June 19, 1995 (Monday):
Left Atlanta 7:50 pm on an L1011, 1st class. Huge airplane!
Had elegant dinner on plane beginning with caviar & canapés - lobster bisque
& salad - beef tenderloin & vegetables - complemented with additional 3
cheeses and fruit, then fancy ice cream dessert, red wine.
Had champagne upon boarding.
Best meal ever on an airplane.
Put on Delta's "footies" and stretched out in reclining seat - rested, but
you could hardly call it sleep.
Cruised around 550 mph- altitude 31,000 ft - outside temp -40 F.
June 20, 1995 (Tuesday):
7:45 am England time (2:45 am Augusta time):
Eating again! Continental breakfast with bagel, croissant, yogurt w/ fruit,
fruit plate w/ cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple, orange juice and coffee.
They surely know how to feed you on these overseas flights. (I asked for something light. Ha!)
8:05 am: Beginning descent into Manchester - I need to stop and look out
window.
Pilot said it's 16 C in Manchester this morning.
Manchester from the air - lush green fields in various shapes; can see cars
traveling on wrong side of road; rows of houses. We are circling Manchester
for 10 minutes, according to pilot. It seems like we'll never get off this
plane! Lonnggg flight!
8:45 am: plane finally landed. Claimed our baggage and looked for British
Airways check-in for flight to Glasgow. Were told we were in the
international terminal and needed to catch a shuttle bus to terminal #1 for
domestic flights. Caught bus - checked in at British Airways 10:10 am.
Domestic terminal is small. Exchanged dollars for pounds. Rate: 1.71
dollars = 1 pound. Rate is higher at airport exchange, but we needed to have
some money.
10:35: Sitting in waiting area. Flight doesn't leave until 2:55 pm. People
in terminal seem very much like us. Dress, hairstyle, appearance, etc.
Terminal is very clean, but only has one little snack bar. No trash cans.
It's gonna be a long wait I can tell. Outside temperature is pleasant, a
bit humid. Taxis look like black 1940's gangster cars.
12:45 pm: Still waiting. Ordered a diet coke at snack bar called "Cafe A."
It came with no ice! It was cool but certainly not cold. Wonder if this is
what we can expect all the time? Pete had a coke and ham sandwich. Cokes
were £0.95, sandwiches was £1.95, not too good either. Restrooms are "water
closets." Elevators are "lifts." Children are children anywhere, it seems.
We just saw a school group about Neal's age on a field trip. They were
doing the kinds of things kids do everywhere. Also lined up in pairs to
leave the terminal. I actually heard someone say to the school group,
"Cheerio - glad you came." Also saw a "bobby" policeman in a funny hat.
2:55 pm: Departed Manchester on British Airways turboprop. Pilot, Mr.
McBoyle, had a wonderful Scottish burr in his voice.
4:00 pm: landed in Glasgow. Rented car from Avis, a Rover, whatever that is.
It is so funny having the steering wheel on the right side and driving on
the left side of the road!
Got directions to our hotel from girl at Avis (Love these Scottish accents).
Started out following her directions and thought we were lost. Stopped at
Volvo dealer. We were on the right road, just hadn't gone far enough. Car
wouldn't start. We laughed, got out the book, then Pete finally used the
"zapper" to unlock car and it started. Went further - still looking for
street sign to assure us we were on Paisley Rd. West. These streets aren't
marked well at all! Had to stop one more time. Finally pulled into Swallow
Hotel about 5:30 pm. It's an old hotel, but seems comfortable. No air
conditioning. Made reservations for dinner at 7:00 pm. What an adventure!
Whose idea was this??
Room: £90 per day ($145). Small room, double bed, but breakfast included.
Had a wonderful meal in hotel restaurant - fried mushrooms, king prawns w/
vegetables, lemon soufflé w/ real whipped cream. Pete had smoked salmon, pan
fried trout, and strawberries w/ cream. Asked for ice in the water and had
white wine. Dinner was £16.95 each ($25).
We went for a walk after dinner in front of hotel. Took pictures in front.
There was a church (very old) but sign on front said "Glasgow Climbing
Center!"
The duty managers for the day were Mrs. Donald and Mrs. Steel - I thought
that was neat.
