Yesterday there was a rail strike which “derailed” our plans for getting from Edinburgh to Gloucester efficiently where the Three Choirs Festival is being held. Instead of a 5-3/4 hour journey we had to endure a 9 hour bus ride. I was trying to determine which was worse, a 9-hour plane ride or a 9-hour… Read More On the way to Gloucester
(Please note that I’m using the British way of naming this place: no period after “St” and no apostrophe in Andrews) On this our last day in Scotland, only a small group of six of us went on the optional excursion to St Andrews, mostly known as a place for golf but also the site… Read More A day at St Andrews
Although we really only spent a few moments in each of these churches, St. Giles’ Cathedral and Rosslyn Chapel were highlights in my day today. Here’s what’s on the St. Giles’ website: St Giles’ Cathedral, founded in 1124 by King David I, has been a working church for almost 900 years. A backdrop to Scotland’s… Read More St. Giles‘ Cathedral and Rosslyn Chapel
There is a certain breed of cattle here in Scotland which is much beloved and sought after. Our guide, Cornelius, told us that we could stop the bus if anyone spotted a Highland cow (pronounced “coo”) and if there were a space for the bus to pull over. Yesterday we visited Blair Castle where we… Read More Highland cows
If you Google Skye, you’ll find this description of the island: The Isle of Skye, connected to Scotland’s northwest coast by bridge, is known for its rugged landscapes, picturesque fishing villages and medieval castles. The largest island in the Inner Hebrides archipelago, it has an indented coastline of peninsulas and narrow lochs, radiating out from… Read More Gorgeous Isle of Skye
My post yesterday caught the attention of at least one of my readers, my brother-in-law Alan MacDonald, who’s is married to my sister, Doris. When we were in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum a couple of days ago, our tour director pointed out this painting by James Hamilton (1883-1886). The caption adjacent to the… Read More Massacre at Glen Coe
The legend of the Loch Ness monster, (“Nessie”) is rooted in Scottish folklore. Nessie is a mythical creature who inhabits the Loch Ness, an extremely deep waterway in the Scottish Highlands. She is long and thin, usually green and with black humps, tail and snake-like head. It took two hours to drive to Urquhart Castle,… Read More Looking for Nessie
After leaving Glasgow this morning and several stops, we are finally in the beautiful Scottish Highlands—exactly how I pictured Scotland: cool, green, and misty. How cool? Along most of our ride here, the outside temperature ranged from 11–13 deg. Celsius, that’s 51.8–55.4 deg. Fahrenheit, a welcome relief for our fellow passengers from the blistering hot… Read More The Scottish Highlands
Bill Potter and I are part of a GoAhead Tour called “Edinburgh and the Castles of Scotland,” a nine day tour which begins in Glasgow and ends in Edinburgh. Today’s first day on tour included a walking tour, an art museum, and a cathedral, but to me, one of the most interesting thing we saw… Read More The Kelpies
Cattywompus. Death warmed over. Those were two of the old-fashioned but endearing terms my husband Carl used to use which describes my state of jet lag right now. I had a 7:00 am flight out of Honolulu to San Francisco, and then to London. I told my taxi driver to pick me up at 5:00… Read More Cattywompus. Death warmed over.