A Wee Bit About Scotland

Green. Green. Green.

As far as the eye can see.

Plaid.

Errr, tartan.

Not just in the kilts, scarves, rugs (throw blankets) but covering the windows.

Castles.

Toast in a rack.

With plenty of hot tea to wash it down.

Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

One of life's simple pleasures.

Fish and Chips taken seriously.

Do not order unless you are quite hungry.

Secondary roads.

And the endless photo ops.

Driving on the left side.

At all times.

Except on single track roads.

Where you must be alert for head-on traffic.

Midges. Some are blood-suckers. Some are not.

All are annoying.

Smidge is a repellant.

The real bugs are not this colorful.

And definitely not this cute.

BAAA!

Sheep are friendly and willing to pose for pictures.

Yes, it is scotch, but you order 'a whisky'.

'Wee' is used in conversation.

A lot.

It also crops up on the signage.

And that is just a wee bit about Scotland!

Fairy Pools

Months ago I saw a picture of Fairy Pools of Scotland on Pinterest.

Wow. Stunning.

It became the ONLY thing I wanted (had) to do on our trip. Swim in a fairy pool.

So the first night, at our first B&B, we asked the proprietor, "How do we get there?"

She gave us a map and used a Sharpie to mark a route from Portree to an unnamed area above Glenbrittle near the Cuillin Hills.

Ok.

Seemed off the beaten track but then the best things are.

Did I mention that there was a bit of a heat wave while we were in Scotland?

The poncho from Sport Chalet and hi-tech jacket from REI purchased specifically to battle the rain were folded in our suitcase and never saw the light of day.

Instead we wore sunscreen.

Tourists and locals mentioned HOW VERY LUCKY we were with the weather and who knows what tomorrow might bring.

Talk of horizontal rain the week before was brought up frequently.

Which is to say, if one is dying to swim in Scotland, we had the perfect weather for it.

So off we went, following the simple instruction to stop somewhere above Glenbrittle.

There were no signs pointing out this wonder of nature until we actually reached the Fairy Pools so there was great debate along the drive as to whether this adventure would be worth it.

It was.

Times a million.

Here is the one and only sign at the entrance to the parking lot. Which was full of cars and two tour buses.

This is the view as we started out on the trail.

Starting to wonder what was ahead.

Ahhhh, this is looking better.

A waterfall in sight.

Hmmmm, sheer rocks.

But glorious waterfall and pool down below.

Unfortunately no way to get down there without some sort of rapelling gear.

Moving along.

Oh, there must be a way into this section.

To pretty to pass up.

This might just work.

Hope the rocks aren't too slippery.

All mine.

Found the perfect spot.

Secluded, deep clear water, red rock for visual interest....I'm going in.

Brrrrrrrrr.

(To the left, just outside this shot, is a waterfall with another small pool).

Here is the rest of the crowd that braved the water that day...many up to their ankles, a few who jumped in and quickly out, three guys in full wetsuit who said 'it wasn't that bad'.

Which is why I was photographed, by a few tourists, while I was up to my neck swimming around my pool.

Once I got over the initial chill, I didn't want to get out.

Thank you social media for pointing us to one of the highlights of our trip.

My Lonely Planet Guide to Scotland made no mention of this extraordinary place.

It would have been a shame if we had missed it.

Highland Cattle

Every rack of postcards in Scotland features at least one picture of a long-haired cow.

A breed particular to the area.

Referred to as Highland Cattle.

Since the postcards are ubiquitous, one expects to see these cows around every bend in the road.

Especially if one's 5-day trip to Scotland involves a LOT of driving.

But it wasn't until the tail end of our visit that we spotted this guy...

And, it was TOTALLY...

worth the wait!

The Three Chimneys on the Isle of Skye

"The Three Chimneys is the French Laundry of Scotland, luring food-loving pilgrims from near and far, a destination in its own right. And it is was precisely the restaurant I was hoping for, one that can't be replicated outside Scotland."

