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It is hard to believe, sitting in bed at our last Bed and Breakfast, watching the first episode of the first season of Outlander air on U.K. telly, that our time in Scotland is up. These past three weeks have been a whirlwind of amazing experiences, incredible stories, lots of laughs, our fair share of rain, several driving-related heart attacks, and so much more.

Alas, our only full day in Edinburgh was freezing and pouring rain, so it was pretty nasty weather for exploring. The crowds were also extreme (it seemed all the tour buses were at the Royal Mile the same time we were), so we ended up not going to the main sites. I did, however, get to go in The Elephant House, the cafe known as the “birthplace of Harry Potter” where J.K. Rowling did quite a lot of writing. For the Potter nerd that I am, that was quite a fun little detour.

The last two days had quite a lot of adventuring, and we have quite a lot to thank Outlander for in introducing us to spectacular places we would otherwise have not discovered. Not only did we visit the amazing Drummond Castle Gardens as a result of the books and show, but we also made stops at Doune Castle, Midhope Castle, and Falkland.

Doune Castle was one of the highlights of this past week for me (other than Glencoe), as it is an authentic medieval stronghold that is still intact (inside and out). You can explore the entire thing, including squeezing through dark passageways, spiral stone stairwells lit only by small windows, and even the bedrooms and privies of historic lords and ladies. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I saw where the Duke of Albany shat.

After exploring the castle (which, by the way, has an audio tour partially narrated by none other than Sam Heughan, our one and only Jamie Fraser, and also happens to be not only an Outlander filming site (Castle Leoch), but also a Monty Python and the Holy Grail Filming Site), we headed up to the village of Falkland. Used as Inverness in Outlander, and then as the backstreet in Edinburgh near which Alex Randall spent his last days, the village is a lovely old town with a charming cafe and very charming locals. We had a nice, quick lunch there, and then buzzed down to Midhope Castle, which is the ruins of a castle from the 16th century used as Lallybroch in Outlander.

We had truly awful weather the last few days of the trip, even for Scotland (as we have constantly been told by the locals), but we got through it all smiling. The real test will be whether we can survive a cramped eleven hour flight tomorrow and still be smiling, but we’ve heard the adjustment is easier going back to the states with regards to the time change. Still… considering it’s 10:30pm and I’m ready to go to sleep and it’s only 3:30 back at home, it might take a bit.

Scotland and Ireland, thank you for the trip of a lifetime. I will be back.

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Beannachd Leibh, Scotland It is hard to believe, sitting in bed at our last Bed and Breakfast, watching the first episode of the first season of Outlander air on U.K.

Culloden is a name known well by any who have studies Scottish or the UK’s history. The final, bloody battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, also the last pitched battle ever to be fought on British soil, began in the early morning on April 16th, 1746. It lasted only an hour, but the casualties were drastic; the Jacobites, battered by heavy artillery, first roundshot, then grapeshot, then sword and bayonet when the lines met, lost over 1,000 men, while the British, led by the Duke of Cumberland, lost only 50. Many more were wounded.

The battle marked the end of an era for Scotland; after the bloodshed was over, many Highlanders were hunted down and killed. Those that escaped with their lives were forced to give up any weapons, and the possession of tartan or kilt was outlawed throughout Britain.

Culloden Battlefield to this day is a place that demands respect for the tragedy that unfolded. The visitor centre and museum has a very informative walkthrough of the history surrounding the battle on both sides, including a staged video of how the battle unfolded. It is a very sobering experience, as is walking the battlefield and seeing the memorial stones for all the clans slaughtered. The rain, for once, seemed to suit the location today.

On a more cheerful note, we spent last night in Inverness and got to explore the city a little, as well as visiting Loch Ness and Clava Cairns this morning. We also got to visit Drummond Castle Gardens on our way down to Stirling – the gardens are of French design, closely mimicking parts of the Versailles Gardens in Paris. They are similar enough, in fact, that the castle gardens were used for the filming of Outlander during the scenes that took place at “Versailles”. The grounds and gardens were gorgeous, and it was very nice being able to walk around after several hours in the car (and a sobering morning).

I will leave you with some pictures. Adieu till tomorrow!

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The Jacobites’ Last Stand Culloden is a name known well by any who have studies Scottish or the UK's history. The final, bloody battle of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, also the last pitched battle ever to be fought on British soil, began in the early morning on April 16th, 1746.

Over the Sea to Skye

Fairy Glens, beaches, mountains, rivers, and a whole lot of midges; what else can you ask for? We spend two nights and a full day on Skye – definitely not enough time! Even though we didn’t get to experience the full splendor of it, especially due to the amount of tourists (Skye, as we unfortunately learned after our trip was planned, is a place where you need multiple days and good hiking boots…

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Welcome to the Highlands

Ahh. The Scottish Highlands. This part of the world is truly a place of staggering beauty. From the splashes of sunlight on windblown, cloudy moors to raging waterfalls and green, green, and more green. It is as though you are gazing at the landscape through green-tinted glasses, the pictures you take seeming so unreal you check twice to make sure you didn’t put a filter on it.

