Hogwarts express to the Isle of Skye!

Day 2 of the tour was just as busy as the first! Today was a highlight for many of us, as we were about to take the Jacobite Steam train over the Glenfinnan viaduct, best known for its role in the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts express.

Jacobite Steam Train
The first thing we did this morning was drive to Fort William. The trip was routine. It was foggy, but we did get to practice the 'bridge song' that our guide Gillian had taught us. For those that are curious, every time that we went over a bridge, we were to sing "We're going over a bridge, we're going over a bridge, Aye we are, aye we are" on repeat until we were across. I must admit that I felt a bit silly singing this at the beginning, but it is such a catchy tune, that by the end (and even now) I was singing along more willingly (as opposed to begrudgingly).

We didn't actually see much of Fort William, as we had to get to the train station to get situated in our carriages. Almost everyone on the tour opted to ride the Hogwarts express, but the few who chose not to (or couldn't get tickets) went along a very similar path to meet us in Mallaig. We ended up in the very last carriage, which at first I wasn't thrilled about, but I soon realized that this would give us the best views of the viaduct. Bre, Jarred, Ian and I ended up in one booth. I was facing backwards, but Bre is a good photographer, so I can just get her pictures! We had some time to kill before our 10:15 am departure, so I took the opportunity to walk up to the front of the train and take some pictures. We were allowed into the engine, and I must admit (science alert!) that this was my favourite part! There were two young engineers in charge of the train that day, and I learned about how the steam engine works. There are many valves to measure the pressure for the brakes, the engine and the temperature inside the carriages. I had noticed how each of the carriages had steam coming up from underneath, but I didn't realize that this was in fact steam from the engine which was heating up the carriages to a comfortable temperature. They opened the stove so I could see and feel the fire, and explained how it all worked. The one engineer seemed thrilled to be explaining it all, but did go into more detail than I understood. He explained how there are different cylinders inside, separate from the fire, which contain the water. As the water heats, it is turned to steam, which builds in pressure until it forces the pistons to move. As the steam cools and condenses, it is recirculated, so that it can be reheated again. It is very similar to the techniques we use for different forms of electricity production, like coal burning and nuclear energy (instead of the pistons, it is the generator that is moved). Of course, being a science teacher, I found it quite fascinating to see the engine in action, and to see the large hunks of coal sitting there, ready to be burnt. Thinking about how this was the big technology in the 1800s also amazes me. We have had some very big advances in technology in the last couple hundred years.

During the train ride, we had some entertainment in the form of Hamish, the dog. Dogs are permitted on the train, provided that they do not go on the seats. I saw a couple of other dogs as well. Hamish was a terrier of some sort, and his owner, a very Scottish old man. It was a great distraction for the time that we were stuck on the tracks while they resolved a signal issue. Also, I was surprised at just how fast a steam engine can go!

Naturally, the highlight was crossing the Glenfinnan viaduct, and we were eagerly awaiting it. The Jacobite Steam Train company provided us with a timetable, but due to our previous delay on the tracks, we were off schedule. Even so, the scenery was beautiful, passing rolling green and yellow hills, seeing rocky outcrops and passing some amazing white sand beaches. The sun had burned off the fog from the morning, and we could see much clearer. The entire trip to Mallaig took us just over 2 hours.

Mallaig-Armadale (Isle of Skye)
We had about an hour in the port town of Mallaig before boarding our ferry from mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye. I decided to wander into town (it is very tiny) and towards the Quay, where I found a lovely bakery. The weather was fantastic, and I took this sunny opportunity to sit on the quay and enjoy my food. Being such nice weather, I acted in an apparently "very British" fashion, buying ice cream in September. I made many people jealous! The ferry itself was very smooth, and we saw dolphins and a sea lion! I was really hoping to see otters, but was not fortunate enough to see them :(
After about 30-45 minutes, we arrived into Armadale on the Isle of Skye. My first thoughts were: "No wonder the Scottish settled on Cape Breton Island!". The scenery was very similar to Canada's east coast.

Sligachan
We continued on our bus through the lush greenery towards the Black Cuillins and the river at Sligachan. Scottish history is filled with different myths, and we heard another one at this location. There was a very important wedding between two clans (the MacDonalds and the MacLeods). The clans had been at war, and this wedding was hoped to end the fighting. The woman was exceptionally beautiful and while on her way to the wedding, had an unfortunate accident where she lost one of her eyes. Her servant covered her head in way (like a veil) that hid the blood and gore, After their hands were "fasted" (tied), her lost eye was found out, and the young MacDonald was so irate that he stabbed out her other eye, the eye of her servant, her horse and her dog. As they reached the banks of the river Sligachan, where a passerby saw them in distress. Upon hearing their story, the passerby (a fairy in disguise) enchanted the river, and instructed them to put their faces in the river for 7 seconds. They did so, and when they emerged, they were completely healed and were even more (eternally) beautiful. Apparently, the enchantment was never lifted, and if you put your face in, you too will become eternally beautiful.
(The official story is not quite so kind, Margaret MacLeod was hand-fasted to a young MacDonald, but after the one year trial, she had not bore any children, which was a reason to end the marriage. She had also lost sight in one of her eyes. MacDonald sent out his former wife on a one-eyed horse, with a one-eyed dog and a one-eyed manservant back to her family, causing more warfare).

Many of us took a chance that the waters remained enchanted, and plunged our heads into the 'refreshing' water.

Kyleakin
Our last stop was in the town of Kyleakin, where we stayed the night at Saucy Mary's. Kyleakin is very tiny! There are very few places to stay, and it seemed like fewer places to eat. The room was tiny but comfortable, and I am glad that I went for the food options (they had a special discounted menu for us). The kitchen was very basic, and not where you could really cook.
We made our way down the street to the ruins of Castle Moils. We headed out for what we thought would be a lovely spot to enjoy a drink. We couldn't actually get to the castle, as the water was in (high tide). We didn't end up staying too long, since there were a ton of midges (small biting insects) that basically drove us crazy! Regular bug spray didn't even ward them off. Later in the evening, I headed out to the beach to watch the sun set. It was not as spectacular as yesterdays, but still very pretty with soft pinks and purples. I got some really cool shots and had some time to myself along the bay.