Mostly residential neighborhood with rows of "flats." Front doors on street.
Saw an old stone building elementary school, Bellahouston Primary School
with brightly painted murals on some outside walls - neat.
9:00 pm: We came back to our room, got a hot bath (tub was deep, good for
soaking. Bath gel provided). Watched a little BBC TV.
I noticed it didn't get dark until after 10:00 pm. Is that because Scotland
is so far north?
June 21, 1995 (Wednesday):
7:00 am: We woke up to a beautiful, clear sunny day, low 60's.
I turned on the news to get
a weather report (just love these Scottish accents!). This channel is a
Scottish channel (rather than English). News: Shell Oil is not going to
release the oil from the oil rig into the North Sea. Greenpeace played a big
part in the decision. Name of the rig is Brent Spar.
We had coffee and Walker Shortbread in our room.
Couldn't believe the Power Rangers are on TV!!! As I said
yesterday, "kids are kids everywhere."
Breakfast at hotel - buffet (it was good). Ate light and checked out.
9:20 am: We left Swallow Hotel on mission to Fort William. Followed highways
M8 to M898 to A82. Winding road through Scottish hills. Passed Loch Lomond.
It went on for miles. Took pictures of Loch Lomond and surrounding hills.
Sheep are on the green hills everywhere.
11:15 am: We stopped on the side of the road just past Crianlarich to watch
sheep being herded down small road by modern day shepherd dressed in sweater
and jeans. We watched sheep dogs go after strays. These highlands are
gorgeous, so green. Just like I had anticipated.
11:40 am: We stopped at an overlook, took pictures of Loch Tulla.
12:10 am: Stopped an another overlook. There was a bagpiper in full highland
dress playing. He played "Loch Lomond" and we took pictures. Of all places
to find an authentic Scottish bagpiper!
12:15 am: We visited Glencoe Visitors' Center and saw a video of the Glencoe
Massacre. Bought postcards, etc. Took pictures of Coe River.
2:00 pm: We stopped at St. John's Episcopal Church, an old stone church and
cemetery beside the road. We took pictures of church and tombstone of a John
MacDonald, and talked with a Scotsman we met on the church grounds.
3:30 pm: Arrived at Fort William, a quaint little town on Loch Linnhe. It
looks like the Helen, GA or Gatlinburg, TN of Scotland, only on a smaller
scale and not as commercialized. We had a hard time finding the Best
Western. It's really called the Nevis Bank Hotel, a Best Western.
We checked in. Our room was small; that seems to be the rule here.
4:00 pm: We went to downtown Fort William and visited shops, bank, and post
office. Exchanged money at bank, shopped, and took pictures. Noted St.
Andrews Episcopal Church (Church of Scotland). Made reservations for dinner
at McTavish's Restaurant. It has a Scottish show.
5:15 pm: Stopped at the "Grog and Gruel" for some real Scottish ale. Pete
had Burton's; I had Archibald Arron's, on tap. It was cool, but not chilled.
We expected that. Took pictures, saw a white Scottish Terrier on a leash,
cute as expected. (Not in the Grog and Gruel - on the street). Decided to
have another - Pete tried Mortlach Scotch Whiskey (a malt scotch); I stayed
with ale.
5:30 pm: More strolling. We also made reservations for the ferry to Isle of
Skye tomorrow at 10:35.
7:30 pm: Went to dinner at McTavish's Kitchen, excellent deep fried haddock,
cock-a-leekie soup (chicken & onion), veggies, and apple pie & ice cream.
Pete had a seafood dish - mussels, salmon, etc. with pasta.
8:30 pm: The Scottish Show was outstanding. There was a young man playing
the bagpipes, a young girl doing highland dance - as in "fling" or "jig," a
fiddler, accordionist, and a male singer. They sang and played a variety of
Scottish music and an American medley of old songs familiar to everyone. It
was a fun filled, lighthearted evening!
10:30 pm: We left McTavish's and it was still light outside! It's amazing
that daylight is so long here.
10:45 pm: Back at our hotel. Parking is sparse. We had to park across the
street. Spaces are very tight, too, for these small cars.
