Day 1 - Tuesday 5/26/15 -
Edinburgh
After a night spent at the Newark Airport Wyndham hotel, we spent the day at
the airport waiting for our flight to Edinburgh. At the gate we had to wait a while to find
out if we got business first, and we did, but we weren't seated together.
I sat next to some late 50ish goofball named Gred who was heading to Edinburgh
for 10 days of golf. Dinner was nice but took forever. I finally
got 3 hours of sleep before we landed in Edinburgh.
Immigration and customs went smoothly, and we found the bus into the city center which took about 40 minutes and was pretty packed. It stopped at Waverley Center where we took our bags and started walking. We were near the Scott Monument which is really quite impressive, so we parked me next to it so I could get some photos. Bill went across the street to change a good bit of money.
Then we started the hike to our hotel. The Main Street of old Edinburgh (called the Royal Mile is elevated from both sides. So we had to walk up, over, and then down to the Holiday Inn Express. We are a long block from Royal Mile. We couldn't check in until 3 since they had been full last night (and were also tonight). The nice desk clerk gave us a temporary key to use the bathrooms. We got what we needed and then checked our bags behind the desk.
The clerk told us that we could take the Hop on Hop off bus out to the Royal Yacht Britannia, so we decided to do that to kill time and since Bill really wanted to see it. We hiked back up to Royal Mile but had to wait 45 minutes before the bus we wanted started running. We sat up on the open top of the bus and rode for another 45 minutes to the Yacht. The bus was full, but we followed the queue until we were finally on the Yacht.
We decided to go get lunch in the Yacht Tea Room. It was pleasant. We both got the soup and sandwich combo. I got "eggs mayonnaise" (egg salad) with Cullen Skink (a Scottish pureed soup with fish and potato). That was on my list to eat, and it wasn't bad. Bill got a cheese salad with chutney and split pea soup. His soup was much greener than we are used to with a much stronger pea flavor.
We toured the Yacht quickly and were done in about 2.5 hours. We went back outside and caught the bus back to where we had started and went to the hotel and were able to check in.
We got to the room and basically collapsed in the bed and slept for 3 hours. We both felt crummy after the nap, so we checked the internet connectivity in our room (works but not very fast). I got an email from one of the B&Bs, the last one, saying they had to come to Edinburgh on our last night, but they gave us a couple of options. We decided to be upgraded to their better room for 2 nights, and they will find a room for our last night.
We needed to get something to eat to start living on this time zone, so Bill found a pub on my list that was nearby - The Royal McGregor Pub. We found it after a 10 minute walk and there was a table at the back. Bill ordered a Hoolyrood beer and fish and chips. I had a diet coke and steak and ale pie.
We started seeing dishes delivered to those around us and were astounded at the portion size. Bill's fish and chips covered his whole dinner plate. My steak and ale pie appeared smaller, and had peas, carrots and potatoes on it. The pie was in a little casserole dish and contained kind of roast beef chunks in an amazing sauce covered with a puff pastry. It was outstanding but deceptively large. I could only eat about half of it.
For dessert we split a cranachan - a very traditional dessert sort of like a parfait. It is mainly a whipped cream mixed with finely ground oatmeal, whisky, and honey. This is layered with fresh raspberries. It, too, was quite good. Overall, it was a surprisingly good meal and not outrageously expensive (both of our entrees were about $15).
Bill is now in bed half asleep, and I will be going as soon as I sent this and brush my teeth. Tomorrow we will wander around the Royal Mile since there really is a lot to see.
 |
| Edinburgh Castle |
Immigration and customs went smoothly, and we found the bus into the city center which took about 40 minutes and was pretty packed. It stopped at Waverley Center where we took our bags and started walking. We were near the Scott Monument which is really quite impressive, so we parked me next to it so I could get some photos. Bill went across the street to change a good bit of money.
Then we started the hike to our hotel. The Main Street of old Edinburgh (called the Royal Mile is elevated from both sides. So we had to walk up, over, and then down to the Holiday Inn Express. We are a long block from Royal Mile. We couldn't check in until 3 since they had been full last night (and were also tonight). The nice desk clerk gave us a temporary key to use the bathrooms. We got what we needed and then checked our bags behind the desk.
The clerk told us that we could take the Hop on Hop off bus out to the Royal Yacht Britannia, so we decided to do that to kill time and since Bill really wanted to see it. We hiked back up to Royal Mile but had to wait 45 minutes before the bus we wanted started running. We sat up on the open top of the bus and rode for another 45 minutes to the Yacht. The bus was full, but we followed the queue until we were finally on the Yacht.
We decided to go get lunch in the Yacht Tea Room. It was pleasant. We both got the soup and sandwich combo. I got "eggs mayonnaise" (egg salad) with Cullen Skink (a Scottish pureed soup with fish and potato). That was on my list to eat, and it wasn't bad. Bill got a cheese salad with chutney and split pea soup. His soup was much greener than we are used to with a much stronger pea flavor.
We toured the Yacht quickly and were done in about 2.5 hours. We went back outside and caught the bus back to where we had started and went to the hotel and were able to check in.
We got to the room and basically collapsed in the bed and slept for 3 hours. We both felt crummy after the nap, so we checked the internet connectivity in our room (works but not very fast). I got an email from one of the B&Bs, the last one, saying they had to come to Edinburgh on our last night, but they gave us a couple of options. We decided to be upgraded to their better room for 2 nights, and they will find a room for our last night.
We needed to get something to eat to start living on this time zone, so Bill found a pub on my list that was nearby - The Royal McGregor Pub. We found it after a 10 minute walk and there was a table at the back. Bill ordered a Hoolyrood beer and fish and chips. I had a diet coke and steak and ale pie.
We started seeing dishes delivered to those around us and were astounded at the portion size. Bill's fish and chips covered his whole dinner plate. My steak and ale pie appeared smaller, and had peas, carrots and potatoes on it. The pie was in a little casserole dish and contained kind of roast beef chunks in an amazing sauce covered with a puff pastry. It was outstanding but deceptively large. I could only eat about half of it.
For dessert we split a cranachan - a very traditional dessert sort of like a parfait. It is mainly a whipped cream mixed with finely ground oatmeal, whisky, and honey. This is layered with fresh raspberries. It, too, was quite good. Overall, it was a surprisingly good meal and not outrageously expensive (both of our entrees were about $15).
Bill is now in bed half asleep, and I will be going as soon as I sent this and brush my teeth. Tomorrow we will wander around the Royal Mile since there really is a lot to see.
Day 2 - Wednesday 5/27/15 - Edinburgh
 |
| St Giles Cathedral |
We were up at 8 after sleeping for 9 hours! Breakfast was at 9 down on
the ground floor. It was basically like any breakfast at a budget hotel
in the US. Back in the room, we repacked most of our stuff since they
were replacing all the TVs in all rooms today.
