One last beautiful day in Scotland (Tuesday, Sept. 29)

We awoke to yet another lovely fall day in Scotland. The sky was blue with hardly a cloud in it. The air was crisp but so pleasant. Our biggest challenge of the day was driving again after three driving-free days in Edinburgh.

The concierge at The Roxburghe Hotel took our keys several days ago and the car vanished into the underground parking lot, not to be seen again until this morning! I loved being able to walk wherever we wanted to go, and if the destination was too far, there were taxis available to help us out. But I digress...

Indian Eagle Owl, one of the largest owls.

We left Edinburgh headed toward Glasgow with only one stop in mind, the Scottish Owl Centre in Whitburn, a great place created by Rod Angus and his wife Niccy to provide a place for owl conservation, housing captive-bred owls and using them to help educate the public about owls. Their motto is "Education, Inspiration, Conservation," and we can attest that the staff and volunteers do their part to engage fully with visitors to ensure that they leave with much more knowledge about owls, inspired to do what they can to assist with owl conservation. 

Rod is a life-long ornithologist. Two or three times a day (depending on season) he or one of his staff conducts a program called a flying display to introduce visitors to two or more owls who have been trained to fly from perch to perch and along the floor in the middle of a large enclosed barn. This is a terrific way for us to see these magnificent birds up close and to learn about them from an expert.

European barn owls, similar to our barn owls.

Brown wood owl, south Asia.

Stripped owl, Central and South America. This
one was not happy about us being near his cage!

Our expectations regarding this Scottish Owl Center were greatly exceeded! If you get to Scotland, try to stop by. You can read more about them at their website. There are more than 100 owls at the center, most of them nesting pairs. Another 20 or so owls have been trained for the flying display. The aviaries are spacious and well maintained. Smoky got some incredible photos. I'll post a few tonight with promise of more to come.

Now it is time to get ready for bed as we need to be at the airport early tomorrow morning for our flight back to the states. This has been a terrific trip, and we are both ready to return home!

Spectacled owl, South America.

--Shann

Edinburgh through the lens with James Christie (Monday, Sept. 28)

[Note: all photos all Smoky's unless otherwise noted.]

Pro photographer and tour
leader James Christie. Learn
more at his website.

Today was our photo tour with professional photographer James Christie, who lives just outside of Edinburgh and has a successful photography business here. We found his walking tour of Old Town while searching the web for information about the area back in the summer when we were planning the trip. 

National Monument on Carlton Hill,
Edinburgh

Smoky and I and tour-mate Michelle joined James for his 4- to 5-hour walking tour. In addition to taking us to iconic sites in Edinburgh, James provides instruction to participants on how to use their cameras in manual mode so as to capture images in the best possible exposures for the conditions of the day without having to rely on what is programmed into the camera.

With detailed explanations about how to frame the photos and what settings to use, along with history of what we were photographing, we progressed through the morning, learning more about photography and Edinburgh as we walked. Oftentimes the difference between an "ordinary" tourist shot and an extraordinary amazing shot was just a matter of 40 more feet to walk or 16 steps to climb. James helped us open our eyes so that we were noticing more and seeing more critically, with the goal being better photographs.

Robert Burns Memorial, Carlton Hill.

Nelson Monument, Carlton Hill. Read more
on Wikipedia. (Photo by Shann)

And throughout the time we were touring, James' enthusiasm for his art form was apparent. Here is a man passionate about what he does, one who is willing to spend hours each day leading people like us around a city, hoping that by the end of the day, we've been touched in some way that makes a difference.

We were fortunate today that the group was small; it isn't always like that. This gave us lots of opportunity to ask questions and learn from James. At the end of the day, Smoky and I had photos we were really pleased with. In addition, we had had an opportunity to see the Old Town of Edinburgh through new eyes. We will leave tomorrow with a much greater appreciation for this interesting city. Thank you, James, for your part in that!

   

   

Three of Smoky's favorite abstract shots from today's tour.

Edinburgh Castle from one of James' special spots.
(Photo by Shann)

St. Giles Cathedral.

One final "hidden" spot, shared by James, with a great view of
Edinburgh Castle.

One more of Smoky's abstracts
from today's tour.

Smoky, Michele, and me at the end
of the photo tour with James Christie.
(Photo by James Christie)

By the way, as we were walking along Victoria Street, a side street off the Royal Mile, I spotted this sign, which made me chuckle. Maybe we need services like this in our country...

