Elisa's Daily Scoop Lighthouses of ScotlandHey Guys! New Month here!! Yup, for most of us, it's the back to school month - 5 days to go!  The good news in our house is that it is also the month of Kelsey's birthday - she will move into the double digits this year! Yup - my baby will be 10 years old. I'll be talking more about her birthday in the coming weeks, as her special day is the 14th and we've got some fun stuff planned for the barn and a local amusement park to celebrate!  Neist Point Lighthouse on the Isle of Skye in Scotland - one of the most famous lighthouses (credit: isleofskye.com) Lighthouses & More Lighthouses... Tanya and I were talking the other night - me in New York and she in Outer Hebrides - (well, we were texting, actually) and she was telling me that an interesting thing for me to talk about would be the Lighthouses of Scotland. I decided to some research and was compelled by what I read!! Did you know? Nearly all the lighthouses in Scotland were designed by and most were built by the Stevenson family who, over five generations from 1786 to 1952, contributed significantly to the nation’s infrastructure and international lighthouse engineering. This endeavor also included Thomas Smith, who was both the stepfather and father-in-law of Robert Stevenson. That's right folks! For over one hundred and fifty years Robert Stevenson and his descendants designed most of Scotland's Lighthouses. "Battling against the odds and the elements - the Stevensons constructed wonders of engineering that have withstood the test of time, an amazing historical achievement."- nlb.org Why so many lighthouses? Well, Scotland has a long coastline and many islands - the coast of mainland Scotland measures about 4174 miles but adding the islands of Arran, Islay and Jura, Shetland and Orkney, and the Western Isles brings the total coastline to 11,550 miles, according to the British Cartographic Society. So lighthouses became an important feature on the Scottish coastal landscape. As a result, the Scots made a major contribution to lighthouse building. As mentioned, Robert Stevenson and his sons and grandsons, are recognized as the pioneers as well as Scottish physicist Sir David Brewster. Of course, the most famous of the Stevenson family is Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert's grandson, the Scottish novelist, poet, essayist, and travel writer. His most famous works are Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and A Child's Garden of Verses.  Robert Stevenson, Civil Engineer (credit: www.nlb.org.uk) Brewster is credited with convincing the United Kingdom to adopt "Fresnel" lenses in their lighthouses, invented by a Frenchman. Let's talk about two lighthouses in Scotland... One of the most famous lighthouses in all of Scotland, is the Neist Point Lighthouse on the Isle of Skye, where Tanya visited last week. When Neist Point Lighthouse was built back in 1900, lighthouses were still manned. Today, the internal light system has be updated to an automated system and no longer requires daily maintenance. The light is 43 meters above sea level and can be seen up to 16 nautical miles offshore! Situated in the West Coast of Skye in the area known as ‘Durinish, Neist Point, which boasts some of the most gorgeous views from the high cliffs and the lighthouse itself It is said that at sunset, the view is made even more brilliant, making this a top destination for landscape photographers. The walk up to the lighthouse is about 2.2 miles with a single path.  Bell Rock Lighthouse, (credit: http://10mosttoday.com) Bell Rock Lighthouse is the world’s oldest surviving sea-washed lighthouse, off the coast of Angus, Scotland and was built on the Bell Rock in the North Sea, 11 miles east of the Firth of Tay. Built between 1807 and 1810 by Robert Stevenson, it was first lit in 1811 It stands 115 feet tall and its light is visible from 35 statute miles inland. The challenges faced in the building of the lighthouse have led to it being described as one of the Seven Wonders of the Industrial World. So, let me tell you what happened yesterday.  Punkin (c)travelincouins.com)  (c)travelincousins.com  Punkin at the barn (c)travelincousinscom) The girls were scheduled to sleep at their barn friend's house after camp last night and Thursday night. However, when Kelsey woke up, she decided that she was tired and and didn't want to ride nor sleep at her riding mate's house. As a result, she did not wear riding clothes and didn't bring an overnight bag. Cut to...when we arrived at the barn (all of us including Punkin), Kelsey got pretty emotional about the idea of not staying, riding and sleeping over. As she was crying, Gianna started crying. UGH. So, rather than have her be upset, I suggested we go over to Tanger to get a few pairs of leggings, t-shirts, socks and underwear for her to wear so she could ride and go to her sleepover. (I was not going to go buy her breeches with all pairs she has at home) Well, as we were driving to the Outlets, she advises me that she really doesn't want to sleep over but could she stay for a few hours at the barn. Before, I shot myself I said ok. Now, why was I going to shoot myself, because I was only supposed to drop off Gianna and then head back home to get a bunch of things done. In the end, we went to a few stores (amazing sales!!! $20 for 2 pairs of leggings and 2 t-shirts), then headed back to the barn. Me and Punkin were so tired, we took a nap together run the back of the SUV with the air on for about an hour, while Kelsey hung out in the arena. The sacrifices we make for our kids. BUT - in the end, me, Kelsey and Punkin got some great bonding time, which was so fun!! See ya back tomorrow!! -E xoxo "There is scarce a deep sea light from the Isle of Man to North Berwick, but one of my blood designed it. | Tanya's Daily Scoop |
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