Then we decided it might be smart to book a room for tomorrow night. I used my iPad and the notes I had brought with me, and we got a decent room booked at Hadrian Lodge Hotel near Housestead's Roman Fort in northern England. That is a relief to know we have a bed for tomorrow night. We finally left the room at 11.
First we went to Greyfriar's Kirk and cemetery. The church was small and simple, but the graveyard was old and interesting. I mainly wanted to go there to see the Greyfriar's Bobby statue. Yes, that is the one Disney made movies about. Cute story of a dog waiting by his master's grave site for 14 years. Not sure how much of it I believe.
Then we walked up to Edinburgh Castle to begin our walk down the Royal Mile. The city is really up and down and up and down, and they are fairly steep hills. The first thing we saw/heard was a piper street performer. At the Castle, there was a lot of construction going on, mainly of the stadium seats that they use for the Tattoo. We took a few photos and then began the trek downhill.
I was so glad I had my 10 page guide I had made. We went in to the Tartan Weaving Mill which has many small sections of stores selling most tourist items, but they also had some neat displays of weaving machines from old to a new one that was actually being used. We bought a few touristy items including a book on midges - the nasty black fly like bug that we hope we don't see on this trip.
We walked a short distance and stopped at Ensign Ewert's Pub for lunch. It was crowded but we got one of the last and tiniest tables with stools. I got a brie, bacon, and tomato chutney grilled sandwich. It came with a salad and wasn't bad. Bill got the Ploughman's lunch - ham, bread, butter, pickle, and tomato chutney. He was pleased with it.
Then we went on down the Royal Mile. It had started raining, but it wasn't pouring, so we managed. We found the Writer's Museum (Burns, Scott, and Stevenson) down a small close (alley) and did a quick run through. It was interesting and well done.
We truly enjoyed St Giles Cathedral. First we walked around back in the parking lot where John Knox's grave is. Yup, right under the asphalt of parking site #23. Inside, the church is truly beautiful. We got one audio handheld which Bill used while I took photos (for which I had to pay 2 pounds for the privilege). The Thistle Chapel appeared to be closed, but I went back to the front desk and asked. She told me a guide was inside, and all I had to do was knock on the door.
I got Bill and he had already found a docent who took us right up to the door past lots of people wanting to get in. She knocked on the door, and the two of us were let in. It is a tiny chapel with the most ornate and intricate wood carving everywhere. We spent a lot of time in the church which was fine since it was still raining outside. Luckily it was not pouring, but we had to put our hoods up on our jackets.
We stopped along the road seeing mostly small little details that I had put on my own personal must see list. We lucked out at Canongate Kirk that it was open. It is a simple little church and painted a light blue on the inside - pews, alters, etc. The main thing I wanted to see was the Frobenius organ. They were playing a CD of that organ music as we went in. No one else was there, so it was neat to just sit there listening and looking.
A man was closing up as we got ready to leave, so our timing was just right. I had pointed out to Bill that the economist, Adam Smith, was buried in the churchyard just outside so Bill asked the church man where the grave was. Bill was impressed with that!
Again there were other houses and spots to see as we finished up the walk. One of Bill's favorites was Queensbury House - a large home built around 1667. Around 1707 the owner came home to find his "idiot" grown son had escaped from his room and was roasting a young kitchen boy on a spit.
We finally made it to Holyrood Palace, the residence of the Queen when she is in town. We were really tired by then. Luckily we got the hop on hop off bus close by and rode back up the hill. The driver was apologetic saying that the only seats were wet ones on top. We couldn't have cared less as long as we didn't have to make the steep walk back up the hill.
We came back to the hotel at 5 and rested for a short while. We really wanted to go back to Royal McGregor for another great dinner, but Bill decided we should try another pub on the Royal Mile - Deacon Brodie's Tavern. It was a bit further walk, but it was barely raining. We ran into some 'friends' we had met on the tour to the Yacht yesterday. We exchanged what we had been doing, and then made it to Deacon Brodie's.
The pub is on the ground floor with the dining room above. We had to wait about 5 minutes to be seated. Bill got fish and chips once again. I tried the smoked cheddar, spinach, and potato pie. This was much different than the one last night. Somehow they created a box out of pie crust about 3" square and filled it with an amazing diced potato, spinach and cheese. It was great but even I couldn't finish it. The really neat thing was the drink I got: Crabbie's cloudy lemonade. Crabbie's makes a ginger beer and a few non-alcoholic drinks. This was really interesting and really quite good - lemonade with ginger in it.
We debated about dessert but decided not. As we were walking home, we passed a store called A Taste of Scotland. I told Bill we had to go in and buy some Scottish tablet. This is a medium hard fudge like candy made with sugar, condensed milk, and butter! Bill loved it. While we were in the store, we noticed a small table with samples. I asked the one guy if the green hard candy was Sour Plooms - a sour plum candy. He said yes, but he had a better one to give us: Hawick Balls. All of this stuff was on my list of stuff to try. Hawick Balls are "minty and buttery" hard candy balls. They aren't bad. So we are slowly checking off my food list.
We are back in the room and Bill is "napping" or trying not to. We have ordered a cab at 8:40 in the morning to take us back to the Waverley Bridge to catch the airport bus so we can get the rental car.
We are both starting to stiffen up from all the walking up and down hills today! It may be an aspirin to sleep night!
I must say that everyone in Scotland has been beyond pleasant, nice, and hospitable. And they are sincere in welcoming us to their country no matter what they are: bus driver, waitress, hotel clerk, church docent. They weather may be crummy but the locals are outstanding!
Then we decided it might be smart to book a room for tomorrow night. I used my iPad and the notes I had brought with me, and we got a decent room booked at Hadrian Lodge Hotel near Housestead's Roman Fort in northern England. That is a relief to know we have a bed for tomorrow night. We finally left the room at 11.
First we went to Greyfriar's Kirk and cemetery. The church was small and simple, but the graveyard was old and interesting. I mainly wanted to go there to see the Greyfriar's Bobby statue. Yes, that is the one Disney made movies about. Cute story of a dog waiting by his master's grave site for 14 years. Not sure how much of it I believe.
Then we walked up to Edinburgh Castle to begin our walk down the Royal Mile. The city is really up and down and up and down, and they are fairly steep hills. The first thing we saw/heard was a piper street performer. At the Castle, there was a lot of construction going on, mainly of the stadium seats that they use for the Tattoo. We took a few photos and then began the trek downhill.
I was so glad I had my 10 page guide I had made. We went in to the Tartan Weaving Mill which has many small sections of stores selling most tourist items, but they also had some neat displays of weaving machines from old to a new one that was actually being used. We bought a few touristy items including a book on midges - the nasty black fly like bug that we hope we don't see on this trip.
