Sunny Scotland in January
Feb 14th, 2007 | 10:55 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Sunny Scotland in January
Sunny Scotland in January
As a relatively novice traveler I never feel qualified to provide travel info but hopefully this report will be useful.
BACKGROUND: Following the hectic Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays a co-worker and I decided we needed a break from work, family, etc. Within a couple of weeks, we had selected a destination, designed our itinerary and were on our way. Our destination was determined by the fact that she loves Scotland and I had never been there. Additionally, she was willing to do all the driving and all I had to do was trip planning & navigating (which sounded so easy). Our itinerary was designed primarily to include some areas that she had not previously visited and to accommodate our interests. She had lived in Scotland for 2 years and has been back at least 12 times (her husband does a lot of fly fishing there) so she has seen much of the country.
The advantage to traveling at this time of year, is that at most sites, we were the only visitors. Oftentimes, we felt as though we had the entire country to ourselves – quite a magical experience.
The weather gods were smiling on us for the entire trip. Other than some occasional rain in the late evenings and a bit of early morning mist, we had amazingly sunny and mild weather. Two of the days it was around 55 F – the remainder of the time it was in the mid to upper 40s. I’ve included a link to my photos. Be forewarned that there are more photos than anyone would be interested in viewing (400+). I take them for my enjoyment.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePh...937&page=1
DAY1 (Thursday 1/25): We arrived in Edinburgh around 11:30 and checked into our hotel, The Scotsman. Normally this hotel would have been outside our budget, but we were able to get a good internet rate likely due to the time of year and the fact that there are few tourists at this time of year. The hotel was lovely, rooms very large and the location excellent. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We had a nice lunch at Creelers and then headed off to Edinburgh Castle. We purchased the Historic Scotland pass which we found to be an excellent investment. We spent the next few hours exploring the castle. They provide headphones for an audio tour which we found to be excellent, allowing you to enjoy the castle at your own pace with as much or as little information as you desired. I found the castle and the views to be amazing. Our goal this first day was to keep moving so we could stay awake and acclimate ourselves to the time change. So we decided to take the Mary Kings Close tour. Overall, visiting the Close was interesting and informative, although marred somewhat by their inclination to make certain segments corny and overly dramatic. Following dinner at Deacon Brodies we took the Ghost and Goblins tour. Normally, we wouldn’t have considered this, but it was too early to head back to the hotel and we needed something to keep us awake. The tour had some interesting aspects, particularly the tour of the Vaults. However, this tour would have been better if they had stuck to just the history and facts which are interesting enough without adding the “corny” aspects that for some reason they feel appeal to tourists.
Day 2 (Friday 1/26): After an early breakfast, we headed off to Greyfriar’s kirk and then to the National Museums of Scotland. We found the museum to be excellent and a wonderful tour through Scottish history. We especially enjoyed the collection of Pictish and other standing stones. After the museum we visited St. Giles and the Thistle Chapel. The Church personnel were very informative in providing history and information on the Church and Chapel. We then strolled down to Holyrood Palace taking some time so my friend could do a bit of jewelry shopping. Holyrood also had an audiotour which was quite good. A number of places that we visited during this trip offered the audiotours and we found them to be excellent, providing a wealth of information. I especially enjoyed the Abbey at Holyrood. After finishing at Holyrood, we went back to the hotel, collected our car and headed for Peebles. On the way we stopped at Roslin Chapel. We probably saw more tourists (20 or so) here than at any other time on our trip. The Chapel guides provide a very informative overview of the Chapel and its history without capitalizing on the “DaVinci Code” aspect. The detailed carvings here are amazing and the Apprentice Pillar is truly a work of art. The Chapel is covered in scaffolding as they are attempting to dry it out and eliminate the mold problem. This is supposed to take several years. They have erected safe walkways amid the scaffolding so you can climb and walk around the outside upper area of the Chapel. This provides some lovely scenic views and also allows you to view the details of the rooftop carvings. We then continued our drive to Peebles where my friend had an appointment with a local artist, Duncan Hood. We spent the early evening hours visiting with Duncan, discussing his craft and of course, purchasing some of his exquisite work. Duncan does some amazing 3-D carving in porcelain creating jewelry, vases and other works of art. He also loves storytelling and discussing politics, several hours quickly flew by and we finally had to tear ourselves away so we could get to our evening accommodations. We spent the night at the Caddon View (B&B) in Innerleithen. We were the only guests. The accommodations were quite nice and included breakfast. We had a nice, hearty dinner that evening at the Corner House.