Nothing like a good
husband day care!
(Photo by Shann)

Tomorrow we drive to Glasgow, turn in the car, and prepare for our flight home on Wednesday. 

--Shann

We join the crowd! (Sunday, Sept. 27)

Metal sign in front of Roxburghe
reflects the park across the street.

(Scroll down for Smoky in Scottish outfit.)

Before I talk about our day in Edinburgh, let me tell you about the Roxburghe Hotel. These people are masters at fitting a very large hotel into what appears to be a small urban location, right in the middle of the city. To give the Roxburghe credit, it occupies most (if not all) of a block-sized building, but the front entrance looks very understated. When you enter the lobby, however, the room is quite large. The concierge desk is the first thing you see. Robbie is an energetic young man who has been a great help to us, especially since to park a car at the Roxburghe, you pay around 20 pounds per day for underground parking, and Robbie takes the car away when you check in. 

The underground lot is limited to about 20 cars, so we were fortunate to have asked about this in advance so that we could reserve a spot. Back on the ground level, off the lobby is a large bar, dining room, and breakfast room on one side. Toward the back side of those rooms is the conference center, which includes an atrium area. We walked around the atrium to get to the lift (a.k.a., elevator) to go to our second floor room. Lest you think there is only one flight of stairs to the second floor, let me set you straight. Over here, there is a ground floor, then the first floor, and then the second floor. 

We step into the lift, travel up two flights to the second floor, and the side of the lift opens (rather than the front). The rooms are essentially in the section of the building next to the lobby area. Our room is quite large -- a king-sized room -- but our bed is not. We had expected a king-sized bed, but it is really a double bed plus about 2 extra inches in width and 3 extra inches in length. Aside from the bed, the room and the bath are very nice. And breakfast this morning was very good!

View of Edinburgh Castle from the top.

After breakfast, we headed toward Princes Street and "the Mound," over which you must climb to get to the area near the castle. This was a reasonably easy walk, in spite of the fact that the castle sits atop a hill overlooking all of Edinburgh. Lots of people came to the castle today, but it was a reasonable crowd. The only time we really felt like sardines was when we entered the building where the crown jewels are stored (in a vault, of course). 

Knight stands guard
outside castle gate.

Pistols on display in great hall.

Because seeing the crown jewels, called the Honours of Scotland, is one thing most people want to do while at the castle, the line was long. The display leading up to the vault room was very well done and explained the story of when the jewels were last used in a coronation (1651) and why they were hidden away for a number of years to keep them from being melted down (by order of Oliver Cromwell). After they were found, because of the politics of the time, they were no longer used and were locked away in Edinburgh Castle.

Speaks for itself!

Castle view from Princes Street.

Two gents begin their walk down
the Royal Mile.

View down the Royal Mile.

It was not until 1818 that the Honours of Scotland were "rediscovered," and they were put on display in 1819. Except for a brief period during World War II, the crown, the sceptre, and the sword of state have been on public display. They are amazing pieces, even viewed from behind heavy glass! 

After leaving the castle, we started down the royal mile, stopping for a quick lunch and an exploration of the Tartan Weaving Mill and Exhibition. I was interested in seeing the looms set up for the weaving of tartans. Part of the exhibition was an area where you could don Highland dress and have your photo made. We had hoped that this would be a chance to wear the Duncan tartan from Smoky's clan.

Street performer.

Unfortunately, the photo part of the exhibition was a bit disappointing. The rack of outfits was sad looking indeed, and there was a limit to the tartans available. There was a Duncan outfit for women, but the man's version was made for a much shorter man than Smoky, so we had to give up the idea of wearing his clan's tartan and opt for a different one altogether.

Loom (from floor above) in the Tartan Weaving Mill Exhibition.

Lots of spools of yarn
at the Tartan Weaving Mill.

Back on the street, we wandered down the Royal Mile for quite a ways. Toward 4pm, we cut across to Princes Street and walked back to the hotel. Dinner tonight was at a place called Harry's Bar and Grill, within walking distance of the Roxburghe. Our concierge recommended Harry's, and it was a great recommendation. This place takes bar food to a whole different level. They have a large stove that burns charcoal, so grilled chicken is really grilled!

