Scotland: Ramblings . . .

Like wine is to Italy, Scotch whisky is to Scotland. Although I'm not a very big drinker in general, while in Scotland I will have to give a wee glass of Scotch whisky a try! :) After all, going there and not having some Scotch Whisky would be like going to Italy and not having a glass of wine or prosecco. So what exactly is Scotch Whisky, I had to give myself a quick lesson so I'll know what to order.

"Scotch whisky is divided into four distinct categories: single malt, vatted malt (also called "pure malt"), blended and single grain. There are two major categories, single and blended. Single means that all of the product is from a single distillery, while Blended means that the product is composed of whiskies from two or more distilleries." ~ Wikipedia

Well, after contemplating the choices, I think I'll have a go with a Blended Scotch Whisky, because it sound's like a lighter drink! I'll report back on what I think. :)

And just to whet my appetite even more, here's a satellite image of the beautiful Sands of Morar which is where they filmed a great movie called "Local Hero" that was recommended to me by AnnieNC (Churches in Venice). And the green line that says A830 is the road that I'll be driving along on, but of course, I'll be on the "left" and not right side of the road. :)

I'll have 3 days in Arisaig before I ferry over to the Isle of Skye, so I'll use the time to explore this beautiful part of the West Highlands. First on my priority list, Morar!

Here, I'll see the River Morar (Britain's shortest river).

I'll explore the village and Loch Morar which is the deepest fresh water loch in all of Europe. They say that in it's deepest depths (1,017 ft), a creature similar to the more famous Loch ness has been known to make an occasional appearance. The locals have dubbed the monster, Morag.

I will try to visit the western end of the loch where the first seminary in Scotland was founded and where young men were educated and prepared for the priesthood. This seminary, which was raised following the Jacobite Rebellion, assured Morar and Arisaig of their importance in the Catholic Church.

Then, while visiting the village, I will want to visit the cross and viewpoint for the panoramic views of the Inner Hebrides and Loch Morar. The cross was erected in 1899 to commemorate the opening of the present church.

And to top it all off, while in Morar I will order some Thai Food take out from a famous Thai restaurant called Sunset! Yummy!

Last year Sandra (A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with ... Too much Luggage) wrote several posts about her trip plans to Italy before she left. I liked the idea so much that I did the same for my trip to Spain. It worked so well for me that in the next few days before I leave for Scotland, I will do a couple of posts about where and what are on my plans.

16 days to go! Whoo Hoo!