Sunday morning and we are on the road again. We left the Isle of Skye and headed to Oban, a charming city on the western coast of Scotland. This is going to be a long day of bus travel with stops along the way.
Instead of traveling over the bridge like normal folk, we took a ferry to the mainland. It’s really a very cool way to cut out a LOT of drive time. It took about 30-40 minutes to get across the water. The ferry includes great seating and coffee shops on board. Weather was not too cooperative, still rainy and windy and COLD! But hey, we’re getting used to it! We have figured out we will have heat strokes when we land in Little Rock on Thursday. (We’ve been watching the weather forecasts on the internet!)
We stopped in the small town of Fort Williams for a quick lunch. Not much there to see, but the lunch soup was great! A really hardy vegetable soup with bread! Yum!
About an hour after lunch we came to the mountain of the highest peak in Scotland, Ben Nevis with an altitude of 4,409 ft. Not the Rocky Mountains, but big considering the rest of the land. Clouds were hanging so low that we couldn’t see the top. But they were still very impressive. We are told it is very popular with the hiking set! www.nevisrange.co.uk
We then traveled to the Kilt Rock, so named because of its resemblance to a Scotmans’ kilt. This 200 foot tall sea cliff had vertical lava columns that resemble pleats, sitting on top of horizontal sedimentary rock. The wind and rain were blowing so hard, the metal railing was singing in the wind! www.scotland-flavour.co.uk/kilt-rock.html
As we continued to travel, we came to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. To most this doesn’t mean much, but to Harry Potter fans, this is the railway trestle that is used for the Hogwarts train scenes. It was raining and ‘blowy’, but we climbed up to a mountain viewpoint so we could get pictures. Nasty dirt trail, but glad to report no falls, trips or broken bones this time! www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/glenfinnan.html
Our route took us to Glencoe which is a beautiful valley formed by glacier activity thousands of years ago. It is under the care of the government organization similar to our National Park program. The valley is an awesome place. We were told that (again a Harry Potter moment) Hagrid’s house was built and all scenes involving his house filmed in this valley. www.glencoemountain.com
We arrived in Oban www.oban.org.uk and after a brief orientation of this small town we were left to our own free time. After getting settled in our hotel, which is a restored early Victorian home, we had to do the laundry bit. Bathroom looked like a laundry facility with all the clothes hanging from the shower rod, the towel bars and on hangers in the window! LOL! But at least they are clean! We then wandered around looking for some place to eat. We decided on CHINESE!!! We asked for directions from a chap who apparently had spent the last couple of hours at the pub..LOL! But he gave us directions to what he thought was the best place in town! It was soooooo good!
We walked back to our hotel and after showers, decided to go to bed before midnight. Have we told you how light it stays here!! OMG! 11:00 at night is comparable to our 7:00 pm at home! A sleep mask would be handy!!
Well, we are playing catch up with the blog! Scotland is a very rural, rugged and wild country. It takes a lot of travel time to go between sites and activities. By the time we get back to the hotel, eat and shower, we are exhausted. Then we start all over..so please forgive us!
It is now Monday, so we hope everyone had a great Memorial Day holiday! It is a bank holiday here also so not many shops or stores are open. But we did not have time today to walk through town. Let’s start with our adventures today….
We woke to ….of course….rain and wind. We headed out for a day trip to the Island of Iona. So we had to hop two ferries and a local tour bus to get to the island. By the time we got to the island, the sun was out and the weather improved 100%. Iona is famous as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. Back in 563 AD, St. Columba left Ireland. The island of Iona was the first land he saw when he sailed from Ireland. Once he landed, he established an abbey. His monastic community became the center of Celtic Christianity. The current population is about 100 people living on the island. The Iona Community is a gathering of people who seek new ways of living the Gospel in today’s world, with a focus on worship, peace and justice issues and reconciliation. The island has the abbey, nunnery ruins and small shops and restaurants. Some say that Iona possesses the thin layer of being between the spiritual plane and real world……Very interesting thought! (But we didn’t see Elvis there!) www.isle-of-iona.com
We did not get back to Oban until 5:45 pm. As we walked across town from the ferry terminal, we saw yet another Chinese restaurant. Got Chinese Take Away (Scottish for “To Go”). Walked a little further down the street and found a winehouse. They had single glasses of wine to go! We picked up a couple of those and came back to the hotel. We had a picnic dinner in our room and watched CSI….Seems every night on USA channel, they run back to back CSI reruns. Only 8 channels broadcasts here. The other night ‘Titanic’ was on three channels at different parts! LOL!!
