Hail Caledonia

A calm Irish Sea gave us a smooth sailing from Ireland to Scotland on Tuesday, The following day we took time to familiarise ourselves again with Edinburgh and the changes that had taken place since we lived here 12 years ago. We started with a walk up the Royal Mile from Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh Castle, on to Princes Street (the main street) which is restricted now to the new tram system, buses and taxis, and then on to Morningside where we used to live and Bruntsfield.

We picked up a rental car the night before ready for an early start yesterday to travel up towards the Trossacks with several stops on the way. The highlight was seeing the Kelpies, a modern sculpture of two heads of horses standing 30 metres tall. Massive and very imposing. Then on to Stirling and a small village called Callander, where one of Pam’s ancestors originated from. On our way back to Edinburgh we stopped off at Gleneagles Hotel and the famous golf course, then on to Kinross and a trip across Loch Leven to the ruins of a castle where Queen Mary was imprisoned in the 1500s before she famously escaped across the water.

A late return to Edinburgh meant being caught up in rush hour traffic and the nightmare of trying to negotiate the city streets to drop off the rental.

Today has been a little quieter with me spending some time in the main Scottish research centre and Pam on the streets again!

Barbara

I will address that comment about me walking the streets shortly.

Leaving Belfast

What a crossing from Belfast to Cairnryan, Ayrshire Scotland.  It was like a millpond, very few on board meant we had a choice of fantastic viewpoints both inside and out. If any of you are thinking about how to take in Northern Ireland & Scotland then this Stena Line connection is worth  considering.  Either bring a car across with you on the ferry or pick up one on the other side.  We chose to take a “Sail/Rail” ticket which took us across the Irish Sea, coach waiting to transfer us to Ayr where a train took us Glasgow and then finally a train to Edinburgh.  Left Belfast 7.30am, arrived Edinburgh 2pm. Some lovely coastal scenery on the bus as you follow the coast for some time en route to Ayr.  Ailsa Craig looking splendid.  All you keen curlers will know this is where all the granite comes from to make the curling stones. I’m delighted that Edinburgh feels familiar, and that I don’t have to get a map out at the drop of a hat. Re-visiting old haunts, travelling on buses and knowing where they go is a treat! We also hopped on one of the new city trams and went out as far as Murrayfield. 

The kelpie horses are fantastic! Modelled on real working Clydesdales Duke and Barron, this art installation sits alongside a newly created canal and some canal boats were taking advantage of mooring up here.

The Kelpies - Duke and Baron

In Scotland Kelpies are mythical creatures often presenting as horses

The visit to Callander was to try and find Pam’s great great great grandmother’s (father’s side) grave, which we knew was there, and in which cemetery it was. Very sadly there had been recent vandalism at the cemetery and several headstones has been pushed over, requiring the cemetery gates to be locked.  The drunken lout has been arrested and charged.  I wanted to express my disappointment and the only people available to listen to my “I’ve come all the way from NZ to see this grave, and I’m so upset I can’t get in“ routine were the rather patient people at the Info centre.  They said they would fill out one of their customer complaint forms – didn’t really cut the mustard and the gates were still padlocked!

Not happy!

Callander - The Tom na Chiseag cemetery

To make myself feel better I felt I needed some time in refined surroundings so we headed to Gleneagles Hotel for what turned out to be a brief photo opportunity in the front lounge. Men were leaning around the sides of their newspapers looking at these clear interlopers. 

Gleneagles Hotel Lounge - regular customer!

We decided not to take up membership of the golf club (which shall we say, given our penchant for the game – Raewyn & Ron will understand  (think Millbrook concert and B’s black eye) was probably just as well!! Onwards to the next highlight of our day – Loch Leven and a 10 min ride in a very small boat to see this ancient ruined castle.  Queen Mary made good her escape by rowing to the mainland – good on her! Came back over the Firth of Forth via the brand new and rather impressive Queensferry Crossing Bridge.

Artistic shot - Loch Leven Castle

Now, as for the comment about me walking the streets of Edinburgh – true, all true.  But all in a good cause.  I was sussing out a decent pub for a meal of haggis neaps and tatties for our lunch.  The Black Rose in Rose street was the lucky winner!  Yum yum yum.

Pam