Gallivanting Grandma

July 16, 2007

We left St. Andrews and drove south along the Scottish coast back toward Edinburgh. We had several days to explore before leaving the United Kingdom so we took the smaller slow roads to see the charming towns in the area.

Elie and Earlsferry are quaint coastal towns with attractive cottages and commercial fishing boats.

St. Monans Windmill was used in the production of salt.  For many centuries, sea water was evaporated in shallow ponds nearby to produce “bay salt.”

We tried to stay on the back roads but were very surprised to discover how narrow they were. There was hardly any room for passing farm equipment:

A summer parade was another challenge:

The Elie Ness Lighthouse:

Hard to believe it was the middle of July. People in wetsuits were enjoying cold-water sports!

Hearty people were eating and drinking outdoors in the summer sun:

Culross Palace was built between 1597-1611 by Sir George Bruce, Laird of Carnock. Bruce was a successful merchant who established a coal mine near the town.

Caerlaverock Castle is a triangular medieval fortress, complete with a moat.

The trebuchet in the photo below is a modern reproduction of the popular catapult used in medieval times before the advent of gunpowder.

Dundrennan Abbey, near Kirkcudbright, was a Cistercian monastery established in 1142 by Fergus of Galloway. Mary, Queen of Scots spent her last night here in 1568 before imprisonment by the English.

Orchardton Tower is a ruined tower house in Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfries & Galloway Scotland. It was built in the late 1400s by John Cairns and used as a bakehouse and shelter for livestock, as well as living quarters. It is the only cylindrical tower house in Scotland.

July 13, 2007

A popular saying in Scotland is “If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes and it’ll change.” That seemed to describe our experience to a tee! The temperature throughout our stay was cool, but everyday there was a constantly changing display of rain, showers, clouds, sun, and mist.

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven, was a medieval fortress originally built in the 14th century. The surviving ruins are from the 15th century. The location of the castle on a rocky point jutting out into the North Sea was very impressive.

Craigievar Castle, Alford, in Aberdeenshire was completed in 1626. The family lived in the castle for 350 years until 1963 when it was given to the national Trust for Scotland.

A family set up a campsite at the side of the road. On the right side of the road there was a camper and picnic table and on the left there was a playground area and generator.

Children played on the road but fortunately there wasn’t much traffic.

Arbroath or Aberbrothock is located on the North Sea about 45 miles from Aberdeen. The Arbroath Abbey was founded in 1178.

The town became a large commercial fishing port during the 20th century. Arbroath became one of our favorite cities after we discovered “Smokies!”

“Arbroath Smokies” are incredibly delicious smoked fish. Local legend says that a store with barrels of haddock preserved in salt caught fire one night. The next day, the locals discovered that the fish had cooked and was very tasty.  They were delicious!!

Kirriemuir is a town in Angus with a very long and diverse history. It was an important ecclesiastical center during the 1st millennium AD. Later there were records of witchcraft during the 16th century.

The author J.M. Barrie was born and is buried in Kirriemuir. A statue of Peter Pan stands in the town square:

Glamis Castle, called “Scotland’s Most Beautiful Castle,” is home to the Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne. An original part of the building dates from 1034, but the present building dates from 1670. Glamis Castle was the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth’s mother.

We saw Scottish highland cows at Glamis Castle.

J.M. Barrie’s birthplace was a typical weaver’s house and is open to tourists

Back on the road across the magnificent and beautiful Scottish countryside:

We stayed at the very comfortable Fife Arms Hotel in the village of Braemar, near Cairngorms National Park.

The view from our room:

Balmoral Castle is a large estate in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire which is owned by Queen Elizabeth. It has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased by Prince Albert in 1852 for Queen Victoria.

There are approximately 150 buildings on the huge estate. The main building, Birkhall, was the former home of Queen Elizabeth and is used today by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall for summer holidays.