Tomorrow is another heavy travel day. We head back to Edinburgh for our last night on the tour. Til then….Good Night all!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Bus and Booze, Rain and Snooze
We’ve arrived in Oban after a day on the bus with stops along the way. More about that in the next posting.
Yesterday, we left our country manor for a tour of the Isle of Skye. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skye. Of course, it was raining but we’ve gotten used to that and with “THE” old broad raincoats, we stayed pretty dang dry.
The Isle of Sky offers some of Scotland’s best scenery. Narrow, twisty roads wind around Skye in the shadows of craggy, black, bald mountains. We’ve talked all along about the sheep – they are everywhere. In fact, 200 years ago, many humans residents were forced to move off the island to make room for more livestock during the Highland Clearances http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/scotland_clearances_01.shtml. The people who remain are some of the most ardently Gaelic Scots in Scotland.
We started the day at Talisker Distillery, a single malt scotch whiskey company. Scotch is produced from a simple recipe of barley, sugar and water but the flavor varies based on the water used, equipment and the distilling process. We could actually smell the scotch even outside the building. It was a very interesting process involving many cycles of grinding, soaking, heating, cooling, evaporation and aging. Interestingly enough, barrels from the US that previously stored bourbon or cordial or used to age the scotch. http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/talisker/history.php. Our tour ended with a “wee dram” of whiskey. Remember, this was our first activity of the day – my god it was only 10:00 a.m. Needless to say, the old broads are going to stick with beer and wine.
We spent the rest of the day cruising along the Cuillin Hills http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuillin and so many different lochs we’ve lost count. Our guide fills the time on the bus with historical stories and music relevant to the surroundings. We must admit, sometimes the old broads nod off on the bus. The day ended with another group meal at our hotel. NO haggis!
Word of the day – blowy – means windy. “It’s rather blowy out.” No sh-- Sherlock, it’s been down right blowy for almost two weeks.
Yesterday, we left our country manor for a tour of the Isle of Skye. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skye. Of course, it was raining but we’ve gotten used to that and with “THE” old broad raincoats, we stayed pretty dang dry.
The Isle of Sky offers some of Scotland’s best scenery. Narrow, twisty roads wind around Skye in the shadows of craggy, black, bald mountains. We’ve talked all along about the sheep – they are everywhere. In fact, 200 years ago, many humans residents were forced to move off the island to make room for more livestock during the Highland Clearances http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/civil_war_revolution/scotland_clearances_01.shtml. The people who remain are some of the most ardently Gaelic Scots in Scotland.
We started the day at Talisker Distillery, a single malt scotch whiskey company. Scotch is produced from a simple recipe of barley, sugar and water but the flavor varies based on the water used, equipment and the distilling process. We could actually smell the scotch even outside the building. It was a very interesting process involving many cycles of grinding, soaking, heating, cooling, evaporation and aging. Interestingly enough, barrels from the US that previously stored bourbon or cordial or used to age the scotch. http://www.discovering-distilleries.com/talisker/history.php. Our tour ended with a “wee dram” of whiskey. Remember, this was our first activity of the day – my god it was only 10:00 a.m. Needless to say, the old broads are going to stick with beer and wine.
We spent the rest of the day cruising along the Cuillin Hills http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuillin and so many different lochs we’ve lost count. Our guide fills the time on the bus with historical stories and music relevant to the surroundings. We must admit, sometimes the old broads nod off on the bus. The day ended with another group meal at our hotel. NO haggis!
Word of the day – blowy – means windy. “It’s rather blowy out.” No sh-- Sherlock, it’s been down right blowy for almost two weeks.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Castles, the Nessie, and Buddy Holly
The day was a long travel day. After checking out of our hotel in Inverness, we headed north/northwest to what is called ‘the land of the true Scotsman’. We stopped at a local winery for a wine tasting (at 10:00 in the morning!). This was privately owned by a local family. They make various wines from natural items found around and near their estate i.e. White Birch sap, elderflower and various fruits. In modern day, they no longer can make the wine and jellies on site. However, they control the recipe and production from their home. We were given samples of brandy, wine, liqueurs as well as jams and jellies on oat cakes. Most were really good, but Garlic Pickle jelly just doesn’t smell good enough to get into the mouth! YUCK!
