| Hi, my name is Linda Shute from New
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| | Loch Ness has many moods from the sultry
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| Jersey and I'd like to tell you about
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| | to the serene. Strange currents move
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| my exciting trip to Scotland and "The
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| | across and below the surface and even
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| Highlands". My hunger to travel to far
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| | sturgeon have been known to swim across
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| away places has not diminished as I have
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| | the loch.
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| grow older I still enjoy far away places
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| | The waters are so black from the depth
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| and like to meet the folks who live
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| | and pitch it's hard find anything even on
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| there. Being an avid horse enthusiast,
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| | sonar, so who knows what people have seen
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| and riding since childhood, I like to
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| | or not seen. You have to make up your
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| combine these two pleasures whenever I
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| | own mind whether Nessie swims freely
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| can.
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| | through those dark waters or not.
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| One day while browsing my new travel
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| | Next it was onward to Aberdeen to return
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| catalogue from Equitours, (they offer
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| | the car and go to the stables for my
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| worldwide riding holidays), I found a
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| | horseback part of the trip which was
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| trip to Scotland that I just couldn't
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| | stationed out of a small town called
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| pass up. I phoned them and booked the
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| | Tomintoul in the Highlands.
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| horseback trip and extended the trip to
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| | I stayed at the same hotel for the week
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| include a week of traveling via rental
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| | and the horseback tours headed out in a
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| car and stay at Bed-and-Breakfast homes.
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| | different direction each day and lasted
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| This would ensure I would get off the
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| | about 5 to 6 hours. I found Tomintoul
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| beaten path to meet the local people and
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| | to be a sleepy little town with not much
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| just maybe get a glimpse of the Loch Ness
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| | action you could say they rolled up the
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| Monster.
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| | sidewalks at dusk.
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| Unlike the trip I took to Ireland, first
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| | On this trip there were three other
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| I did the horseback trip and then
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| | riders from England and one other lady
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| traveled on my own in a rental car.
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| | from the US.
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| This time I drove around first, then did
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| | For the week we were all suppose to ride
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| the horseback trip.
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| | the Highland ponies. This I did not
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| Off to the travel agent I went with
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| | like at all. I found them to be slow
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| checkbook in hand. I paid for the
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| | and pokey with not much get up a go
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| airline tickets and booked the rental car
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| | spirit.
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| and picked up the Bed-and-Breakfast
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| | At the end of the day my legs were so
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| information. I flew into Glasgow, rented
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| | tired from the constant urging on of this
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| a car and headed east towards Edinburgh.
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| | animal I was miserable. I complained so
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| After getting lost and found several
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| | much they finally let me go out into the
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| times in this city, I finally found my
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| | pasture and pick another mount.
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| destination castle.
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| | I chose a high-spirited half Arabian mare
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| I took a tour of Edinburgh Castle. This
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| | for the rest of the week and I was very
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| was a breath-taking experience in two
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| | happy with her.
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| ways: the shear beauty of the place and
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| | One of our day trips was to the Glenlivet
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| It was a huge, very steep hill, I had to
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| | Distillery where we tied our mounts to
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| walk up to get to the castle.
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| | the fence and wet inside for the tour and
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| Once at the entrance, I asked the guard
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| | taste test.
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| who was the big bronze statue of and he
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| | I'm not usually much of a straight
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| replied "William Wallace, he is similar
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| | whiskey drinker but on this day I made an
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| to your George Washington in the
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| | exception. Needless to say the ride
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| Americans fight for freedom".
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| | home was very interesting. Most days
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| After the tour of the castle and a peek
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| | where spent on trails through the hills
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| at the crown jewels it was a much easier
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| | and crossing streams or forest.
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| trek downhill to the car.
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| | The Heather was not in bloom when I was
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| I headed northwest towards Stirling then
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| | there and this was a bit disappointing, I
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| on to Fort William and Loch Ness. I
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| | could see that the hillsides would be
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| spent a day and a night in Fort William
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| | blazing with color just a few weeks after
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| browsing old museums, enjoying a lovely
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| | my departure. On our last day in
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| dinner, complete with local folk
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| | Tomintoul were taken to a nearby town and
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| musicians and dancers.
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| | to watch the one and only Highland Games
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| In the morning I was off to Loch Ness and
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| | I have ever seen.
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| in search of the mystery monster.
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| | They started out with a parade of horse
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| Loch Ness is a really huge lake 22 miles
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| | drawn carriages, bagpipers and all the
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| long with waters as black as pitch, in
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| | competitors walking behind them all were
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| its deepest parts it's said to be about
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| | dressed in Kilts.
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| 700 feet.
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| | They had dancing, log throwing, tossing
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| I learned that the legend of 'Nessie' the
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| | the caber, tug of war, and other contest
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| monster dates back to 565 AD. I visited
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| | I have know idea what the name of it
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| the Loch Ness museum and found some very
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| | would be it was not like anything I had
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| interesting information. Sonar surveys
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| | ever seen before. Everything was more of
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| of the loch using the latest equipment
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| | a Medieval type atmosphere.
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| have failed to find any conclusive
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| | At last much to my dismay, my vacation
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| evidence of Nessie existence, but neither
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| | has come to an end and I must return to
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| have they proved that she doesn't exist.
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| | New Jersey.
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