There are 52 bedrooms in the main house and the property is over 50,000 acres of land. Parts of Balmoral Castle are open to tourists when the royal family are not there.

St. Andrews is a lovely seaside town on the east coast of Scotland located about 30 miles north of Edinburgh.

St. Andrews is known for a 12th century cathedral, its prestigious university, and the region’s many golf courses.

The ruins of St. Andrews Castle was interesting to see. It is a 13th century castle with a dungeon and moat.

This has been a wonderful drive around a beautiful country filled with castles and seascapes.

July 11, 2007

Dunvegan Castle is located on the Isle of Skye. The original castle was built in the 13th century but modified and expanded over time. It is the seat of the MacLeod Clan.

Talisker Distillery is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye, founded in 1830. It was interesting to learn how scotch whiskey is produced.

After a couple of days driving around the Isle of Skye, we drove eastward back onto the Scottish mainland.

Eilean Donan Castle from a distance:

The castle was built on a small tidal island in the 13th century as a stronghold of Clan Mackenzie.

It is believed that a Christian abby was established on the island in the 6th or 7th century, dedicated to an Irish saint, Donnan of Eigg, who was martyred on Eigg in 617.

The castle was restored in the early 20th century and a footbridge was built to connect the island to the mainland.

Because of the picturesque location and beauty of the area, Eileen Donan Castle has been used in many films.

Inverness is the largest city and cultural capital of the Scottish Highlands. It is located on the northeast coast and has a population of about 46,000 people.

After driving around Scotland for two weeks and stopping at a different B&B every night, we decided to spend a few nights in Inverness and explore the surrounding area on day trips. We were getting tired of traveling and needed to have some ‘down time.’

We had a very comfortable room with a patio and golf course view at the Marriott Hotel.

The Victorian Market is a 19th century shopping arcade with stores selling fresh produce, souvenirs, jewelry, and clothing. There are also two cafes.

We also visited the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shore of Loch Ness but didn’t see any creatures.

Listening to live Scottish music was fun!

Cawdor Castle was first built during the 15th century in Nairnshire. The castle is famous for its literary connection to William Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth, the Thane of Cawdor.  

Part of the castle is open to tourists but Campbell Clan family members still live in the castle today.

We drove to the lovely town of Elgin to see the famous ruins of Elgin Cathedral, which was dedicated in 1224. It survived through wars and fires to 1560 when it was abandoned as part of the Protestant Scottish Reformation.

The town of Elgin was first identified in 1190 as a “royal burgh” by King David I of Scotland.

Huntly Castle is another ruined castle in Aberdeenshire and was the ancestral home of Clan Gordon. King Robert the Bruce was agues of Huntly Castle in 1307.

Leith Hall is a country house built in 1650 on the site of the medieval Peill Castle. It was the home of the Leigh-Hay family for three hundred years. Since 1945, Leith Hall and 286 acre estate has been run by the National Trust of Scotland.

July 8, 2007

The Isle of Seil is one of the Slate Islands.  The rocks were extracted from quarries and exported around the world for two centuries. Today the main industries are fishing and tourism.

An 18th century stone bridge still connects the island to the mainland.

The Isle of Seil is five square miles in size with a population of 550 permanent residents.

A few words about Scottish weather: cool, changeable, unpredictable, and “misty.”

Fort William is a town in the eastern Scottish Highlands. It is a major tourist destination for hikers and climbers due to its proximity to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom.

The town gets its name from a wooden fort which was built in 1654 to “control the Highland clans.” The fort is long gone.

After a pleasant look-around in Fort William, we took a ferry to the Isle of Skye.

The Isle of Skye is the largest and most northern of the Inner Hebrides chain of islands on the northwestern coast of Scotland.

The main industries are tourism, agriculture, fishing and forestry. The climate is described as “mild, wet, and windy.”

The town of Portree is the largest settlement on Skye and is renown for its picturesque harbor.

Sheep dot the lush green landscape of the exquisitely beautiful Isle of Skye.