We Made it to Edinburgh

So far all of our reservations, B&B’s cars, flights, etc. have been flawless (THANK YOU AMBER). Of course now there are continuing stories of flights being canceled due to the volcanic ash from Iceland.  Add to that a strike by British Airways (our flight back home), and all three of us now have our fingers crossed.

Today we drove from Glasgow to Edinburgh – not really a long drive at all.  We stopped at three planned places along the way, and a third popped up along the way.

Falkirk Wheel

First was the Falkirk Wheel which is better seen in person that read about. It’s a giant lift used to lift boats 35 meters so they can avoid having to go through the equivalent of 11 locks. Very odd and they seem to have tried to turn it into a tourist attraction. We stood and watched a small barge of tourists being lifted up, boat, water and all, then wait, wait, wait, then the barge was lowered again.  It certainly got the point across, but it was something like £8 for the ride, which I didn’t think was worth it (it looked pretty boring; truth be told).

Second was the Forth Bridge in northern Edinburgh. Well, actually there are two Forth Bridges – one for cars and such and another for trains. These bridges cross the Firth of Forth – which can get to be a mouthful! We were interested in the bridge built for trains. While both bridges are one mile long, the one for trains was the first major steel bridge ever built, in 1890. It’s held together by more than eight million rivets. The bridge is so big, and needs constant painting (and yes, there were parts covered up for renovation – see more on this below), that the saying “it’s like painting the Forth Bridge” means something is that non-stop and repetitive.

Forth Bridge

Rosyln Chapel is there somewhere...

Third, we headed south of Edinburgh for the Rosyln Chapel. I’d read that the ceilings inside the chapel were very ornate and a “must see”.  This was also a location where part of the Da Vinci Code movie was filmed. As a side note, we’d seen that virtually ALL of the churches we’ve visited have been undergoing renovation. This means that typically we walk up, and the front ¼ of the building is hidden by scaffolding. I realize this has to be done, and it’s probably an ongoing task, but really – EVERY church?  So, we pull up to Rosyln Chapel and we look off in the distance where we *think* the chapel is.  And we see a metal roof? Over a mass of scaffolding?  Yup – you guessed it. The chapel was undergoing a huge renovation. But I figure, hey, that’s ok since I came to see the interior anyway.  But of course, as we get nearer, there’s a sign saying that there’s scaffolding inside as well and the ceilings are not currently visible.  And for this you’re supposed to pay £8 ?  I don’t think so… so we left… quite disappointed.

But on the way back, we stumbled across an Ikea and a COSTCO!!  Score! I did not like Ikea at all (I felt like part of a herd of cattle being forced down the chute to slaughter) – but of course Costco was great fun. Since I’d heard they had Costco’s over here, I brought my card with me – and it got all three of us in without question. They had typical things like Kirkland brand dog food, but also different things – like hard liquor for one.  It felt so good to be inside!  It was interesting though – the street that Ikea and Costco were on was named Costkea.

New Car for Mike

Finally, we headed for our B&B. It’s on the northeast side of Edinburgh, on the water! Past experiences with B&Bs on the water has not been too great.  But this one rocks – it’s called Joppa Turrets and between my windows and the water is a little garden, a walking path, and sand!  With my windows open I can hear the gentle surf.

 

Sightseeing East of Inverness

Scotland is about 1/3 of the United Kingdom but only about 1/10 of its population (that’s about 5 million people – and if you recall, there were 8 million people just in London).

The same coins are used here as in England but the Scots print their own bills – and they’re printed by three different banks, each with their own designs.

We’re not sure, but we think it’s Wednesday here and we’re off for a day of sightseeing. We’ve got a lot on our list so it’s going to be a l-o-n-g day.

Duffus Castle

Duffus Castle

We just had to go here – who could resist the name? We have not checked the pronunciation, but “doofus” works well for us!  This is not a major tourist spot – so of course we loved it. We drove down a little lane to a dirt parking lot that might hold five cars. We were the only ones there the entire time we roamed around.

Duffus castle was used from 1140 to 1705. It changed a lot in those 400 years. The biggest one was the destruction of the original wooden structure and its replacement with one of stone. At one time, it was one of the most secure fortifications in Scotland. At the death of the 2nd Lord Duffus in 1705, the castle had become totally unsuitable as a dwelling and was abandoned.

