During Sarah’s spring vacation, we took a trip to Scotland. It was a first time visit for all three of us and as we each have Scottish heritage we decided to go have a wee peak at the old country!
April is not Scotland’s most beautiful month, but since they say it rains there a fair amount year round we figured a warm coat and an umbrella would arm us well to take whatever came our way. As it turned out, even despite a lousy forecast before we left, we saw blue sky part of every one of our five days there.
We landed in Edinburgh directly from Marseille on Ryanair on what was a delightfully uneventful 2+ hour flight. At the Avis desk, along with our car, we rented our first ever GPS. Believe it or not, all of our travels in Europe have been done entirely the old fashioned way; with maps and a little help from ViaMichelin or Mappy. We really do love our maps. It’s a lot of fun planning a trip, studying the maps, being able to visualize where you’re coming from and going to. However, we have run into a bit of trouble (well, actually a LOT of trouble) driving in and out of major European cities (Rome stands out heads and shoulders above all) and we decided with all the other new things our able bodied chauffeur, Nick, would be experiencing it might be a good idea. This would be his first time driving a right hand car, right hand shift AND on the left hand side of the road! We figured we could use a little assistance with the routes.
It really took quite a bit of adjustment for us to learn how to use the sweet, little Tom-Tom but in the end ‘she’came in quite handy. For instance, at the start, we had trouble just using it to get out of the Avis car lot! Many time during the trip, we had the urge to tell ‘her’ to be quiet(or something like that!) but in general TomTom saved us in Glasgow and Edinburgh several times. Out on the country roads we let her rest and we enjoyed the pleasurable pursuit of map reading.
So, off we go! Our first destination from the airport was Glasgow, about an hour west, in rush hour traffic. Seeing cars on the ‘wrong’ side of the road takes some real getting used to! Once we got to Glasgow and checked into the Jury’s Inn, we met Nick’s British cousin, Francis, who coincidentally was in town for a medical conference, for a casual dinner at a nearby restaurant.The next morning, after a quick breakfast at our hotel (where we chose NOT to try the complete traditional Scottish breakfast here) we drove approximately 7 miles to the town of Paisley where several of my relatives were born/and or lived.
It was in Paisley where Tom-Tom again showed herself to be invaluable. We had several addresses to find and we just programmed them into the GPS one at a time and found them all! We were really impressed with how much time it saved and frustration we avoided. Sadly, while Tom-Tom found the streets, the actual numbers didn’t always exist or in one case, had become a little neighborhood pub! On one of the streets, St. James, while the actual number didn’t exist, there was a lovely church very nearby and I imagined, hopefully, that maybe that my relatives had worshipped there a century before. One local informed us that there was heavy bombing in the area and that accounted for many of the original buildings being destroyed as this area was quite productive (mostly shipping and textiles) during WWII.
After leaving Paisley, we directed Tom-Tom to take us north over the Firth of Clyde to Scotland’s first National Park, The Trossachs and Loch Lomond. Loch Lomond is the in and is at the heart of The Trossachs,. We chose to go to this region after reading that it resembled “Scotland in miniature” encompassing the gentle lowlands, wild glens, deep waters and high mountains that together make up the geography of Scotland. As we had a limited time frame it was the perfect decision. We were rewarded with a lovely drive all the way around the west side of Loch Lomond, Britain’s largest body of freshwater as well as several other beautiful lochs and their connecting countryside. This magnificent landscape has inspired writers, poets and artists. For example, Sir Walter Scott wrote a famous poem, “Lady of the Lake” at nearby Loch Katrine. The Trossachs is also Rob Roy country.
We began at the southern tip of the lake at Balloch, where by the way they had an outstanding Visitor Center, we moved north to the village of Luss where we stopped at the field where Loss Highland Gathering will be held on this field in July......
The only games being played that day were by some adorable newborn lambs…
As we drove further north and the hills called 'monros' were snow capped....
We got out at Firkin Point, where we not only had great fun walking in the forest on the thick green moss but with the name itself….
Further northward we stopped again near a small boat harbor where Nick enjoyed the local crafts...
After we passed the northern tip of Loch Lomond, we stopped for lunch at The Drover’s Inn. This 300 year old hostelry has"welcomed such local luminaries as Rob Roy MacGregor as well as a motley cavalcade of kilted outlaws, English redcoats and drovers herding highland cattle to southern markets...and on this day a few hungry Americans tourists...
