Scotland Part 4 and England

July 9, 2000 (cont.)
From Crannog, we drove to Stirling and started the castle tour in the driving rain.  May not have seen the entire castle but rain tapered off for photos. (we left the video camera in the car because of the rain).  Great visitor's center with a free video.

Went to our B&B Castlerock which was on the castle rock but not in the Old Town but on the back side.  We decided to walk to dinner in the rain.  This doesn't feel like Scotland any more.

B&B Castlerock in left corner

July 10, 2000
Took a walk through Old Town---sy was clearing and we could see the mountains.  The weather on TV showed the rain following us all the way to S.E. England which was pretty much true.  Noticed some differences from the last time we were here.  More European trucks, Euro flag is everywhere.  Scotland displays the Scottish flag (a white X on blue background) and surprisingly seeing more of the English flag (white cross on red background.  Stayed near the airport at Vulcan Lodge a cute B&B with a dog named Woody.

July 11, 2000
Got up and drove to Brighton---very cool for a beach resort.  Enjoyed the Royal Pavilion and the Pavilion Pier. (wish I'd known my ancestor William Reed/Farncombe was from Pyecomb---7 miles away)

Brighton

Brighton Pier

Scotland Part 3

Pitlochery

On Ranoock Moor

July 8, 2000
Pitlochery---this is more like I expected in Skye and Ft. William.  Beautiful flowere , tourist shops, the town bustling with activity.  On our way there, we stopped at Blair Castle home of the Murrays---Duke Ath-oll (that's how it's pronounced).  We saw a copy of the Covenant, more weapons than I could believe.  The Murrays were among the first to start re-forestation with over 20 million trees planted on the estate---any of which are still living.  Hardly any furniture is earlier than 1600's because the quality of wood wasn't sturdy enough and wood worms attacked it.  I loved the Wedgewood type of plaster painting over the gaudiness of Versailles.  The furniture here was the furniture the family had when the turned over the estate to the Trust.

Blair Castle

July 9, 2000

Hated to leave Pitlochery---such a beautiful town.  We tried the scenic rout but couldn't see anything---too rainy.  We stopped at a lime kiln (saw sheep remains---probably fell into the quarry).

The best was Crannog---Iron Age lake dwellings.  Very interesting video, demonstrations.  From there we drove to Stirling.

Crannog

Scenery along the way

Scotland Part Two

Dunvegan

July 5, 2000
We went to Mallaig today on the "Road to the Isles".  This was the jumping off point to the Western Isles.  We are more confused than ever about road designations.  An "A" road usually has two marked lanes, but one "A" became one lane with pull out areas.

We saw the place where the mineral strontianite was discovered in 1722.  The element strontium was discovered in it which is used in nuclear power.  A sleepy town but once  the site of mining.  Then we came around Loch Linke and saw Ft. William from across the loch.  I broke down and bought a fleece 19.95 pounds.

July 6, 2000
Left Croft House B & B on Lochview in Ft. William.  40,000 used this port to emigrate to New Worlds.  It had 3 other names including Marysburgh.

Monument to Jacobites

Eilean Donan

Eilean Donan

Road to Skye (bridge in background)

Invergarry is a Victorian planned village of the Ellice family who made money with Hudson Bay Company.  Click here for more information.  A hotel here is the remnants of a castle destroyed by Cumberland because they housed Bonnie Prince Charles before and after Culloden.  Visited Glenfinnan where there is a monument to the Jacobites.

Then, we went to Skye---beautiful scenery and beautiful day.  Stayed at Rosebank B&B in Portree.  Ate at Portree House.  Also saw Eilean Donan in Kyle of Lochalsh---often seen in movies like The Highlander and James Bond.

Skye

Skye

Skye

Skye

Kilt Falls Skye

July 7, 2000
We went around the peninsula today---rainy and cold.  Saw Kilt Falls, Dunvegan Castle.  The clouds kept us from seeing a lot of the scenery.  What strikes me is how few people live here.  A village is 2 houses.  Shops advertise they are in Glendale when they are miles apart.  Although they paint the houses (usually white but sometimes pastel), one area painted everything but the exposed rock giving the house an odd polka dot look.  Some of the B&Bs are incredibly remote.  I've decided there are few houses in the Highlands that are not B&Bs.  "No Vacancy" just means they don't want visitors at that time.  The scenery reminds us of the West (USA) but greener.  I wonder if this area is much more populous than when the Vikings were here.

Scotland Part one

July 1, 2000
After arriving in England, we took the Tube to Heathrow where we picked up a rental car and headed to Scotland.  We had intended to spend the night in England but our room was on the other side of the motorway, so we went on to Annandale Water at a lovely motor lodge.

We called Mom to wish her happy birthday and talked to Leah---all is well.  We bought the best gift in Annandale---a Scottish hat with ginger hair.  We also bought Nessie beanies!