 

Elgin Cathedral

Elgin Cathedral

This was one spot I’d been looking forward to, because of the amazing pictures I’d seen online.  Thankfully, I was not disappointed

Elgin Cathedral is sometimes called The Lantern of the North. It was built in 1224.

A fire in 1270 damaged the cathedral significantly and it was again badly damaged by burning in 1390. Twelve years later the cathedral was yet again burned. By 1560 when the cathedral was abandoned. After the removal of the lead from the roof in 1567, the cathedral fell into decay which was only stopped in the 19th century when it was in a substantially ruinous condition.

Now standing as one of the most glorious ruins in Scotland it is hard to believe that this vast church, so ornately decorated with such skill, was in use for  only three centuries.

The Glenlivit distillery

We each try to pick a place each day we’d like to visit, and this was Patrick’s.

It is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet. It is described in packaging and advertising as “The single malt that started it all”. It was founded in 1824 and it has operated almost continuously since.

Today, the distillery is owned by the French company Pernod Ricard and they make 5,900,000 liters per year. Of this six million bottles  is sold as The Glenlivet single malt, with the remainder being used in Pernod Ricard’s blended whisky brands.

We went on a tour and you get a free “dram” of whiskey at the end. All I can say is that even after sitting in an oak cask for 18 years, this stuff still tastes vile.

Cawdor Castle

This was a place Patrick really wanted to see. Amber and I weren’t too excited and when we pulled up and found many tour busses, well… Patrick went in anyway and Amber and I wandered the area around the castle. It’s just not our kind of site – too much furniture and froo froo for us!  Patrick only lasted about 30 minutes and he was back in the car and we were headed out.

 

Culloden Battlefield

Culloden Battlefield

This site is in one of Amber’s favorite book series: The Outlanders. Let me see if I can summarize the importance of this battle.

Back in the 1700’s the English tried to take over Scotland. Charles Edward Stewart, a Scot, was raised to take back the throne. Apparently he was quite handsome (“bonnie”). He came back from France and roused the Highlanders who took back Edinburgh. He gathered more supporters and 6,000 of them headed for London. But now the odds turned against him and he and his troops fled back toward the highlands. Bonnie Prince Charles decided to make a stand at Culloden – against the advice of his military strategists. It was a rout on the open plains. The Highlanders used guerilla tactics, spears and broadswords but the other forces used horses and cannons. The Battle of Culloden lasted less than an hour.

Today the battle site is simply a large open field covered in shrubs and heather; during the 18th century, however, the area was used a common grazing ground, mainly for tenants of the Culloden estate.

The Scots were known as the Jacobites. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Jacobites were killed or wounded  at the Battle of Culloden, while Government losses were only 50 dead and 259 wounded. Entire Scottish clans fought, died and were buried together at Culloden. The Mackintosh grave alone is 77 yards long. This was the last major battle on British soil and the final stand of the Highlanders. Kilts, tartans and bagpipes became illegal.

There is a new visitor’s center at the site and frankly I found it disturbing. Obviously, this site is about a battle and the great deaths on the Scotch side, but reading about it is different than seeing it recreated on the big screen, hearing the cries and shouts. The head of the English troops ordered that all the wounded Scots be killed; and later he led the English troops through Scotland – trying to find and kill all the Jacobites. His nickname was The Butcher. Ug.

I left here feeling a big depressed, despite the beautiful weather.

 

Clava Cairns

Clava Cairns

Just south of the Culloden Battlefield, these Neolithic burial chambers date from 3-4,000 BC. There is a group of three Bronze Age cairns which lie close together in a line running north east to south west.

Once again, this is not a top tourist spot and we had the place to ourselves. It was wooded, quiet and calm. There was moss everywhere so our footsteps were muted. I honestly thought it felt like a good place for fairies or elves!

Finally, after being on the road for 8+ hours we headed back to our B&B.

 

On the Road for Mother’s Day

The day started off very smoothly: we caught the underground back to Heathrow and picked up our rental car without a hitch. Patrick is an AMAZING driver.  You should think about driving a car with the steering wheel on the right side of the car, and then driving on the left side of the road, and then going through a roundabout in traffic.  When you add Amber’s navigation to the mix you get a great pair!  