Day 3 (Saturday 1/27): After a hearty, Scottish breakfast and we set off for the border abbeys. The weather was beautiful and sunny. We spent the day visiting Melrose, Dryburgh, Jedburgh Abbeys, each of which were quite impressive and spectacular. Excellent audiotours provided detailed information on the history of each of the Abbeys. The beauty and tranquility at these sites was enhanced by the fact that we were the only visitors. We also visited Smailholm Tower, a well preserved and well restored border tower house dating from the 15th century. We then headed off to our accommodations in Kirkcudbright. In hindsight, we would not have traveled this far south. In our initial, somewhat hurried, planning, we had thought there were some stops in that area that we could add to our itinerary, but that ended up not being possible. I’m sure Kirkcudbright is lovely in any other season, but there wasn’t much going on in the winter. Other than our hotel, we couldn’t find a restaurant that was open. We stayed at the Selkirk Arms hotel, which was nice.
Day 4 (Sunday 1/28) On our way out of Kirkcudbright towards Inverary we stopped at Orchardton Tower, which is the only round tower house in Scotland. For the remainder of the trip, our focus was castles, standing stones, stone circles. Our first stone circle was the Twelve Apostles stone circle. Only 5 stones still stand in what is (was) the 5th largest stone circle in Britain. Our next stop was the ruins of Lochmaben Castle. This castle is certainly in a more ruinous state than any others we visited. However, it was interesting in its own way. Our final stop of the day was Craignethan Castle built in the 1530s by Sir James Hamilton. Most of the defenses are gone but there is still a below ground caponier. We were able to explore various rooms including the cellars, kitchen and to climb the various stairways and enjoy the spectacular views. As with our previous sites. We arrived in Inverary in the early evening, in time to stroll around town, and spend a couple of enjoyable hours at the local whisky store sampling some 30 yr old whisky so that my friend could select a special gift for her husband. We spent the next two evenings at The George Hotel. We loved the hotel, the rooms were lovely and the food excellent.
Day 5 (Monday 1/29) After another hearty breakfast, we were up and out quite early to explore the surrounding area. We began with Achnabreck. A site which has a series of cup and ring carvings (some 5,000 years old) on large rock sheets. There were various postings at the site which provided information on the carvings. Quite interesting to consider the people who created this legacy and to speculate on its purpose. From here we headed to Dunadd. What an incredible site! – the panoramic views from the top are spectacular and it was interesting to imagine a once mighty fortress on this site. From here we headed off to the bronze age cairn at Dunchraigaig and the Ballymeanoch standing stones located nearby. The highlight of our search for standing stones and stone circles was the Kilmartin Valley. The Temple Wood stone circle and the Nether Largie cairn were incredible. We were able to enter the cairn and explore the chamber, which was quite an experience. We then stopped at Kilmartin Church to view their collection of medieval carved tomb slabs including the Poltollach stones. Our next stop was Carnasserie castle. By the time we got here, the skies had clouded over and we had a brief rainy period. My travel partner had decided not to trudge up to the castle so I had it all to myself. The rain made it seem a bit gloomy and dark, although, I’m a sucker for castles so I still thought it was interesting and had a fine time climbing around. Dunstaffnage Castle, once the capital of Dalriada was our next stop. It holds a beautiful and once strategic location on the water. Much of this impressive fortress was built in the mid-1200s. We had a great time wandering around. Unfortunately, our visit was cut a bit short, since they decided to close early – we had been the only visitors that day, so we were unable to visit the 13th C chapel located on this site. Our final stop was to take a few photos of Kilchurn Castle, it was not open for visitors, we then headed back to our hotel for dinner.
