We've had a great final leg of the trip. After landing in Scotland, we headed straight for the highlands and found ourselves deep in the heart of the country at Loch Rannoch, down 17 miles of narrow winding roads next to a beautiful lake surrounded by mountains. We wandered around the town of Stirling, famous for William Wallace's big battle for freedom and explored the grounds of Blair Castle. We paddled ducky rafts at Loch Tay and did the hokey pokey in our boats before strapping them together and trying to race across the flotilla. After some free time in St. Andrews, we headed to a nearby town and had a golf lesson. Loch Ness was beautiful, but it was too choppy for Nessie to appear. Students had a blast trying out some of the highland games. We visited a sheep farm, watched the collies do their work, tried shearing sheep the old-fashioned way, and spent a lot of time cuddling puppies.
Yesterday we drove down to Edinburgh, walked most of the Royal Mile, spent some time in Edinburgh Castle, checked out the tartan factory where weavers were operating the looms, and arrived at our hostel. Alan Torrence of the Skein clan gave a fascinating two hour talk on Scottish history and battle practices. Our students were enthralled by his presentation--complete silence and focus for the entire evening and more great questions.
We're waiting to check in for our flight after a very brief night of sleep. Here's to smooth travels and timely arrivals. Barring any travel delays, we'll call when we land in Minneapolis from the tarmac. We'll clear customs and immigration and come out at the far end of baggage claim at the international arrivals. Enjoy a few final pictures, and we'll see you later today!
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