Scotland, the land of golf and whisky

So far, this trip has catered to our whole clan as equally as we can. A day at an amusement park for the kids, followed by museums for us, a day at an aquarium, then a stroll thru an old village, and so on. However, the past three days was more or less dedicated to me! Old Buddy, Golf, and Whisky.

We came to Northern Scotland so that I could visit the birth place of my favorite Scotch whisky, Macallan. When I mentioned this last year to one of my best buds, Rob Cruden, his eyes lit up and he said, "Hey, that's the birthplace of my ancestors* in a village called Cruden Bay. There is a golf course there. I'm coming!" He stuck to his word, hopped on a plane (turned out to be a mini adventure of his own) with his wife Dena, and joined our clan for the past three days. I've always said, life is nothing without family and friends, and I can safely say I've got everything I need in life.

Having drinks in a bar in Aberdeen with Rob and Dena was a bit surreal.

A haiku about Aberdeen:

A hard working town,
Walls of granite, pointy roofs,
Seagulls scream all day.

Old center square where bad things happened to bad people.

Our airbnb was a little cottage that seemed to be made of the left over blocks of the buildings that towered around it.

Bryce performing surgery on his apple.

These are tough people. They sell Blueberry flavored cholesterol drinks in eight packs at the grocery store.

We told the boys to pose in front of this magnificent building.

Old Aberdeen

Oldest living maze in the UK. We cheated to make it to the end. Otherwise we would still be groping around in there.

A lovely rose garden commemorating a tragedy at a local oil platform. Many lives lost.

Footdee (pronounced fittie). The old fishing village in Aberdeen.

Impressive street art. Too bad it was tucked away in a back alley.

Old church in Old Aberdeen

We spent Monday in Aberdeen taking in the handful of local sights (while Autumn slaved away at her school work). Tuesday we drove up the coast so that Rob and I could play golf, and Nicole, Dena, and the kids explored a deserted castle on the coast (apparently the inspiration of Bram Stoker's, Dracula.). According to every local we saw (owing to the fact that they were positively beaming with excitement), this was the best weather ever! Not gonna lie, it was pleasant, a bit breezy, but pleasant. Frankly, an average March day in the Bay Area (which, this being August, tells me something about the other 364 days of the year here). Other than the fact that my game was a bit of a mess, it really was an awesome day hacking away at the Scottish coastline with Rob.

Me and my bud, Raaaaaaab

An unfortunate gust of wind portending a future version of Rob....

The Cruden Bay Golf Links skirts the coast for several holes. One of the more beautiful courses I've played.

Slains Castle in Cruden Bay

Nicole and Dena - Friends

Autumn got to play with my camera for the day.

Yesterday we left Aberdeen on a two week road trip thru Scotland and Great Britain to recreate the Harry Potter book series. But before that - Whisky! We headed West along the Whisky trail thru the Speyside region of the Highlands region. It's where my favorite whiskies are born. The drive was splendid, and it was good to traverse our way thru proper hills again. Along the way was the occasional village of quaint little stone buildings that could have been made in Minecraft or out of monochromatic Lego bricks.

Our first stop was to learn how a barrel is made. We stopped at the Speyside Cooperage to take in a multi sensory educational video (compete with aromatherapy, and a warm red light at just the proper moments), and to see real coopers at work. The hazing ritual for an apprentice cooper turning to journeyman is both comical, and brutal at the same time.

"Did you catch Friends on Netflix last night."...is probably not the conversation

I really enjoyed driving thru towns and reading street names of all the caramel colored bottles you see lined up at the bar. Next stop - The Macallan. Regrettably, due to a callous assumption you could just join a tour when you get there, we were not able to visit the inner workings of turning barley in to the nectar of life. But that didn't prevent us from a bit of tasting and absorbing the gravity of this place. Admittedly, I got more out of it than the others. 

Next stop, Glen Moray (any Glen will do), where we were actually able to take a tour, which I found fascinating. Even the kids seemed to not be totally bored out of their skulls. I mostly just like drinking the stuff, but having gone thru the tour and learning about how it's made, gave me a greater understanding of why I like the brands that I like. And for you non-whisky drinkers, there is a HUGE difference in flavors. 

Most interesting fact... Nearly all the Scotch we drink is made in used bourbon barrels from Kentucky. Scotch gets its flavor from the alcohol that is infused in the white oak wood barrels that have been charred with fire. By law, Bourbon must be made in new barrels, and the barrels can only be used once. Once used, they are sold to Scottish distillers on the cheap. So there you have it... Your welcome Scotland.

Bryce...beginning his journey along the Single Malt pathway

The day ended searching for old Nessie at the northern end of Loch Ness, at a wonderful beer garden and Cafe. As luck would have it, we did not see her. But hanging out with Rob and Dena for one final meal was bittersweet. Great friends. We can't thank you enough for trekking across the pond to visit with us.

Loch Ness

Bryce, in search of Nessie.

Thanks Rob and Dena. Always a great time.

We spent the night in Inverness, a village-like town with homes quarried from the granite mountains of Scotland. Lots of charm. This splendid weather** also afforded is a spectacular sunset.

* An odd, and a bit gruesome footnote, Nicole found out the name Cruden came from two words Cru and Den, that when combined means Slaughterer of Danes.

** Upon arrival at our Airbnb, a young Scottish fella named Frasier, was sitting quietly on our doorstep just staring at the sun. He was sitting on a bean bag, barefooted, and wearing a tee shirt and shorts with a cold beverage in hand. He turns to me, smiles and says, "warmest it's been all year." (I had on long pants, two layers of shirt, and a jacket....)