Our trip was great! Here are a few of the highlights. We flew Delta from
Augusta to Atlanta, GA to Brussels, Belgium. Then flew Sabena to Edinburgh.
Arrived around 10:00 a.m. on Sat., 14 June, but two of our bags didn't
arrive with us. We picked up a rental car, Mitsuibishi Charisma (automatic
transmission, thank goodness), and headed northwest.
We stopped at Stirling
Castle, saw the William Wallace monument afar from the castle and visited
Bannockburn Center and battlefield where the Scots defeated the English in
1314 and Robert the Bruce became king.
We travelled on to Callander, a
little town about an hour away from Edinburgh where we spent our first night
at a B & B called Teithside House on the Teith River. This was a very nice B
& B, lovely gardens and a short stroll to "main" street. Rooms were named
for lochs. We had the Katrine room. (20 pounds per person per night. I
would recommend it. The hospitality was wonderful.) We visited the Rob Roy
Center and walked around town and had dinner at Capusin's. Went back to the
B & B and learned that out bags still hadn't made it.
The next day we called the airport and heard that a flight from Brussels
was due at Edinburgh at 11:00 a.m. and our bags should be on it. So we asked
if we could stay on until our bags could be delivered. We had the first of
our generous Scottish breakfasts. They usually have dry cereal and milk
available, juices, eggs, bacon (which is like our ham), sausages, black
pudding ( a blood sausage tasting strongly of liver - yuk), porridge, toast
with the best real butter, and marmalade. Tea and coffee are available of
course. Delicious.
Our bags arrived around 1:30 p.m. on 15 June. We said our goodbyes to the
Hendersons and headed for the highlands and McDonald country! Beautiful
scenery all along the way. I wish I had a scanner so I could put pictures
here. We stopped at Rob Roy's grave in Balquhidder along the way.
We proceeded to Invergarry, between Fort William and Inverness to the
Glengarry Castle Hotel where we spent the next two nights. This was fabulous. The
building looks like a castle but it was not really a castle. It is a family
owned hotel with about 30 rooms. The MacCallums have been there 40 years.
We had a room on the third floor, small but very nice. All the rooms we
stayed in were small. The drawing rooms and dining room were elegantly
furnished, with fireplaces. We actually had fires in them, too. It was
cool. Most days we wore jackets. The grounds and gardens were beautiful. A
peaceful setting on Loch Oich and the River Garry runs through the property
as well.
The meals were fantastic there. I even had some haggis that I could eat.
It was served with dinner one night, just to let you get a taste I think.
Met some interesting English guests there. One lady , after hearing our
experience with the luggage, said that is typical. They call Sabena the
"Such A Bloody Experience, Never Again" airline.
On 15 June we rode by Loch Ness to Inverness and on to the Culloden Battlefield. We spent about 3 hours there wandering around the field and
looking at all the clan markers. This was the last battle fought on Scottish
soil, where the English defeated the Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Scots for
the last time, in 1745. The McDonalds fought with the clans there. The
battle lasted less than an hour.
The next day we drove north on A87 and stopped at Glengarry by Loch
Garry, home of my husband's ancester, Alexander MacDonald, who left Scotland
in 1735 and landed near Savannah, GA. We drove by Kintail and on to Kyle of
Lochalsh. We stopped at Eilean Donan castle, beautiful setting, before
crossing the bridge to the Isle of Skye.
Stayed at Kinloch Lodge Hotel. This was a real treat. It is isolated and
beautiful. There are only 10 rooms. Meals are fantastic and famous. Lady
Claire MacDonald is a well known chef and writer of "cookery books" in
Scotland. This lodge is run by Lord and Lady MacDonald, current Chief of
Clan Donald. We ate gourmet food and they treated the guests like kings and
queens.
Visited Clan Donald Center the first day and toured the northern
part of Skye the next. Went to Portree, and on up to Duntulm castle (another
Mcdonald landmark) and to Flora MacDonald's grave. The scenery is
breathtaking, as it is all along the coast. Rocky cliffs, sheep grazing on
green slopes and little houses dotting the countryside. We drove back
through Uig and on down again to Broadford and back to Kinloch.
Left Kinloch for the ferry to Mallaig on June 19th. We went by Morar and
Glenfinnan Monument. (They are building another road from Mallaig to Fort William. We saw them blasting through the mountains.)
From Fort William we drove down the west coast through Oban and on to
Kennacraig to take the 2 hour ferry over to the Isle of Islay and more
McDonald history. We went through a neat little fishing village on Loch Fyne
called Tarbert and decided to stay there on our last night. Crossed the
ferry to Islay. Stayed at the Machrie Hotel and Golf Course in a little
cottage by the golf course and on the ocean. It was neat. The golf course
wasn't exactly St Andrews, but folks there seemed to be enjoying their game,
and their wee drams afterwards. We ate at the hotel because there were no
restaurants nearby.
The next day we went to Finlaggan, where there are ruins of the ancient seat
of the Lords of the Isles (Clan Donald) We're talking 1100/1200 A.D. Moving
experience. Stopped in Bowmore and toured the distillery. Rode to Port
Charlotte, and went to find Dunyveg castle (more McDonald stuff) and the
Kildalton Cross, a Celtic cross carved in 800A.D.
On 21 June we took the ferry back to Kennacraig, went into Tarbert and found
a B & B for the night and traveled down the Kintyre peninsula to Saddell, to
see the ruins of Saddell Abbey, where Somerled, the Norse progenitor of Clan
Donald, is reputed to be buried. The scenery here is beautiful and the roads
are curvy. We could look across the loch to the Isle of Arran. We then went
back up to Skipness, a little village on Loch Fyne to take a picture of the
house a friend of ours grew up in years ago. Even talked with a neighbor who
remembered his family!
Back to Tarbert and our last night. We stayed with the Mackay family at
Lilybank B & B. We were taken with this little fishing village. It was an
unexpected "find". Ate dinner at the Anchorage Restaurant. It had received
the Booker Award for Excellence for 1997. Food was outstanding.
On Sunday 22 June, we left Tarbert and meandered towards Glasgow for
departure at 8:00p.m. We visited Argyll Wildlife Park, Inveraray Castle and
the Thistle Bagpipe Works, and passed Loch Lomond. Left Glasgow and flew to
Dublin. Spent one night with Pete at the Grand Hotel in Malahyde, Ireland
and flew out of Dublin the next day, while he stayed on for another week of
business.
All in all a wonderful trip. I think Scotland is an
absolutely beautiful country and would highly recommend a visit for those who
like gorgeous scenery and quaint settings and friendly people.
A few notes:
My favorite "wee dram" of single malt Scotch whisky is Macallan.
Sheep are definitely a road hazard.
When the road sign says "On-coming traffic in the middle of the road", they mean it.
Gasoline or "petrol" was about $2.50 a gallon when we converted liters and pounds.
One pound was equal to $1.71. Prices are high, compared to here.
People are very friendly and accommodating.
Try some "Irn Bru", a Scottish soft drink. Definitely different.