June 22, 1995: (Thursday)
5:15 am: The sun is already up and shining brightly.
7:30 am: Breakfast in the dining room - included in the room rate. Scottish
bacon is like ham. Tried "black pudding." It's like a sausage patty -
tasted suspiciously like liver! I only tasted it. Tomatoes are a tradition
at breakfast here.
NOTE: There are interesting intersections of streets here. They're call
"round-a-bouts" - a circle with no stop light. You go around the circle and
take the street you want - have to watch out for other cars, though.
8:15 am: We left for the drive to Mallaig where we will catch the ferry to
Isle of Skye. Stopped at Glenfinnan and saw the monument to "Bonnie Prince
Charlie" where he raised his standard in August 1745 and gathered the clans
together to reclaim the English Throne for the Stuart line. He failed and
was defeated at Culloden the next year.
The steering wheel on the car locked. We couldn't start the car. It gave us
a scare, but Pete finally started it. Don't know what caused it or what
released it. We began a wild ride on a winding, narrow road. The road is
literally wide enough for only one car in many places. They have little pass
spots to pull off the road and let oncoming cars come through. This was a
harrowing experience. The ferry departs at 10:35 am and we didn't want to
miss it. Stopped and took picture of a lone golfer on a rinky-dink golf
course beside a cow pasture in the middle of nowhere. Despite the narrow
road, the views of the "Cuillins" (hills) and more lochs was beautiful, as
usual.
We experienced little gnat-like bugs called "midgies." They bite too. One
of the natives had told us about them; said they got really bad in August.
10:15 am: We finally arrived at Mallaig in time to buy tickets to
the ferry. What a relief! We bought two adult tickets - then discovered we
hadn't bought a ticket for the car. Rushed back in. The total cost was £25
for the round trip.
10:35 am: We boarded the ferryboat. The view across the Sound of Sleat was
gorgeous. It's a beautiful, sunny day again. We've told everyone we brought
the weather from Georgia, USA. They say "Don't take it away with you." Must
be unusual here for June.
11:05 am: Arrived on Isle of Skye - immediately went to Clan Donald Centre -
history was good. We found Alexander McDonald, who sailed to Georgia on the
"Prince of Wales" in their record book with reference to Pete's ancestor book by Redfearn. The gardens were beautiful with many flowers blooming.
Bluebells were prolific as well as rhododendrons (purple). Took pictures of
many of the trees and plants.
We ate lunch at the Centre restaurant. I ordered baked tomato & lentil with
cheese on top, in a casserole dish. Pete had ham sandwich on home baked
wheat bread - excellent - about £9.
NOTE: I'm commenting on the food throughout because I expected it to be
bland and boring. Boy, did I miss the mark. I'm glad.
Clan Donald Centre is on site of Armadale Castle. We tool pictures of castle
ruins and study center.
3:00 pm: We left the Centre and started driving around the island. Pete was
tired and there were more winding narrow roads we didn't particularly want to do.
3:15 pm: Went to return to ferry.
4:00 pm: Departed Isle of Skye for Mallaig.
4:30 pm: Ferry landed. Another wild ride back to Fort William. On the way,
we saw a Scottish beach with white sand and all! People were actually in the
water and sunbathing. It got into the 70's today - hot for these
Highlanders. We stopped at Glenfinnan again. Also stopped to take picture
of Ben Nevis, highest mountain (4400 ft.) in UK. It was the only one around
with snow on top.
6:15 pm: Stopped at a little store for ice cream. The clerk said this sunny
weather is welcome. June is unpredictable, but we picked a good time to
visit.
NOTE: August is the busiest month at Fort William because school is out.
Apparently kids are in school now. Don't know what the system is.
6:30 pm: arrived back at hotel, weary from walking most of the day and the
wild drive. The natives drive so fast around those narrow curves. Stopped
at hotel lounge for glass of Aitken's Ale to unwind - very mild and good.
8:00 pm: Went back to High Street (Fort William) for dinner. We ran into the
Lochaber School Pipe Band. It was neat to see that young people are keeping
up the tradition of playing bagpipes. They were really good. The band
leader encouraged the crowd to follow the band as they marched down the
street. Pete took lots of pictures. First mishap of the trip: Pete was
wielding two cameras, mine & his, and he dropped mine. The back popped open
exposing the entire roll of film. The back was held closed by tight rubber
bands put in place when the catch broke some time ago. A big disappointment,
but one of those things...
