2023 – May – Visting Scotland & The Isle of Skye…
May 13, 2023:
Heading to Edinburgh, Scotland…
As we awake we see it is another gorgeous day. But we will spend it driving. We get showers and pack up; Mike brings the car around and as we depart Ambleside we stop at the bakery again to pick up some sweets for our drive. The drive is spectacular. As we head out of town GPS takes us up and over a pass that is incredible and we stop along the way to admire the view, the sheep, and eat our breakfast in beautiful surroundings! It is pretty much a one track road so it is tricky and narrow to maneuver. It is a great beginning to the day. We are on this path for about 90 minutes before we end up on the highway. But the entire drive is beautiful.
As we head into Edinburgh we comment that where we are staying is in a more residential area than the last time we were here. The AirBnb is easy to find and we arrive early so we contact the host seeing if we can check in early… Although we still have 30 minutes before check -in we park the car behind the AirBnb and head out to explore the neighborhood. While walking, Stephen (our host) texts that the place is ready so we head over to unpack and prepare for our stay there. Stephen and Megan are just leaving as we arrive so they show us around and how to work different things in the AirBnb. Once they leave we head out to find a market and then a pub to eat at. The market is easy to find- (close and has everything we need.) The pub, “Salisbury Arms” (recommended by Stephen), is about 1/2 mile away. They have outside seating which works well. This ended up being a great place to land for dinner and a beverage…. A great walk home to digest and by the time we get home we were ready to relax for the night with a cup of tea…
May 14, 2023:
St Andrews
Mike has wanted to walk the old course of St Andrews for some time (although we’re not golfers) so we headed off to walk on this Sunday (Mother’s Day) when the course is closed to golfers. It was a bit of a drive and weather wasn’t great, though who cares it’s St. Andrews…so what the heck! St Andrews Links, in the town of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, is regarded as the “Home of Golf”. It has one of the oldest courses in the world, where the game has been played since the 15th century.
When we arrived we weren’t sure where to park but there was a field full of parked cars which appeared were parked there for parents watching their kids play soccer! But that’s where we parked as we saw it was close to the golf course. As we began walking on the course we found people walking dogs, people just walking and some people golfing! We began walking but soon found it was not what we thought and ended up calling it a morning and headed back to the car.
Joanne had seen that “Stirling Castle” was along the route home so that would be our next stop and so glad it was! Stirling is one of Scotland’s greatest stone castles. The castle peaked in prominence in the 1500s, but its volcanic crag has been fortified since ancient times. The castle was awesome!
On the way out we found an awesome pub (Portcullus) and enjoyed our usual pub food. From there we could see the “Robert The Bruce Monument” , not far from here and decided to take the drive up there. Unfortunately it was closed, though we still managed a pic.
Departing Stirling for our drive back to Edinburgh we thought of 2 more quick stops that would complete the day. First up the “The Falkirk Wheel “ . The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project. This is an impressive engineering marvel! When we were on the Panama Canal cruise someone had told Joanne about this unique lock system near Edinburgh and we are thankful they mentioned it to us. By the time we got there the information center and locks were closed but we could wander around the area and then while there we pulled up a YouTube spot about how the lock system works. Very interesting and highly recommend a stop to see it if you are in the area!
We also didn’t realize that about three miles from there is “The Kelpies” exhibit. This is a park with horse head sculptures that are HUGE! Although we didn’t want to pay the admission because it was later in the evening and we would only be there a few minutes, we did stay long enough to get a few pics and then headed on our way back to Edinburgh.
May 15, 2023
Edinburgh
Today Joanne had planned a city tour (free of course!) and then do the castle and some other historic things right in the city. We were able to use Google Maps to find the bus we needed to get to city center. The walk to the bus stop was just around the corner and then 7 stops later we got off the bus at SouthBridge. The walk from there to where the tour met up was a pretty easy walk but we were about 50 minutes early. We used the time to wander through some shops and Mike got some Scottish Pounds. Once we met up with the tour we spent the next 90 minutes learning about historic sites in the city center. We finished the tour right near the castle, so perfect for us!