We walked a short distance and stopped at Ensign Ewert's Pub for lunch. It was crowded but we got one of the last and tiniest tables with stools. I got a brie, bacon, and tomato chutney grilled sandwich. It came with a salad and wasn't bad. Bill got the Ploughman's lunch - ham, bread, butter, pickle, and tomato chutney. He was pleased with it.
Then we went on down the Royal Mile. It had started raining, but it wasn't pouring, so we managed. We found the Writer's Museum (Burns, Scott, and Stevenson) down a small close (alley) and did a quick run through. It was interesting and well done.
We truly enjoyed St Giles Cathedral. First we walked around back in the parking lot where John Knox's grave is. Yup, right under the asphalt of parking site #23. Inside, the church is truly beautiful. We got one audio handheld which Bill used while I took photos (for which I had to pay 2 pounds for the privilege). The Thistle Chapel appeared to be closed, but I went back to the front desk and asked. She told me a guide was inside, and all I had to do was knock on the door.
I got Bill and he had already found a docent who took us right up to the door past lots of people wanting to get in. She knocked on the door, and the two of us were let in. It is a tiny chapel with the most ornate and intricate wood carving everywhere. We spent a lot of time in the church which was fine since it was still raining outside. Luckily it was not pouring, but we had to put our hoods up on our jackets.
We stopped along the road seeing mostly small little details that I had put on my own personal must see list. We lucked out at Canongate Kirk that it was open. It is a simple little church and painted a light blue on the inside - pews, alters, etc. The main thing I wanted to see was the Frobenius organ. They were playing a CD of that organ music as we went in. No one else was there, so it was neat to just sit there listening and looking.
A man was closing up as we got ready to leave, so our timing was just right. I had pointed out to Bill that the economist, Adam Smith, was buried in the churchyard just outside so Bill asked the church man where the grave was. Bill was impressed with that!
Again there were other houses and spots to see as we finished up the walk. One of Bill's favorites was Queensbury House - a large home built around 1667. Around 1707 the owner came home to find his "idiot" grown son had escaped from his room and was roasting a young kitchen boy on a spit.
We finally made it to Holyrood Palace, the residence of the Queen when she is in town. We were really tired by then. Luckily we got the hop on hop off bus close by and rode back up the hill. The driver was apologetic saying that the only seats were wet ones on top. We couldn't have cared less as long as we didn't have to make the steep walk back up the hill.
We came back to the hotel at 5 and rested for a short while. We really wanted to go back to Royal McGregor for another great dinner, but Bill decided we should try another pub on the Royal Mile - Deacon Brodie's Tavern. It was a bit further walk, but it was barely raining. We ran into some 'friends' we had met on the tour to the Yacht yesterday. We exchanged what we had been doing, and then made it to Deacon Brodie's.
The pub is on the ground floor with the dining room above. We had to wait about 5 minutes to be seated. Bill got fish and chips once again. I tried the smoked cheddar, spinach, and potato pie. This was much different than the one last night. Somehow they created a box out of pie crust about 3" square and filled it with an amazing diced potato, spinach and cheese. It was great but even I couldn't finish it. The really neat thing was the drink I got: Crabbie's cloudy lemonade. Crabbie's makes a ginger beer and a few non-alcoholic drinks. This was really interesting and really quite good - lemonade with ginger in it.
We debated about dessert but decided not. As we were walking home, we passed a store called A Taste of Scotland. I told Bill we had to go in and buy some Scottish tablet. This is a medium hard fudge like candy made with sugar, condensed milk, and butter! Bill loved it. While we were in the store, we noticed a small table with samples. I asked the one guy if the green hard candy was Sour Plooms - a sour plum candy. He said yes, but he had a better one to give us: Hawick Balls. All of this stuff was on my list of stuff to try. Hawick Balls are "minty and buttery" hard candy balls. They aren't bad. So we are slowly checking off my food list.
We are back in the room and Bill is "napping" or trying not to. We have ordered a cab at 8:40 in the morning to take us back to the Waverley Bridge to catch the airport bus so we can get the rental car.
We are both starting to stiffen up from all the walking up and down hills today! It may be an aspirin to sleep night!
I must say that everyone in Scotland has been beyond pleasant, nice, and hospitable. And they are sincere in welcoming us to their country no matter what they are: bus driver, waitress, hotel clerk, church docent. They weather may be crummy but the locals are outstanding!
Day 3 - Thursday 5/28/15 – Edinburg to Houseteads Hadrian’s
Wall
 |
| Melrose Abbey |
Wow, what a day!!! If all of our days are like today, my journal will
fill a book. We were up at 7, down to breakfast at 7:15, packed and down
to wait for the taxi we had ordered last night. We decided we didn't want
to drag our suitcases to the bus stop, so we took a cab there. The bus
came about 15 minutes after we arrived, and off we went to the airport.
It was a sunny day to start with but quite windy - 22 mph. At the airport we went first to the Visit Scotland tourist office to book a room for tomorrow night in Stirling. That took a bit of time since her printer didn't work at first. We got a room at a B&B that I had already looked at.
Then we hiked to the rental car place and got our VW Golf and got situated. Bill got the GPS set up and figured out where everything was. We got away about 10:30 and made it to Rosslyn Chapel (only 7 miles away) with only one missed turn. It really did help that we had looked at Google maps street view since one needed to know what lanes to be in.
Rosslyn Chapel was impressive. We could only take photos outside. We hadn't been there 15 minutes when it started to pour down rain. It only lasted 15 minutes, so we made it around the outside before starting to explore inside.
Inside was extremely beautiful with loads of carved sandstone pillars and ornamentation. We made it down into the crypt (re Da Vinci Files). A guide started to give a presentation, but it was mostly about the history of the church and family. So we left and went in to the little cafe to have a quick lunch before heading off.
I had lentil soup and hovan loaf. I had to ask what hovan loaf was - just a small roll like a Parker House roll. Bill had cream cheese and salmon on a bagel. Then it was off to Melrose Abbey.
Parking was a challenge there, since we had to find a spot in town. We found a lot with a free spot, got parked and headed to the Abbey. It is mostly a hollow shell, but it is oh so beautiful. There weren't many people there when we were, so it was nice to wander around. We did climb the 72 circular enclosed steps up to the tower where there was an outdoor stand. The view from there was beautiful, and I got a great photo of a pig playing the bagpipes which is up on the top of the Abbey. Of course it started to rain again, so down we went.
We wandered around the beautiful grounds (rain stopped quickly) and found the spot where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried. What a lovely spot to spend some time.