We headed east from London and within just a very few minutes we were out in the country. I’ve got to tell you – the open fields and skies felt great!  It drizzled on us as we drove for a bit, but no big deal.  

Our rental car is a Ford Mondeo and is pretty sweet. Huge trunk, four doors, A/C, automatic everything. It does however have a very strange front windshield. When driving you can kind of see a grid of little fine wires in it? And for some reason, later in the day all the little squares of glass started showing and the windshield got all wavy. We’ve really got to figure it out – it was very disconcerting!  

Avebury

  

Our first goal of the day (after working our way out of London traffic) was to head for Avebury.  This is part of a World Heritage site that also includes Stonehenge. The two are about an hour apart. We found our way to Avebury very easily and it was quite interesting. It’s 16 times larger than Stonehenge but was a little bit disappointing?  It was a series of many large stones, vaguely arranged in circles, strewn throughout sheep fields. You entered the fields through latched gates and then you were free to climb on the stone, lean on them, touch them, etc. – you just had to watch out for sheep poop! We wandered around for quite a while, had lunch at a vegetarian restaurant near the stones, and then headed south for the town of Salisbury.  

We thought that our B&B for the night was near Salisbury (more on that later) so we tried to find the famous Salisbury Cathedral first. It’s an interesting cathedral because the spire is just over 400 feet tall and you can see it from far away – but getting to it is another story. It seemed as though all the streets were one-way, going away from the cathedral. Parking was almost non-existent too. We finally did find a parking garage that was only going to be open one more hour (it was Sunday), so Patrick drove in, parked, and we hoofed it to the cathedral.  Wow – it was super worth it too. What a great cathedral!  The interior was amazing too – so I’m hoping some of the 51 pictures I took there came out well.  

Salisbury Cathedral

Next it was on to our B&B  – and it ends up it was about 15 miles east of Salisbury. We arrived, got settled in (tiny rooms!) and headed out for dinner. After dinner we drove back north for Stonehenge. I’m glad it was a Sunday as there was very light traffic in Salisbury.  

We’d paid extra to have access to the Inner Circle of Stonehenge. Only 26 people are allowed inside at a time, for 60 minutes. Typical tourists have to stay on a paved path about 20 feet from the stones. Our scheduled time was 7:45 – 8:45. We got there early and even from the parking lot it was amazing. The parking lot was interesting too – it was almost vacant! We were in the last group allowed to enter Stonehenge so it was very much like a private showing.  

Amber was SO EXCITED once we were allowed to enter she almost ran through the tunnel that goes under the road and on into Stonehenge. She was the first one in our group to enter! I went crazy and only took 173 pictures of Stonehenge.  

Here is a lot of the typical information you read about Stonehenge:  

• Archaeologists believe that the stone monument was erected anywhere from 3000 BC to 2200 BC. Scholars believe that Stonehenge once stood as a magnificent complete monument. This cannot be proved as around half of the stones that should be present are missing, and many of the assumed stone sockets have never been found.
• The tallest stone is 7.3m high and weighs over 45 tons. It is one of the 5 sarsen Trilithons. The sarsen circle was originally composed of 30 uprights (each weighing about 25 tons) capped by horizontal lintels (about 7 tons). The bluestones, weighing up to 4 tons each, came from the Preseli Hills in Wales, some 240km away.
• In 2007/2008 there were 887,000 visitors to Stonehenge excluding the Solstice and including free education visits and stone circle access). (I’m sure they’ll top a million this year.) About 50% are from overseas, 30% are part of a group and 5% are education visitors. More than 70% of the education visitors are from overseas. During just the Summer Solstice in 2008 30,000 people visited Stonehenge.

I found it interesting how Stonehenge is situated. It’s kind of near the top of a plain, on grassy ground with no trees or shrubs or anything around. I understand that’s because of the soil in the area – there’s virtually none. The area is mostly chalk with a thin layer of soil on top – hence no trees, etc.  But Stonehenge just sits there! In America it would be surrounded with search lights, Burger Kings, and t-shirt vendors.  Here – bam! There it is. I think it’s all the more impressive because of this.  

We wandered around the stones for our full hour. Even though it was cool and windy – who cared!? We had been very worried about the weather too – first it was going to rain, then it was going to be cloudy and maybe rain. This was our once-in-a-lifetime visit and we’d paid extra for “good seats”. But by the time we got in the skies parted and we had a glorious sunset. We could not have asked for better weather.  

