Fall 2016 Scotland #1

Mt St Helens and Adams

Anne beside our upgraded Ford Mondeo

Evening in Crieff

This post has been delayed by a lack of time before we got to timeshare (too busy doing things to write about) and by a lack of internet in our timeshare in the Highlands (difficult to do anything more than the basics in an internet cafe).  I’ve finally got the first post of our trip done and ready to publish.  The trip has been a great one so far with party’s in Crieff (John’s birthday), 

visiting with old friends and making new ones, golf at our club and others, distillery tours, ferry trips and train trips, and more.  Out of all that I do have some stories to tell and some photos to share. 

On the street in Crieff

Lone Fisherperson on Lochearn

The Bizarre Server

At the Moorings Hotel Restaurant in Banavie near Fort William (facing Neptune’s Staircase, a series of locks) we had a nice dinner and some special service. 

One of Neptune's Staircase (locks)

We had menus, but were waiting for a server to take our order when a nicely dressed worker (looked like a manager) came to our table to take our menus.  We stopped him saying, “We haven’t ordered yet.”  He asked what we wanted and Anne said, “I’ll have the salmon with mashed potatoes.”  He looked at the menu where it listed mashed as an option and said something like, “I don’t know if you can have that, I’ll ask one of the girls. What would you like to drink?” Anne replied that she’d like a “glass of white wine; what do you have by the glass.” He showed Anne the list of bottled wine and said, “White [turned the page] and red.”  “I want white, but which is by the glass?” questioned Anne, a little more frustrated.  “I don’t know; I’ll ask a girl.”  And he left.  

A waitress did finally take our order and we got drinks and food, but after the starter the same guy came back and took our starter plates and asked us what we wanted for dessert.  We worked very hard to not breaking out in hysterics. We saw him several times doing things at tables and leaving guests with perplexed looks. Our guess is that he was either an overseas owner or he was from Barcelona and “knew nuthing.”  [British sit-com “Fawlty Towers”, check it out.]

Hairy Coo

Red Kite

Butcher's sign in Pitlochry

Two Special Rounds of Golf

The first of two special rounds of golf on this trip was at Harburn GC in West Calder, West Lothians (south of Edinburgh). We were entered in a Mixed Greensomes Open, meaning as a couple we each teed off, chose our best shot, and played alternate shot from there until we holed out—not an easy game when we’re not used to it.  We were paired with Billie and Jillian, a father-daughter team from a nearby village.  

Harburn GC

Both were very good golfers, and we started very well, but then the sand got us.  First Anne got us in the sand and I didn’t get us out.  Then she didn’t get us out.  And I didn’t get us out.  Finally, Anne got us out of the sand and a mile away from the flag.  We did that a couple more times.  The upshot of this is that we were in last place when we left the clubhouse (more golfers were still out on the course, so there was some hope) and Billie and Jillian were in first place.  

Jillian, Anne, and Billie

It was our worst performance in competition ever, but we’d had a lovely time on a nice course and made new friends.  It would be nice to think someone might have had a worse day than did we, or is that not an appropriate thought?

Our second special round was at the nine-hole Traigh GC (pronounced “try”) near Airsaig and Mallaig (the terminus of the Harry Potter Train).  

Anne gets ready for a wet round at Traigh

This little course is set upon ancient sand dunes next to beautiful white sand beaches on the west coast of Scotland (I believe it is the most westerly golf course on the Scottish mainland).  

Traigh clubhouse and beach

Fifth hole at Traigh

We had played before and brought the club a copy of our book in exchange for another round.  The day was windy (20-30 mph) and squally, so we got our rain gear ready in case.  The course is short, but tricky and great fun.  Even when the weather turned to driving rain—holes seven and eight—it was still fun.  

The Scots are resourceful

The weather cleared a bit as we put our wet gear into the car.  The one other guy on the course was still playing the ninth when pulled out and headed to Fort William.

Old croft building in Glencoe village

Loch Linnhe

The Harry Potter Train

We are actively seeking photos of the sites used in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander TV series—people were constantly asking for photos of the sites when we were selling at the Highland Games.  We couldn’t, though, pass up an opportunity to get a little bit of Harry Potter fix by taking the Harry Potter Train (aka The Jacobite) from Fort William to Mallaig.  Recognized as one of the most beautiful steam train trip in the world, 

the train (pulled by a 1945-era coal-fired locomotive) the 50+ mile round trip is through spectacular Highland and coastal scenery with stops at historic Glenfinnan (where Bonnie Prince Charlie gather the clans in 1745 to make a bid at regaining the Scottish/English throne for the Stuarts) and a lunch-stop in Mallaig where the Caledonian ferries sail to the Isle of Skye and the Inner Hebrides islands.

Our seats faced backwards on the outward trip.  We were seated with a nice young couple from Switzerland on a two-week tour of Scotland.  

The lunch stop, for us it was a shared sandwich at The Garden Tea Room, gave us time for a bite and a wander about the harbour.  

The Garden Tea Room in Mallaig

Mallaig

One the way back to Fort William we were seated near the back of the train and facing forward—much better for photos.  

View from the train

The photo of the day was my shot of the train crossing over the Glenfinnan viaduct (which is now known as the Harry Potter viaduct).  

The Glenfinnan (Harry Potter) Viaduct

We’d driven the Road to the Isles (from Fort William to Mallaig) before, but the train ride gave us a different perspective on things we’d seen before.  That’s always exciting.

The path less traveled

Glencoe