After our visit, we were off to our next stop, the ruins of Urquhart castle on Loch Ness. www.aboutscotland.co.uk/ness/urquhart.html History has it that this castle was built, raided, attacked and finally blown up in it’s 1000 year history. Located on a peninsula looking onto the Loch Ness, it is a beautiful setting for a castle. After exploring the ruins and snapping a few pictures, we sat on the terrace of the visitors’ center and had a cup of latte. So peaceful there. We could just imagine the Laird and Lady of the castle standing at one of the windows surveying their territory.
While we are on the subject, yes we were at the real Loch Ness, the one with the ‘sea monster’. No sightings this trip, but we did stop at the Loch Ness Exhibition Center, www.lochness.com very quickly to take a couple of snapshots of the ‘yellow submarine’ used to scientifically explore the loch, as well as the statue of what is believed to a depiction of “Nessie”. Not on the Rick Steve’s Tour agenda, but the guide thought since we were in the area…..! LOL!
Our tour guide and driver had a stop planned for a short ‘picnic’ while we were on the road. Now back in the States, if there was even a chance of rain, all picnics are cancelled. But since it has been raining here in Scotland every day, we had our picnic in the rain. While they set up in the snacks, we all walked to a small bridge and waterfall that fed into Loch Ness and took pictures. We noticed the on the other side of the bridge, there was a small building over looking the stream. It so reminded us of a Hobbit house out of the Lord of the Rings. Don’t know what it was really, but we just called it that.
Even though it was a misty rain falling, our picnic consisted of all Scottish products. (No Haggis on the menu!) Our guides, Anne and Russell, served various cheeses, salmon, oatcakes, beers, wine, and soft drinks. They also included a caramel cookie only found in Scotland. All was very tasty. While munching on the goodies, we were able to get fairly close to the hairy cattle found in Scotland. These are huge and hairy like an English sheepdog. Very cute younger cows…reminded me of the 1960s Beatles haircuts!
Back on the bus we head further north toward the Isle of Skye. On the road, we had the opportunity to drive through a National forest area and saw several deer and some saw a wild mountain goat. The deer here are not slim and sleek like the whitetail deer in Arkansas. These deer are solid and wide. They look like the size of cattle. Obviously size is important in surviving the winters and cold found this far north. The temperature was 9 degrees C. Roughly 48 degrees F and factor in a wind of about 40 mph. VERY chilly here!
For those followers that remember the “Highlander” movie, we stopped at the Eileen Donan Castle. www.eileandonancastle.com This is where the filmmakers filmed several scenes. They also filmed the Grand Hall scene in one of the James Bond movies. Just can’t remember which one. I think it was “The World is Not Enough”.
We arrived at the Isle of Skye in the late in the afternoon. Our hotel is a very quaint bed and breakfast with a little chef who is amazing in the kitchen! During our dinner, we were entertained by a Scottish musician who played the accordion, the guitar, and drum. But let’s just say there is something wrong with Buddy Holly being played by a man in kilt on a drum!! Good night to all! Tomorrow we are off to explore the Isle of Skye.
After our visit, we were off to our next stop, the ruins of Urquhart castle on Loch Ness. www.aboutscotland.co.uk/ness/urquhart.html History has it that this castle was built, raided, attacked and finally blown up in it’s 1000 year history. Located on a peninsula looking onto the Loch Ness, it is a beautiful setting for a castle. After exploring the ruins and snapping a few pictures, we sat on the terrace of the visitors’ center and had a cup of latte. So peaceful there. We could just imagine the Laird and Lady of the castle standing at one of the windows surveying their territory.
While we are on the subject, yes we were at the real Loch Ness, the one with the ‘sea monster’. No sightings this trip, but we did stop at the Loch Ness Exhibition Center, www.lochness.com very quickly to take a couple of snapshots of the ‘yellow submarine’ used to scientifically explore the loch, as well as the statue of what is believed to a depiction of “Nessie”. Not on the Rick Steve’s Tour agenda, but the guide thought since we were in the area…..! LOL!