We walked back to our car and left Stonehenge as darkness settled, smiling all the way back to our B&B.

 

A Day of Splendor

We started our day on the tube as usual but this time we headed in to London early and survived the commute crush. Egad – how do people do this day after day? We crammed ourselves on to a car and at the last minute Amber got left at the station!  We were all messed up then.  Patrick and I were on one car – and we both had a set of apartment keys, but Amber was on another totally separate “train” and she was the only one who knew where we were going – and she had the map books showing our routes as well!  

Luckily, Patrick figured we’d just get off at the next stop, wait for the “train” behind us and hope to find Amber on it.  Thankfully it all worked out just fine. Whew.  And I have to admit, the people crammed into the second “train” smelled a lot better than those on the first train. It was standing room only, everyone all smooshed in together for mile after mile.  

St. Paul's Cathedral

  

We arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral just as the steps to the upper levels opened. This has to be The Best church I’ve ever seen – including Notre Dame and Westminster Abbey. First, the place is huge – 515 feet long and 250 feet wide. Second, it’s tall – the top of the dome is 360 feet high and the only church dome higher is at St. Peter’s in Rome. And third, it’s beautiful. It’s hard to describe the interior. While there *are* stained glass windows – most windows are clear glass that let in a lot of light. The arched ceilings are covered in amazing tile work that looks like tapestries woven with gold threads. Pictures aren’t allowed inside, so I have no pictures of my own to show. No picture will do it justice anyway.  

At St. Paul’s the three of us climbed 259 steps up a wooden spiral staircase to the Whispering Gallery. This is a railed section up inside the dome where you can stand, whisper something to the wall, and people on the other side of the dome can hear you.  And it worked!  Amber and I sat in the Whispering Gallery while Patrick trudged up an additional 119 more steps to the Stone Gallery – which is on the exterior of the dome.  Then, ever onward, he walked up another 152 more steps (530 total) to the Golden Gallery that gave him an amazing 360 degree view of London.  Patrick took over 100 pictures while up there and we’re hoping for some great panoramic pictures!  

St. Paul’s is England’s national church and there has been a church on the same location since 604 AD. There was a great fire in London in 1666 and the church was rebuilt then.  

Historically in the 1900’s, St. Paul’s was considered Britain’s symbol of resistance since it withstood 57 nights of bombing by the Nazis. Winston Churchill’s funeral was held here in 1965 and the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diane took place at St. Paul’s in 1981.  

We had planned on a quick 30-minute visit (not  knowing how fantastic it was going to be) but St. Paul’s was so amazing that we were there for an hour and a half.  

Millenium Bridge

After St. Paul’s we walked across the Millennium Bridge made famous in Harry Potter The Half-Blood Prince. This is a pedestrian-only bridge that crossed the Thames.  

Even though it wasn’t noon yet, we jumped back on the underground and rode to a stop near our final destination for the day: The British Museum.  

The British Museum was established in 1753, has 94 galleries and walkways totaling 2.5 miles. Rick Steves says it’s the “greatest chronicle of civilization… anywhere” and we all think he’s right.  

We were there for 2.5 hours and were exhausted.  We saw mummies, Chinese jade, great Assyrian art work, historical clocks, coin making, Roman and Greek statues, a statue from Easter Island – and yes, we saw The Rosetta Stone. The oldest object in the museum was a rock hand tool – 1.8 million years old. The Assyrian winged bull statues were among the heaviest things in the museum at 17 tons each. It was an amazing place and we didn’t do it justice. I’d estimate we saw about 10% of the items and actually studied less than 1%.  

Assyrian Statue

Throughout this whole day you have to remember that we were walking. Again, things like elevators or escalators seem to be almost non-existent. We walk down to the tube; transferring a couple of times means it’s up and then back down, then up and back down, then finally up to the street level. And the “up and down” can be two or more floors – all on concrete.  St. Paul’s Cathedral was a climb up stairs to the Whispering Gallery, a nice walk across the Millennium Bridge, and back, then down underground for another tube ride, and back up.  Then all around the British Museum… and finally back down to the tube again and a long ride home.  

You can bet that we’re sleeping well at night now that we’ve adjusted to the time change!