So said Frank Bruni in an article in the New York Times in 2008.

I was unaware of this critique/restaurant until I casually mentioned to a friend in my Pilates class that my husband and I were going to Finland and Scotland in July.

"Oh, you must go to this wonderful restaurant in Scotland. Chimney-Something. I hope it is still there," she said.

A quick Google search and an email reservation request confirmed that The Three Chimneys was still around and doing quite well. The only options available for a Wednesday night, even with three weeks notice, were a 9:45 pm seating or a spot at the Kitchen Table for a 7-course dinner.

Guess what we chose?

Sitting out in the middle of nowhere, this upscale restaurant is surrounded by a folk museum (below is the admission 'hut' where you buy a ticket using the honor system).

And parking space, out front, with an incredible view.

Pre-dinner drinks are served in the reception room around the back and the whisky is plentiful.

At 7:30 pm, we were escorted back in through the front door. We walked by the smartly dressed couples at elegant tables, pushed through the swinging door (that separates the front of the house), glided by the busy kitchen staff, and pulled up a chair at our table for eight.

Two of us.

Six strangers.

We spent 5 hours, yes, FIVE HOURS, in the kitchen at a big wooden table and we were allowed, heck, invited to stroll around and ask questions, peer into pots and have ourselves a good time.

And we did, oh, did we ever.

At three separate intervals, the chef asked for volunteers so I hopped up to style the food for a fish course and yell loudly for 'service' when it was complete. Later I jumped up to whisk eggs in a copper bowl, by hand, for the soufflés. So much fun. Our table was filled with two delightful couples from Philadelphia, traveling together after bidding on this event at an auction. Another fun couple from Toronto, who went on 6-8 hour hikes during the day and then splurged on fabulous meals, sat across from us.

Such a pretty seal on the menu!

Ok, let's eat...

Loch Dunvegan Langoustines with Tattie Scones & Bridget's Organic Mesclun

Colbost Skink, Marag Dubh & Talisker Crumb, Local Croft Egg Yolk

Vol au Vent of Loch Bracadale Crab

Blackface Haggis Pasty with Anthony's Vegetables

Loch Harport Oysters

This is the course I volunteered to 'plate'. The sous chef filled the bowl with crushed coral from the local beach and added the scallop shell while the three of us who 'helped' got to spoon the three sauces. Amazing combination of flavors - who would think to pair a gingerbread cookie with a pan-fried scallop on a bed of asparagus and rhubarb?

Sconser King Scallop with Gingerbread Crust, Asparagus & Rhubarb

A few guys at our table volunteered to plate this dish...so there was some good-hearted ribbing about the number of cherries (and how they were not divided evenly) and the, well, the aesthetic aspect.

Saddle of Haunch of Lochalsh Venison with Bacon, Curly Kale & Cherries

Three Chimneys Hot Marmalade Pudding Souffle with Drambuie Syrup & Mealie Ice Cream

Such a FEAST.

And sprinkled between those courses was a small bowl of gazpacho, a cheese plate and fresh breads.

The last thing I tasted was a chocolate coconut truffle.

It was D I V I N E.

So to sum it up.

We talked. We laughed. We ate. We drank. We watched. We learned. We cooked. We were surprised to look over and realize that that kitchen was cleaned up and many of the staff members had left. Of course, by then, it was after midnight and time to head out.

One of those once-in-a-lifetime evenings!

Here are a few shots from the kitchen.

Chef Michael Smith talking to our group.

Ooops, cherry sauce went flying during the plating of the venison course.
No worries, my husband's shoes now have a souvenir of our great dinner!

Chef Michael Smith was working with a relatively new staff (approx. 3 months on the job) and most came with no culinary training -- which makes the meal just that much more impressive!

He also told us that having the Kitchen Table was really important to him --- a chance to show visitors what was going on behind the scenes and also a way for the kitchen staff to interact with the guests. The chefs are usually behind closed doors and don't get to hear all the comments, compliments and excitement from the diners.