What we did notice is that from the last time we were here in 2013 it is much more crowded! “Edinburgh Castle” and surrounding area have many, many, more tourists than we remember from the past.
We spent some time in the castle then found our way to “The White Hart Inn” for drinks and dinner. We met a nice couple also traveling and chatted until they were finished and left. We caught the bus home and were ready to relax after a day of walking on cobblestones!
May 16, 2023
Edinburgh
The last time we were here we did not have time to hike Arthur’s Seat; so that has been something we have been talking about and planning on for a bit of time. Today is our last day in Edinburgh so that is our plan. We see that the bus will only take us so far and then the walk from the bus drop-off to the trail head is almost a mile. The walk from the AirBnb is like 2 miles so we just decide to skip the bus altogether and walk the entire way to the trail head. Probably a mistake, but that was our decision. Mike has been nursing an injury to his right knee since hiking in Amblerside but has been gutting it out. Unfortunately the injury continues to get worse as we get closer to Arthur’s Seat. By the time we get to the beginning of the trail the pain has gotten much worse. It’s the same injury that has flared up in his IT band or Perineal Nerve since this knee replacement several years ago. He pretty much just lives with it though it’s always in the background.
As we begin the hike there is some significant controversy over which path to take. Joanne has done some online research; Mike has the Alltrails App. So eventually we take Mikes path. As we begin the ascent Mike is really struggling with his knee and leg and to make long story short although Mike really wants to do the entire Arthur Seat trail, he just won’t be able to. Very disappointed, we decide for both of us that we need to get down while we still can. We had made it up to the Crag and start the traverse to Arthurs Seat but Mike says his pain is the worse he has ever experienced aside from when he dislocated the knee years ago. He is really trying to gut it out but eventually it’s obvious he won’t be able to go all the way to the top of Arthur’s Seat. Good thing Joanne was allowing him to slightly lean on her some on the descent as he was clearly in a lot of pain.
Once at the bottom we find a place to sit for awhile and then begin talking to a police officer outside of parliament. We thought we would tour “Holyrood Palace” but he told us it is closed for these two days of this week. Fortunately we did visit it back in 2013 on our last visit here. The friendly police officer suggested we could watch a session of parliament in session if we wanted so (what the heck!) that’s what we did! It was interesting with the first “discussion” dealing with schoolteachers working conditions and treatment and the second about ventilation systems in hospitals. Very interesting to see how all this works here!
We talk to someone at the desk, as we prepare to depart, and see that (again) the bus would be about a mile walk until we could catch the bus to be near our AirBnB so we just decide to walk the entire way. Mike is a trooper and we end up covering nearly 8 miles for the day, even with the knee issue. We had talked earlier about just getting soup from a market and eating in tonight. This does not happen often as many of our Airbnb’s do not have great kitchen accommodations though this Edinburgh one definitely is well equipped. This was just what we needed (Mike definitely needed with his injury); an early night with soup, crusty bread, and wine along with a chance to relax. Tomorrow we head to Inverness, Scotland!
May 17, 2023
Inverness, Scotland
Today we have a later start to the day because we know we have a drive to Inverness but we can’t get into our Air Bnb until 3:00. The drive is beautiful and we stop a few times along the way for pictures and pick up some snacks.
We arrive early (around 2:00) in North Kessock but we text the owner and he allows us to get in early. The Air Bnb is awesome! Has several different rooms with a fireplace in the living room and an electric “fireplace” in the sunroom. We get situated and then walk into town to find the North Kessock Hotel where we plan to get some dinner. The walk into town is easy (though cold and windy) and as we enter the hotel we find some very nice workers that explain that food does not start until 5:30 so we still have 2.5 hours! They recommend a walk down the water front which is very nice… until it starts to rain! We get to the light station and chat with a man tending his yard. We get back to the Hotel around 4:30 and with drinks we chat with the only other people there; cyclists from London that just did part of the NC500. We finally order dinner (which is very good) and get our walk home. We wanted to get the living room fireplace going but couldn’t. The owner is working but has a friend come over to figure it out- someone had stolen the fuse! He replaced it and got it working again. All good and another end to a great day in Scotland!