Day 6 (Tuesday 1/30) Today we headed off toward Stirling Castle, stopping to view the scenery and take some photos along Loch Lomond and also to do a bit of shopping along the way. Perched on a massive outcrop of rock, Stirling Castle is certainly an impressive site. The castle has tour guides as well as the audiotours. We had arrived just as a tour was beginning so we joined the other 3 tourists for the castle tour. The tour was quite good and the guide very knowledgable. It was quite leisurely and she willing to answer whatever questions arose. Following the tour we explored the castle on our own using the audioguides. There were probably only about 15 people here during our visit. We spent the night in Aberfoyle at McDonalds Forest Hills. Although this involved a little backtracking, the hotel was very nice and they were offering special winter rates which included a 4 course dinner. The accommodations and the food were excellent.
Day 7: Wed (1/31) This was our final day in Scotland and we made the most of it. Our first stop was Doune Castle (where Monty Python Holy Grail was filmed). Just loved the musicians gallery, Great Hall and Lords Hall. Dunblane Cathedral was the next stop. Their was a group of schoolchildren visiting the cathedral so we sat in on the lecture provided by the Cathedral guide. He provided a wealth of information on the cathedral and its history. You can climb the stairways to the balcony for a marvelous view of the entire cathedral. From here we headed off to Castle Campbell. My traveling companion had been here several times, so she elected to stay near the parking area and just wander around and take photos. I just loved this castle, it remains an impressive statement of the wealth and power of its lord. Since I was the only visitor, the castle steward was happy to spend time regaling me with stories of the castle and its history. It was interesting to learn that he lived at the castle. Apparently, a number of castles have stewards who, once appointed, live there throughout their lifetimes. Upon their death or inability to continue working, another steward is selected from among the applicants vying for the position. Our next stop on the “castle” tour was Blackness. Built in the 1400s and sitting right on the River Forth, it was considered impregnable (at least for a while it was). Most of the castle dates to 1537 when it became one of the strongest artillery fortifications of its time. Its defenses served the castle well until it was forced to surrender to the combined land & sea attack by Cromwell. Again, we spent a great deal of time talking with the castle steward. When he learned our next stop was Linlithgow he insisted that we have lunch at his favorite pub, the Four Marys. We took Harry’s advice and stopped for lunch at the Four Mary’s before beginning our tour of Linlithgow palace. Harry’s recommendation was an excellent one and our meal was terrific. The steward at Linlithgow was happy to see some tourists and delighted to talk with us. He even called Harry at Blackness to let him know that we enjoyed our lunch. Linlithgow Palace was the perfect ending to our trip to Scotland. There are lots of rooms and corridors to explore and stairways to climb. The setting is lovely and there are some wonderful views from the top. During our visit there were 2 other tourists exploring the palace. That night we stayed at Carriden House in Bo’Ness which was quite nice and a quick and easy drive to the airport in the morning.
The entire trip was perfect and the people that we met along the way could not have been nicer or more helpful. I fear this report may be overly long, but hopefully, it will have some information that is helpful.
RMH
As a relatively novice traveler I never feel qualified to provide travel info but hopefully this report will be useful.
BACKGROUND: Following the hectic Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays a co-worker and I decided we needed a break from work, family, etc. Within a couple of weeks, we had selected a destination, designed our itinerary and were on our way. Our destination was determined by the fact that she loves Scotland and I had never been there. Additionally, she was willing to do all the driving and all I had to do was trip planning & navigating (which sounded so easy). Our itinerary was designed primarily to include some areas that she had not previously visited and to accommodate our interests. She had lived in Scotland for 2 years and has been back at least 12 times (her husband does a lot of fly fishing there) so she has seen much of the country.
The advantage to traveling at this time of year, is that at most sites, we were the only visitors. Oftentimes, we felt as though we had the entire country to ourselves – quite a magical experience.
