Day 01 – Landing in Glasgow and Scouting to Inverness
After the day from hell trying to get Hal updated and trying to upgrade our seats, Saturday (yesterday) went smoothly. Even more so, because ultimately I succeeded with the seats, in spite of an airlines website freeze-up. A trip to the airport and a nice meeting with the ever-so-helpful Sherry Rose got it all straightened out. Then, we found out that in my hours and hours of battles with Garmin and Hal, I actually won, and the new European maps showed up. Could not see them from the US side of the pond.
Because of weather, we took off a little late from the States, but the pilot made up most of the time. As we approached the outer islands of Scotland, I was kicking myself that the camera was so buried in the overhead that there was no way I was going to get it out without disturbing still-sleeping passengers. Arnie had the same scenario.
The fog and mists over the islands, wafting in and out, cradling the peaks, was gorgeous. Ah well, that will be a great memory that we are not likely to forget!
Customs was a breeze in Glasgow. No other international flights in yet. Our checked bags came off quickly, and we packed up the rental and took off, happy to have discovered that Hal knew what to do with the new European maps. Yippeee!
Usually, Arnie drives, and I navigate, but since I have driven a lot more often in places like the UK, Oz, and the land of the Kiwi, I am used to driving on the “wrong” side of the road and looking right-left-right. We made some stops along our route to our first hotel in Inverness, but the time of day was really not good for photography. Still, we found some new spots we liked, and noted them in Hal for our return trip with the participants several days hence.
After checking into our hotel in Inverness, we walked into town, a mere five or so minutes away. We looked at the pub on the corner and decided it was too noisy and crowded.
Down along the River Ness, however, there were great places to walk. A pub or café there sounded much more appealing, so we strolled down river a bit, then back up.
Crossing back over on a swinging pedestrian bridge, the sparkle of the bridge decorations caught my eye against the deep blue of the sky.
Even more so, the light coming through Arnie’s wonderful glass of Chardonay and my 12-year-old local single malt caught our attention! We enjoyed basking in the late-afternoon sun, sipping our drinks, and enjoying a very tasty meal … mussels from the west coast for Arnie, and butterflied chicken for me.
Both were a welcome change from the days when I first came to this area and the food generally tended to be gray, overcooked, and tasteless. I used to joke that my English Granny, of Scottish descent, could kill any vegetable or piece of meat that she encountered. Cuisine in the UK has come a long way!
Tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, we’ll have more energy to photograph, and I hope to have a lovely Scottish Highlands panorama to replace this one.
A castle on Loch Ness is first on our agenda.
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We’re presently in JFK after two cloudy, rainy weeks in England and then crossing the pond on the Queen Mary 2. The sun came out the day we boarded the ship. London, Ambleside, Hexham and the wall, Durham, York were all wonderful, if cloudy and sometimes quite wet. Oh well. Enjoy the good weather! It’s 80-ish and horribly humid in NYC. We look forward to our dry Colorado climate, and I will be seeing what salvage I can do with my photos….
Bummer, Mary! You should have joined us! We have been having lovely weather, although I supposed it will not last. After all, it is Scotland, and this is not the norm. It has made for good photographs with the combination of sun and clouds.
We look forward to seeing you and Dick sometime soon.
Take care,
TBC
Reminds me of our trip from Inverness to Skye in 2000. We set off one morning, me driving and Betts navigating – without benefit of HAL. We took a right (some might call it wrong) turn somewhere and things started to get interesting. No idea where we were. We drove through a billow of smoke on the road and decided to stop. An hour later we emerged from the Glen Ord distillery more educated than before, but needed to dry out a bit in the parking lot before proceeding. We picked up the trip when I came to, still not entirely sure of the new directions. Hungry, with no pub in sight, I pulled over and harvested by hand some grains from a field. We munched on those until we found ourselves .. back in Inverness! We got back to it, with more attention to navigation, in time to make dinner at the Kinloch Lodge on Skye that evening, enamored this time of the peat-infused water. Thanks for jogging the memory Margo, looking forward to seeing you and Arnie in Paris!
Yes, Rick, those distilleries do have their effect! I’ve been sampling a couple of single malts a day. Seems like a good practice. There are so many, and they all have different properties. One the other night had a honey overtone to it. VERY smoooooth. Yummm!
Yes, we’ll see you in Paris. Looking forward to it.