We managed to get ourselves on the road to Hadrian's Wall and Hadrian's Lodge where we are staying the night. Five miles from Melrose Abbey, the low tire light came on. Our hearts dropped. We quickly found a BP gas station which luckily was attached to a VW sales and service center. They took the car and discovered we had a nail in the back right tire. Unfortunately it was on the side of the tire, so we had to purchase a new tire which they had! Bad luck/good luck!!! It was less than $100 and they took the credit card.
Bill says we were supposed to call the rental car folks and have them tell us where to take it, but screw it....we wanted to be on our way!! The whole thing took less than an hour, so we didn't lose too much time.
The rains came and went the whole way to Hadrian's Lodge, but the scenery was incredibly beautiful. I got a few photos when it wasn't raining. I even got one of a llama farm. There were lots of black face sheep which I will have to get photos later in the trip. At the border between Scotland and England there is a pull off with a huge rock that says Scotland on one side and England on the other. Bill took my photo on both sides.
So with all of our piddling around we didn't get to Hadrian's Lodge until 6. It stays light until 9:45, so that is not a problem. The Lodge is a rather large, purpose built 10 room guest house. There is a large lounge/bar, game room, and a dining room. Jim and Victoria are our hosts. Luckily they serve dinner (for a fee) since there is truly nowhere to eat within miles. We chatted with Jim for a while after he brought us coffee.
When I went out to the car to get my guide book, I saw the most gorgeous bird out in the grass. I had my camera with me, so I took a few photos. Then he came closer and closer, so I snapped more photos. I took them inside where Jim told me that this was Freddie the pheasant who showed up a few months ago with several different hens. He hangs around and even eats bird seed from Jim's hand. This was the first pheasant I have seen in the wild. What a treat!!
Dinner was at 7:30. There were 5 other people in a group that also ate with us. They kept to themselves. I had a baked mushroom risotto which was really good - Bill said it was the best risotto he has had. It came with mashed potatoes and a bowl of beautiful broccoli, carrots, and swedes (like a turnip/parsnip). Bill had a chicken cordon bleu with fries and the same veggies. Of course the portions are huge, and I could not finish mine. We shared a sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. This was a bit different than we have had before - more date flavor - but still quite good.
Bill went out for a drive after dinner to see one of the Hadrian's Wall's other sites. We didn't make it to Housestead's Roman Fort today so we shall do that tomorrow even though it doesn't open until 10. We will be driving back up to Stirling Scotland tomorrow with just the Fort and a quick stop at Lockerbie.
It is cold tonight - low 40s and still windy.
It was a sunny day to start with but quite windy - 22 mph. At the airport we went first to the Visit Scotland tourist office to book a room for tomorrow night in Stirling. That took a bit of time since her printer didn't work at first. We got a room at a B&B that I had already looked at.
Then we hiked to the rental car place and got our VW Golf and got situated. Bill got the GPS set up and figured out where everything was. We got away about 10:30 and made it to Rosslyn Chapel (only 7 miles away) with only one missed turn. It really did help that we had looked at Google maps street view since one needed to know what lanes to be in.
Rosslyn Chapel was impressive. We could only take photos outside. We hadn't been there 15 minutes when it started to pour down rain. It only lasted 15 minutes, so we made it around the outside before starting to explore inside.
Inside was extremely beautiful with loads of carved sandstone pillars and ornamentation. We made it down into the crypt (re Da Vinci Files). A guide started to give a presentation, but it was mostly about the history of the church and family. So we left and went in to the little cafe to have a quick lunch before heading off.
I had lentil soup and hovan loaf. I had to ask what hovan loaf was - just a small roll like a Parker House roll. Bill had cream cheese and salmon on a bagel. Then it was off to Melrose Abbey.
Parking was a challenge there, since we had to find a spot in town. We found a lot with a free spot, got parked and headed to the Abbey. It is mostly a hollow shell, but it is oh so beautiful. There weren't many people there when we were, so it was nice to wander around. We did climb the 72 circular enclosed steps up to the tower where there was an outdoor stand. The view from there was beautiful, and I got a great photo of a pig playing the bagpipes which is up on the top of the Abbey. Of course it started to rain again, so down we went.
We wandered around the beautiful grounds (rain stopped quickly) and found the spot where Robert the Bruce's heart is buried. What a lovely spot to spend some time.
We managed to get ourselves on the road to Hadrian's Wall and Hadrian's Lodge where we are staying the night. Five miles from Melrose Abbey, the low tire light came on. Our hearts dropped. We quickly found a BP gas station which luckily was attached to a VW sales and service center. They took the car and discovered we had a nail in the back right tire. Unfortunately it was on the side of the tire, so we had to purchase a new tire which they had! Bad luck/good luck!!! It was less than $100 and they took the credit card.
Bill says we were supposed to call the rental car folks and have them tell us where to take it, but screw it....we wanted to be on our way!! The whole thing took less than an hour, so we didn't lose too much time.
The rains came and went the whole way to Hadrian's Lodge, but the scenery was incredibly beautiful. I got a few photos when it wasn't raining. I even got one of a llama farm. There were lots of black face sheep which I will have to get photos later in the trip. At the border between Scotland and England there is a pull off with a huge rock that says Scotland on one side and England on the other. Bill took my photo on both sides.
So with all of our piddling around we didn't get to Hadrian's Lodge until 6. It stays light until 9:45, so that is not a problem. The Lodge is a rather large, purpose built 10 room guest house. There is a large lounge/bar, game room, and a dining room. Jim and Victoria are our hosts. Luckily they serve dinner (for a fee) since there is truly nowhere to eat within miles. We chatted with Jim for a while after he brought us coffee.
When I went out to the car to get my guide book, I saw the most gorgeous bird out in the grass. I had my camera with me, so I took a few photos. Then he came closer and closer, so I snapped more photos. I took them inside where Jim told me that this was Freddie the pheasant who showed up a few months ago with several different hens. He hangs around and even eats bird seed from Jim's hand. This was the first pheasant I have seen in the wild. What a treat!!
Dinner was at 7:30. There were 5 other people in a group that also ate with us. They kept to themselves. I had a baked mushroom risotto which was really good - Bill said it was the best risotto he has had. It came with mashed potatoes and a bowl of beautiful broccoli, carrots, and swedes (like a turnip/parsnip). Bill had a chicken cordon bleu with fries and the same veggies. Of course the portions are huge, and I could not finish mine. We shared a sticky toffee pudding with ice cream. This was a bit different than we have had before - more date flavor - but still quite good.
Bill went out for a drive after dinner to see one of the Hadrian's Wall's other sites. We didn't make it to Housestead's Roman Fort today so we shall do that tomorrow even though it doesn't open until 10. We will be driving back up to Stirling Scotland tomorrow with just the Fort and a quick stop at Lockerbie.
