{"id":330,"date":"2026-10-05T17:08:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T17:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/?p=330"},"modified":"2026-10-05T17:08:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T17:08:59","slug":"back-on-the-scottish-mainland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/?p=330","title":{"rendered":"Back on the Scottish Mainland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In which Lis visits another arctic friend and retraces<\/em> her steps.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The morning I left Orkney there were gale force winds. The ferry crew warned that it was going to be a rough crossing. And it was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once back on land I took a bus from Scrabster to Inverness. The bus ride along the northern peninsula went through some of the most beautiful villages I’ve ever seen. I absolutely love Scottish kirks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once in Inverness I checked into my hostel and then went for a little walk around along the river before succumbing to hunger – and as it was a Sunday afternoon, most places were closed until the supper hour or only had pub food, and I was craving greens and fruit. So I ended up getting some groceries and eating at the hostel. The people there were lovely…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until a few hours after I went to sleep an extremely drunk guy stumbled into his bunk in the shared dorm and made my life very uncomfortable with his hiccups, etc. I didn’t sleep very well. And when I used the toilets in the middle of the night I discovered that only one stall in the entire shared women’s loo had toilet paper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the morning, after a not-very-restful night, I got up to meet Marie for breakfast. Marie is the only one of my arctic friends abroad who I met in Iqaluit (not Inuvik). We had a grand chat, catching up, and then I was off on a bus south to Aberdeen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Aberdeen, Aunt Sheena and Uncle Rob (still on loan from Kirsten) and the dogs took me to Hazlehead Park, which has an extensive collection of different types of heather and also a great petting zoo (with a geriatric donkey!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went for supper and this time I had haggis! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day we went for a walk in Union Terrace Gardens, and then I left for Cupar again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Cupar, Tzip2 was welcomed by an entire menagerie of friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I’d timed my visit to align with Ruth’s day off, and we set out for the Backhouse Rossie Estate gardens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the woodland walk to the Covenanter’s tomb (a ruin of a chapel with two bodies presumed to be Covenanter’s were buried), we found a fantastic stile with the steps built into the stone wall. (Later in Yorkshire, I encountered many more of this type.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was beautifully informal – even the walled Garden with a formal layout was planted in a very organic aesthetic and had vegetables mixed in with the flowers in places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was also a huge labyrinth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next we went to Lindores Abbey in a nearby village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That evening I hopped over to Glasgow to meet up with a colleague who was there attending a conference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The next day we went to Edinburgh for the morning to explore for a bit. Amongst other things, we went to the Tron Kirk Market, which has a booth of my favourite woodland creature housewares from Between the Woods and Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.betweenthewoodsandsea.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And of course, no visit is complete without contemplating mortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The next day (back in Cupar) I went for a hike up the Hill of Tarvit, which I’d heard so much about from Ruth and her family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The way was sometimes in the woods, and sometimes through fields, but always beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We made it to the top and the views were incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After that I came to a section that Jason had described as “very overgrown.” An understatement, to be sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The wooded sections were glorious, sunken paths between ancient stone walls, with fields beyond the trees on either side…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just watch out for wild cats lurking…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The sections without tree cover were … interesting… I forced my way through chest-high bracken with plenty of stinging nettle and some thistles for good measure. Thankfully those sections did not have blackberries, but I did learn that stinging nettle can sting you through your pants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because I have a habit of touching stinging nettle everywhere I go, and there were quite a few spots on this trip so far where the sting was seriously underwhelming. Until today. This was the extra strength variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the final couple of sections I had to give up and found an opening to the fields nearby and walked more easily — always wondering whether there would be a gate to let me back out of the field… And I found this wee viola!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I survived the experience, albeit with more than a few scrapes and scratches. It was glorious!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The last section I walked along the River Eden back to town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In which Lis visits another arctic friend and retraces her steps. The morning I left Orkney there were gale force winds. The ferry crew warned that it was going to be a rough crossing. And it was. Once back on land I took a bus from Scrabster to Inverness. The bus ride along the northern peninsula went through some of the most beautiful villages I’ve ever seen. I absolutely love Scottish kirks. Once in Inverness I checked into my hostel and then went for a little walk around along the river before succumbing to hunger – and as it was a Sunday afternoon, most places were closed until the supper hour or only had pub food, and I was craving greens and fruit. So I ended up getting some groceries and eating at the hostel. The people there were lovely… Until a few hours after I went to sleep an extremely drunk guy stumbled into his bunk in the shared dorm and made my life very uncomfortable with his hiccups, etc. I didn’t sleep very well. And when I used the toilets in the middle of the night I discovered that only one stall in the entire shared women’s loo had toilet paper. In the morning, after a not-very-restful night, I got up to meet Marie for breakfast. Marie is the only one of my arctic friends abroad who I met in Iqaluit (not Inuvik). We had a grand chat, catching up, and then I was off on a bus south to Aberdeen. In Aberdeen, Aunt Sheena and Uncle Rob (still on loan from Kirsten) and the dogs took me to Hazlehead Park, which has an extensive collection of different types of heather and also a great petting zoo (with a geriatric donkey!) We went for supper and this time I had haggis! The next day we went for a walk in Union Terrace Gardens, and then I left for Cupar again. In Cupar, Tzip2 was welcomed by an entire menagerie of friends. I’d timed my visit to align with Ruth’s day off, and we set out for the Backhouse Rossie Estate gardens. In the woodland walk to the Covenanter’s tomb (a ruin of a chapel with two bodies presumed to be Covenanter’s were buried), we found a fantastic stile with the steps built into the stone wall. (Later in Yorkshire, I encountered many more of this type.) It was beautifully informal – even the walled Garden with a formal layout was planted in a very organic aesthetic and had vegetables mixed in with the flowers in places. There was also a huge labyrinth. Next we went to Lindores Abbey in a nearby village. That evening I hopped over to Glasgow to meet up with a colleague who was there attending a conference. The next day we went to Edinburgh for the morning to explore for a bit. Amongst other things, we went to the Tron Kirk Market, which has a booth of my favourite woodland creature housewares from Between the Woods and Sea. https:\/\/www.betweenthewoodsandsea.com And of course, no visit is complete without contemplating mortality. The next day (back in Cupar) I went for a hike up the Hill of Tarvit, which I’d heard so much about from Ruth and her family. The way was sometimes in the woods, and sometimes through fields, but always beautiful. We made it to the top and the views were incredible. After that I came to a section that Jason had described as “very overgrown.” An understatement, to be sure. The wooded sections were glorious, sunken paths between ancient stone walls, with fields beyond the trees on either side… Just watch out for wild cats lurking… The sections without tree cover were … interesting… I forced my way through chest-high bracken with plenty of stinging nettle and some thistles for good measure. Thankfully those sections did not have blackberries, but I did learn that stinging nettle can sting you through your pants. Because I have a habit of touching stinging nettle everywhere I go, and there were quite a few spots on this trip so far where the sting was seriously underwhelming. Until today. This was the extra strength variety. In the final couple of sections I had to give up and found an opening to the fields nearby and walked more easily — always wondering whether there would be a gate to let me back out of the field… And I found this wee viola! I survived the experience, albeit with more than a few scrapes and scratches. It was glorious! The last section I walked along the River Eden back to town.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[38,41,39,40,37,42],"class_list":["post-330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-le-peregrinazioni-di-lis","tag-aberdeen","tag-glasgow","tag-hazlehead-park","tag-hill-of-tarvit","tag-inverness","tag-lindores-abbey"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=330"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364,"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330\/revisions\/364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eskerhazy.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}