Anyway, we had supper at the Grog & Gruel, a place where locals seem to
congregate. We had a Scottish margarita and it wasn't half bad. We also
ordered homemade pizza with pepperoni & jalapenos. Sure didn't expect this
here. You just never know. Country music was even playing.
9:30 pm: We went back to the Kiltmaker Shop and bought some more gifts.
10:00 pm: Went back to the hotel - pooped! With it staying so light so long,
you don't know when to quit for the day!
June 23, 1995 (Friday):
8:45 am: Bought petrol (gasoline). Paid £0.589 per liter. 27.5 liters,
total: £16.20. ($3.67/gal)
Exchanged $200 for £116 at Bank of Scotland. (Rate - $1.64 = £1)
Left Fort William for a day of exploring Glengarry where McDonalds of
Glengarry came from. We took highway A82
towards Glengarry and Inverness. Took pictures of farmhouse and mountains,
Ben Nevis from Spean Bridge, Loch Lochy, hillside. Beautiful lochs. They
all look similar but each time you see a loch the view is so breathtaking
that you want to photograph it. We stopped at the "Well of the Seven Heads"
beside the road. (A McDonald story here.) Took pictures.
At Invergarry, turned left onto road to Glengarry - another loch, Loch Garry.
More pictures on road to Loch Garry, picture of Pete by Loch Garry. Ardochy
Lodge (another B&B) is situated back in here on the Glengarry Rd. Picture of
Glengarry coming back out across Loch Garry with farm houses and bridge and
pine trees. This is a rural area. The road runs along the loch, a few
farmhouses are scattered along the way. It's so peaceful and serene back
here. We drove 4.7 miles into Glengarry. We saw sheep grazing by the loch.
Again, sheep are everywhere over here. I picked up some Glengarry sheep's
wool from the side of the road. Pete got some dirt from the edge of Loch
Garry to bring home. Beautiful forest along Loch Garry.
On the way out of Glengarry we took picture of the loch with farm houses,
bridge & pine trees in the background.
11:00 am: Drove on to Fort Augustus.
Stopped here and walked around. There is a Lovat Arms Hotel. Also
Caledonian Hotel (B&B) £15.Went in Tartan Shop, bought couple of souvenirs.
There are locks here connecting lochs that form part of the Caledonian
Canal. We saw two sailboats with huge masts passing through - quite
interesting watching the water levels shift. Took pictures of sailboat
going through locks. Water was rippling with waves on the loch. Other lochs
have been smooth as glass.
12:00 am: Proceeded on to Loch Ness Center, arrived about 12:30 pm. We
decided that Inverness would be too far to go today because we have a another
reservation at McTavish's Kitchen in Fort William for dinner and show at 8:00.
Loch Ness: Started a new roll of film. We didn't go in the monster museum
(cost too much, and we were not that interested.) Took pictures of plastic
Nessie floating in a small pool in front of the museum. Went into
Kiltmaker's Shop (a tourist shop that appears to be a chain. There was a
Kiltmaker's in Fort William, too.) I bought a kilt, and Pete bought a
Scottish wool sport coat - also a few other items, a book about Nessie for
Neal.
1:45 pm: Headed back towards Fort William. Took pictures of loch, Urquhart Castle ruins. A 12th century castle (Brude - Pict). The first siting of
Nessie was from this castle. A monk had a narrow escape from his jaws. Took
pictures of McDonald store in village.
Back at Invergarry, we saw a sign that read "Glengarry Castle Hotel".
We went down the little road & discovered Invergarry Castle ruins (home of
McDonald of Glengarry). This was where Iain Lom MacDonnell presented the
seven heads of those who murdered his chief to the chief of the Glengarry
MacDonalds.
Less than 1/4 mile from the castle we found Glengarry Castle Hotel.
It is absolutely fabulous. It is an old stone building built in 1866, right on
Loch Oich. We went in to see the inside and inquire about accommodations.
