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A massacre and a gaelic island!

From Wild in Scotland in Kyleakin, United Kingdom on Oct 26 '05

Barmy Army has visited 1 place in Kyleakin
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From the glen of Glen Coe, you can smell the falling souls.
From the glen of Glen Coe, you can smell the falling souls.
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On our way to Skye!

Ciamar a tha sibh?

Oh man! After all that boozing last night...I nearly forgot that I was actually King of Scotland there was no need for that half past seven wake up call by Chris. He was so excited by the day's travel that he forgot to brew is tea! We had to stop five minutes in our day for Chris' brew! I went for the scottish anti-hangover IRN-Bru! It's working but the only problem is that you can stop burping and the burping always brought back the memory of to many John Smith's! Last night, I was sitting at the pub and I ordered a pint and I found out that the guy serving it was a crazy canuck like me! So we went on boozing all night with some Oban Inn's free drinks! I was sitting right next to the "captain" (see my previous journals) and nearly took is place as the "pub drunk"! I said nearly!!!

Darling, where's the boat?
Darling, where's the boat?
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So here we were on the road again, on our way to Isle of Skye. I wasn't as excited as Chris about going there but only don't change their minds! Our first stop was Stalker Castle. As we parked in a very nice car park I must say, I've asked Chris what the hell are we doing? Just waking up from a little nap! Se the smallest castle in Scotland...Really? I always tought that people with enough money to built a castle should build it very big! Not that Appin chap! He build a shed on an island! I was dreaming about the situation were that guy and his wife wondering where there boat was! Silly I know but who would ever want to build a castle on an island nearly as big as the castle!

This is my hunting house!
This is my hunting house!
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After realizing that rich people were not as clever as they should, we took the road for Glen Coe. We passed by some wonderfull glen and loch. We finally reach our second destination. Glen Coe probably the most famous glen in all Scotland. Here on the night of the 12 february, the Campbell received orders to kill all MacDonalds under seventy years of age at 5 am the next morning. In the early hours of a cold winter's morning the soldiers rose from their beds and set about the massacre of their hosts, with whom they had been living on friendly terms. It was this act of treachery in response to hospitality that makes this massacre such a heinous crime. Although only forty were killed, many more escaped to the hills only to die of hunger and exposure. You can simply feel something when you walk on those hills. As I was sitting on a rock reflecting on the story Chris just told me, he began singing the scottish national anthem. I don't have any scottish ancestors but I felt the same way as if my dad woud have been kill here. It was very intense. Chris didn't say a word until we were closing on to a pub to go for a pint. He suddently ask me if I had any Campbell running in my blood! I said no as my ancestors where from England. I realize why when we opened the pub's door. In big letters you could read : "No hawkers or Campbells". Thank god! We had a couple pints before we continue our way to Skye.

Where next?
Where next?
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As we were approaching Skye, we made our last stop on the mainland to see my hunting retreat, the Eilean Donan Castle. Not a lot to say about the castle because it's the most touristic castle in Scotland. This castle was built by the MacRae clan. The castle you see presently was built on the foundation of the original castle in the 1912. Personally, it's not my type of castle! You should see in next journal the castle I like.

We arrived in Kyleakin around 8pm and I was gonna be Frodo for the night! Every bed in the hostel has a name! Went back to the pub and drank too much agAIN!

The mighty Cuillin Hill
The mighty Cuillin Hill
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Taking in the island culture

After another good night of boozing, playing pool and meeting a whole town in the pub, we were back to the travelling part! For the first morning of the whoe trip, I was the first one up! Which means that I need to go in town to find a place to have breakfast. No luck! Every souls of that town were in the pub last night and they didn't want to wake this morning! So the sausage BAP would have to wait a bit! An hour late, we where on the road to An t-Äth Leathann! Where in hell are we? No worries mate! I heard Chris. It's scottish! I tought, the guy in glasgow, the pub drunk in oban, and you were speaking scottish! No mate! It's actually celtic the old scottish! Great! I can't say a feckin' word! Don't worry mate, people can speak scottish english! Thank God again! A part from the language, Skye is what I tought was Scotland. Beautiful scenery, wide space, sheeps, etc. It was WOW!

Can you free up the "passing place"?
Can you free up the "passing place"?
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Our first stop was on the foothills of the Cuilins Hill. where Chris forced me to plunge my head in the river that came from the mountains. It's supposed to be giving everybody that drinks it the eternal youth! GREAT! Forever young!

As we approach the two famous natural wonders of Skye we were stuck in a Skye rush hour...Sheeps time! Chris parked the car on the "passing place" (you need to know that every road in Skye is single lane so at every 1k there are some place to overtake). And we try to shag some sheeps! Great time! I was so close that I had a piece of is fur on between my finger! We will see you soon...SHEEPS!

Rush hour on Skye!
Rush hour on Skye!
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We saw those two wonders, the Old Man Storr (nothing more than two rocks standing close to a cliff) and the Kilt Rock (nothing more than a big waterfall).

After all the those touristic stuff we went for a little hike up the Quiraing! It was very impressive to see the mainland and the sea.

We went back late to the hostel, just in time to have my 4th fish n' chips and some more booze! Another great day!


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