Our tour guide and driver had a stop planned for a short ‘picnic’ while we were on the road. Now back in the States, if there was even a chance of rain, all picnics are cancelled. But since it has been raining here in Scotland every day, we had our picnic in the rain. While they set up in the snacks, we all walked to a small bridge and waterfall that fed into Loch Ness and took pictures. We noticed the on the other side of the bridge, there was a small building over looking the stream. It so reminded us of a Hobbit house out of the Lord of the Rings. Don’t know what it was really, but we just called it that.
Even though it was a misty rain falling, our picnic consisted of all Scottish products. (No Haggis on the menu!) Our guides, Anne and Russell, served various cheeses, salmon, oatcakes, beers, wine, and soft drinks. They also included a caramel cookie only found in Scotland. All was very tasty. While munching on the goodies, we were able to get fairly close to the hairy cattle found in Scotland. These are huge and hairy like an English sheepdog. Very cute younger cows…reminded me of the 1960s Beatles haircuts!
Back on the bus we head further north toward the Isle of Skye. On the road, we had the opportunity to drive through a National forest area and saw several deer and some saw a wild mountain goat. The deer here are not slim and sleek like the whitetail deer in Arkansas. These deer are solid and wide. They look like the size of cattle. Obviously size is important in surviving the winters and cold found this far north. The temperature was 9 degrees C. Roughly 48 degrees F and factor in a wind of about 40 mph. VERY chilly here!
For those followers that remember the “Highlander” movie, we stopped at the Eileen Donan Castle. www.eileandonancastle.com This is where the filmmakers filmed several scenes. They also filmed the Grand Hall scene in one of the James Bond movies. Just can’t remember which one. I think it was “The World is Not Enough”.
We arrived at the Isle of Skye in the late in the afternoon. Our hotel is a very quaint bed and breakfast with a little chef who is amazing in the kitchen! During our dinner, we were entertained by a Scottish musician who played the accordion, the guitar, and drum. But let’s just say there is something wrong with Buddy Holly being played by a man in kilt on a drum!! Good night to all! Tomorrow we are off to explore the Isle of Skye.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Crannogs, Sheep Doggies, Castles, a Battlefield and a Pile of Rocks
This is a catch up post but the broads will try to make it short. First, thanks to all of you who have commented – it keeps us connected to the USA and our loved ones. We know there are others who are following but not commenting. We LOVE you too!! SWAK!
Wednesday
We left Kenmore headed for our next hotel in Inverness in the Scottish highlands. Our first stop of the day was at the Scottish crannogs visitor center on the Loch Tay. A crannog is quite an amazing pre-historic dwelling built on stilts over the water with a long walk way. (Think wigwam over water..) There are hundreds of them across Scotland and 1,000’s in Ireland. From the artifacts historians are able to piece together the lifestyle of the inhabitants. This link provides a great description of life in the crannog. http://www.crannog.co.uk/.
Next we visited a working sheep farm for a demonstration of how the dogs are used to control the sheep and for a sheep sheering. It is no exaggeration that almost all the hills in the highlands have free-roaming sheep. The actual farm owner performed the demonstration. (For those that remember the movie “Babe”, this guy was the one in the background actually working the dogs and sheep. Movie magic.) The control over the dogs movements was almost unbelievable. We took a few film clips and will try to get them loaded to show the dogs in action. The sheering was fascinating – sheep wool is much thicker than previously thought. After the demonstration, those who wanted were able to bottle feed some of the little lambs and hold baby sheep dogs. Fun day with the sweet sounds of baaaah, baaaah, all the while.
Highlight of the drive – we saw J.K. Rowlings country castle. She also has a house in Edinburgh but sometimes stays in the country. AND, it looked to us like she was home (flag up and cars in the driveway. Woohoo, a brush with a celebrity - almost).
We arrived at the Waterside Inverness tired and wet (still raining off and on) with lots of laundry to wash out. The old broads opted for dinner at the hotel. Our room is BIG by Europe standards, and came with a nice hot pot and packets of tea and coffee. Overall, the rooms have been much bigger on this trip and fancier. We think it is just the Scottish way – proper. It’s hard to believe that in yesteryear the Scots were known as a rough and tumble people.