It is gorgeous - furnished with Victorian style furniture. Has a parlor
with books and games. The proprietor is a "MacCallum." He showed us several
of the rooms. The "superior" rooms had four-poster beds. The standard rooms
are also nice. Of the twenty six rooms in the hotel, eight have views of
Loch Oich.
A book titled "McDonalds of Glengarry" was on the counter at the desk. The
proprietor said it is out of print right now, but gave us the address of the
author, Norman McDonald in Edinburgh to write. He said he thinks it is being
printed again in hardback.
We walked down the steps and path leading from the rear of the hotel to the
loch. There are row boats available for guests. It is so serene back in
there - off the main road. Even saw a Scottish bunny rabbit in the woods.
3:00 pm: Headed back to Fort William. Had a wonderful day feeling the McDonald history and
actually seeing the places.
5:00 pm: Rested awhile in hotel.
7:30 pm: Went back to McTavish's Kitchen for dinner - steak pie for me (like
a beef stew in a pastry) - quite good. Pete had a regular steak. It was
good, but a bit tougher than rib-eye. Don't know what cut it was, but was
probably from one of those Scottish long-haired, hairy-faced cows!
8:30 pm: Scottish show was great again. Had Scottish ale again! Bagpiper
and singer played "Amazing Grace." Perfect ending to last night in Scotland.
10:30 pm: Left restaurant - still light outside. That amazes me!
June 24, 1995 (Saturday):
6:30 am: Woke up, made coffee, dressed and packed - had to put things I
bought in Scotland in separate bags so I can go through customs & reclaim my
Value Added Tax (VAT). Rate is 17.5% on many purchases, including food and
hotel. VAT is charged at the time of purchase like a sales tax. You can
recover the VAT on items being taken out of the country if you have the
merchant fill out a form when you purchase your item, otherwise forget it.
9:30 am: Left Fort William behind with a little sadness. It's another world
over here - a very pleasant one.
We stopped at Glencoe again. Looked for the monument & Glencoe Village. We
took the road along Loch Leven but didn't go far enough, I think. Anyway, we
never found the monument.
12:30 pm: arrived at Glasgow Airport. Traffic was heavier today than
Tuesday. Lots of cars traveling towards the Highlands. It's a beautiful
weekend, so people are really taking advantage. We listened to Alistair
McDonald tapes of Scottish music on the way back. (We had bought several
tapes and CD's.)
I saw jet skis on Loch Lomond when we passed by on highway A82. Too bad for
the lochs. Hope they don't make it further north.
1:00 pm: inquired about customs & VAT at the airport. We were told we would
do all this in Shannon, Ireland upon departure back to US.
4:50 pm: Left Glasgow on Aer Lingus for Dublin. Met a guy while waiting to
board who had visited Ayr, home of Robert Burns. He recited "Ode to a
Louse" and had the Scottish accent down pat. He said he was a writer -
interesting fellow.
Farewell to Scotland...
LESSONS LEARNED
- Should have stayed longer.
- Bring binoculars next time.
- Weather can be very warm: 75-80 F.
- See Inverness next time.
- Three hours drive from Glasgow to Fort William (103 miles).
From airport, take M8 to M898 to A82. A82 goes to Fort William.
- Next time stay at Glengarry Castle Hotel at Invergarry.
- Automatic transmissions are worth every penny.
NEW EXPERIENCES
- Daylight lasts until almost 11:00 pm.
- Roundabouts - intersections
- Sottish ale is good.
- Elevators are "lifts."
- Restaurant "to go" orders are "take a ways."
- Rest rooms are "water closets" (WCs) or "toilets."
- Street signs warning: "Slow - Elderly People."
- Sheep can be hazardous on highways.
- No billboards with advertising in Scotland.
- You must ask for ice with your drink, otherwise you get very little or
none at all.
- No ice or coke machines at hotels.
- Brown sugar is served on tables along with white.
- When ordering coffee, they ask you if you want it black or white, meaning
black or with cream.
- Grocery stores are "supermarkets" and are small according to US standards.
- Learned about Value Added Tax, 17.5% on many purchases - food, gas,
drinks, gifts.
- Scottish people are extremely friendly - seem to like Americans.
- Ordering ale in pint or "ha'pint."