It is cold tonight - low 40s and still windy.
Day 4 - Friday 5/29/15 – Hadrian’s Wall, Lockerbie,
Stirling
 |
| Hadrian's Wall at Housestead's Fort |
It was another full day. We woke up at 7:15 to rain, but we have
found that it is not usually a long-lasting rain. We had breakfast in the
dining room with the other group of 5 that were staying there. Four of
them are walking Hadrian's Wall which is a pretty tough walk. The older
woman walking said yesterday was tough with the wind and the rain, about 10
miles up and down. She looked exhausted.
We had the full English breakfast (since we were in England): 2 kinds of sausage (not black sausage), beans, broiled tomato, sauteed mushrooms, 1 fried egg, toast, and a potato triangle like one gets at Wendy's. We sat by the window and I saw a neat bird - a pied wagtail.
This B&B was large but not that well-kept. The room with twin beds was quite small. We left a little before 10 in the rain, but by the time (5 minutes) we got to Housestead's Roman Fort, it had stopped raining. The fort was built into the wall and the visitor's center was quite nice. However, the walk up to the fort was about a mile up. Sheep were everywhere, most with two small lambs, and there were sheep turds everywhere!!! Made walking a bit challenging.
It took a while to make it up, but we got a rest in the museum next to the fort where we watched a short movie on the fort. We had to walk a bit further up a grassy, turd-filled hill to the actual wall. Bill was quite thrilled to get his photo taken on the wall. It looked like we would have to walk back down the hill to enter the fort (little more that stone foundations) until Bill found a small fence we could squeeze through. I wandered around a little and then started back down.
At the museum, I looked down the hill and spied a huge herd of sheep walking rapidly to the paved road where it looked like they were heading uphill. It was a really funny sight to see almost 50 sheep meandering along a road.
Back down at the Ticket office we went to use the toilets. Good old British humor...next to the toilets was a display of the latrines used at the fort explaining how that worked. I loved it. One of the old Park Rangers took me over and made sure I saw the sponge on the end of a stick in the rendering of the latrines in fort times. That's what they used instead of toilet paper. Ick. He told me that is where the saying came from: don't get hold of the wrong end of the stick!!
Outside there was a doggie water bowl with a sign over it saying: Dogs welcome but please leads at this end (at the head) bags at this end (at the rear). Hydration station - Please drink responsibly.
As we were getting in the car we saw our first midges (tiny black flies/no-see-ums) and a couple got in the car. So they do exist.
We drove a few miles to Steel Rigg, another Hadrian's Wall parking area. This one had a beautiful view and the wall was near the car park. Finally we were off to Stirling, 130 miles away. It started to rain and did so on and off until we reached Lockerbie.
We made a short stop here to see the memorial which is a cemetery at the edge of town. They have a small visitors center with a lovely older woman who was close by when the plane dropped on them. She said it was like a nuclear explosion. The sun was out, and the memorial lovely and touching.
We stopped just short of Glasgow for gas and a quick bite at Costa, a Scottish Starbucks. I got my first toastie - like a grilled cheese but with the filling between 2 slices of bread and also on the top. It is broiled, not grilled. I got it out of the sandwich display and the counter folks broiled it for me. I got a cheese and tomato one, but they come in all kinds of combinations. Bill got a BLT.
We made it safely through Glasgow and on to Stirling in no time. And we found the Ravenswood B&B with no trouble. We even got a place to park. They only have 4 rooms with room for 3 cars, but one group was on Harley's so we all fit.
Stewart the host met us at the door and was totally hospitable (about 40 yrs old). We got the only room left, but it was the only one on the ground floor, so Bill was thrilled we didn't have to haul luggage up and down. It is a huge room compared to last night and has a double and a twin bed.
Stewart recommended a place for dinner that we could walk to...a nice pub in a residential area about a 25 min walk called Birds and Bees. The walk was down a beautiful residential street. The houses were all so neat and tidy and with beautifully kept yards and flower beds. And we got a great view of the Wallace Monument on the way.
We knew it would be crowded on a Friday night, but we were more than happy to sit at the bar. The bar staff was delightful and entertaining. I wasn't sure what kind of beer I wanted so they gave me hefty samples of two to try. I picked one and was happy.
I also saw them serving a soft drink called Irn Brew that I had read about. They gave me a sample of that, too. It is really popular in Scotland but apparently the recipe is secret. It is a strange orange color and has been produced since 1901. I think it tastes a bit like butterscotch. Bill tried it and liked it so much he ordered the diet version with his dinner. He had a whiskey to start.
We shared a starter of fresh sauteed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce served on a toasted bread that was divine. We both were in the mood for burgers, so we got the one on special tonight with bacon (English style that is like ham) and goat cheese.
Have I said how amazingly pleasant all of the Scots we have met have been? That still holds.
Bill is now in the lounge area reading and with a wee bit of Scotch that is laid out for guests.
Tomorrow we hit the road for Loch Lomond.
We had the full English breakfast (since we were in England): 2 kinds of sausage (not black sausage), beans, broiled tomato, sauteed mushrooms, 1 fried egg, toast, and a potato triangle like one gets at Wendy's. We sat by the window and I saw a neat bird - a pied wagtail.
This B&B was large but not that well-kept. The room with twin beds was quite small. We left a little before 10 in the rain, but by the time (5 minutes) we got to Housestead's Roman Fort, it had stopped raining. The fort was built into the wall and the visitor's center was quite nice. However, the walk up to the fort was about a mile up. Sheep were everywhere, most with two small lambs, and there were sheep turds everywhere!!! Made walking a bit challenging.
It took a while to make it up, but we got a rest in the museum next to the fort where we watched a short movie on the fort. We had to walk a bit further up a grassy, turd-filled hill to the actual wall. Bill was quite thrilled to get his photo taken on the wall. It looked like we would have to walk back down the hill to enter the fort (little more that stone foundations) until Bill found a small fence we could squeeze through. I wandered around a little and then started back down.
At the museum, I looked down the hill and spied a huge herd of sheep walking rapidly to the paved road where it looked like they were heading uphill. It was a really funny sight to see almost 50 sheep meandering along a road.
Back down at the Ticket office we went to use the toilets. Good old British humor...next to the toilets was a display of the latrines used at the fort explaining how that worked. I loved it. One of the old Park Rangers took me over and made sure I saw the sponge on the end of a stick in the rendering of the latrines in fort times. That's what they used instead of toilet paper. Ick. He told me that is where the saying came from: don't get hold of the wrong end of the stick!!
Outside there was a doggie water bowl with a sign over it saying: Dogs welcome but please leads at this end (at the head) bags at this end (at the rear). Hydration station - Please drink responsibly.