Friday
Today started with a tasty breakfast in the hotel. I think haggis was on the menu but definitely not on the old broad plates. One guy at our table had smoked haddock though with a poached egg on top – we won’t be ordering that either.
Our first stop today was at the Culloden Battlefield http://www.nts.org.uk/Culloden/Home/ where we learned about the civil war between the government and the jacobites and the battle that culminated at Culloden Battlefield. It was raining (again) so we didn’t send a lot of time on the actual field, just enough to visit the memorial rock structure in the middle. The visitor center did a good job describing the government and civil unrest that existed at that time. Check out the link if you are interested in a little history.
Next we visited Clava Cairns. For the hikers out there you’ll be familiar with the term cairns, which means a man-made pile of stones. The Clava Cairns are Bronze age burial chambers made of stocked stones. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/invernesshire/featured-sites/balnuaran-of-clava.html
We ended our tour day with a trip to Cawdor Castle. On the way over we heard a sordid story of the family who own it, drunkenness, affairs, deaths, etc. but in the end the second wife inherited the castle (leaving the kids hung out to dry…). Although part of it is a commercial venue, she still lives in one wing of the castle. It wasn’t at all like other castles we’ve visited (sounds funny doesn’t it to compare to other castles like there are castles on every corner). The rooms were all warm and cozy, lots of fabrics and comfy furniture. WE could live there – REALLY! http://www.cawdorcastle.com/
We’re back in the room, getting ready for dinner at a local pub. Tomorrow we head for the Isle of Skye. No idea how much connectivity we will have there so there could be a delay.
Watch for new pics later today or in the morning.
Wednesday
We left Kenmore headed for our next hotel in Inverness in the Scottish highlands. Our first stop of the day was at the Scottish crannogs visitor center on the Loch Tay. A crannog is quite an amazing pre-historic dwelling built on stilts over the water with a long walk way. (Think wigwam over water..) There are hundreds of them across Scotland and 1,000’s in Ireland. From the artifacts historians are able to piece together the lifestyle of the inhabitants. This link provides a great description of life in the crannog. http://www.crannog.co.uk/.
Next we visited a working sheep farm for a demonstration of how the dogs are used to control the sheep and for a sheep sheering. It is no exaggeration that almost all the hills in the highlands have free-roaming sheep. The actual farm owner performed the demonstration. (For those that remember the movie “Babe”, this guy was the one in the background actually working the dogs and sheep. Movie magic.) The control over the dogs movements was almost unbelievable. We took a few film clips and will try to get them loaded to show the dogs in action. The sheering was fascinating – sheep wool is much thicker than previously thought. After the demonstration, those who wanted were able to bottle feed some of the little lambs and hold baby sheep dogs. Fun day with the sweet sounds of baaaah, baaaah, all the while.
Highlight of the drive – we saw J.K. Rowlings country castle. She also has a house in Edinburgh but sometimes stays in the country. AND, it looked to us like she was home (flag up and cars in the driveway. Woohoo, a brush with a celebrity - almost).
We arrived at the Waterside Inverness tired and wet (still raining off and on) with lots of laundry to wash out. The old broads opted for dinner at the hotel. Our room is BIG by Europe standards, and came with a nice hot pot and packets of tea and coffee. Overall, the rooms have been much bigger on this trip and fancier. We think it is just the Scottish way – proper. It’s hard to believe that in yesteryear the Scots were known as a rough and tumble people.
Friday
Today started with a tasty breakfast in the hotel. I think haggis was on the menu but definitely not on the old broad plates. One guy at our table had smoked haddock though with a poached egg on top – we won’t be ordering that either.
Our first stop today was at the Culloden Battlefield http://www.nts.org.uk/Culloden/Home/ where we learned about the civil war between the government and the jacobites and the battle that culminated at Culloden Battlefield. It was raining (again) so we didn’t send a lot of time on the actual field, just enough to visit the memorial rock structure in the middle. The visitor center did a good job describing the government and civil unrest that existed at that time. Check out the link if you are interested in a little history.
