Scotland for Twenty: First Morning

This trip was an absolute surprise and adventure for me. I did know where we were going (unlike our honeymoon), but I didn't know where within the country or what adventures CC had planned for us. When we drove for 2 hours the first night, I couldn't see anything except some lights surrounding the "Campbell Castle" upon our arrival in Inverary. Inverary is the Campbell Clan land. It's where they all lived in the highlands. We slept hard the first night, then woke up to the sunrise at 8AM! (further north than I've ever been)

We left our room to see the cute village we were staying in.

We walked across the street to eat breakfast in the little cafe. It was included with our hotel. We started with these berries, cream, marmalade, and croissants. I quickly realized that, though they were speaking English, I could almost understand Turkish better than the English they were speaking!

We got to choose one plate for our main breakfast. We both chose the one called, "The Full Scottish." And man was it full! PROTEIN overload and so yummy! It had baked beans, a fried egg, a grilled tomato, bacon, sausage, and this little round black thing they had called "pudding." Of course, I saved my pudding till last. I took a bite, and.....PUDDING? It tasted like liver and kidneys!!! We realized it was the traditional Scottish food called haggis. In the old days, they would stuff the stomach of a sheep with all the internal organs, add oats and spices, then boil it. Haggis!

We left the cafe and explored the darling town. This was a monument to WWI for the men from this town who gave their lives there. We began seeing the Campbell name over and over.

What touched me is that there were fresh reminders that the men are still honored. A lit candle and fresh flowers.

I had my camera on the wrong setting, so it is grainy, but I love this photo of my Scot in front of the town's bridge. I began working on him to buy a kilt!

Isn't this lovely?

 Monument to the Scottish soldiers.

And as we were just looking around at the mountains surrounding us, the beautiful "loch" (lake), the fog rolling in, a bagpipe began to play. I told CC he had somehow rigged all this, and we were really in a movie set. I couldn't stop smiling!