Liverpool to Glasgow

 

Photo 1: see, we were there ...
Photo 2: fairly typical Highland house made from local stone.
Photo 3: A hanging valley, i.e. formed by glacial action.
Photo 4: ruins of Armadale Castle of the Clan MacDonald - Isle of Skye.
Photo 5: Nessie posing for us.
Photo 6: on Loch Ness.
Photo 7: view from Edinburgh Castle over city showing part of seating being set up for Military Tattoo next month.
Photo 8: military band at Castle returning from a memorial service.

We started Wednesday morning with a visit to The Beatles Story exhibition. It traces in much detail the history of The Beatles from the earliest days to their gradual formation out of a band called The Quarrymen. It features copies of posters, newspaper clippings, video displays – all the sort of things you’d expect and is very well put together. The Cavern Club in Mathew Street where The Beatles first performed was demolished in the 1980s but has been faithfully recreated in part in the exhibition. A great experience for baby boomers like us J.

We left Liverpool and drove through the Lake District towards Scotland. The District is particularly beautiful, especially around Lake Windermere, the largest body of water in northern England. For us the hilly, forested country with its houses surrounded by trees had echoes of the Dandenongs and Bowral. This is the area in which William Wordsworth lived in the early 19^th century and wrote poems such as the famous ‘Daffodils’. Sadly the sixfold increase in sheep grazing in the area since then means that fields of flowers don’t stand a chance now.

We crossed the border in the afternoon and soon came to Glasgow for the night. Glasgow has maintained its Victorian feel, with most of the city buildings being of that era and made from local limestone and pink sandstone. The huge Victorian hospital, 13^th century Cathedral and Museum of Religion are located close together and are most impressive.

Phil is really happy to be able to visit Glasgow. When he toured Britain in 1974 tours did not stop there. If they did the coaches had to be locked in the Police compound overnight and people could not leave their hotels for fear of crime and violence. They have come a long way since then!

The Scottish Highlands

On Thursday we drove up into the Highlands. The weather is still cold up here with some snow on the higher peaks. Fortunately we had clear weather with mist in only a few places and were able to appreciate the rugged mountains covered on the lower slopes with grass and heather and the many little rocky streams. There are lots of sheep up here, all scruffy looking and not at all what we are used to.  Where it was misty the bleakness of the landscape was eerily beautiful, so even then the weather was on our side up here.

In the afternoon we took a ferry across to the Isle of Skye. The Isle is very pretty and, like the mainland here, it has many pine plantations and a big timber industry. After crossing the Isle we drove to Inverness to stay for the next two nights.

On Friday we travelled to the battlefield of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlie was defeated by King George’s army in 1746. We also visited historic Cawdor Castle and took a boat ride on Loch Ness, the largest body of fresh water in the UK. To our surprise we learned that Loch Ness is north of the latitude of Moscow, so swimming is not recommended without a wetsuit!. Unfortunately Nessie was not feeling sociable, so despite our best efforts to raise her, we left empty handed – but did get a photo of “Nessie” in the little lake next to the Exhibition Centre.  The little ones will be pleased to see the “monster” in our photos – at least we can still string them on a bit!!!

 

 

Edinburgh

On Saturday we drove through the Highlands to Braemar and Dundee to St Andrews where we visited the famous golf course. As we stood at the 18^th green in freezing, windy, overcast weather it occurred to us that whenever we see St Andrews on TV the weather is no different. How appropriate for our visit …

We arrived in Edinburgh in the afternoon and did a short tour of the New Town (i.e. ‘new’ since 1603). The Old Town occupies the hill on which Edinburgh Castle stands and is very cramped for space as it was originally a defensive position more than a town. The Old Town and much of the New  Town is beautiful and includes many buildings in the Georgian style, though unfortunately they have been unable to clean up many buildings stained over the years by wood fires as the dust has seeped into the soft stone.

That night we had dinner and a Scottish show at the hotel. It was a great night of bagpipe music and Scottish dancing performed by a handsome wee lad and two pretty wee lassies. Part of the proceedings involved piping in the Haggis. Then we had to try some. Even knowing what Haggis is made of Phil felt he had to taste it – and had his second worst food experience after the chitterlings in France! Sue was not impressed either. No wonder the Highlanders were so fearless in battle – if you had to eat that you wouldn’t care if you lived or not J.

On Sunday we visited Holyrood Palace (officially named The Palace of Holyroodhouse), the Queen’s official residence in Edinburgh. We were able to go into many rooms that have been preserved in their original condition including furnishings and works of art. Very impressive. We then visited Edinburgh Castle, which is being prepared for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in July. The 9000 (!) temporary seats outside the Castle are being erected at the moment and task is obviously enormous. The Castle itself includes many impressive buildings dating from centuries past, including St Margaret’s Chapel which has been in continuous use as a chapel since it was built in the 12^th century. We don’t know what ‘old’ is at home. 

After another day of strenuous walking up and down hills and stairs, we are quite happy to forgo the trip tonight to see the Royal Yacht Britannia.  An early night for us….tomorrow we are back in England with only 2 nights of our trip left.  Where has the time gone???