Glencoe, Scotland…

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It is with more than a small bit of sadness that I write this post, concluding the Ireland portion of our trip. The last two weeks have been truly incredible, and I have been given more fond memories than I can count, of places, people, and yes, certainly of horses. Lots has happened in the last 14 days: legally ordering alcohol for the first time, getting to know another culture, and driving on the left side of the road with frequent growls of “Mom, get right, you’re going to hit the wall!”, not to mention galloping on the beach, swimming with horses, jumping one of the most amazing mares I’ve ever ridden, and exploring insanely beautiful places on horseback. I could go on, but if I did that run-on sentence would get far more cringe-worthy.

The last few days have been spent exploring the Beara Peninsula, including taking a cable car out to Dursey Island and hiking to the head. There was a bit of a misunderstanding with regards to said hike – Mom thought it was a 1.4 K easy hike; turns out it’s a 14 K hike. Oops. We made it though, had lunch packed, and got to soak in a lot of impressive views. We also got to wander about the village of Eyeries, visit the Hag of Beara, and drive over Healy Pass (talk about scary roads and breathtaking scenery) this morning on our way back to Kenmare.

After a walk through Glengariff Woods on the way, we stopped at the Ewe Experience, which is an interpretive sculpture garden set outdoors in a wonderful wooded setting. It was designed and built by a couple (an artist and a writer) and is the only such exhibit of its kind in the world. The uniqueness is clear when visiting and walking the nature trail the different sculptures and scenes lie along, and the detail put into the work is stunning.

As a whole, Ireland has been one breathtaking day after another, and I will certainly be returning here one day (hopefully to do the ride again!). There was a lot we didn’t end up doing, for various reasons (The Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher being the main ones – we decided that because our time was short, we would prefer the less-traveled routes to the main tourist destinations), but what’s the fun in not having a few things left to come back for!

Scotland is now calling, and we will be getting on a short flight to Edinburgh in the morning. I hope you all don’t get too sick of the words “breathtaking”, “scenery”, “gorgeous”, or any other similar statements, because expect to hear them quite a lot over the next few days. Glencoe, Fort William, and Isle of Skye will no doubt have me lost for words.

Thank you all for reading this blog, and staying updated on our trip! I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I’ll write soon from Scotland!

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Ireland, Fare Thee Well It is with more than a small bit of sadness that I write this post, concluding the Ireland portion of our trip.

It seems like only yesterday I was dreaming about this ride, and now I am still surprised at how fast the week flew by. For any horse people reading this blog, if you ever get the opportunity to visit Ireland, the Connemara Trail with Willie Leahy is one of the best rides you will ever do in your life. The horses, a mix of Irish Hunters and Connemara’s, are amazing and didn’t take one wrong step, even on the roughest terrain, Willie Leahy and the rest of the Dartfield crew are amazing, the trails are amazing, the scenery is amazing–I could go on, and on, and on. Connemara is a land of true, wild beauty, and this ride captures all aspects of it.

From Monday – Friday we rode through varying landscapes and terrains, from verdant woods to wet, rocky bogs, steep mountain passes, and the rugged Connemara Coast. Every day had something different, and it was an experience that is hard to put into words. Pictures don’t do it complete justice either, but they can speak to some of what you see on the trail. Each day we had lunch and hot tea brought to us on the trail, and every night we were driven to our accommodations where a hot meal and comfy bed were waiting. Needless to say, we weren’t left wanting.

Though every day of the ride was an adventure in and of itself, the two that stood out where Thursday and Saturday. For those of you who have read my previous post, you’ll know that Thursday was spent on the beaches on Mannin Bay, galloping along the white sands and being gifted the opportunity to swim bareback with our horses. Despite the frigidness of both water and air, it was a truly unforgettable experience, and a day I will always remember.

Saturday, in contrast but no less exhilarating, was spent on the expansive grounds of Dartfield, Willie’s equestrian center, trail riding as well as jumping the cross country course. I was put on a lovely young mare named Bellatrix for the day, and got to experience a wide variety of cross country jumps, including ditches, banks, logs, tires, water combinations, and stone walls. There were several terrifying moments (mostly looking at the jump I was about to go over and thinking I was insane), but it ended up being one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences I’ve had riding.

The ride wouldn’t have been so amazing if it wasn’t for our guide, Willie Leahy, the two others from Dartfield who rode with us, Lee and Declan, and the experienced, surefooted, and well-trained horses we all rode. We also had a great group of riders, including a couple and another woman from England, a woman from Germany, a mother and daughter pair from Indiana, and a family from Arizona.

It’s been two days since we said farewell to the rest of the ride crew and our horses, and I’m already itching to be back in the saddle. Perhaps in Scotland…

We’re now down in the Beara Peninsula at a cozy B&B, where we spend the next two days before heading back up north to catch our flight to Edinburgh on Thursday.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures from the ride – I know there are a lot, but I couldn’t decide which ones were best so I ended up posting most of the good ones!

