Mark this morning as the first time I tried haggis. It was only a tidbit from John’s plate (and he finished it!)—but I figure that since I swallowed, it counts. Not bad, but just the mental gymnastics I did to eat it means it’s not worth a future imbibing unless starvation needs to be warded off….

As we left the Stonefield Castle, I noticed for the first time that two commandments were engraved on either side of the front door—to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,” and to “love thy neighbour.”

The two-lane road seemed curvier and tighter than yesterday, and the worst moment came shortly after we started out. A big truck crossed the center line and almost wiped us out, but thankfully John defensively clipped a line of bushes alongside the road. (No scratches along the car, at least!) It’s unbelievable to me how narrow the pavement is in Scotland—with absolutely no shoulder on either side.

We stopped in Oban, the “Seafood Capital of Scotland.” It’s a picturesque seaside town worthy of walking along the shore and watching boats come into the harbor.

An early afternoon stop came at the Glencoe Visitor Center. I learned one has to be careful saying you’re a Campbell here. A lady at the reception desk jokingly asked if I knew that I was not welcome. I told her I came to do penance and pay my respects, and she then said my presence was ok. In case you don’t know the story of the Glencoe Massacre, it’s probably one of the lowest historical moments in Campbell family history—killing dozens of their host family members, mostly the McDonalds. I did notice that the the McDonald tartan was prominently featured in the gift shop, but nary a Campbell tartan could be spotted. Is it any wonder?

We did enjoy watching a Glencoe history video and then walked over to a “turf hut” that was built last year with 17th century Scottish methodology.

Through spats of rain and sunshine, we drove the entire length of the Glen Coe Valley, admiring the lush mountains and occasional waterfalls. This wild nature preserve area of Scotland is well worth visiting, despite its dark history.

After driving back westward through the valley, we arrived at Ballachulish Hotel, which was built in 1887–fifty years after the hotel was where we stayed last night. The skies cleared so that we can appreciate the bridge and water views from our corner room.