Will you go to the Highlands, Leezie Lindsay? Day 11: Inverness

The Highlands

     Remember this traditional Scottish song?  John Allan Cameron did a recording of it back in the day.  Robert Allan of Kilbarchan (1774-1881) is thought to be responsible for writing and remodeling the following version of the first two stanzas.  How is your Gaelic?

"Will ye gang tae the Heilands, Leezie Lindsay?

Will ye gang tae the Heilands wi' me?

"Will ye gang tae the Heilands, Leezie Lindsay,

My bride and darling tae be?"

"To gang to the Heilands wi' you, Sir, 

   I dinna ken how that may be, 

For I ken nae the road I am gaeing, 

   Nor yet wha I'm gaun wi'."

     Julia, Tom and I traveled by train to the highlands and spent one night in Inverness.  

Julia on the Train

Scenes from the Train

     Inverness is a pretty little town with its own beautiful castle overlooking the River Ness and this construction site.

Inverness Castle

The River Ness

Along the River in Inverness

Street Planter in Inverness

Picturesque Street Scene

     Tucked amidst its picturesque streets, you will find not only a pricey music store, but also    

Music Store

..... a Pram Centre.  Have you ever seen a Pram Centre?  I love prams.....the word, the look, the idea.

Pram Centre

Pram Inventory

         We finished our evening in Inverness with a "pint" and a "dram" and some"crisps" at a local pub!

The Mathiesons at the Pub

............Until Next Time...........

Walking the Royal Mile and More: Edinburgh Continued

Like all good tourists, we walked The Royal Mile from the castle at the top to Holyrood the Queen's residence in Edinburgh, at the bottom.

As you can see, it was a beautiful, sunny day!

Ah, but wait a minute.  As our waitress told us the night before, it is possible to experience all the four seasons in one day in Edinburgh....well, we didn't see snow!

Fortunately we had just entered this pub when it started to pour.

I had steak and kidney pie.  For 50 pence extra, you can upgrade to mushy peas.

Julia had bangers and mash.  Good reviews.

And Tom had tikka masala.  Also good reviews.

Scottish Parliament is at the bottom of The Royal Mile, right across from..

Holyrood.

  Quite a contrast in architecture!

We visited The National Museum of Scotland.  Free entry!

And The Scottish National Gallery.  Also free entry!

One of my favorites in the gallery.

We visited the Scott Monument but..

I could not get one decent photo!!

Until Next Time....

In Edinburgh with the Royal Juls: Days 7,8,9, and 10

On Tuesday, we met up with Julia who has been gallivanting throughout Europe with a knapsack on her back.  Here we are at My Big Fat Greek Kitchen getting her advice on Greek cuisine.

We stayed in an "adequate" Air B and B within walking distance of everything!  It has all the necessities including a washer which we used to fresh

en up our travelling wardrobe.

One of our first tourist sites was St.Cuthbert's church.  Here is Julia in the small chapel in that church where Agatha Christie got married for the second time.

St. Cuthbert's cemetery has large tombstones like all the other graveyards we've visited in Scotland.

We strolled through the Princes Street Gardens....

...to Great Aunt Lizzie's house, but...

...she wasn't home.

We climbed the many flights of stairs in Edinburgh....

....past this floral clock

and back to Princes Street!

The city of Edinburgh is definitely DOMINATED by its castle.  You can always see it and it is impressive!

We spent the best part of one day exploring the castle.

Of course, there's more to add about Edinburgh.....

....Until Next Time....

Robert Burns: Ayr and Alloway: Day 6

The city of Ayr, population 47,000, is situated on the Firth of Clyde, just across from the Isle of Arran.

We enjoyed some time on the beach.  Tom even braved a wade in the waters.....not as cold as The Bay of Fundy!

There is a paved promenade along the beach frequented by cyclists, skateboarders, walkers, runners, and many dogs.

Beach Shot

We saw a few jellyfish.....I think.

We walked a couple of miles to Alloway, the birthplace of Robert Burns.

We visited the remains of the "auld kirk" where Robert Burns' father is buried.

Some of the tombstones in the graveyard at The Auld Kirk have an hourglass carved onto them.  It is said that an upright hourglass indicates death by natural causes while an hourglass on its side represents death by sinister means.

We crossed the Brig o Doon, built in the 15th century and featured in Burns' poem, Tam O'Shanter.

We met some Burns' characters, such as Nannie from Tam O'Shanter..

...and the mouse from "To a Mousie", the Burns poem from which John Steinbeck borrowed a line to title his novella, Of Mice and Men.

We stroĺled down Poet's Path...and

...through the Burns Gardens.

We marvelled at the stone fences with no mortar...

...and met a straw man riding a straw horse.

We visited the Burns Cottage where Robert was born on January 25th, 1759.  Burns died at the age of 37 and a half having reputedly lived a rather wild life enjoying women and drink!  Long speculated that Robbie died of alcoholism or venereal disease, recent historians have determined that he most likely died of heart disease.  Although he authored many 

books, poems, and hymns, his greatest hit is probably "Auld Lang Syne."

And just as we were leaving Alloway, we happened upon a wedding complete with tartan, bagpipes, and these four little bridal attendants.

Until Next Time...