Next we visited Clava Cairns. For the hikers out there you’ll be familiar with the term cairns, which means a man-made pile of stones. The Clava Cairns are Bronze age burial chambers made of stocked stones. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/scotland/invernesshire/featured-sites/balnuaran-of-clava.html
We ended our tour day with a trip to Cawdor Castle. On the way over we heard a sordid story of the family who own it, drunkenness, affairs, deaths, etc. but in the end the second wife inherited the castle (leaving the kids hung out to dry…). Although part of it is a commercial venue, she still lives in one wing of the castle. It wasn’t at all like other castles we’ve visited (sounds funny doesn’t it to compare to other castles like there are castles on every corner). The rooms were all warm and cozy, lots of fabrics and comfy furniture. WE could live there – REALLY! http://www.cawdorcastle.com/
We’re back in the room, getting ready for dinner at a local pub. Tomorrow we head for the Isle of Skye. No idea how much connectivity we will have there so there could be a delay.
Watch for new pics later today or in the morning.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Days of yore and men with little sticks
We are so behind posting. Wifi was unavailable at our Kenmore hotel due to storms the previous two days. If you recall, there were 40-70 mile per hour winds in Edinburgh and worse in the highlands. Even now we are keying this post in a Word document, hoping to post later tonight when we can get a signal. We (Americans) take so much for granted. Things are not as simple or easy in Europe. Even small things like electrical outlets in a room are sparse, and internet connectivity is “dodgy.”
We started with our usual breakfast at the hotel in Edinburgh. By the way, we have learned that it is not pronounced with a “g” sounds but instead, it is pronounced as “Edinboro.” We DID NOT have haggis again. Once was enough and instead we opted for a safer choice - porridge (oatmeal).
Culross
Our first stop was at a 17th century cottage palace called Culross. The owner of Culross was a local businessman named xxx Bruce. He is known for producing coal and salt and providing many in the area with reasonable pay, thus improving their lives. At this time, the coal mines had become flooded and unusable. Xxx discovered a pump that could drain the mines and put them in production. He also discovered that he could use the slag from the coal mine, which burned very slowly, to produce salt from the nearby sea (google to get more information on how to produce salt from sea water).
We learned about life inside the “palace.” The old broads were a little disgusted at some of the regular habits, in particular the passing of the slop pot in the dining/sitting room. Apparently men and women ate and socialized in separate rooms and it was in bad taste (or not allowed) for any of the men to leave the room before the host. Since hours passed before anyone left, a small metal pot was passed amongst the guests by a servant so they could relieve themselves in the room – can you say eeeewwwww! They were pretty masterful though at modernation inside the home, especially in the kitchen where a series of troughs carved into stone allowed water to collect in a sink and then drain out of the house. Of course, other things also drained in the open troughs, such as the slop pots from the sitting/dining room.
St Andrews
A man hitting little white balls with sticks is pretty much the same all over the world unless of course you are at St. Andrews. Although not proven, St. Andrews claims to be the birthplace of the game of golf. The Old Course is just how it appears on television – windy and regal. It skirts St. Andrews Bay (the North Sea) so it is fiercely windy. To play the Old Course requires a reservation, likely at least one year in advance.
St. Andrews is also the home of Scotland’s most prestigious university – think of it as the Scottish Cambridge. (And the best place to hook up with the prince of your dreams…) The university buildings are ancient and beautiful and the town is typical – full of youngsters being youngsters.
Also in St. Andrews are the remnants of a castle and cathedral. We only had time for the cathedral. Around the time of the Reformation (14th-16th century), St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical of Scotland and the church was its showpiece. Even as a ruin it is beautiful.
On the way to our hotel in Kenmore (no relation to the appliances sold in Sears), we stopped for a quick walk 45 minute through the forest to visit Black Lin Falls. Beautiful, quick moving falls, in a heavily canopied forest. Nice break from riding the bus.
Kenmore
Our final destination of the day was Kenmore, the site of our one-night hotel. One nighters are particularly tough because of you have to unpack to take showers; get out fresh clothes etc. but you have to re-pack the very next morning. The Kenmore hotel is the oldest hotel in Scotland, built in the 1500’s. It sits along the Tay River with a great river view from the dining room. Even though it was barely a pit stop, the hotel was nice and the food was good. Of course, we are now very careful with the breakfast buffet. The Kenmore offered blood pudding for breakfast and, yes, it is as it sounds. Yuk.