As we were getting in the car we saw our first midges (tiny black flies/no-see-ums) and a couple got in the car. So they do exist.
We drove a few miles to Steel Rigg, another Hadrian's Wall parking area. This one had a beautiful view and the wall was near the car park. Finally we were off to Stirling, 130 miles away. It started to rain and did so on and off until we reached Lockerbie.
We made a short stop here to see the memorial which is a cemetery at the edge of town. They have a small visitors center with a lovely older woman who was close by when the plane dropped on them. She said it was like a nuclear explosion. The sun was out, and the memorial lovely and touching.
We stopped just short of Glasgow for gas and a quick bite at Costa, a Scottish Starbucks. I got my first toastie - like a grilled cheese but with the filling between 2 slices of bread and also on the top. It is broiled, not grilled. I got it out of the sandwich display and the counter folks broiled it for me. I got a cheese and tomato one, but they come in all kinds of combinations. Bill got a BLT.
We made it safely through Glasgow and on to Stirling in no time. And we found the Ravenswood B&B with no trouble. We even got a place to park. They only have 4 rooms with room for 3 cars, but one group was on Harley's so we all fit.
Stewart the host met us at the door and was totally hospitable (about 40 yrs old). We got the only room left, but it was the only one on the ground floor, so Bill was thrilled we didn't have to haul luggage up and down. It is a huge room compared to last night and has a double and a twin bed.
Stewart recommended a place for dinner that we could walk to...a nice pub in a residential area about a 25 min walk called Birds and Bees. The walk was down a beautiful residential street. The houses were all so neat and tidy and with beautifully kept yards and flower beds. And we got a great view of the Wallace Monument on the way.
We knew it would be crowded on a Friday night, but we were more than happy to sit at the bar. The bar staff was delightful and entertaining. I wasn't sure what kind of beer I wanted so they gave me hefty samples of two to try. I picked one and was happy.
I also saw them serving a soft drink called Irn Brew that I had read about. They gave me a sample of that, too. It is really popular in Scotland but apparently the recipe is secret. It is a strange orange color and has been produced since 1901. I think it tastes a bit like butterscotch. Bill tried it and liked it so much he ordered the diet version with his dinner. He had a whiskey to start.
We shared a starter of fresh sauteed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce served on a toasted bread that was divine. We both were in the mood for burgers, so we got the one on special tonight with bacon (English style that is like ham) and goat cheese.
Have I said how amazingly pleasant all of the Scots we have met have been? That still holds.
Bill is now in the lounge area reading and with a wee bit of Scotch that is laid out for guests.
Tomorrow we hit the road for Loch Lomond.
Day 5 - Saturday 5/30/15 – Stirling, Loch Lomond, Inveraray,
Crianlarich
 |
| Rest and Be Thankful Pass |
It was a beautiful day. We got up at 7:30 to the sun shining and a much
warmer day. Breakfast was at 8:30 in a pleasant dining room. An older
couple in their 80s from England and couple of girls (30ish) from Quebec were
there, and we all chatted.
I had "posh porridge" which had cinnamon, honey, cranberries, and nuts and was really delicious but way too much. I also got some really good scrambled eggs. The coffee was French press and stronger than most of the other coffee we have had. The brown bread was freshly made and also great.
We set off at 10 and made it easily out of Stirling with a good look at the castle. The drive to Loch Lomond was about 45 minutes through farmland with rolling hills. I did get to see my first highland cow. These cows have lots of fringed hair hanging over their faces. Sometime I will get a photo of one.
Loch Lomond is not easily visible from the road. I had found a place called Firtin Point about halfway up the Loch. It has a car park and then a 3 mile paved walk along the Loch. I got some beautiful shots of that part of the Loch.
Then we turned off on the military road leading up to the Rest and Be Thankful pass. The original road was so difficult that those traveling stopped and were thankful they had made it to the pass. It is a stunning view with a nice sized car park that was fairly full not only with cars but lots of cyclists. At many of these wayside stops there is a food truck.
Our next stop was two miles farther. I had noticed a cute old bridge that I wanted to photograph. I got a really good shot even though the area surrounding it was fairly wet and mushy - too wet to cross the bridge.
We also got the GoPro out for its first try. Tonight I saw that we needed to put it higher since a third of the videos I filmed have the dashboard of the car on the bottom. Bluebells were also everywhere and a nice spot of color amidst the green. Snow is still on top of the higher mountains.
I had found a restaurant almost to Inveraray called Loch Fyne Oysters. It is a large and popular restaurant out in the middle of nowhere with an amazing view of Loch Fyne and the mountains rising from the loch.
They were full, but we got seats at the bar. I didn't want a large meal, and I am not that fond of oysters, so I got a small eggs Benedict with salmon. Bill was very happy and pleased with the find and got six 'crunchy' oysters that were quite good and a huge bowl of mussels in a garlic/white wine sauce. We also got diet Irn Bru. It was a really interesting restaurant, and I loved the display of really pretty and interesting oyster plates on the wall. It was a fun stop!
It was 7 miles to Inveraray where we were going to turn around and head back. We didn't want to pay to see Inveraray Castle, and from what I could see online, the only way to get a photo was from the road bridge. Bill drove slowly and I got a really great shot.
Bill has been doing well with the stick driving on the left hand side. However, today had some challenges with rock walls next to the road and big tour buses on the right. He had a few white knuckle moments but no mishaps.
After we got back to Loch Lomond and headed north to Crianlarich, we had one last Kodak stop at Inveruglas Visitors Center. I got a cappuccino and we sat outside watching the lake and an impressive hydro power station on the side of the lake. It is only used when there is a huge drain on power and can start generating power within 5 minutes of being started. In the coffee shop I finally saw my first can of SmidgeMidge. This is supposed to be THE midge repellent. I bought a can and was thrilled!
We made it to Suie Lodge at 4:30. It is a huge hunting lodge turned B&B with 10 rooms. It has been family run for ages, and Barbara the matriarch, checked us in and showed us upstairs to our room - small but nice with a double bed.
We sat outside enjoying the sun and the incredible view. Bill finally carried my suitcase up (he isn't bringing his monster suitcase in) and left me here to upload my GoPro videos and other photos. He went six miles down the road to Killian to an ATM. He said it was a lovely little village with a beautiful waterfall.
We ate dinner in the bar/dining room which is open to the public. Bill got Thai shrimp for a starter and then a root vegetable pot pie for dinner. He was quite happy with that. I got a large (7" in diameter) Yorkshire pudding filled with mincemeat and onions and peas. It really was quite tasty, but as usual, it was a huge portion.
We are now sitting in the bar (me with a coffee) since this is where the wifi is and our room too small to sit in. Tomorrow we head to Fort William. We fear we will get a rainy day tomorrow, but we are expecting that.