Thursday May 18, 2023
Inverness
Our plan for today is a little lighter than usual. We first head to “Culloden Battlefield” and although did not plan to spend so much time there Mike is such a history buff we spend a good portion of our day there! The Battle of Culloden was fought on the 16th of April 1746. The Battle of Culloden lasted under an hour. In that time, approximately 1,250 Jacobites were dead, with few wounded. The government force officially lost 50 men, with 259 wounded. The Jacobites were the supporters of King James VII of Scotland and II of England. The Latin for James is Jacobus. After the battle, the political, military and judicial power of the clan chiefs was abolished. The Highlanders were forbidden on pain of death from wearing a tartan plaid (the kilt is the more modern equivalent), bear arms, or carry a dirk or dagger. The Clans that fought at Culloden and have marks there are: Clans Fraser, Cameron, Stewart of Appin, MacIntosh, Farquharson, Chattan, MacLachlan, MacLean, MacLeod, Chisholm, MacDonald, MacDonnell of Keppoch, MacDonnell of Glengarry, Grant, Gordon, Murray, Ferguson, Stewart of Atholl, Menzies, Robertson, MacFie, MacMillan, MacLaren, MacColl, MacInnes, and MacIntyre.
We had purchased a Scotland Castle and historic sites membership and thought it included this site too , but it did not. But for 22 lbs we got entrance and the tour. We wandered through the museum reading the interpretive info and then prepare for the tour. The tour is very interesting, going out onto the battlefield, and listening as the tour guide described in detail what happened during that battle and what led up to it. Afterwards there was time for questions and of course Mike had some! But they were very good questions and I think the tour guide liked talking with someone that had digested as much info as Mike had. Then we still had the remaining inside plaques to read and the film to view. All in all we had been there for quite awhile! The guide came over while we were at the wall reading the plaques to speak with Mike again! I know Mike really enjoyed our time there.
Once finished with the battlefield we headed to historic “Fort George”. This fort is very impressive! So huge! But much of it is not available for public touring. We were able to tour the Highlanders Museum which was very interesting. The place is impressive especially the views of the water around the fort. We visited for about 90 minutes then headed into downtown for dinner.
We found ourselves at Black Isle Bar and sat at the end of a table with another (interesting) couple at the other end. The conversation was great, the pizza awesome and drinks usual! It was a great place for dinner! As we began our way back to the car we heard some music at “Gellions” so walked into that pub. The music was very good! First up was Tartan Paint and the vocalist was very good! We had fun chatting with people and listening to music. Once he finished two women sitting at a high top table were leaving so offered us their table! Awesome! Next up was Willie. Wearing the usual Scottish garb of a kilt, knee socks and a t shirt he was another awesome musician! We enjoyed his music for maybe another hour before we decided at 10:30 to call it a night as we still had to drive home! Just as we were leaving our table the original girls that gave us the table came back so we switched places for them to have the table back!!
Friday May 19:
Inverness, Scotland
In plans for today we knew we still wanted to try and see dolphins in Fortrose, visit Urguhart Castle, and possibly Clava Cairns. We had a late night last night at Gellions so got a later start this morning with sleeping in. The day looks spectacular with bright sunshine and warmer than usual. We head to Fortrose but have to figure out how to get to some waterfront. We find ourselves at Fortrose Bay Campsite! Campground right on the bay! There is a spot to park and walk a bit but with Mike’s leg needing to rest we park and just view the water hoping for dolphins; but never do see any. But we were still happy to have found this place.
From here the castle is about 30 minute drive. But it is a beautiful drive so we enjoy it. It is down near Loch Ness and we try to find the area where several years ago we visited on a bus tour. No luck.
This castle and its history are very interesting though most of the castle are ruins at this point.
