MY NERDS! I have an urgent announcement:
I found a dragon!
Well, technically, I didn't find a dragon. But I did explore an area of Scotland which was featured in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The scene where the dragon is chasing Harry, and they fly by these epic gorge walls... yea, I was there this weekend!
(Also, in case you didn't know, the backdrop to the Dragon egg scene is also in Scotland (as are tons of other scenes from HP) known as Steall Falls, where you might remember we visited in 2016! See below:
Anyways...
We skipped forest week 9 due to illness and Wolfy being away all weekend, but we more than made up for it this week, because we spent about 4 hours exploring Black Rock Gorge. It was absolutely magical! I hope you enjoy this photo essay. It was a really cool place, and I felt like any moment I would see a dragon come climbing out of the gorge or dark fae creatures lounging on the mossy branches.
Disclaimer: this forest adventure was a mixture of nicely pruned trails and some off-trail adventures. At some points, I was scared to death (afraid of heights) and we were traversing steep, slippery hillsides that dropped down into the gorge. But we never risked our lives or our equipment. We played it pretty safe and only went where we knew we could return. I recorded some video as well which I will be compiling into a VLOG this month on my YouTube channel :) Stay tuned for that!
On with the photos!
When we arrived to the forest, I decided to leave my paint stuff in the car since it looked (and felt) like it was about to rain. Four hours later, we were dry but tired after exploring. It was an absolutely beautiful place, and we will definitely be returning (with paint supplies!). As we walked back to the car, it started to sprinkle. Figures! I thought...but oh well, It was a wonderful day nonetheless.
I had a blast taking photos and exploring the little details of this lush forest. It really did have a wonderful variety - huge trees, thick moss, waterfalls everywhere, plunging cliffs of the gorge, spooky dense trees, and more!
My favorite moment was when I overcame my fear, and climbed down this old ladder to reach this secluded little area within the canyon. It was hidden off-trail, and I stumbled upon it by mistake. Of course Wolfy immediately climbed down, and insisted that I follow. But I'm really glad I did because there it was a beautiful little spot. I want to return here and paint!