I had "posh porridge" which had cinnamon, honey, cranberries, and nuts and was really delicious but way too much. I also got some really good scrambled eggs. The coffee was French press and stronger than most of the other coffee we have had. The brown bread was freshly made and also great.
We set off at 10 and made it easily out of Stirling with a good look at the castle. The drive to Loch Lomond was about 45 minutes through farmland with rolling hills. I did get to see my first highland cow. These cows have lots of fringed hair hanging over their faces. Sometime I will get a photo of one.
Loch Lomond is not easily visible from the road. I had found a place called Firtin Point about halfway up the Loch. It has a car park and then a 3 mile paved walk along the Loch. I got some beautiful shots of that part of the Loch.
Then we turned off on the military road leading up to the Rest and Be Thankful pass. The original road was so difficult that those traveling stopped and were thankful they had made it to the pass. It is a stunning view with a nice sized car park that was fairly full not only with cars but lots of cyclists. At many of these wayside stops there is a food truck.
Our next stop was two miles farther. I had noticed a cute old bridge that I wanted to photograph. I got a really good shot even though the area surrounding it was fairly wet and mushy - too wet to cross the bridge.
We also got the GoPro out for its first try. Tonight I saw that we needed to put it higher since a third of the videos I filmed have the dashboard of the car on the bottom. Bluebells were also everywhere and a nice spot of color amidst the green. Snow is still on top of the higher mountains.
I had found a restaurant almost to Inveraray called Loch Fyne Oysters. It is a large and popular restaurant out in the middle of nowhere with an amazing view of Loch Fyne and the mountains rising from the loch.
They were full, but we got seats at the bar. I didn't want a large meal, and I am not that fond of oysters, so I got a small eggs Benedict with salmon. Bill was very happy and pleased with the find and got six 'crunchy' oysters that were quite good and a huge bowl of mussels in a garlic/white wine sauce. We also got diet Irn Bru. It was a really interesting restaurant, and I loved the display of really pretty and interesting oyster plates on the wall. It was a fun stop!
It was 7 miles to Inveraray where we were going to turn around and head back. We didn't want to pay to see Inveraray Castle, and from what I could see online, the only way to get a photo was from the road bridge. Bill drove slowly and I got a really great shot.
Bill has been doing well with the stick driving on the left hand side. However, today had some challenges with rock walls next to the road and big tour buses on the right. He had a few white knuckle moments but no mishaps.
After we got back to Loch Lomond and headed north to Crianlarich, we had one last Kodak stop at Inveruglas Visitors Center. I got a cappuccino and we sat outside watching the lake and an impressive hydro power station on the side of the lake. It is only used when there is a huge drain on power and can start generating power within 5 minutes of being started. In the coffee shop I finally saw my first can of SmidgeMidge. This is supposed to be THE midge repellent. I bought a can and was thrilled!
We made it to Suie Lodge at 4:30. It is a huge hunting lodge turned B&B with 10 rooms. It has been family run for ages, and Barbara the matriarch, checked us in and showed us upstairs to our room - small but nice with a double bed.
We sat outside enjoying the sun and the incredible view. Bill finally carried my suitcase up (he isn't bringing his monster suitcase in) and left me here to upload my GoPro videos and other photos. He went six miles down the road to Killian to an ATM. He said it was a lovely little village with a beautiful waterfall.
We ate dinner in the bar/dining room which is open to the public. Bill got Thai shrimp for a starter and then a root vegetable pot pie for dinner. He was quite happy with that. I got a large (7" in diameter) Yorkshire pudding filled with mincemeat and onions and peas. It really was quite tasty, but as usual, it was a huge portion.
We are now sitting in the bar (me with a coffee) since this is where the wifi is and our room too small to sit in. Tomorrow we head to Fort William. We fear we will get a rainy day tomorrow, but we are expecting that.
Day
6 - Sunday 5/31/15 – Crianlarich to Fort William, Glenfinnan Monument, Glen
Nevis Drive
It was another amazing and unpredictable day. We woke at 7:30 to a nasty,
cold, rainy day. We just never know what the weather will bring.
Breakfast was at 8:30 and there were 12 of us in the breakfast room. The choices were not that many: cereal, juice, coffee, and toast on a buffet table, and eggs and breakfast meats. I had orange juice, coffee, toast, and one poached egg. After breakfast we took our time packing up and loading the car since we were hoping the weather would clear. It didn’t.
It was a 51 mile drive from Crianlarich to Fort William and supposedly a beautiful drive. I got a few photos in, but it was a little disappointing with the clouds covering the upper half of the mountains and rain splattering the windshield. I only had two stops I wanted to make. The first was at the 3 Sisters Mountains - 3 tall mountains side by side with a hidden valley where the Campbells massacred the McDonalds centuries ago.
We stopped at the viewpoint, and I got my photos. Just as we got back in the car, a large tour van parked right behind us. Indian tourists got off and the bus driver started taking all of their photos in front of the 3 Sisters. He totally ignored us until the car parked next to us left, and we were able to squeeze out. Duh.
One last photo stop was St John's Scottish Episcopal Church and cemetery on the road in Ballachulish. I had seen it as I checked out the road on Google maps and thought it made for a wonderful photo. I did manage to get a semi-decent one through the windshield. I had tried to get out, but it was raining too hard.
We finally arrived in Fort William at noon and drove past our B&B, Lawriestone. We couldn't check in until after 3, and we were in desperate need of toilets. We just drove into town and stopped at the first place that had parking and toilets. It was a buffet restaurant attached to a large and semi-decent tourist stuff store. We ate in the restaurant - I had fish and chips and Bill had chicken ticka marsala. Feeling much better, and with the sun starting to come out, we headed out the 17 miles to the Glenfinnan Monument and viaduct (the Harry Potter Hogwart's Express one). We had to hike up to a viewpoint to get a decent photo of the viaduct.
It has been very, very windy the last few days, but we got our photos taken before it started to rain again. The Glenfinnan Monument commemorates Bonnie Prince Charlie landing there to try to fight off the English. The backdrop is a large loch surrounded by high mountains and made an incredible picture. We also drove a half mile farther so I could photograph a lovely old church.
Then we drove the 17 miles back to Fort William and stopped at "Neptune's Staircase", a series of 8 locks on the Caledonian Canal built in 1803. It is the longest series of locks in Great Britian. We found a lovely bench to sit in the sun and gaze at Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is still covered in snow at the top.