We spend a bit of time there before heading out to hopefully find Clava Cairns. The GPS takes us into a shopping center and we continue to look on foot and finally ask an older woman who might have a clue what we are looking for! She gives us verbal directions and we are able to find it several miles away (actually walking distance to Culloden Battlefield- if we only knew!). This was very interesting and we were very glad we had found it! We spent maybe 30 minutes there before heading to dinner.
Many fans of the popular miniseries “Outlander” will know that it was filmed at Clava Cairns. Clava Cairns is a burial site built in the Bronze Age, situated near Culloden. It’s an incredible place to watch the sun set and during the winter solstice, two of the cairns align with the sun, making it a magical place to visit. Clava Cairns are about 4,000 years old and were built to house the dead. The cemetery remained a sacred place in the landscape for millennia, and provides many clues to the beliefs of Bronze Age society. What remains today would have once been part of a larger complex
We ended up in downtown area again (parked in Inverness Castle Parking). We had an idea that we would eat at Johnny Foxes Restaurant. It was a great decision. Joanne finally had a salad with grilled chicken and Mike had a chili burger (which he said was a bit spicy for him!). A great ending to the day. Next up laundry! We looked ahead and won’t have access to a washing machine for 7 days so need to be sure we are ready!
Saturday May 20,2023
Isle of Skye
As we depart Inverness we reflect on our time here. It is so different from the last time we were here! We had a lot of fun in the downtown pubs and saw a lot of history. Now it is time to get to the more remote parts of Scotland; “Isle of Skye”. We don’t really know what to expect but we are definitely looking forward to it!
We can’t get in to the AirBnB until mid afternoon but have to depart Inverness by 10:00 so we are thinking we will stop at “Eileen Donan Castle”. The drive is beautiful, on back country roads with some of them single track. The castle is awesome. We thought it is included in our Scotland Castle pass (Explorers Pass) but it turns out that it is a privately owned castle and not included. We pay the 22 euros for admission and glad we did! It’s an awesome castle almost fully restored and the owners still stay here sometimes! Though we couldn’t see the private areas, they still stay here with interpreters often giving talks and answering questions in adjacent areas.. We spent about 90 minutes there but truly enjoyed it. And it was only about 15 miles from our AirBnB!
As we arrived at our AirBnB and let ourselves in, we check everything out. It is very cute with sheep “talking” right beyond the fence. It’s small but very comfortable. We head to the local Co-Op about a mile away and pick up provisions to make dinner and breakfast for the next few days. We get cozy for the night and prepare for the day tomorrow.
Sunday May 21, 2023
Isle of Skye
Since they were out of eggs yesterday and were expecting a delivery by 7 this morning, Mike headed out bright and early to fetch the eggs! On the way back in he got to talking with (our Air Bnb owner) and she told Mike- it’s such a gorgeous day you must hike Quiraing!! So off we started! The drive to the trail head is about 90 minutes with the last 20 minutes on single track, pot-hole filled roads! By the time we arrived (around 11:30) there was no parking available! But we were patient and eventually we were able to get a spot. We walked the most amazing, epic hike! The views were the most amazing! We captured lots of pics and spoke to some very nice people as we walked. The Quiraing Trail might be one of the most incredible hikes we have taken on this “Revolutionary Journey”! Pictures don’t do it justice. It is a wonder of nature…
When we finished we stopped in Portree on the way home and had drinks at a place right next to the car park and found a table in the sun outside. Was nice to relax for a bit after the hike. Finding a place to actually eat was a different story. Every place was booked. We ended up at The Lower Deck where they don’t take reservations. There was a line but it wasn’t too bad. The food was OK. By the time we got home our our host Kate wanted to know about our day and talk about a plan for tomorrow and because the midges were out we headed into their little backyard cottage. At that point we were tired and needed showers.