Speaking of chicken, that's what we had tonight -- grilled whole baby chicken served with tiny green beans and snow peas and grilled potatoes for me and beet salad for Smoky. This wonderful dinner included a puff pastry and a delicious sauce for dipping either the chicken or the bread. This was definitely one of our best dinners in Scotland!

Now it's time for bed. Tomorrow is a five-hour walking tour with James Christie, master photographer. We will need to rest up!!

--Shann

In spite of the outfit being more than a little
shop-worn, I think Smoky looks great!

Just in: photo of Smoky in Scottish dress!

Small town (Peebles) to major city (Edinburgh) (Saturday, Sept. 26)

Winkston Farms B&B, Peebles.

Winkston Farms B&B is an interesting place. Jan has been operating a B&B for over 30 years, starting when her children were young. Today one of her grandchildren was there, helping her father and grandfather with some of the farm work. They have a herd of sheep and some horses; however, George says they do that part now for "fun" rather than profit.

For breakfast this morning I had a plate of cheese and fruit, which really hit the spot after so many days of full Scottish breakfast! There were three different cheeses -- one called Roulé, which was soft, creamy, and topped with herbs; one mild, light colored, and filled with chunks of apricots; and one golden cheddar with a nutty flavor. Fruits included Scottish raspberries and strawberries, a huge apple, and a small mandarin orange. Along with the fruit and cheese were some traditional Scottish oakcakes, which turned out to be a great accompaniment.

Rosslyn Chapel is a small family chapel with the look of a huge cathedral

One of Rosslyn Chapel's
smallest visitors.

Rosslyn Chapel was our first stop, just a short drive from Peebles on the way to Edinburgh. This 15th Century chapel is an architectural marvel. You can read much more about it on Wikipedia. We listened to the very interesting talk given by one of several guides at the chapel and learned a lot about the history of and legends surrounding the chapel. Many intricate carvings adorn the inside and outside of this small chapel. 

While we were inside, we noticed a man looking at and making copies of marks that had been carved into the blocks of sandstone from which the castle was constructed. Curious, as always, Smoky asked him what he was looking at, and this was the opening of a most interesting conversation with Iain Ross Wallace, a member of the Department of Archaeology, University of Glasgow. Iain is conducting a "Stonemasons Marks Research Project" that, according to his Facebook page, 

"is investigating and recording the masons marks of early medieval castle and churches in the west of Scotland."

Iain Ross Wallace is conducting
a stonemasons marks research
project.

We had noticed these marks several days back when visiting Kilchurn Castle, where they were explained on an information board, and since then, we have been more aware of them. Apparently, a major project such as a castle or chapel would have had a number of stone masons working on it, and each of them would have a specific mark with which he would identify each of the blocks he carved. It is possible that some masons may have worked on several projects during his lifetime, and Iain is hoping his research will show which projects specific masons worked on by identifying common masons marks among projects built in the period of time he is studying.

We continued our conversation with Iain in the Rosslyn Chapel cafe! Thanks so much for sharing your interesting project with us, Iain.

Roxburgh Hotel, Edinburgh.

By mid-afternoon, we were driving into Edinburgh in search of the Roxburgh Hotel, where we are staying for several nights. The Roxburgh is a lovely, old place right on the edge of "New Town" and not very far from "Old Town." Rose Street (in New Town) runs beside our hotel. It is closed to most vehicles and is a great place to stroll and shop, with lots of places where you can stop for a bite to eat or a drink.

Street scene in Edinburgh New Town looking up at Edinburgh Castle
on top of the hill.

Street scene, New Town, Edinburgh.

Great sign outside bar.

Tomorrow we'll head into Old Town and walk up to Edinburgh Castle, which sits on a high hill overlooking the city.

--Shann

Haste ye back (Friday, Sept. 25)

Bute's message to us, enhanced by a rainbow!

With only five actual vacation days left before we fly home on Sept. 30, the sign on the harbor at Rothesay holds even more meaning to us:

Haste ye back.

As we drove into the ferry line, this sign was one of the last things we saw as we boarded the CalMac to take us to Wemyss Bay on the mainland. We were sorry to be leaving Rothesay, and I dare say we left behind a little bit of ourselves. This small island has a sneaky way of reaching in and grabbing a piece of your heart!

Plus, we didn't have nearly enough time to explore this lovely place. As soon as we landed and drove through Wemyss, I missed the slower pace of Bute.