Port Appin

Ft. William the guy in the sweater was doing a little shuffling jig

July 2
After breakfast (a bit pricey), we hit the road around Glasgow and around Loch Lomond. A82-A85-A81-A811-A81-A85-A82 to Port William---were we going around in circles?  We learned the Grahams were from this region.  The Duke of Montrose is a Graham (I'm a Graham on my father's side) and he's the one who built the pass we took.  We saw long-haired cattle, but they were so close and we were driving too fast to photograph.  The funniest site was driving through that pass and seeing a Bag-piper in the middle of nowhere playing for a tour bus.

Bought a dog playing bagpipes for Grover and a AA atlas

July 3 (cloudy)
Glen Coe---saw a video at the visitor's center and we walked a bit.  We're taking  the Argyle driving tour with lunch at the Argyle Hotel in Inverary.  Learning more about Scottish history helps me learn about my family history and American history.  I know understand why so many Scots explored the Wilderness---it wasn't any more isolated or wild than this is.  After hearing about the Massacre of Glen Coe, I understand more of why so many Scots emigrated to America, Australia and Canada.

Urquhart Castle

Loch Lomond

On a B road (mostly one lane)

Culloden

July 4 (cool drizzly) Loch Ness
We saw Urquhart Castle--just pretty ruins, no real historical significance
Culloden we got more background on the Scottish dispersal.  Then we drove through the Cairgorms on many B roads.  At Culloden saw Ellice---drying to photo family.  Later saw family at Ben Nevis Restaurant (I have no idea what that means 17 years later) "Weather rather cloudy---rain here and there for July 5"

Bucket List Part 2

 #21 Visit Hadrian's Wall 1985

It was so cold in June that we had to buy gloves at a local store.

#20 Take the Kids to Europe

Top left photo is Port Isaac in England, bottom right is Linderhof in Germany

#22 Take kids on a train
Britannia Express 1985 took us from Netherlands to Munich, Germany.  We had a sleeper with triple bunks.  I never slept a wink thinking we would be stopped at the border for passports.  But, apparently we were in a sealed car and just sailed through.
 

#23 Live overseas

Photo with students in Memmingen Germany 1967.  To be fair, they were just 1-2 years younger than I was since Gymnasium in Germany goes to the 14th grade.  And, I should have been a Junior or Senior in college.

#24 Go to City Museum

We went with Tom, Donna, Meredith and Glen in 1998.  They couldn't believe the creativity but also worried about the quality of the work and their safety (see bus upper right)

 #25 Visit Savannah, Georgia

We went with Rachel, Kyle and Brett in 2003.  It is as beautiful as I'd heard but the cobblestones. . . .

 #26 Visit Ancestral Home

Park Hall, Healaugh, Yorkshire, England---Alderson Family Home. (Dave's grandmother's family)  Home after 286 years.  We located villages where my family lived but could never pinpoint exactly where they lived.  But still, loved walking the streets of these villages.

 #27. Weigh below 140 lbs.

#28. Stay with Weight Watchers for 6 months.

Photos were 1998 an 2000 Founder's Day Banquets

#30 Take a Cruise

This was our first---a Caribbean cruise in 1996 for our 25th anniversary

 #29 Snorkel in the Caribbean

Actually Dave and I had snorkeled on the 1996 cruise, but we snorkeled with the girls in Cancun also.

 #31 Ride a Double-decker Bus
Actually we usually do that on our first day in London (when we are sleep deprived) but this photos is from Rachel and Kyle's wedding transportation.

#32 Stay in a B & B in the USA

We made a habit of staying in them in Europe with the kids and thought it would be fun to do it in USA.  What were we thinking?  We took 6 kids (ours and Tom and Donna's) to this sleepy little inn in New Hampshire)

 #33 Visit Taliesin in Arizona

Having read Fountainhead, I became interested in Frank Lloyd Wright.  Living near Fallingwater increased my interest.  We visited Taliesin (not really pictured here) in 1997.  We have video tapes for more information.

 #34 Visit Charleston, South Carolina

This was part of a family reunion excursion out to Ft. Sumter.  White haired man is  Uncle Hale, with Michelle, Don, Don, Dave, Rebecca, Leah, Rachel 1983

 #35 Visit Washington D.C.

White House, July 1982

 #36 Go White Water Rafting

1997 Pigeon Forge

Dave, Meredith Me

Rachel, Rebecca, Leah

#37 Take the kids to California

We usually went at Christmas to visit with Dave's parents 1985 and 1986 

 #38 Take the kids to NYC

1986 Statue of Liberty

 #39 Go to Switzerland

Being a fan of Heidi, I took German just so I could go to Switzerland.  Visited Bern in 1966 and Luzern in 1967.  Had my first fondue here.  Have since discovered Dave and I both have ancestors from Switzerland!

 #40 See the pyramids of Mexico

While the girls learned to scuba, Dave and I took an excursion to Chichen Itza.  We climbed to the top---coming down was the challenge!