidder area. Rob Roy MacGregor is perhaps the most famous MacGregor and lived in Balquhidder towards the end of his life. He was an outlaw, a Scottish Robin Hood. In 1734 he engaged his neighbor in a duel after a dispute over land. He later died of his wounds. It is unclear where exactly Rob Roy is buried. Early Victorian accounts talk about a funeral in Balquhidder on New Year's Day 1735. Other sources report his death but not the funeral. The flat stones that mark his grave here in the church are ancient, much older than him. Local tradition says Rob Roy may be buried in the MacGregor burial ground on an island in Loch Lomond or perhaps in Glengyle on the shores of Loch Katrine. Balquhidder is connected to Loch Lomond by the Bealach nan Corp, the Pass of the Corpses, a route used by MacGregors to carry their dead further west to their old homeland. Nevertheless, the "grave" has inscriptions to Rob Roy, his wife and his two youngest sons. The old church dates to 1631 and is in ruins while the new church, which is next to the old church, dated to 1855.

             Rob Roy's "grave"

Note the plaid ribbons tied to the railing.

      The old Balqhidder church, 1631.

After Balquhidder we traveled to Loch Earn to see the site where Alexander MacGregor and Margaret McLean worked as servants in Achray House. Then we went deep into the highlands, to the very heart of MacGregor territory. The first thing I noticed as we traveled further in is that the signs were bilingual, English and Gaelic! Side note, the BBC has a Scottish Gaelic network called BBC Alba.

Our destination was Dalmally in Glen Orchy. This is the heart of the MacGregor homeland. Starting in 1390, all the MacGregor clan chiefs were buried here in the church. Three raised stone coffins situated near the altar were found in which it is believed the MacGregor chiefs were placed. One of which is possibly my ancestor, Iain Camm. According to tradition he was buried in the church on the north side of the High Altar in 1390, the first burial. Iain was the second MacGregor chief. The church is actually on an island between the rivers Orchy and Orchy Bheag. The current church was built in 1810 on the site of two earlier churches and is rather unusual because it is in the shape of an octagon. What is interesting about the graveyard is that there are stone slabs that date back to Medieval times which are decorated in the Highland style with warriors in armor and other Celtc designs. Such designs are the same as those that decorated the graves of MacGregor chiefs and their kinsmen. 

The Dalmally church is also associated with St. Conan and there is a well nearby that is sacred to the locals. We tried to find it but had little success. Instead we drove up the hill and through Dalmally. We saw a sign to a monument and thought, "why not!" As we climbed up the mountain and the road got more narrow and less, well, less road-like, and with the monument nowhere in sight, I started to wonder if it even existed! We passed by a young man walking his dogs, I suggested we ask him about the monument but as I was ready to roll down the window, the young man smiled and winked at me, and my ever watchful father decided that was unacceptable and stepped on the gas. So we climbed and climbed and suddenly we broke through the trees and saw high on a hill, a monument. We pulled off to the side and walked up the path. The monument was dedicated to Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (1724-1812), one of the most renown Scottish Gaelic poets who was born here in Glen Orchy. The view from the monument was spectacular! You could see for miles! The forests, the snow capped peaks, the glens, and the lochs!

After taking in the glorious views, we made our way back down the hill and drove along Loch Awe. Then we saw the ruins of a castle! Kilchurn Castle was built about 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell, first lord of Glen Orchy. In 1500, additional structures were added. The castle was on an island in the loch but now because of water levels it is connected to the mainland. Toward the end of the 16th century and into the early part of the 17th century, the MacGregors occupied the castle, appointed as keepers of it by the Campbells since they (the Campbells) were spending their time elsewhere. When the proscription went into effect against the MacGregors, the Campbells retook the castle. During the Jacobite uprisings, the castle was used as a government garrison. In 1760, a violent storm damaged the castle. A bolt of lightening struck the tower, which now lies upside down in the courtyard. After that, the castle was abandoned. Perhaps it was an act of divine intervention on behalf of the MacGregors?

Cheers!

Elizabeth

Scandal in the Highlands!