Speaking of the ferry, after parking the car, we walked upstairs to the passengers lounge for the 35 minute trip, and there was our friend Jimmy Duncan. He had to make a trip over on business. It was great to see him again, to thank him once more for all he did for us, and to tell him about the Mcc tombstones we had found yesterday in our explorations.

Then Smoky and I walked onto the back deck of the ferry and waved goodbye to Bute one last time.

Street view of High Street in Peebles, taken from the
Church of Scotland steps.

We survived the drive through Glasgow and across to Peebles (enough said about that!). Peebles is a vibrant town in the Scottish Borders section of the country, just 23 miles south of Edinburgh. It straddles the River Tweed, and it has a remarkable retail section along High Street and several adjacent streets. In fact, Peebles is known as the top independent retailing town in Scotland for its range of independent shops and its home-town identity.

On-street parking is free (another plus for shopping there), and if you aren't lucky enough to find an available spot, there is a conveniently located town carpark. In reading up about Peebles before our trip, back when we expected to stay here for three nights, we had identified several places we wanted to see. 

Choices abound at Cocoa Black
Chocolate and Pastry School's shop.

Cocoa Black's window.

Because our time this afternoon was limited, we had to choose what was most easily available. As it turned out, the Cocoa Black Chocolate and Pastry School was easy to find, right on a corner near High Street. Their coffee shop and goodie bar had a great selection of just-made chocolate treats. Cocoa Black School holds short-term speciality classes that people like us can sign up for, but they had none on the schedule for the time we were planning to be in town. 

The first quilt shop I've spotted this trip!

Because we had not yet had lunch, we selected two varieties of cake for "take-away" and asked about a recommendation for late lunch/early dinner. Coltman's Deli and Kitchen was the quick response, and it was just around the corner. This small place had a bakery counter in the front with delicious looking scones, tarts, savory and sweet individual pies, and even some dandelion syrup. You could get tea or coffee and cake and sit at one of the small tables. Or you could go to the back on the right side into the fireplace room and order lunch or dinner from a terrific menu. Smoky had a pork chop (thick cut) served with an interesting mix of sauteed vegetables and noodles. I had a fresh salmon cake served with a wonderful sauce and steamed cabbage. The salmon cake was held together with polenta. To me these combinations sounded unusual and really delicious. We both enjoyed our lunch/dinner a lot.

A little fall color shows on some trees in
the park near the River Tweed.

After walking around town a bit, we headed to Winkston B&B, just a couple of miles outside of Peebles. This is a very pleasant location, created on what is a working farm. One of the buildings is being used for B&B rooms, and there are several self-catering cottages as well. We are both extremely tired tonight, and the bed feels great, so I'm signing out now to get some sleep!

[Evening update: We can attest for the skills taught at Cocoa Black; the cakes we took away were divine. Smoky had chocolate caramel and I had coconut mango sponge. Yum!]

--Shann

A dose of wintery weather (Thursday, Sept. 24)

Today we revisited a number of the places Jimmy introduced us to yesterday. Smoky wanted to get a few more photos of some, and others we learned about but didn't take time to see until today.

Low hanging clouds!

The day started with an overcast sky, but because there were a few spots of blue showing through the clouds, we had hopes that it would turn out like yesterday, in spite of the prediction for more rain.

By the time we left the B&B, the cloud ceiling had dropped and a light drizzle had begun. No worries... we had not expected perfect weather every day! Besides, driving on Bute is simple compared with any of the other locations we have been. The whole pace of the island is slower. No one cares if you stop on the roadside to admire the view. So a little bad weather was no big problem.

And you can tell from the photos below that the weather changed for the better!

One of the original Mcc land holdings; of all the grants to
Mcc families, this one was retained by Mcc the longest.

Another Mcc land holding, right on the water! What a view.

Cottage on second holding with kitchen garden protected by wind breaks.
After today's winds, we could understand why these are here.

We revisited a couple of the farms that had belonged to Mcc families in the 1600s, and then we drove further south on the island to St. Blane's Church, on the site of a monastery that dates back to around 600AD. Jimmy told us about the church and its graveyard where he thought some early Mcc people were buried. He had taken us to the car park for the church and told us to follow the path along the stone wall that went up to the top of the hill. 

Path up hill to St. Blane's Church.

The approach was pretty steep, but the rain had stopped, and we had a period of clear skies with strong winds. Toward the top, the path turned behind a rocky outcropping, which offered shelter from the wind. At this point we could see the path to the church and grounds around it, but only the outer wall was visible. Much of this wall was still intact after all these years. 

