Week 2

Tuesday we went on a cruise around Loch Linneh with a skipper who loved numbers even more than I do and narrated about the timber and fishing industries, history of the Highlands, and nature.  Our Fort William hotel room had a great view of the loch (which I learned is Scottish for a body of water, whether salt or fresh.)

Wednesday we hiked up and around a hill above Fort William, next to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland.  BTW, Ben is Scottish for mountain, which I’ll be sure to explain to my nephew Ben.  Great views and the several changes in topography on the loop.  After dinner we rented some electric bikes and followed a path out of town that went along a logging road.  Still instinctive for me to ride to the right, so glad I’m not driving a car.  And we mailed home things we didn’t need (e.g., small roller suitcase, jeans, belt.) 

Thursday I bought a belt…  We took a bus to Oban, a little further south on the west coast.  About the same size town.  The host at the Whisky Vault Bar Hotel said the rooms in town were 90% full so we lucked out getting a good place.  We sampled some whisky, which John liked more than Karen did.  The descriptions of the drinks were really detailed, none of which I remember, except one had no peat and the other did.  Something about casks and ingredients.

Friday we took a tour with a ferry to the island of Mull, a bus across it, then a boat to Staffa, which is a bizarre outcropping about the size of a football stadium formed by volcanoes.  The oddest, coolest part are the hexagonal columns about 2 feet wide and look like oversized part in a toy building set.  There's also a cave.  In the US we would have had to sign waivers acknowledging we could die - not dangerous but not idiot proof.  And Iona, which has the ruins on an abbey from 13^th century.  We made friends with Malcolm, Francoise, and Colleen, from western France.  So we might add La Rochelle to our itinerary. 

Saturday we rented bikes (manual, not electric) and learned when a Scot says “it’s a bit hilly to start” it means you’ve got some real climbs in your future.  But we made it over the pass and down the other side to a bayside beach and got better at pulling off to the side when cars came along the single-track road.

Sunday was a train to Bollach, at the edge of Loch Lomond.  The smallest town so far, only 45 minutes from Glasgow.  The percentage of tourists here is much smaller, at least foreign tourists.

 Week 1 

We spent 2 nights in Edinburg, with a lot of walking around town, about half of that time lost it seems.  We visited Calton Hill and Edinburgh Castle.  I’m still learning the basics about Scottish history.  Great views of the city and charm throughout.  Our B&B host was from Bulgaria and very engaging, giving us tips on where to go and not to.

There was a 6-hour queue for the queen in town the day before, and there are still more tourists in town than usual.  And apparently the Outlander series (which I’ve never seen, but Karen has read the books) has driven visits up.  Most are 55-75 years old.  A bunch of help wanted signs (or however they word it in the UK) and others saying “we’re short on staff – please be patient” around town. 

We booked a train to Inverness for Friday and when we got there it was canceled and there would be a “replacement bus” that would get there around the same time.  Nobody checked our tickets and we scored decent seats but had 4 diversions (British for detour), including one for 20 miles and over 2 hours, since there aren’t many alternatives to the main road.  A wonder the bus made it on roads similar to Flagg Hill in Boxborough.  A lot of them were single lanes, with a wide spot every 100 yards or so.  The driver never once made an announcement to explain what was going on, despite the bus arriving 4 hours behind schedule but true to the British stereotype not a single complaint.  I would love to see a similar incident in Italy for comparison.

Inverness has a definite tourist feel and a bit of a party vibe.  My guess is ¾ of the restaurants are in a space in under a dozen blocks.  Best meal of the trip so far was gluten-free pizza at Black Isle Brewery where we ate in a rooftop shed, which was part of what they call The Secret Garden.  We took 2 tours, one to a castle and Clava Carins, a relative of Stonehenge and the pyramids, only smaller and older.  The highlight of that one was the battlefield of Culloden, where the government defeated Prince Bonnie Charles in 1746.  The other was an all-day scenic ride with 6 other women and a great guide, James.  A lot of stops for pictures, one for a seafood lunch and another for a castle visit. 

On Monday, we took a bus to Fort William.  The politest and most patient bus driver I’ve ever met, getting questions in broken English.  Almost all stores and half the restaurants were closed for the queen’s funeral today.  Pretty drive following Loch Ness, which is 23 miles long, with less than one mile of it spoiled with Nessie schlock shops.

Misc notes:

• Weather has been close to great – cool, with sun, clouds, and drizzle coming and going.
• Generally people are friendly but not gregarious.
• We’re still getting used to looking the correct direction when crossing the roads, especially intersections.
• A shout out to REI (not yet a sponsor) for their travel pants, even if they make us easier to spot as tourists than a Red Sox hat would.