More updates to come as we continue our travels.

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Connemara on Horseback It seems like only yesterday I was dreaming about this ride, and now I am still surprised at how fast the week flew by.

The Wild Beauty of Connemara

I have returned! My apologies for the multiple day delay; I haven’t had the energy or time to write a post in the last couple days!

Our week long Connemara Trail ride began on Monday, and it has been an incredible week so far. We have traversed mountains, squelched through bogs, slid through mud, galloped along beaches, and gone swimming in the ocean. My horse is a lovely (and huge) Irish Hunter…

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If you ever wondered what it is like to live like royalty, visit Ashford Castle for Afternoon Tea. Definitely the highlight of this trip so far; we had a lazy morning and got to the castle around an hour before our scheduled “tea time”, which gave us enough time to wander about and explore the grounds. Talk about gorgeous and expansive – Ashford Castle sits on a 300 acre estate that is full of trails, woodlands, a loch, and quite a lot of old castle outbuildings. The castle itself is enormous (thus the million pictures I took; I tried to condense them but only got down to forty something – sorry!), and has been used as filming locations in quite a few movies and TV Shows, the latest being the Reign show.

I won’t bore your with the history of the estate and the castle, though it is fascinating if you want to look it up. Our highlight of the visit was Afternoon Tea, which was, to understate things, grand. After being seated in an ornate tea room overlooking the castle grounds, we were brought pots of the teas of our choice (poured into china cups, naturally, with sugar cubes and silver spoons), a three-tiered display of finger sandwiches, pastries, and other assorted goodies, and last but definitely not least a platter of freshly made scones complete with cups of clotted cream, strawberry jam, and lemon custard. Talk about eating too much.

It was all delicious, and I had to stop myself from laughing a few times with sheer incredulity of the fanciness of it all; it made me wonder how the guests (who pay over $700 for a one night stay) are treated!

We attempted to work off some of our delicious overindulgences with a lovely walk through the estate, despite the rain, and finally had to bid farewell in order to drive to Galway City in time to return our rental car. Six hours later, and I am still full from all the treats (but also undeniably still somewhat in bliss).

Tomorrow is our ride, and we have our saddlebags packed, riding boots and pants out, and bags packed. We’re meeting the rest of our ride group at 10:00 in the morning at the hotel we are staying at, and we will be off on the main adventure of this trip. The weather is supposed to be a balmy 58 degrees with a considerable amount of wind and rain, so it should be a very pleasant start to six hours in the saddle tomorrow. The good news? We have layers, and more layers, and raincoats and rain pants! We are set!

With that all said, I must bid adieu for now, and leave you with way too many pictures of the castle and our tea experience to hold you over till I write a saddlesore post tomorrow evening.

Until then!

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Did Someone Say Ashford Castle? If you ever wondered what it is like to live like royalty, visit Ashford Castle for Afternoon Tea.

From Dublin to Connemara

I am writing this post sitting in front of a balcony overlooking the Connemara coast and the wild waters of a wind-blown ocean, slightly in awe by the beauty that surrounds us here. We are staying near Clifden at the Dolphin Beach House B&B tonight, and could not have chosen a more scenic or welcoming location.

Today we had our first hair-raising experience of driving on the left (in a manual, as…

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Welcome to Ireland

We have arrived!

I am lying in a surprisingly comfortable hotel bed Friday morning writing this post, listening to the pitter patter of rain outside and looking forward to Andersons Creperie for a late breakfast.

The flight was brutally long, as expected, but there were several highlights, including a very nice (and good looking) young Irish flight attendant who just so happened to give me my…

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patronusmeaning-blog

Patronus Analysis 019 The Weasel

Those with this patronus tend to be ruled by instincts and very intuitive.

It has been assumed by some that those with the weasel Patronus are Sly and Cunning but this could not be more incorrect. People with the weasel are often friendly, polite and honest.

Those with the weasel are uniquely perceptive, often understanding things about those around them without having to be told. They make excellent detectives due to having such a curious nature and being so in tune with their surroundings.

Another good trait of those who have the weasel is a hard working attitude. Always ready to lend a hand, it is likely they enjoy whatever task is at hand.

Those with the weasel often excel in most of what they do, although they always remain modest about this.

If this is your patronus, you share it with Arthur Weasely. This Patronus is often found in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.

fuckyeahrichardrankin

The current state of RR’s beard.

vlucan

typical.

e-mfh

“I’m glad he doesn’t respect me”

aheapofgarbage

simonwang

my friend showed me this video of his pet donkey greeting him when he returned home from college after a few months and you just have to watch it RIGHT NOW

otterologist-blog

Oh my god I thought this was going to be cute and heart warming and yeah it is but holy shit please turn the sound on I’m fucking dying

whistlestop-cafe

Introducing Sam Heughan - Barbour’s First Global Brand Ambassador

“I have a great passion for the company and their employees that feels more like I’ve been welcomed into their extended family. I very much look forward to designing my own capsule collection based on this ethos and to representing the brand in the UK, the US and internationally.” - Sam Heughan

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