The First Step in Isle of Skye(8 May 2006)
フェリーは港に着いた。事前にインターネットで入手した時刻表では15分後にPortree行のバスがあるはずなのでバス停に向かった。しかし時間になってもバスは来ない。よく見るとそのバスは2週間後からの運行だった。次のバスまで2時間ある。
さて、どうしたものか。AmadaleにはPubが見あたらない。というより何もない。
Ferry was arrived at Port Amadale. According to the timetable I got by the internet when I was planning a tour, there was a bus to Portree in 15 minutes. However, the bus didn’t come although the time was coming. I checked the timetable, and I understood why the bus didn’t come. The bus was operated from two weeks after. The next bus was in two hours.
In Amadale, there was no pub, no distillery, no castle. What should I do?
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Glenfinnan(1)
The Way to Hogwarts(8 May 2006)
英国は世界で最初に鉄道が開通した国として知られている。そして現在英国で最も有名な鉄道はWest-Highland Railwayだろう。Fort William～Mallaig間の山間部をゆっくりと走る列車は日に3本程しか運行されないローカル線だけど6～10月の観光シーズンにThe Jacobite Steam Trainという蒸気機関車が運行される。これがHogwarts ExpressとしてHarry Potterの撮影に使用されている。
最大の見せ場は何と言ってもGlenfinnan Bridge。2作目の”秘密の部屋”ではHarryとRonの乗った自動車が追いかけられるシーンが印象的。この橋を通る時、カメラを手にしない乗客はいなかった。
UK is known as a first country which started to operate a railway. And now, I think the most famous rail way would be West-Highland railway in UK. It’s a local line, there are about 3 trains a day and runs slowly in the mountains between Fort William and Mallaig. However, The Jacobite Steam Train is run during summer tourist season, June to October. That train is used in the movie “Harry Potter” as the Hogwarts Express.
The climax of this railway is Glenfinnan Bridge. The scene of second Harry Potter movie, “Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secret “, which the car Harry and Ron rode was chased by Hogwarts Express on the bridge, is really impressive.
When a train went through the bridge, most passengers took a camera.
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Fort William(2)
Glenlochy Distillery(7 May 2006)
Fort Williamの中心から東へしばらく歩くと独特の形をしたキルンが見えてくる。
ウィスキーブーム末期の1898年に創業されたGlenlochy蒸留所はその後のいくつかの危機を乗り越えたが最終的に1983年に閉鎖された。現在はその建物がFlatやGuest Houseとして利用されている。
There was a distillery called Glenlochy in the east of Fort William. It was established in 1898, the end of Whisky Boom. After that, there were some crisis, but they got over them. However, it finally was closed in 1983.
Now, some buildings of Glenlochy Distillery are used as a flat and a guest house.
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Fort William(1)
Ben Nevis Distillery(7 May 2006)
雨の降る中、20分程歩いてBen Nevis蒸留所に着いた。今日は日曜日なので蒸留所も静かだ。背後にあるBen Nevisも今日は見えない。時折カモメの鳴き声と隣の牧場にいるHighland Cattleの鼻息が聞こえる。
雨が弱くなるのを待って写真を撮る。曇り空の蒸留所も悪くはない。そして明日の好天を願って蒸留所を後にした。
After walking for about 20 minutes from Fort William in the rain, I arrived at Ben Nevis Distillery. It was really silent because of Sunday. I wasn’t able to see Ben Nevis behind the distillery. Sometimes I heard a call of seagull and a snort of Highland Cattle at a farm next to the distillery.
I waited until rain got weak, and started to take photographs for the distillery. The distillery in cloudy weather was not so bad. After that I left Ben Nevis Distillery with a hope of fine weather tomorrow.
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Oban(2)
Oban Distillery(6 May 2006)
Oban蒸留所の高い煙突は船の上からでもはっきりとわかる町のランドマーク。Isle of Mullへ向かうフェリーからもよく見える。
Obanに立ち寄った多くの旅人がこの姿を見ただろう。そしてObanを去る時、小さくなる煙突に旅愁を感じたことだろう。The tall chimney of Oban Distillery is one of the landmark of Oban. You can see from the ferry to Isle of Mull.
Most traveleres who stopped at Oban would see the landmark, and when they saw the chimney which they saw to be small gradually at the departure from Oban, they would feel loneliness on a journey.
