Int'l traffic signs - my obsession

As we drive around this week, I'll likely add to this posting.  As far as I know, all European states use 'international traffic signs' with little to no wording that are standard, so people can understand them regardless of their language.  This makes for some interesting interpretations to begin with, but once you figure out the context, they make sense.

For example:

Three hashes, followed by two hashes, followed by one hash (is not signifying military rank), but is followed by an exit sign.

A white triangle with a red outline is a "warning" sign.  You should be aware of whatever is inside the triangle.  The joke in our car is that whatever is in the triangle is "dangerous".  So we have "dangerous sheep"

 And "dangerous horses"

We passed a warning sign today with a pictogram and added language "red squirrels" - I'm not sure how these require a warning, but we all busted out laughing when we saw it!

"Dangerous Elderly people"??!  (Really just a warning that slower folks might be crossing the road near a retirement center).

 Dangerous cows

 Dangerous school kids...

I think this one is my favorite:  No Drones (near one of the castles) 

Dangerous winds (let me tell you, with the way the winds were blowing here, they've never been to Kansas!)

When you successfully “translate” some of the international traffic signs, it feels like magic.  Scott has been driving narrow windy roads for the whole trip with lots of arrow signs on the curves.  Toward the end of the trip we decided that the number of arrows (single, double, triple) signifies the sharpness of the turn and thus the requisite change in speed that is needed.  Makes it much easier to drive when you know whether the “Slower” sign painted on the pavement means a little or a lot.

Eileen Donan Castle and Skye

I didn't think the views could get any better, but when we hit the Isle of Skye, they did.  Lone roads with hardly any cars, no cell signal, beautiful mountains rising up from the sea with clouds sitting on top of them.  Waterfalls cascading off the mountains and hills (not sure if its all captured rain that is draining, or if there are actually springs up high as well).  Can't wait to explore more, but its been a long day, so we are looking forward to a good night's rest.

This is the bridge to the Isle of Skye

Blue Mountain elevation 3,000+ ft.

Yes, that is a peacock in the front yard of our B and B.

However, the view from the comfy couches at our B and B is fabulous and makes me kind of not want to move at all...

Drive of a lifetime

We drove from Inverness to the Isle of Skye today.  We were supposedly on a "B" road (like a state highway, but not interstate quality which is an "A" road), but we alternately went from two lanes with modest shoulders to single lane road with regular pull offs to avoid oncoming traffic (much of which involved large tour buses).  Craziest unpredictable road.  Scott would have the cruise control set at 60 one minute and would slow to a stop as the road narrowed over a small bridge as oncoming traffic passed us the next minute.  No really scary encounters, but did require a lot of concentration.

I took quite a few pictures from the car window, but the best ones were when we were able to pull over.  The day was partly sunny which left great shadows on the mountains.  There were places that had been clear cut (kind of ugly because of all the stumps and left over trunks), and places that were very rocky.  We climbed to about 1000 ft elevation and went up and down all day.  The views just kept getting better and better.  I would put down my camera deciding that I had taken enough photos only to grab it again and take more.  Photos just don't quite capture the awe inspiring vistas.

Culloden Battlefield

1746 battle between Jacobites and the government.  There were Scots on both sides.  The Jacobites wanted to put 'Bonnie Prince Charles' on the throne, but they lost badly in the end (1500 dead compared to only 50 on the government side).  This was known as the last hand to hand battle fought in the UK.  Swords and knives vs. bayonnets.  Very messy.

 There were markers for each of the clans that fought in the battle, no individuals graves.

 Can you imagine charging into cannon and gun fire in inadequate footwear running through thigh high heather??

Tomatin Distillery

Our first stop today was at a scotch distillery:  Tomatin.  Its one of the smaller ones.  About 50 employees and produces about 170,000 bottles a year.  We had an almost private tour with a well informed and entertaining guide.  He walked us through the entire facility and explained in detail the scotch making process and talked about what made each type of scotch different.  At Tomatin, they used peat smoke to dry the germinated barley grains which gives is a smokey taste, but they only slightly smoke it (compared to some of the others).  We could smell both smoked and unsmoked dried barley grains.

 These are the tanks where they add the yeast to the water and barley mixture (malt).

 This is standing inside an old mixer where they added water to the barley and drained out the sugared water to the tanks with the yeast.  (The small hole in the floor is where they removed the remains of the grain after soaking it three times - sometimes it would plug up and they would stick a soccer ball in with some compressed air and clean it right out).  Nearly all of the by-product from the manufacturing process is used for other things (feeding cattle, fertilizing fields, etc.)

The special part of each distillery that is different is the distilling tanks where the spirits are boiled off from the rest of the liquid mix.  The process requires copper distilling tanks and each one at different distilleries are shaped uniquely.

 
After the distilling process, the spirits are put in the oak barrels.  These are often 'seasoned' with other liquors, including Sherry and bourbon.  The oak and the flavor from previous liquors provide unique flavor to the scotch.  Tomatin did not sell any scotch that was younger than 5 years.  In order for it to legally be scotch, it must have 40%+ alcohol content.

 The barrels are painted with a different color each time they are reused.  They don't use them more than 5 times, most common is 3 times before all the 'flavoring' is leached out of the oak.  Its the oak that givens the drink its amber color.

Tomnaverie Stone Circle

Before heading into the Cairngorms National Park, we made a short stop at these ancient stones (approx 2500 BC).  These were placed away from areas of habitation and showed evidence of burnings/ash remains.  It is suspected it was used to cremate bodies at one time.  The three largest rocks frame the mountain in the distance, but also the full moon during mid summer once a generation.

These other rocks formed part of two concentric circles.

We picnicked here before heading on for more adventures.

B and B in Granton on Spey

We stayed at a very classy B and B in Grantown on Spey.  We were only there for one night, and I wish we could have stayed a day longer.  The owner/host was quite friendly (and actually kept Scott and Charlene up till 1:00 talking and sharing tastes of different scotches).

We got a room on the top floor with lovely decorations.  Breakfast in the morning was made to order.  I got eggs and bacon.  I had forgotten how good bacon is in the UK.  This kept us going for a quite a while today.

Our host: Martin