Well this catches us up to this morning but we will post separately – this one is getting too long as it is. Plus tonight is a wash night. You just can’t appreciate doing wash until you have to wash everything out in a small sink and then find places all around a room to hang them up. The old broads have a better appreciation for the term “scullery maid.” We are sure that this was their duty and it is not fun. Also, due to the weak internet access, we won’t be posting new pics for a few days.
We started with our usual breakfast at the hotel in Edinburgh. By the way, we have learned that it is not pronounced with a “g” sounds but instead, it is pronounced as “Edinboro.” We DID NOT have haggis again. Once was enough and instead we opted for a safer choice - porridge (oatmeal).
Culross
Our first stop was at a 17th century cottage palace called Culross. The owner of Culross was a local businessman named xxx Bruce. He is known for producing coal and salt and providing many in the area with reasonable pay, thus improving their lives. At this time, the coal mines had become flooded and unusable. Xxx discovered a pump that could drain the mines and put them in production. He also discovered that he could use the slag from the coal mine, which burned very slowly, to produce salt from the nearby sea (google to get more information on how to produce salt from sea water).
We learned about life inside the “palace.” The old broads were a little disgusted at some of the regular habits, in particular the passing of the slop pot in the dining/sitting room. Apparently men and women ate and socialized in separate rooms and it was in bad taste (or not allowed) for any of the men to leave the room before the host. Since hours passed before anyone left, a small metal pot was passed amongst the guests by a servant so they could relieve themselves in the room – can you say eeeewwwww! They were pretty masterful though at modernation inside the home, especially in the kitchen where a series of troughs carved into stone allowed water to collect in a sink and then drain out of the house. Of course, other things also drained in the open troughs, such as the slop pots from the sitting/dining room.
St Andrews
A man hitting little white balls with sticks is pretty much the same all over the world unless of course you are at St. Andrews. Although not proven, St. Andrews claims to be the birthplace of the game of golf. The Old Course is just how it appears on television – windy and regal. It skirts St. Andrews Bay (the North Sea) so it is fiercely windy. To play the Old Course requires a reservation, likely at least one year in advance.
St. Andrews is also the home of Scotland’s most prestigious university – think of it as the Scottish Cambridge. (And the best place to hook up with the prince of your dreams…) The university buildings are ancient and beautiful and the town is typical – full of youngsters being youngsters.
Also in St. Andrews are the remnants of a castle and cathedral. We only had time for the cathedral. Around the time of the Reformation (14th-16th century), St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical of Scotland and the church was its showpiece. Even as a ruin it is beautiful.
On the way to our hotel in Kenmore (no relation to the appliances sold in Sears), we stopped for a quick walk 45 minute through the forest to visit Black Lin Falls. Beautiful, quick moving falls, in a heavily canopied forest. Nice break from riding the bus.
Kenmore
Our final destination of the day was Kenmore, the site of our one-night hotel. One nighters are particularly tough because of you have to unpack to take showers; get out fresh clothes etc. but you have to re-pack the very next morning. The Kenmore hotel is the oldest hotel in Scotland, built in the 1500’s. It sits along the Tay River with a great river view from the dining room. Even though it was barely a pit stop, the hotel was nice and the food was good. Of course, we are now very careful with the breakfast buffet. The Kenmore offered blood pudding for breakfast and, yes, it is as it sounds. Yuk.
Well this catches us up to this morning but we will post separately – this one is getting too long as it is. Plus tonight is a wash night. You just can’t appreciate doing wash until you have to wash everything out in a small sink and then find places all around a room to hang them up. The old broads have a better appreciation for the term “scullery maid.” We are sure that this was their duty and it is not fun. Also, due to the weak internet access, we won’t be posting new pics for a few days.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
In the Highlands
This is going to be a quick post to say we haven't dropped into the obyss. We are in Kenmore, got here late afternoon yesterday. Storms knocked out their wifi so we are keying these few words at a kiosk. Will send more details later today (hope).
Monday, May 23, 2011
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