We enjoyed the inn's unique decor with many taxidermed animals throughout the place. A grizzly bear and snarling wolf greet you when you enter the lobby! The open fires in the wooden-floored bar where food is served created an unforgetable and convivial atmosphere, not to mention a cozy spot to warm up from the cold damp weather.
I'm sure the plethora of memorabilia on the walls and shelves documented many a wild night which most certainly have taken place here since the inn's founding in 1705. If only those stuffed animals could talk!
We left Drover's completely filled with our lunch of salads, fries and juicy burgers(the likes of which n’existe pas en France). We drove northeast and continued through a beautiful valley along the Rivers Falloch and Dochart.
Our next stop was the picturesque hamlet of Balquidder was one of our favorite stops of the trip...
Many locals came out to welcome us!
This guy really would have put his head in our car window if we'd let him...
The country side here was just beautiful!
We stopped at a really lovely, old church and cemetery where we where we found the graves of Rob Roy McGregor and his family....
As some of our photos show, daffodils were everywhere in Scotland, particularly in the countryside but in the cities as well. Sarah picked a small bouquet by the road and left them at the foot of the locked gate of this deserted, family chapel near Balquidder...
From Balquidder, we continued south stopping briefly in the town of Callander with which we were unimpressed; it was just a tired, tourist town. The region from Callander to Aberfoyle is much touted for being “Scotland in Miniature” and also includes a well known stretch called Duke’s Pass. Here’s where we stopped at Loch Katrine; home port of the SS Sir Walter Scott and enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the loch's banks despite the grey skies.
By the time we reached Aberfoyle, even though it was nearing 6 o’clock, we hadn’t seen a town where we really wanted to spend the night, so we pushed on to our next destination; Stirling.
But first, a little background to why we were keen to go there. Two nights before our trip, Nick, Sarah and I watched the movie “Braveheart”at our home in Aix. It really gave us an idea of the landscape, accents and history of the area of Scotland we were going to visit. After the movie, we wanted see all things William Wallace and Robert the Bruce which made a trip to Stirling a must. Once in Stirling we found the charming, old Golden Lion Hotel which has looked after travellers since 1786. It is one of the main focal points of historic Stirling and is located in the heart of the city next to the best shops, restaurants and pubs. Sir Walter Scott even wrote poems on the linen napkins and for its time, it had the most elegant of ball rooms.
We went out for a light, casual supper and found The Filling Station, a lively restaurant which was perfect for our needs. It was right across the street from our hotel, which was a blessing as it was just beginning to rain when we went out. Nick considered dinner at The Filling Station our first 'Western' meal since arriving in Europe. He said "One could choose from Mexican entrees, hamburgers with all the toppings, or even macaroni and cheese, which was not the desire of anyone". Sarah chose fajitas and managed to clean her plate! After dinner, we dashed across the street in a downpour for some candy bars before retiring to our hotel room to watch a BBC movie while it rained cats and dogs outside.
As luck would have it, we woke to the most beautiful blue skies the next morning ...
While we were anxious to visit Stirling Castle, not before we partook of a complete Traditional Scottish Breakfast! Here’s a list, we think, of all the prerequisite ingredients and, where necessary, a hint as to what they are: Fried eggs, sausages, ham, haggis(Webster’s dictionary definition “a traditionally Scottish dish that consists of the heart, liver, and lungs of a sheep or a calf minced with suet, onions, oatmeal, and seasonings and boiled in the stomach of the animal”), black or blood pudding(from Wikipedia “ sausage made by cooking blood with a filler, usually meat, fat, suet, bread, sweet potato, barley and/or oatmeal, until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled”), fried potatoes, baked tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans and oatmeal. Aren't you feeling full?
The round dark circle and half circles on the bottom right are the haggis and the black pudding. The top left sausage-looking thing might be the haggis. There were other things offered at the traditional Scottish breakfast buffet’s we grazed. More than likely, we thought, they were for those who are more than satisfied with safer contintental items like toast, cornflakes, dried and fresh fruits, yogurt, juice and coffee.
