A short train ride from Berwick-upon-Tweed, we arrived in Edinburgh and caught a taxi to our apartment-hotel, near the castle. After getting settled, we wandered up the hill to Lawnmarket, where we had decent beer and indifferent savoury pies at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern. William Brodie (1741-88) was a respected tradesman by day and a criminal… Continue reading Edinburgh, 25-26 April
Category: Scotland 22
We spent nine days in Scotland, three in Edinburgh, the rest along the coast and in the Highlands. We’d happily return for more.
Edinburgh, 27 April
In which we visit the castle and the National Gallery Edinburgh Castle A statue honoring Field Marshall Douglas Haig stands outside National War Museum of Scotland. He was nicknamed “Butcher Haig” not because of enemy casualties, but for the two million British casualties suffered under his command. The National War Museum of Scotland has fascinating… Continue reading Edinburgh, 27 April
Driving to Oban, 28 April
We headed to Oban for an island tour. It’s a delightful coastal town, well worth a return visit. But to get there we first had to hire a car. Hired car We were so eager to be on our way to Oban, we arrived an hour early at the Hertz cabin at the Edinburgh Airport… Continue reading Driving to Oban, 28 April
Day tour of Mull and Iona
Ferries run several times daily back and forth from the islands and Oban. Buses of tourists cross Mull, traveling from one port to the next. Both conveyances also carry older schoolchildren to Oban and back once a week, because of a lack of secondary schools on Mull and Iona. Indeed, everything and everyone on the… Continue reading Day tour of Mull and Iona
Oban to Inverness, 30 April
Well fortified with a full Scottish Breakfast, we set out for Inverness, traveling along the Great Boundary Fault, which separates the northern Highlands from the rest of Scotland. The drive through the Glencoe Valley and beyond was a particularly lovely one, despite the rain, which limited our ability to stop and record it. Perhaps another… Continue reading Oban to Inverness, 30 April
Culloden, 1 May
We took it easy in Inverness. Getting caught up with a week’s worth of laundry, which had to be dried on racks (not that this was strange: at home we use a line and racks), takes time. And it was good to have a break from restaurants, even though that meant some cooking. No proper… Continue reading Culloden, 1 May
Black Isle, 2 May
Another easy day, with a drive around the Black Isle. Drumsmittal School is on the southern tip of Black Isle (which is actually a peninsula) and surrounded by idyllic countryside. We headed out to Cromarty, on the north coast, hoping to see the porpoises that are reputed to play off its shores. Once again, not… Continue reading Black Isle, 2 May
Mar sin leibh an-dràsta
We said “farewell for now” to the Highlands, heading down to Carlisle, with a stop at Rosslyn Chapel. Rosslyn Chapel An architectural curiosity, Rosslyn Chapel achieved notoriety with the Da Vinci Code and multiplied its tourist trade five-fold. The money has been very welcome, as the chapel was falling apart at the time. The purported… Continue reading Mar sin leibh an-dràsta