We decided since the sun was still shining to take the Glen Nevis drive 7 miles out to the Steall Falls hike. It is a stunning drive, and we had planned to hike it, but with all the rain we decided to pass and just take the stunning drive out there. And it was!!! Bill was not thrilled with the road since it was the first "one track road" we have driven. There are many pullover spots on both sides, and most drivers are quite conscious of being on a one track. On the way back, as we rounded a hill there were several sheep just meandering down the road taking up the whole roadway. I got a good photo of that.
We were finally able to come and check in at the Lawriestone hotel. We have a large double room on the second story facing Loch Linnhe right in front of the hotel. The decor in our room is a little odd, but I guess it fits the age of the house. The grounds are beautifully maintained with lovely walks and flowers. We are really happy to be staying here for 3 nights. Jim and Susan are our hosts and probably our age.
We got moved in and then decided to go to the Ben Nevis Inn for dinner. I had researched restaurants, and this one had really high ratings. It is at the base of the walk up Ben Nevis and also has a bunkhouse for hikers, so it isn't fancy. The food was really good. At least mine was. I got a strange combination of a tasty whisky sauce with rumbledethumps on top of that. Then there was a layer of fresh green beans cooked a perfect al dente. On top of it all was a chicken breast topped with a slice of haggis.
Runbledethumps are mashed (with some lumps) onion, cabbage, potatoes with cheddar cheese mixed in. Both Bill and I really liked this!!! The haggis (first genuine haggis) was really quite good!! Apparently haggis is like meat loaf - everyone puts their own spin on the recipe, but the waiter said that this was pretty much a standard haggis. It was peppery and whatever is in there was finely chopped. Bill didn't like it because it has oatmeal in it. He has a real aversion to uncooked oatmeal in anything.
Bill had a burger and was disappointed. Both burgers he has had in Scotland have been overcooked and rather dry. He asked the waitress about it, and she said it is a law in Scotland that burger meat cannot be served any other way. We will have to look that up.
We had one of the dessert specials - tightly rolled crepes with a custardy tasting ice cream served with a sticky toffee sauce. It was good.
We came back to the B&B and have watched the sun set over the Loch as it rained! We don't have just one window, but 3 large windows in an alcove. We are both sitting here staring outside. It has stopped raining, and blue sky is now visible.
 |
| Glenfinnan Monument |
Breakfast was at 8:30 and there were 12 of us in the breakfast room. The choices were not that many: cereal, juice, coffee, and toast on a buffet table, and eggs and breakfast meats. I had orange juice, coffee, toast, and one poached egg. After breakfast we took our time packing up and loading the car since we were hoping the weather would clear. It didn’t.
It was a 51 mile drive from Crianlarich to Fort William and supposedly a beautiful drive. I got a few photos in, but it was a little disappointing with the clouds covering the upper half of the mountains and rain splattering the windshield. I only had two stops I wanted to make. The first was at the 3 Sisters Mountains - 3 tall mountains side by side with a hidden valley where the Campbells massacred the McDonalds centuries ago.
We stopped at the viewpoint, and I got my photos. Just as we got back in the car, a large tour van parked right behind us. Indian tourists got off and the bus driver started taking all of their photos in front of the 3 Sisters. He totally ignored us until the car parked next to us left, and we were able to squeeze out. Duh.
One last photo stop was St John's Scottish Episcopal Church and cemetery on the road in Ballachulish. I had seen it as I checked out the road on Google maps and thought it made for a wonderful photo. I did manage to get a semi-decent one through the windshield. I had tried to get out, but it was raining too hard.
We finally arrived in Fort William at noon and drove past our B&B, Lawriestone. We couldn't check in until after 3, and we were in desperate need of toilets. We just drove into town and stopped at the first place that had parking and toilets. It was a buffet restaurant attached to a large and semi-decent tourist stuff store. We ate in the restaurant - I had fish and chips and Bill had chicken ticka marsala. Feeling much better, and with the sun starting to come out, we headed out the 17 miles to the Glenfinnan Monument and viaduct (the Harry Potter Hogwart's Express one). We had to hike up to a viewpoint to get a decent photo of the viaduct.
It has been very, very windy the last few days, but we got our photos taken before it started to rain again. The Glenfinnan Monument commemorates Bonnie Prince Charlie landing there to try to fight off the English. The backdrop is a large loch surrounded by high mountains and made an incredible picture. We also drove a half mile farther so I could photograph a lovely old church.
Then we drove the 17 miles back to Fort William and stopped at "Neptune's Staircase", a series of 8 locks on the Caledonian Canal built in 1803. It is the longest series of locks in Great Britian. We found a lovely bench to sit in the sun and gaze at Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain. It is still covered in snow at the top.
We decided since the sun was still shining to take the Glen Nevis drive 7 miles out to the Steall Falls hike. It is a stunning drive, and we had planned to hike it, but with all the rain we decided to pass and just take the stunning drive out there. And it was!!! Bill was not thrilled with the road since it was the first "one track road" we have driven. There are many pullover spots on both sides, and most drivers are quite conscious of being on a one track. On the way back, as we rounded a hill there were several sheep just meandering down the road taking up the whole roadway. I got a good photo of that.
We were finally able to come and check in at the Lawriestone hotel. We have a large double room on the second story facing Loch Linnhe right in front of the hotel. The decor in our room is a little odd, but I guess it fits the age of the house. The grounds are beautifully maintained with lovely walks and flowers. We are really happy to be staying here for 3 nights. Jim and Susan are our hosts and probably our age.
We got moved in and then decided to go to the Ben Nevis Inn for dinner. I had researched restaurants, and this one had really high ratings. It is at the base of the walk up Ben Nevis and also has a bunkhouse for hikers, so it isn't fancy. The food was really good. At least mine was. I got a strange combination of a tasty whisky sauce with rumbledethumps on top of that. Then there was a layer of fresh green beans cooked a perfect al dente. On top of it all was a chicken breast topped with a slice of haggis.
Runbledethumps are mashed (with some lumps) onion, cabbage, potatoes with cheddar cheese mixed in. Both Bill and I really liked this!!! The haggis (first genuine haggis) was really quite good!! Apparently haggis is like meat loaf - everyone puts their own spin on the recipe, but the waiter said that this was pretty much a standard haggis. It was peppery and whatever is in there was finely chopped. Bill didn't like it because it has oatmeal in it. He has a real aversion to uncooked oatmeal in anything.
Bill had a burger and was disappointed. Both burgers he has had in Scotland have been overcooked and rather dry. He asked the waitress about it, and she said it is a law in Scotland that burger meat cannot be served any other way. We will have to look that up.
We had one of the dessert specials - tightly rolled crepes with a custardy tasting ice cream served with a sticky toffee sauce. It was good.
We came back to the B&B and have watched the sun set over the Loch as it rained! We don't have just one window, but 3 large windows in an alcove. We are both sitting here staring outside. It has stopped raining, and blue sky is now visible.
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