Kim Hugs a Highland Hairy Coo

Day 11
Today, we stayed close to "home" and limited our driving. We mostly spent the day in Portree. The shops were all open. We got coffee, ice cream, candles, shirts, and postcards. I walked around town and explored the harbor and nearby trails.

In one of the shops, we asked the gal if she knew of a place to see some of the highland hairy cows (coos). She knew of a place, so we were on our way. A 20 minute drive to the south, and there it was. One cow, but that was all we needed (we would see many other cows in the days to follow). Fortunately, others were there, and they brought carrots. Hesitantly, the cow came over to the fence. This made Kim's day. No longer were hairy coos some mythical creature. They were real. It turns out that these cows are kept as pets rather than for milk or meat. No wonder they were not out in the fields with all the other thousands of regular cows we saw. We needed to be looking a little closer to homes. They appear to come in bonde, red, and black colors. Some are even made of sticks. I always say that if you don't touch it, then you weren't really there. You know, you have to put your foot in the ocean or your hands on the rock or whatever to make your claim. Kim got to not only see her highland hairy coo but to pet (OK, no hugging - that would be dangerous) it as well - our trip to Scotland is a success!

I'd now like to say something about blackberries. They are everywhere in Scotland this time of year, and I mean everywhere. I saw them in Edinburgh, at the Harry Potter train, next to castles, near lochs, on the Isle of Skye, in Cairngorm National Park, and in the grocery stores. They grow wild here. I found them to be large on the seed and small on the fruit. People are seen picking and eating them, including me.

We have 3 more days to go on this trip, and there is much more to see and do.Read more