By now you should realize that my ancestors have a tendency to get on the wrong side of the law. My MacGregor ancestors are no different and the old Aberfoyle church was the site of several events that were....well, scandalous! The year is 1802 and the place is Achray House on Loch Earn. The proscription against the MacGregor clan had been lifted for 28 years. Young Alexander MacGregor was in his mid-twenties working as a servant in Achray House. He was born around the time the proscription was lifted, so between 1774 and 1778. His parentage is unknown. One day a young woman catches his eye, another servant on the estate. Her name is Margaret McLean. She is perhaps a little younger than Alexander. He charmed her, perhaps took her for a little stroll along Loch Earn or up into the hills amongst the sweet smelling heather. One thing led to another and...a few months later Margaret realized she is pregnant. She probably tried to hide it for as long as possible until her condition became too noticeable, perhaps around the 7th month of pregnancy, and someone spilled the beans. The kirk finds out and calls young Margaret to appear before the Kirk session and it went something like this...here is a note from the session minutes along with several others explaining what happened.

Aberfoyle 10th March 1803

Compeared Voluntarily Margret McLean Late servant in Auchray confessing herself to be with child. The Moderator having solemnly exhorted her to declare the truth and nothing but the truth, interrogated her as the Father if the Child, and she declared that she has no father but Alex[ande]r McGregor at present servant in Auchray-the Session therefore order their Officer to summon the said Alex[ande]r McGregor to compeer before them next Lord's day to give his Answer to the above charge and Margaret McLean is summoned apud acta to compeer at the same time. Closed with prayer.

17th April 1803

The Session being met and constituted Alex[ande]r McGregor being called in consequence of his commons compeared and the above Minute being read to him; he was suitable exhorted by the Moderator and interrogated: he frankly acknowledged his guilt with Margaret McLean: the Session therefore find him to be the father of the Child; and leave the discipline which he is to undergo, for further Consideration. Closed with prayer.

8th May 1803

This day Alex[ande]r McGregor was rebuked the first time in presence of the Congregation for his sin of fornication with Margaret McLean and ordered to continue in profession of repentance. The Session agree that he is to stand Another public rebuke [and] to pay a fine of 5 Sterling for the poor besides Clerk's and Beadle's dues.

15th May 1803

Alex[ande]r McGrefor having paid the fine formerly agreed upon by the Session was this day publicly rebuked the second time for his son of fortification with Margaret McLean, and after suitable exhortations for the Moderator he was absolved from the Scandal.

10th July 1803

This day Margaret McLean was rebuked the first time for her sun of fornication with Alexander McGregor and ordered to continue in the profession of her repentance. The Session ordered her to pay a fine of 5 Sterling and to come before the congregation another day to be rebuked [and] absolved.

31st July 1803

This day Margaret McLean was rebuked the second time for her sin of fornication with Alex[ande]r McGregor: She having paid a fine of 5 Sterling with the Clerk's and Beadle's dues, was suitable exhorted by the Moderator to walk circumspectly for the future and absolved from the Scandal.

So Margaret and Alexander had to appear before the church congregation to be publicly humiliated and condemned for their actions. Also, 5 Sterling is 5 pounds which was ALOT of money back then, especially for a servant. Also, their child, my great great great great grandfather, John MacGregor was born May 13, 1803 and was baptized the same day his father was publicly rebuked the second time and absolved of the scandal. Alexander and Margaret never married. Alexander also didn't seem to learn his lesson as he appeared before the Kirk session again in 1810 for once again fathering a child out of wedlock with a different woman. The child was a girl and baptized Catherine. Then he decided to finally get married to another woman, Jane, with whom he had an additional 6 or so children. In 1818 he immigrated to Canada with his family. He did maintain contact with John as is evident by letters. Margaret never married at all, the scandal probably ruined her reputation and deemed her unsuitable. Later, John also appeared before the Kirk session for a similar reason as his parents. He married Jane Robertson in the fall of 1827 in the Aberfoyle church. Then in 1828, they were fined because their first child arrived two months too early. In other words, they were fined for conceiving out of wedlock even though they did marry. 

    The ruins of old Aberfoyle church

The next day (today), we drove to Loch Earn and found Achray House, where Margaret McLean and Alexander MacGregor worked as servants and met. It is now a hotel, but some parts of it did indeed look quite old. Loch Earn was beautiful and we enjoyed going around it, especially since the weather was absolutely gorgeous! Although, the driver did decide to take a one lane almost dirt road which panicked the navigator slightly, especially when another car came from the opposite direction. But all's well ends well!

Cheers!