The weather gods were smiling on us for the entire trip. Other than some occasional rain in the late evenings and a bit of early morning mist, we had amazingly sunny and mild weather. Two of the days it was around 55 F – the remainder of the time it was in the mid to upper 40s. I’ve included a link to my photos. Be forewarned that there are more photos than anyone would be interested in viewing (400+). I take them for my enjoyment.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePh...937&page=1
DAY1 (Thursday 1/25): We arrived in Edinburgh around 11:30 and checked into our hotel, The Scotsman. Normally this hotel would have been outside our budget, but we were able to get a good internet rate likely due to the time of year and the fact that there are few tourists at this time of year. The hotel was lovely, rooms very large and the location excellent. The staff was very friendly and helpful. We had a nice lunch at Creelers and then headed off to Edinburgh Castle. We purchased the Historic Scotland pass which we found to be an excellent investment. We spent the next few hours exploring the castle. They provide headphones for an audio tour which we found to be excellent, allowing you to enjoy the castle at your own pace with as much or as little information as you desired. I found the castle and the views to be amazing. Our goal this first day was to keep moving so we could stay awake and acclimate ourselves to the time change. So we decided to take the Mary Kings Close tour. Overall, visiting the Close was interesting and informative, although marred somewhat by their inclination to make certain segments corny and overly dramatic. Following dinner at Deacon Brodies we took the Ghost and Goblins tour. Normally, we wouldn’t have considered this, but it was too early to head back to the hotel and we needed something to keep us awake. The tour had some interesting aspects, particularly the tour of the Vaults. However, this tour would have been better if they had stuck to just the history and facts which are interesting enough without adding the “corny” aspects that for some reason they feel appeal to tourists.
Day 2 (Friday 1/26): After an early breakfast, we headed off to Greyfriar’s kirk and then to the National Museums of Scotland. We found the museum to be excellent and a wonderful tour through Scottish history. We especially enjoyed the collection of Pictish and other standing stones. After the museum we visited St. Giles and the Thistle Chapel. The Church personnel were very informative in providing history and information on the Church and Chapel. We then strolled down to Holyrood Palace taking some time so my friend could do a bit of jewelry shopping. Holyrood also had an audiotour which was quite good. A number of places that we visited during this trip offered the audiotours and we found them to be excellent, providing a wealth of information. I especially enjoyed the Abbey at Holyrood. After finishing at Holyrood, we went back to the hotel, collected our car and headed for Peebles. On the way we stopped at Roslin Chapel. We probably saw more tourists (20 or so) here than at any other time on our trip. The Chapel guides provide a very informative overview of the Chapel and its history without capitalizing on the “DaVinci Code” aspect. The detailed carvings here are amazing and the Apprentice Pillar is truly a work of art. The Chapel is covered in scaffolding as they are attempting to dry it out and eliminate the mold problem. This is supposed to take several years. They have erected safe walkways amid the scaffolding so you can climb and walk around the outside upper area of the Chapel. This provides some lovely scenic views and also allows you to view the details of the rooftop carvings. We then continued our drive to Peebles where my friend had an appointment with a local artist, Duncan Hood. We spent the early evening hours visiting with Duncan, discussing his craft and of course, purchasing some of his exquisite work. Duncan does some amazing 3-D carving in porcelain creating jewelry, vases and other works of art. He also loves storytelling and discussing politics, several hours quickly flew by and we finally had to tear ourselves away so we could get to our evening accommodations. We spent the night at the Caddon View (B&B) in Innerleithen. We were the only guests. The accommodations were quite nice and included breakfast. We had a nice, hearty dinner that evening at the Corner House.
Day 3 (Saturday 1/27): After a hearty, Scottish breakfast and we set off for the border abbeys. The weather was beautiful and sunny. We spent the day visiting Melrose, Dryburgh, Jedburgh Abbeys, each of which were quite impressive and spectacular. Excellent audiotours provided detailed information on the history of each of the Abbeys. The beauty and tranquility at these sites was enhanced by the fact that we were the only visitors. We also visited Smailholm Tower, a well preserved and well restored border tower house dating from the 15th century. We then headed off to our accommodations in Kirkcudbright. In hindsight, we would not have traveled this far south. In our initial, somewhat hurried, planning, we had thought there were some stops in that area that we could add to our itinerary, but that ended up not being possible. I’m sure Kirkcudbright is lovely in any other season, but there wasn’t much going on in the winter. Other than our hotel, we couldn’t find a restaurant that was open. We stayed at the Selkirk Arms hotel, which was nice.