This property is in the hands of Historic Scotland, an organization that does an outstanding job of caring for the amazing remains of Scotland's historic past. Some of the more well-preserved sites have staff on hand and guided tours, but others, especially those in a more advanced state of ruin, have only signs that explain what the site might have been like when it was being used. Always, the grounds are well taken care of. Even though this is a reasonably remote site, six to eight people and quite a few sheep visited while we were there!

Remains of St. Blane's Church, a truly special place.

Closeup of beautiful stone work at St. Blane's Church.

The original St. Blane's Church didn't survive through the Viking incursions that started around 790, but this area has a powerful spiritual energy, and it reemerged as a Christian site in the 1100s (the remains we saw today), serving as the parish church for the whole island for a while. Read more of the church's history at the Historic Scotland website.

We walked around the inner wall and then up the steps into the courtyard where a number of gravestones still remain. We found several markers for people from the Mcc family in the 1700s. To us this was significant because it indicated that at least some of Smoky's ancestors remained on Bute longer than we had thought.

On one tombstone, best we can tell, is this interesting inscription. Letters inside the parens mean that the letter was inserted above the rest of the word. Line breaks and spelling below are what appeared on the stone. Sara, our B&B host, has a friend who may be able to interpret this one correctly. If so, we'll update.

Interesting Mcc tombstone, late 1700s.

Here lies the corps of Iams 
Hyndman late tenant in Land
alsorad who departed this life 
in May 1774 Aged 62 year(s)
and also his spous Mary Mc
Connochy who departed thi(s)
life 5th June 1772 aged 52
years

The remains of the church building itself is stone, and the stone work is lovely. I was struck by how different it was from most of the stone castles around Scotland that we have visited. The stone was cut into blocks of uniform size. It has an ordered, stately, solid feel to it. Granted, some parts are different, but I'm guessing that these may have been repairs to damaged sections of the building.

We were reluctant to leave, even though the weather had already moved in and out of one rainstorm while we were there, and another storm was threatening. As we started down the path, the sun popped out and lit the church with this amazing light. We both took that as a sign that we should stay just a little longer. So Smoky sat down on a bench in front of the inner wall for a short period of contemplation and meditation.

Smoky in front of outer wall, sits in contemplation.

We both considered this opportunity to visit St. Blane's Church as a highlight of our trip to Scotland. We came here hoping to find a connection to some of Smoky's ancestors, and today we also experienced a connection to the place of worship where some of those ancestors must have worshipped as well. What an amazing experience.

By the time we got down the hill and to the car, we decided it was time for lunch. It was raining off and on. We were already in the Kingarth area and Smoky remembered the Kingarth Hotel and Smiddy Pub we passed yesterday. In a few minutes we saw the sign we were looking for: "Food Served All Day, Every Day"! Inside, warm and inviting; outside, chilly and windy! So we joined an almost full house and had a delightful lunch. My choice was mac and cheese with mushrooms, which was served with a beautiful green salad; Smoky's choice was a chicken salad plate, which contained grilled chicken, the same lovely green salad, potato salad (which I traded part of my mac and cheese for), and homemade slaw. Both of these came with crusty bread. Just what we needed!

During lunch, it rained at least twice, one of those was sideways rain! After lunch, once the rain had stopped, we headed to a nearby cemetery where we found several more Mcc tombstones.

One tombstone in this cemetery had the name spelled this way: Mary Maconechy, 1831. Another stated that Margaret McConechy had placed the stone for her father James McConechy, who died 1849, of Kilchattan Bay. Her mother was a Duncan. Anne McConechy (same spelling) also had a stone. And another marker was for Margaret Maconechy, who died in 1842 at age 62 years.

Greylag geese near Ettric Bay.

The geese took off, honking all the way!

Heading north on the island now, we drove toward Ettrick Bay, which has a lovely beach. Today we discovered there is also a marshy area in which a number of wading birds were feeding. Several looked similar to species we have at home. Smoky looked them up in a great bird book called The Birds of Bute, A Bird Atlas and Local Avifauna, published by the Buteshire Natural History Society and printed in Scotland.

Double rainbow appeared as we returned to town.

By this time, the sun was low in the horizon, and we headed for the B&B. Tomorrow we get on a ferry to go back to the mainland and then drive to Peebles for one night.

--Shann