May 22,2023
Isle of Skye
Our last full day on Isle of Skye. Kate had showed us on the map how to get to a more remote hiking trail following a stream and leading to several waterfalls. The road in is single track and full of pot holes. As we were trying to find the parking spot we passed by many sheep on the road and a herd of wild cows almost on the road. It was pretty crazy.
We thought we had found the trailhead parking spot but had driven past it so had to turn around. After turning around we did too sharp a turn to get in and ended up with the left front wheel no longer touching the ground (or the back right tire)! We were definitely in a bad spot. No jack, middle of absolutely no-where, no cell service, and no way to get out of the stream bed we had fallen into. In fact, the car was laying on the front bumper with the left front wheel spinning freely and the right rear of the car 2 feet off the ground. YIKES!!! I repeat YIKES!!!! ! Two groups stopped to help within 15 minutes. They didn’t speak English, though they were definitely concerned when they saw our predicament. A motorcyclist stopped next, from Scotland, since the rear of the car was blocking the single track road. He too had no idea what to do.
Mike decided then to take a walk down the stream bed to get a moment to collect his thoughts. Serendipitously he looked down in the stream bed and found a huge flat rock that he thought he could use as a fulcrum if he could get it back to the car. To this day we have know idea how he lifted that rock up and carried it up the stream bed to the cars front tire. Must have been total adrenaline strength, especially on his only 60-day new hip replacement. He slid it under the front tire and then jammed a large rock under its center. Again have no idea how that got accomplished. He then put all his weight on the end and saw it slightly lift the wheel. He next gave the motorcyclist instructions to stand on the end of the rock and when he got in the car and was ready he said “jump”. The motorcyclist’s weight was enough to lift the car just enough that when at the same time Mike popped the clutch the car was able to lurch forward out of the stream bed. Joanne yelled stop but Mike new that the rear end was now in the hole and chose to ignore her and just hope the forward momentum with his foot on the accelerator would propel the car enough forward to get the rear tire to escape the hole as well. To this day, it is without question, except to say it was literally our Scottish Miracle we escaped that catastrophe in the remote area of Isle of Skye…… Everyone was literally astonished we got out of the hole with no damage, including Mike, as he excited the car. . We were extremely (I repeat EXTREMELY) LUCKY! We will never forget this experience…
With the car now extracted from the hole we continued on and shortly after the trail we started our hike. Heck we were so far out we had to see this adventure through today… We knew we wouldn’t hike the entire thing but it was very peaceful and beautiful.
Next up we drove all the way to the end of the single track road to a gorgeous fishing area where the road ended!
By the time we got back into town it was a little after 3:00: too early for dinner and too late to do much else. We found a path along the waterfront and walked that to the fishing pier then back to the Co-Op for gas and dinner (sandwiches tonight). We felt like it was a great stay at Isle of Skye!
May 23, 2023
Glasgow:
Once we left Skye we had a great drive through two National Parks (Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs).
The views were spectacular! Then as we got closer into Glasgow it got more congested. The AirBnB we got was a room in someone’s home. Not our favorite, but it is close to the airport and only for one night. As we pulled into the driveway of the AirBnB the Host, Paul meets us. He told us where to park and helped us carry our bags to our room. This is only the second time we have stayed in someone’s house (besides Lisa’s B & B which was much different) it’s nice but definitely feels a bit awkward.
The location is also only about 10 minutes from Mike’s niece Alyssa and partner Em. Alyssa is in graduate school in Glasgow and Em works and goes to school there as well. Our plan is to take them to dinner tonight.
Em picks us up around 5:30 and we end up at a restaurant (The Croft) right across the street from their new apartment! After dinner we get a tour of their place as well. A very nice apartment. It is a great dinner and then we head back to the house. Everyone already seems to be in their rooms so we have a quiet end to our day.
Well there you go… Our adventures in the UK, MINI of Oxford, The Cotswold’s, Ambleside/Lake District, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Skye, and SO MANY castles has been a great chapter of this years continuing “Revolutionary Journey “. Wait; we’re just get started in 2024 as we fly to Dublin and begin our exploration of Ireland…
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