Elizabeth

                 Auchray House

                     Loch Earn

         Driving along the lake

The Trossachs

We arrived in the southern uplands of Scotland on Friday night. We stayed in a little B&B in a little village called Thornhill. Our hosts were Leif and Hanne Gronberg. Sounds Scottish, right? The Vikings did make quite a few trips to Scotland and left their mark in more ways than one! For dinner we walked around the corner to a little cafe. Dad decided on the fish and chips while I went for the Scotch pie and chips. I have no idea what kind of meat was in my pie and perhaps it's better I don't know. It was either that or the haggis pizza. Yes, you read that right, haggis pizza. I do like haggis and I do like pizza, but together? Sorry, I'm not that adventurous! Why ruin two good dishes? The next morning Leif and Hanne served us breakfast. I opted for muesli and the vegetarian scrambled egg dish while dad practically broke out his ancestor's tartans and had the full Scottish breakfast which included haggis. I confess, I did sneak a bite. Then we began our drive north toward Kilmaronock. Supposedly, my great great great great grandmother, Janet Meickleham, was born on her family's farm called "Woodend" around 1790. Her parents were James Meickleham and Jane McOnat. James was a laird and was called Laird Meickleham. Later the family moved to "Glenfoot Farm" between Drymen and Balfron. I find it odd that they would have made such a journey since it is a good distance between Kikmaronock and the Drymen-Balfron area, perhaps there is another Kimaronock closer to Drymen, just like the other small towns we have stumbled across! We drove around Kilmaronock and the surrounding areas and then decided to continue up to the Highlands by driving along the coast. Since this part is sheltered, there are no dramatic cliffs or crashing waves but the houses that line the shore are quaint. We almost reached Port of Glasgow when we hit a massive traffic jam. Nothing was moving so we went around the roundabout and the navigator aka me quickly tried to find another road that would get us to Glasgow. As seems to be the case when I pick the roads, we ended up on a windy, hilly, narrow road. But we got to Glasgow! I really don't have anything to say about Glasgow. It's an industrial city and in my opinion, doesn't have the historical charm that Stirling or Edinburgh have. Once we got out of Glasgow we headed into our ancestors' homeland, the Scottish Highlands! We drove around for about three hours, up the glens and down the glens, looking for a place to spend the night and ended up at a little B&B in Callander run by Mary and Davie. Then we went I search of food. It was incredibly windy, so as a sign came crashing down and I noted my walking difficulties as well as the inability to keep my eyes open, I turned to my dad and said that the restaurant we had passed was good enough. What is interesting about the pubs is that they are advertising that they sell "real ales". It seems that "real ales" are British beers in contrast to foreign beers like Stella Artois or, heaven help us, Budweiser. So if you ask for a beer, you will get two choices, a real ale or a lager. Of course, as any anthropologist would probably tell you, by saying they have "real ales", they are legitimizing their brand of beer as opposed to the "other's"...like when in British news you see that the continent is isolated because of fog...get it?

Before we went to bed, Davie asked us about breakfast. He wanted to know if we had any of those "strange" diets like being a vegetarian. He looked so frightened at the prospect of cooking anything but a full Scottish breakfast that we both agreed we would have one. Davie was relieved. So, the next morning we came down to breakfast and started with cold cereal. Then Davie brought out the hot breakfast plate. I recognized everything on it except for the one big black circular haggis-like sausage looking object. We thought it might be haggis, but after tasting it, realized it wasn't. Turns out that it was blood sausage. I still ate it, although warily, and I can't say that I would voluntarily order it. 

After we washed down the blood sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast with tea, we set out to explore the Trossachs. The weather was typically Scottish, cloudy with a light misty rain. We found a trail that went along Loch Ard so off we went! It was a pretty forested trail with some nice lookouts into the valley. I could even see snow on the tops of some of the hills. There was one small path that led up a steep slope through the forest. Everything was a brilliant green, the forest floor covered in moss. It looked so mystical, I half expected to see fairies emerge from the logs and rocks, or maybe Mordu, the bear from Brave! There were also some boggy places and I almost lost my right shoe and sock. This trail really provided the chance to become one with nature, so to speak. 

As we finished our hike the rain started coming down harder so we decided to drive around to the next hike spot along Loch Katrine and wait. Well, it didn't let up so we decided to begin visiting ancestral sites, starting with the town of Aberfoyle and the MacGregors.....to be continued.

Cheers!

Elizabeth