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

Scotland Spring 2016: The Best of the Rest

     This post contains what I believe to be the Best of the Rest of the spring trip to Scotland.   Either they represent the Best Photos from the rest of the trip, or they relate to the Best of the Stories from the rest of the trip.  I hope you enjoy.
     The two photos below represent the best and the worst culinary experience of the trip.  First, the best, a wonderful lamb shank dinner at Anderson's in Boat of Garten (Highlands).  Next there is an absolutely awful cider at a seaside bar in Nairn--tasted like watered-down dishwater.

     We also had some pleasant visits to castles and abbeys.  At Arbroath Abbey in Arbroath (where the Declaration of Arbroath was signed by Robert the Bruce declaring Scotland an independent nation, www.bbc.co.uk/history/scottishhistory/.../features_independence_arbroath.shtml) we watched bunches of bunnies playing amounts the graves.

On a rainy day we discovered that Duone Castle near Sterling was one of the main sites used for the filming of the Outlander TV series, as well as Falkland Palace, Aberlour Castle, and Blackness Castle.

Blair Castle in the foothills of the Highlands has Europe's only private standing army.  A piper plays in front of the castle every couple of hours.  The castle also has a lovely walled garden, and although the flowers weren't plentiful when we were there, the birdlife was.

Oyster catcher and chick.

Swan and cygnets.

Another garden which was very much in bloom was the two acre Branklin Garden in the middle of Perth.  It's a place we often visit and it has never disappointed us.

Himalayan Blue Poppy

     The small villages of Scotland are a main draws for me.  It's like stepping back 50 years to a much more simple lifestyle.

Comrie is about seven miles from our home in Crieff.

Crail's harbour is one of several along the edge of the Kingdom of Fife, the county of St Andrews.

Most of the villages host Highland Games--traditional sporting events with a county fair type atmosphere.  The Blackford Games (about 15 miles from our home base in Crieff) are held on the last weekend of May, usually just before we come home from our spring trip.

Girls and boys of all ages compete in traditional Highland dances.

One of the main "heavy" events is the caber toss where the competitor attempts to throw a 140 pound pole end over end.   Distance isn't a factor, but the toss is judged on how close to straight the toss is--a straight up 12:00 toss is perfect.

The people in the villages are a big reason for our travels.  They are now family and friends.  The Scots are genuinely friendly and we find very few remain strangers long.

Jacky Clifford (our Scottish sister) opening a birthday present from America.

Our friend, confidant, and whisky guru, Andrew Cuthbert at J.L. Gill Whisky Shop in Crieff.

Yannick Grospellier, chef and owner of Yann's, the best restaurant in Crieff.

Met this gentleman on the streets of Nairn on the Moray coast.  He started a conversation as I was photographing village scenes.  We chatted about village life, and of course, he asked if Donald Trump were for real.

     One of the biggest draws to Scotland is the land itself--it has some of the most beautiful and dramatic geography of any place on earth.  Moors and mountains grab our attention every trip.

Lone tree growing out of a rock on the edge of Rannoch Moor.

Two views of Rannoch Moor and Black Mount.

Glen Etive.

The mountains of Glencoe. Glancoe is know as the Glen of Weeping because of tragedy which befell the McDonalds of Glencoe at the hands of the Campbells and British.  For more information about the Glencoe Massacre see  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_Glencoe

     Ancient sites as well as modern sculpture are intriguing and provide great photo opportunities.

The Dupplin Cross in St Serf's Church in Dunning is a Pictish carved cross from about the 9th century.

The Croft Moraig stone circle between Kenmore and Aberfeldy is an example of the type of stone circle found throughout Scotland.

The Loch Earn Mirror Man is a sculpture by Rob Mulholland set in the loch. The sculpture represent one of the seasons of the loch.

     While we spend most of our time in the villages and small towns, we enjoy some time in Edinburgh at the end of every trip.

Stairs going up to the Royal Mile.

Anne at the end of a close (pedestrian alley).

The park, Princess Street Gardens, between Princes Street and the Royal Mile, is always full if the weather is nice. 

A tradition for us to have our last meal in Scotland at the Mussel Inn on Rose Street in Edinburgh--a fish stew that is outstanding.

       A final adventure for me on this trip was celebrating newly found Scottish ancestory by getting fitted for my McAllister Clan kilt at McNaughton's in Pitlochry.  The kilt is being shipped this week.  It will have an honored place with my Welsh National and Jones of Wales kilts.

The tartan on the right is my Ancient McAllister tartan.

      We are already well into our planning for our fall trip.  Hopefully there will be many more adventures and many more photos.

Got a good view of the mountains of Greenland on the flight home.