For the record, I bravely tried both the haggis and the black pudding that morning, in very small quantities, mind you, and I thought the haggis was the better of the two. In fact, Nick even , managed a wee taste of haggis as well. I tasted mostly the grain and something a bit like cinnamon. Lastly, I did not look up the above definitions until I began to write this blog entry. Had I done so, there is little chance I would have consumed even the tiniest morsel of either!
Armored with a FULL breakfast we walked up the steep streets of Stirling past shops and tidy flats to the top of the town. We were immediately impressed with not only the nearby buildings, cemetery and castle itself but also with the magnificent 360 degree views…and not a drop of rain to spoil them!
Looking east toward the William Wallace Monument...
and a little closer view...
Southeast over the rooftops...
For those interested in a bit of history, Stirling Castle, the grandest of Scotland's castles lies 250 feet above the plain on an extinct volcano. It became the strategic military key to the kingdom during the 13th and 14th century Wars of Independence and was the favorite royal residence of many of the Stuart Monarchs. Many important events from Scotland's past took place at Stirling Castle, including the violent murder of the eighth Earl of Douglas by James II in 1452. Stirling Castle also played an important role in the life of Mary Queen of Scots. She spent her childhood in the castle and Mary's coronation took place in the Chapel Royal in 1543. The first fortification on the site dates to the 11th century. Much of the castle which exists today, including the Palace and Chapel Royal is magnificent Renaissance architecture with a strong French influence.
We spent quite a bit of time at Stirling and greatly appreciated the wealth of information in the superbly done audio guide. The vast Great Hall, built by James IV in 1503, dates from the end of the Middle Ages and has recently been restored to its medieval glory. It was formally opened by the Queen on St Andrews Day, 1999. You can only imagine the incredible banquets that have been held here throughout history...
Here the near intersection of the Great Hall and the Royal Palace...
The Royal Palace, 1540-42, is the finest Renaissance building in Scotland. A three-storey building with an ornate facade of tall windows and niches which contain a selection of grotesque carved figures and Renaissance sculptures. Over the Centuries, the Palace Block was stripped for military use and the Royal Chambers converted to mess rooms and officers' quarters. The King's Presence Chamber originally included an ornate ceiling of over 100 carved oak heads ( the Stirling Heads ). Many of the heads have been lost or destroyed but some survive to let us imagine how the original ceiling would have looked. Work is now in progress to restore the rich Renaissance decoration of the Kings' and Queens' apartments. Stirling Castle is widely regarded as having the finest examples of architecture from that period in Europe.
The Chapel Royal, built by James VI for the baptism of Prince Henry in 1594, has been refurbished and features a seventeenth century fresco of elaborate scrolls and patterns.
No matter how much we were enjoying our visit to Stirling, we had to move on to our next destination; the Falkirk Wheel. The nearby town of the same name was where William Wallace was involved in another famous battle between the Scots and the Brits centuries ago. But our purpose for visiting Falkirk was to see a modern invention. The Falkirk Wheel, which connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world. This elegant mechanical marvel was opened by the Queen in May 2002 and is regarded as an exceptional engineering landmark for Scotland.
Here are a few interesting statistics:The difference in the levels of the two canals at the wheel is 24 metres (79 ft), roughly equivalent to the height of an eight storey building. The Wheel , which has an overall diameter of 35 metres (110 ft), the height of eight double-decker buses, consists of two opposing arms which extend 15 metres beyond the central axle, and which take the shape of a Celtic-inspired, double-headed axe. Two sets of these axe-shaped arms are attached about 25 metres (82 ft) apart to a 3.5 metres (11 ft) diameter axle. Two diametrically opposed water-filled caissons, each with a capacity of 96,000 US gallons are fitted between the ends of the arms. Up to eight boats can be carried at any one time.
How does it work? Accoridng to the Falkirk web site "Boats entering the Wheel’s upper gondola are lowered, along with the water that they float in, to the basin below. At the same time, an equal weight rises up, lifted in the other gondola. This works on the Archimedes principle of displacement. That is, the mass of the boat sailing into the gondola will displace an exactly proportional volume of water so that the final combination of ‘boat plus water’ balances the original total mass."
The afternoon skies were darkening and it started to rain and hail just as we were getting on the motorway. With TomTom's assistance, we had an uneventful and successful drive into Edinburgh where we would be staying for the next three days. See you in the next blog entry for a wee bit more o' Scotland!
More information:
Drover's Inn: www.thedroversinn.co.uk
