Author: Ms. R.

Bruce’s Stone sits at the top of a hill overlooking the northern bank of Loch Trool. The massive granite boulder sits on top of a rocky outcrop.  It was unveiled on June 5, 1929, and commemorates Robert the Bruce’s first victory over an English army at the Battle of Trool in 1307, during the Scottish Wars of Independence. The English soldiers were ambushed as they walked along the far shore of Loch Trool.  A bugle sounded as the soldiers approached the……

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Eagle Lake lies in a natural basin largely bounded by volcanic rocks. It is fed mainly by Pine Creek, which flows from the higher country near Lassen Peak to the west. The lake’s alkaline water (pH 8+) is home to the Eagle Lake trout, a subspecies of rainbow trout found nowhere else, that is a prized sport fish. The trout once spawned in Pine Creek, but the population is now maintained by a hatchery, as Pine Creek now is……

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At the turn of the 20th century, Indigenous Kichwa communities in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador existed under a cruel hacienda system. Most Kichwa people lived in small adobe huts and worked for landowners who often withheld pay, keeping them in debt, and violently punished or humiliated them for not obeying the rules. This is the scene that Dolores Cacuango was born into in 1881, and this is the scene that inspired her 30-year struggle for Indigenous rights. Cacuango—or……

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Denmark is widely known as the Hawaii of Europe. Ok, not really, but one stretch of coastline in North Jutland has earned the nickname “Cold Hawaii,” as well as a reputation as one of the hottest surfing scenes on the continent. Cold Hawaii is a loosely defined area that spans from Agger to Hanstholm, with a coastline that includes Thy National Park and the town of Klitmøller, which has become the unofficial headquarters of Denmark’s growing surf culture. Klitmøller……

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Though now a ruin, Sanquhar Castle was once the stronghold of a powerful family. Bound on the west side by the River Nith, to the north side by Townfoot Burn, the castle was made even more defensible by a deep ditch running around the remainder of its boundary. The lands originally belonged to the Edgar family, then passed to the Ross family who built the first castle here. The Crichton family obtained the lands during the reign of Robert the……

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In the hills around Santa Elena in Monteverde, you can find a hand-painted sign for Raiz, a root bridge that extends across a trickling creek. The simple sign directs you to a rudimentary path through the cloud forest that leads down, towards the stream. It will be obvious when you arrive at Ficus la Raiz, also called el Puente Raiz or the Root Bridge. The roots of a large woody ficus plant criss-cross the small valley to form a……

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Whether the twisted roof of the Mervans church tower was intentionally built this way or whether it has twisted over time is a matter of debate. In addition, when the church collapsed in 1902, the tower was the only part of the church that remained completely undamaged. Of course, that gives people a lot of room for legends. The church was built in the 14th century on the site of an older Roman church. It’s dedicated to Saint Maurice,……

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The square bricked tomb in the woods of Glentrool commemorates six Covenanters who were surprised while praying and shot on the spot. There is a plaque and carved stone within the walled enclosure and a large stone placed on the four outside walls to enable people to view inside. The Covenanters were Scottish Presbyterians who objected to English Episcopalian interference in their worship.  The name Covenanters comes from the fact they supported the National Covenant of 1630, which pledged……

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As you drive along the hot and windy highway north of Adelaide, it is hard to miss the bright pink shoreline of lake Bumbunga. It is not exactly an unusual sight in this part of the world. A salt lake known for its seasonal changes in color, the area has been mined for salt since 1881 and attracts its fair share of tourists. Coming into the town of Lochiel, nothing seems amiss.  Nothing….until far in the distance, you see……

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