Trip to Iona....April 21

 By yon bonnie banks.....Loch Lomond on the left was our view for half the trip to Oban where we would catch the ferry and bus to Iona. We pulled over to take in the view, but took in much more!  Kate, master forager, found wild garlic to collect and...

Oh happy day! A-Bear aviator ran into his long lost Scot cousin  "Mac" McBear just rambling on the lakeside path.  Big bear hugs and tears of joy convinced Mac-Bear to come along!

So the 5 of us drove northward on the narrowest of roads finally turning into Oban and finding the ferry to the Island of Mull for the 1 hr bus ride to the short ferry to Iona.

Iona is so special it will have the next post all to itself.

An unexpected stop

Saturday, April 21....   Continuing westward from our castles we were heading toward Loch Lomond, just proud of ourselves that we were adjusting to the roads and soon be at a B & B in a woodsy-lakey setting. I was just getting Kenneth McKellar's music adjusted when the red Peugeot beeped a beep; and the dashboard lit up with "STOP". The thermostat was all the way into the red. Oh, Mon Dieu...what to do. Pulled over into a driveway with a sign, "Boquan House". Called Avis and were told that a tow truck would be out in about an hour.  Soon a woman and her son pulled in and got out to open the gate, but first came to see if we were all right. She was most dismayed that we had to sit there, but we assured we help was on the way.  But she left her phone number just in case.

Pretty soon her husband drove back from the house to invite us for tea and to come get warm in the house. We decided to stay in the car, but when Avis called and said it would be another hour, we went to their gorgeous estate house with acres of green fields, horses, cattle, sheep.  Claire and her husband joined us for tea...and wine in one of the drawing rooms with very down to earth hospitality. I've just learned online that they are millionaires who've asked their district to disallow walkers on property surrounding their house. Walking or "rambling" in Britain is national pastime, and landowners are not allowed to block entrance to these paths. The Snowies have been afraid that kidnappers or burglars would target them once they saw this grand estate. Indeed, in 2009, a stable fire killed their children's ponies...a possible arson.

Enroute to our breakdown

Well, soon our happy hour ended when Earl called to say we and our car had to be towed to Glasgow Avis for a swap. Mr. Snowie drove us back where we rode on the tow truck, with a jolly young man and his girlfriend who would ride with him for the night. He talked all the way in "Glaswegian" dialect...so we understood little. It was so late when we got our new car that we walked across the parking lot to a Holiday Inn Express, for the night. All's well that ends well.

Perth and Stirling Castles

Chapel at Scone Castle

 On Saturday we headed north of Edinburgh to Perth and Scone (scoone) castles. Scone was where many kings were crowned when the real "Stone of Destiny" was here. Now a beautiful mansion with a small chapel and grounds with peacocks and the long haired Highland cattle.

Earl on his Stone of Destiny

This feels about right!

Kate and Earl on the replica of the Stone at Scone

The Scone Castle, rebuilt as a residence. Queen Victoria slept here....

Aye, laddy...wots yer hurry?

Stirling Castle west of Perth

Stirling has just been restored. You feel as though in a knight's tale here.

Perfect legoland castle

Edinburgh Castle

Friday, April 20....Edinburgh.   On our drive here two days ago we saw repeated warnings on lighted roadway signs:  "Warning, heavy rain on Friday". So we got up, dressed in layers, umbrella's in tow and took off anyway from our flat in West EDB to the Royal Mile.  No rain, a patch of blue sky, which became a mild, sun filled day for our tour of the wonderful castle. Photos won't do it justice as it sits high on a volcanic mountain in the middle of the city. To see more thorough history and photos go to www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk

This entry was never breached by enemy.

No one attacks me with impunity!!!

Sir Walter Scot Memorial from the hill

Earl and one of the many smaller canons which have never been fired.

Kate and Carol in front of Mons Meg, 550 years old canon could fire 2100 pound canon 2 miles.

KATE, JAMESVI (became JAMES I OF BRITAIN) and EARL

Kate in Royal Apt where King James was born.

This is where the Royal Scots soldiers buried their mascots. Pet Cemetary

 April 19, Thursday 

We continued north after Thirsk toward Edinburgh. Enroute we diverted to Hadran's Wall.  According to Wikipedia:

Hadrian's Wall (Latin: Vallum Aelium, "Aelian Wall" – the Latin name is inferred from text on the Staffordshire Moorlands Patera) was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its role as a military fortification, it is thought that many of the gates through the wall would have served as customs posts to allow trade and levy taxation.

This place looked smaller from the air!

These are the fierce beasts now guarding the ancient wall.

And finally, Scotland the Brave.

Son of Scots returns to his roots.

From York to Scotland

After our full English Breakfast in York, it was "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" to Thirsk. Earl drove well in spite of his wide-eyed passengers gasping at the narrow roads, with "soft verges" (shoulders). Soon we arrived in Thirsk where the real James Herriot (Alf Wight) practiced as a vet and finally wrote "All Creatures Great and Small". We watched this every Saturday night for years. His house and clinic is now wonderful museum of his life.

Mrs. Pomfrey and Tricki-Woo await the vet.

Dr. Herriot (Wight) in his living room.

The television clinic at Skeldale House

 Herriot house on left, looking toward church where Dr. Wight was married.

Kate and Al-bear Aviator comparing notes over a cuppa

Train to York & York

Day 3 we found our way to the East Coast Train .....

Al-bear Aviator thoroughly enjoyed the view of the English Countryside from our train northward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 We all rested on this journey to the beautiful old town of York. It was raining hard while we were there, but we found the visitor center and they found us a "family room" for the three of us in a delightful B&B. Kate went to evensong at the "Minster", as they call their huge cathedral. Earl and I found our rental car and met her at the Guy Fawkes* Inn for amazing lamb shanks and local beers. Drove our red Pugeot back to the B&B, only brushing one curb and someone's side mirror on first trial drive on the left side.

*Guy Fawkes: Infamous for conspiring to blow up Parliament; also against James the First as a pro- Catholic extremist.  Was to die by hanging, but apparently dove off the scaffold to die by his own hand. Guy Fawkes Day, every November commemorates the failure of his "Gunpowder Plot.

Enjoying Lamb Shanks at the very spot Guy Fawkes was born