Am Fear Liath Mòr - Scottish Tall Tale or Unsolved Mystery

In the great northwest of the United States people tell stories (and produce photos and videos) of what they claim is the Sasquatch, a possible missing link between man and apes.  In the Himalayan region where Nepal and Tibet meets similar stories of the Yeti, a possible brother of the Sasquatch who has haunted and surprised mountain climbers and locals in tales dating back to the 19th century.  Almost everyone has heard of these two creatures and there exists a healthy debate as to their existence in the real work or in the imaginations of others.  But do you know about the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdhui?

The Big Grey Man or Greyman is known by his more traditional name of  Am Fear Liath Mòr.  The first documented was in 1925 when the noted mountaineer and explorer J. Norman Collie.  Collie recounted that while making a solo ascent of Ben Macdhui peak in 1891 he "heard a crunch similar to the ones his own feet made when he took a step."  The problem was that he knew he was alone and whoever or whatever was taking the steps was taking 1 for every 4 he took!  This experience caused the usually professional Collie to stumble and run for 5 miles.  Similar experiences and stories have been related over the years by other climbers.

More recently,   in the 90's, three men walking in a forest near Aberdeen reported seeing a bipedal creature with an eerie, inhuman face.  A few weeks later the same three men were driving through the area where they first saw the creature when it suddenly appeared again, this time running alongside their car (they were doing 45 MPH) and attempting to enter their vehicle.  Hitchhikers can be relentless!

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Ben Macdhui is the highest peak in the Cairngorns mountain range of the eastern Scottish Highlands, the second highest peak in all of the United Kingdom.  It appears a single, rugged, elevated plateau but actually consists of a number of smaller plateaus interwoven with shallow passes.  Adorned with a number of low, rounded, glacial mountains, the mountain range is part of the larger Cairngorns National Park which along with opportunities for hiking and biking exploration also contains ski parks and lakes for the more nautically inclined visitors.  Additionally, within the park are a number of communities and villages where visitors can find a variety of accommodations and local attractions beyond the typical national park offerings.

To visit the beautiful country of Scotland, Sceptre Tours has a number of different offerings for you to choose from including both escorted and self-directed tours. 

The Multifaceted Charms of Powerscourt Estate

What do you get when you combine a 13th century Irish castle with an 18th century German Architect and an 8 year old Viscount?  A magnificent location that has drawn royalty, celebrities and private citizens for years and provided them all with memories to last a lifetime.

Located in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, The Powerscourt Estate started its existence as castle that was a major military site that controlled access to various rivers in the area.  Originally the seat of power for the Baron La Poer, a barony by writ created in 1375, the land that encompassed it would eventually become the Powerscourt Estate. 

The original structure (less of a real castle and more of mansion), consisting of 68 rooms and a massive entrance hall, underwent a massive alteration by German architect Richard Cassels starting 1731 and finishing 10 years later.  The alterations were a break from the original design and gave the structure a more castle-like feel.  In the years that followed the estate would become the location of a number of conferences attended by royalty including King George IV in 1821.


In 1844 the seventh Viscount Powerscourt, Mervyn Wingfield inherited the title and the estate at the age of 8.  At the time the estate consisted of 49,000 acres and afforded the seventh Viscount the ability to indulge in some alterations of his own.  Upon turning 21, Viscount Wingfield, set upon an ambitious plan to build some of the most beautiful gardens in the whole of Ireland.  When he was done, the combination of gardens (featuring Japanese and Italian themes), Tower Valley with its distinctive Pepper Pot Tower, the Dolphin Pond and a pet cemetery with deeply personal gravestones showing the love that was felt for the various pets of the Viscount's families.

Eventually the estate would be sold to the Slazenger family in 1961 but one of the Slazenger daughters would marry 10th Viscount Mervyn Wingfield, maintaining a connection between family and estate.  Pared down to its current 47 acres, the house was badly damaged by fire in 1974 and has been constantly renovated to return it to its original grandeur.  In June of 2011, The Tara's Palace Museum of Children relocated to the Powerscourt House bringing with it Tara's Palace, one of the most magnificent doll houses in the world.

While its original history included visits and stays by members of the aristocracy and royalty, the house and estate has played host to other aristocrats and royals.  Because of its magnificent architecture, immaculate gardens and the adjoining Powerscourt Waterfall (the highest waterfall in Ireland), the house and estate have been used as the backdrops to many movies and TV shows.  Visitors to the estate who are fans of the 2002 movie adaption of The Count of Monte Cristo will recognize immediately the location of a party thrown by the Count.  Visitors to the Powerscourt Waterfall who have seen Excalibur will be taken back to the pivotal fight between Arthur and Lancelot.  The estate was also used for the recording of the DVD/TV Special, Celtic Woman's Song of the Heart.

If all of this spurs your interest in visiting this fine estate, Sceptre Tours is offering a magnificent package with round trip air and 6 nights at the nearby, 5-Star Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

In 1621 the inhabitants of the Plymouth settlement and the Wampanoag Indians sat down for a feast to celebrate the autumn harvest.  In 1817, New York became the first of many states to officially adopt a thanksgiving day (the parades started much later!).  242 years later, at the height of the Civil War in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving would be observed each November.  In 1941 FDR signed a bill stating that the National Holiday of Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November (reversing an order he established in 1939 that moved the day up a week to spur retail sales and returning to the original date established by Lincoln).

Since then Thanksgiving has become a holiday that many in the United States count among their favorites because it is about family coming together to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for in our lives.  Many people are driving home, others are slogging through airports and train stations to get home.  Others still are taking their families and flying off on vacations to take a break from the traditional Thanksgiving celebrations.

Regardless of where your travels take you, we at Sceptre Tours wish all a safe and happy journey, a joyous Thanksgiving day and a safe return trip back.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!