Day 7 - July 13

We proceeded to make our way to Balmoral castle this morning. The drive takes you through the dead center of the highlands and allows a view that is unmatched by any other that I’ve experienced. Balmoral was what you’d expect a monarch’s family summer residence to be. Although the King isn’t there at the moment, all of the work continues to be done around the clock to maintain the place.

Our vans got separated on the trip to our next site and we simply had to stop at the Falls of Feugh. The pines must tint the water brown in this area, so the falls were a color that none of them expected.

Girdle Ness Lighthouse in Aberdeen, was just that… a house with a light in it. The light stands watch over the North Sea and it’s completely awesome looking out at Norway and the arctic circle.

Dunnottar Castle is set against the North Sea high atop a rock outcropping in one of the most defensible locations you could possibly imagine at a beach. Home of the Earls Marischal, it is most known for holding out against Oliver Cromwell’s army for about eight months and it saved the Scottish Crown Jewels. Sadly, it fell into ruin until 1925 when Viscountess Cowdray had the castle systematically repaired enough to open for visitors.