Day 4 (Sunday 1/28) On our way out of Kirkcudbright towards Inverary we stopped at Orchardton Tower, which is the only round tower house in Scotland. For the remainder of the trip, our focus was castles, standing stones, stone circles. Our first stone circle was the Twelve Apostles stone circle. Only 5 stones still stand in what is (was) the 5th largest stone circle in Britain. Our next stop was the ruins of Lochmaben Castle. This castle is certainly in a more ruinous state than any others we visited. However, it was interesting in its own way. Our final stop of the day was Craignethan Castle built in the 1530s by Sir James Hamilton. Most of the defenses are gone but there is still a below ground caponier. We were able to explore various rooms including the cellars, kitchen and to climb the various stairways and enjoy the spectacular views. As with our previous sites. We arrived in Inverary in the early evening, in time to stroll around town, and spend a couple of enjoyable hours at the local whisky store sampling some 30 yr old whisky so that my friend could select a special gift for her husband. We spent the next two evenings at The George Hotel. We loved the hotel, the rooms were lovely and the food excellent.
Day 5 (Monday 1/29) After another hearty breakfast, we were up and out quite early to explore the surrounding area. We began with Achnabreck. A site which has a series of cup and ring carvings (some 5,000 years old) on large rock sheets. There were various postings at the site which provided information on the carvings. Quite interesting to consider the people who created this legacy and to speculate on its purpose. From here we headed to Dunadd. What an incredible site! – the panoramic views from the top are spectacular and it was interesting to imagine a once mighty fortress on this site. From here we headed off to the bronze age cairn at Dunchraigaig and the Ballymeanoch standing stones located nearby. The highlight of our search for standing stones and stone circles was the Kilmartin Valley. The Temple Wood stone circle and the Nether Largie cairn were incredible. We were able to enter the cairn and explore the chamber, which was quite an experience. We then stopped at Kilmartin Church to view their collection of medieval carved tomb slabs including the Poltollach stones. Our next stop was Carnasserie castle. By the time we got here, the skies had clouded over and we had a brief rainy period. My travel partner had decided not to trudge up to the castle so I had it all to myself. The rain made it seem a bit gloomy and dark, although, I’m a sucker for castles so I still thought it was interesting and had a fine time climbing around. Dunstaffnage Castle, once the capital of Dalriada was our next stop. It holds a beautiful and once strategic location on the water. Much of this impressive fortress was built in the mid-1200s. We had a great time wandering around. Unfortunately, our visit was cut a bit short, since they decided to close early – we had been the only visitors that day, so we were unable to visit the 13th C chapel located on this site. Our final stop was to take a few photos of Kilchurn Castle, it was not open for visitors, we then headed back to our hotel for dinner.
Day 6 (Tuesday 1/30) Today we headed off toward Stirling Castle, stopping to view the scenery and take some photos along Loch Lomond and also to do a bit of shopping along the way. Perched on a massive outcrop of rock, Stirling Castle is certainly an impressive site. The castle has tour guides as well as the audiotours. We had arrived just as a tour was beginning so we joined the other 3 tourists for the castle tour. The tour was quite good and the guide very knowledgable. It was quite leisurely and she willing to answer whatever questions arose. Following the tour we explored the castle on our own using the audioguides. There were probably only about 15 people here during our visit. We spent the night in Aberfoyle at McDonalds Forest Hills. Although this involved a little backtracking, the hotel was very nice and they were offering special winter rates which included a 4 course dinner. The accommodations and the food were excellent.