Take care,
TBC
Working our way along Hadrian’s Wall Path and enjoying the warm English sun. Everyone we meet tells us to leave the sun with them when we continue on. Fortunately someone else is lugging all of the fleece and rain gear packed in our suitcases. In three days time we will hop the train from Carlisle to Edinburgh and meet you at the Frederick.
Dave and Sue,
Yes, everyone is commenting on the warmer-than-usual weather. It’s lovely to bask in the sun as we putter along this and that little back road. You may need your fleece yet, so don’t throw it out.
We’re envious of your trek along Hadrian’s Wall. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Perhaps another visit.
You’ll love the Isle of Skye.
Looking forward to seeing you two later in the week. I suspect we may run into you at the hotel.
Take care,
TBC
Welcome to the shores of our little island TBC. Do you realise that the whole of Great Britain is smaller than the state of Texas? :-0) And, probably the Steak in Texas!
Glad you think the UK’s culinary skills are improving, I’m sure the 12 year old Malt helped the satisfaction of then taste buds.
I hope you guys have a wonderful and profitable trip whilst here. Also here in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Although, it might be best not to mention that in Scotland, they can be a funny lot, they are currently seeking to be separated from the rest of us and to be a stand- alone Country. I wonder if they would be happy to take with them their share of the National debt?
Have fun.
Mark,
Yes, having driven over many parts of the UK, I do know how small it is. Granny’s friends used to be appalled that I would hop in the car after visiting her and go from Steep, outside Petersfield, over to the Cornish coast in a day … with lots of stops for photographs. There are still many parts of “your little island” that I have yet to explore, but I keep picking away at it every time I cross that little pond between us. When I was quite small, Granny gave me a puzzle of what was then known as Great Britain. I was always fascinated by the Isle of Wight that was so tiny. Each county was pretty much its own puzzle piece.
We’ll remember to not mentioning the Jubilee.
As to the food, I should have said the Scottish culinary skills. We knew that London had great choices for food 20 or so years ago, but the last time we were in Scotland, while satisfying, the food tended to be heavy.
Two of our group are already here, hiking along Hadrian’s Wall Path, something I hope to do some day.
Take care, and thanks for writing,
TBC
I should have realised that such a worldly lady as yourself, would have been “Everywhere Man” (hope you know the song)?
Have a great trip
Mark,
Too funny! And yes, I know the song, of course.
And thanks for the good wishes. We are headed to Edinburgh to meet up with our participants. All are alumnae/i, but none have met one another yet. Two attended the same workshop, but in different years.
It will be a great group, and we are looking forward to welcoming them all back.
Take care,
TBC
When I was last in Scotland, a dear friend (who married a local Inverness lad) took me to Dunnottar Castle out on the coast along some craggy cliffs. It was a foggy, rainy day, and made for some dramatic photography scenes…haunted…like all the others too! Here’s a link if you are interested. http://www.dunnottarcastle.co.uk/
Deanne,
Great castle, but alas, Stonehaven is in the wrong directions. We’re headed westward to the Isle of Skye. Speed bonnie boat … although we’ll drive over the Skye Bridge instead. The west coast i pretty dramatic, too, and it will be fun to return.
Take care,
TBC
Dam I didn’t know you were in the UK. Unfortunately I’m currently at the opposite end. At Charmouth on the South coast at the moment and moving down to the Lizzard on Thursday for the Bank holiday and Pete’s 60th. His brother has a campsite there. I hope you enjoy the highlands, and the weather is warm as it is down here.
Aaron,
It feels great to be back. We’re headed over to the Isle of Skye today, via Urquhart Castle and mountain roads. We did this route before, albeit a number of years ago. Nothing much has changed. The lochs are still there, as are the bens. The single malt is always good, and the people are lovely. Arnie keeps say, “What did he/she say?”
Give my best to Pete. Wow, how many years have you known each other? Help him celebrate in grand style! Toast him for me! I figured you’d be off canoeing and camping somewhere for the Bank Holiday. Next time, we’ll try to get together. Been far too many years!
The weather has been warm. Doesn’t quite seem like the Scottish temperatures I have known from the past. Stopped at the family castle, but with the opening of the Scottish Highland Games, we decided that we didn’t need to revisit it this time. Perhaps, if we hadn’t been sleep deprived, we might have gone. I love seeing the Nothing like seeing the family Highlanders playing the bagpipes, kilts swishing back and forth.
Take care,
TBC