Meet Helga and Hang on for the Ride

This beauty was tucked into one of the eight formal gardens of Crathes Castle.  She is the size of a considerable grapefruit.  I asked the gardner what type of flower, dahlia (pronounced DAY-lee-ah around these parts).  She went to the little stick in the ground for the rest of her name...and so I met --Helga-- (who has never looked more beautiful).  

Helga!  From Crathes Castle garden

In a dual effort to learn a bit about the area and to practice driving, I have been busy.  I have visited Haddo House, built in the 1730's.  It was beautifully furnished and felt as it the family has just stepped out for a bit and will return shortly.  The grounds are quite large and welcome people to hike and enjoy.   

Me overlooking Haddo House's garden

Haddo House is just 7 or 8 miles from my own house, so I was really happy to learn there is a choral society that performs here at different times of the year.  After my afternoon tour, I was invited to stay for the non-denominational service and hear the organ being played (1780s or so).  Before the service, I was invited for tea and sweets in the same library we toured through earlier.  So I was surrounded by books from 5 or 6 centuries, eating a pancake with jam, drinking tea, and speaking with very interesting people.  The service was short, and the music really sonorous.  This made for a lovely end of the week.

Haddo House

An exercise path (Scottish mile, which is longer than the
standard mile) behind Haddo House

On my drive home, I turned at a DIY sign for a stone circle.  I drove up a grassy drive (two tracks with about a foot tall path of weeds, etc between) and found a small but pleasant neolithic structure.  I also saw a chubby pheasant busily searching for food.  

Juxtaposition of Centuries / belief systems--my Passat observed from
 the center of the stone circle at Ythsey

 Monday was my first day for dedicated touring, so I decided to go for it--and picked a destination a bit farther from my house.  I wanted to practice maneuvering the roundabouts and driving at a mostly normal speed on the winding roads.  So I decided on the port city of Stonehaven (which has a remarkable castle) and a bird reserve called Fowlsheugh (just south of Stonehaven).  This is a castle tour map.  I live by number 14--in the town of Oldmeldrum.  I travelled down past Dyce, around Aberdeen City and further south to Stonehaven.  The drive took me just over an hour.  The distance? --about 34 miles.   My return was via another castle #5 on the map, then a winding drive home.  Thank goodness for Sat Nav.

A bumble bee on the thistle (the Scottish National Symbol)
--the thistle, that is, not the bee.

Dunnottar Castle's walls would have been hard to scale.
In fact, a smallband of men held off Cromwell for 8 months and
protected the Honours of Scotland (the crown jewels) from his destruction.

Dunnottar Castle over looking the sea near Stonehaven

The bird reserve was a dramatic hillside walk over the pounding ocean.  The call of hundreds of birds, mostly seagulls, but some others that I could not recognize was both haunting and comforting.  I miss my birdie.

Imposing Crathes Castle (aka as #5 on the map).  
This place is reputed to have a ghost, the Green Lady, murdered by her father and brother.

This was taken from one of the eight gardens at Crathes Castle.
This place had some of the most spectacular gardens I have ever seen!

I so enjoyed my time at Crathes.  I expected that I might squeeze in another castle visit, but so lovely were the grounds that I ended up spending four hours (almost 3 on the grounds).

On Tuesday, I visited my school and was introduced to some of the senior staff.  I have left with binders of information to begin to consider.  But first, I am off to Edinburgh to see the Royal Tattoo and some of the big Edinburgh Festival.   I am meeting up with a few Fulbrighters and am really looking forward to the extravaganza.