Day 7: Wed (1/31) This was our final day in Scotland and we made the most of it. Our first stop was Doune Castle (where Monty Python Holy Grail was filmed). Just loved the musicians gallery, Great Hall and Lords Hall. Dunblane Cathedral was the next stop. Their was a group of schoolchildren visiting the cathedral so we sat in on the lecture provided by the Cathedral guide. He provided a wealth of information on the cathedral and its history. You can climb the stairways to the balcony for a marvelous view of the entire cathedral. From here we headed off to Castle Campbell. My traveling companion had been here several times, so she elected to stay near the parking area and just wander around and take photos. I just loved this castle, it remains an impressive statement of the wealth and power of its lord. Since I was the only visitor, the castle steward was happy to spend time regaling me with stories of the castle and its history. It was interesting to learn that he lived at the castle. Apparently, a number of castles have stewards who, once appointed, live there throughout their lifetimes. Upon their death or inability to continue working, another steward is selected from among the applicants vying for the position. Our next stop on the “castle” tour was Blackness. Built in the 1400s and sitting right on the River Forth, it was considered impregnable (at least for a while it was). Most of the castle dates to 1537 when it became one of the strongest artillery fortifications of its time. Its defenses served the castle well until it was forced to surrender to the combined land & sea attack by Cromwell. Again, we spent a great deal of time talking with the castle steward. When he learned our next stop was Linlithgow he insisted that we have lunch at his favorite pub, the Four Marys. We took Harry’s advice and stopped for lunch at the Four Mary’s before beginning our tour of Linlithgow palace. Harry’s recommendation was an excellent one and our meal was terrific. The steward at Linlithgow was happy to see some tourists and delighted to talk with us. He even called Harry at Blackness to let him know that we enjoyed our lunch. Linlithgow Palace was the perfect ending to our trip to Scotland. There are lots of rooms and corridors to explore and stairways to climb. The setting is lovely and there are some wonderful views from the top. During our visit there were 2 other tourists exploring the palace. That night we stayed at Carriden House in Bo’Ness which was quite nice and a quick and easy drive to the airport in the morning.
The entire trip was perfect and the people that we met along the way could not have been nicer or more helpful. I fear this report may be overly long, but hopefully, it will have some information that is helpful.
RMH
Feb 14th, 2007 | 03:00 PM
#5
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,472
Likes: 0
I will repeat my comment here that I posted on your other report this morning (I assume you reposted because your first one wasn't indexed to "United Kingdom"
. Anyway,
Thanks so much for posting a trip report, rmh! I am enjoying it - you include lots of useful detail. I like that your itinerary is not the usual line-up (maybe thanks to your friend?) I will keep your castle and standing stone descriptions to help plan future visits.
Your photo link did not work for me. What works with some of these photo sites is to "share" the pictures with yourself and then post that link. Also, with very long links, tinyurl.com does a good job of making them, well, tiny.
. Anyway, Thanks so much for posting a trip report, rmh! I am enjoying it - you include lots of useful detail. I like that your itinerary is not the usual line-up (maybe thanks to your friend?) I will keep your castle and standing stone descriptions to help plan future visits.
Your photo link did not work for me. What works with some of these photo sites is to "share" the pictures with yourself and then post that link. Also, with very long links, tinyurl.com does a good job of making them, well, tiny.
Feb 15th, 2007 | 08:33 AM
#7
Original Poster
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
Thanks to noe847 for pointing out that the link to my photos didn't work. On her suggestion I have put this into a tinyurl link that I hope will work. Thanks for the tip.
http://tinyurl.com/2cr6h8
http://tinyurl.com/2cr6h8
Trending Topics
Feb 15th, 2007 | 02:11 PM
#9
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,472
Likes: 0
ooh, those really are nice pictures. Now I want to see the Borders! Scotland is so atmospheric when it's gray, but really sparkles when the sun comes out. You got to experience both. You saw some (lots) wonderful castles and palaces. Thanks for sharing your travels.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
indy_dad
Europe
33
Jul 18th, 2013 09:02 AM
barbara313
Europe
49
Nov 16th, 2008 05:37 PM
