Surviving Mai Tai Tom's "Royal" Blunder - England/Scotland 2022
Sep 8th, 2022, 09:31 AM
#201
Original Poster
Today we would head through the Highlands, look for some elusive red deer, visit a massacre site, a couple of idyllic kirks, and eventually drive down the Argyll Coastal Route to Oban, via a Monty Python & The Holy Grail castle, a picturesque priory and garden and end up at a B&B with a million dollar view. In true Mai Tai Four fashion, thanks to some confusing signage and not listening to Tracy, we’d nearly have have to spend the night in a castle parking lot. Story with photos in link below ... without photos below photos.
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...ttish-scenery/
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Killin To Oban … Scottish Scenery Sensation
Day Eighteen: It’s A Loch, Where’s The Red Deer?, Three Sisters, Massacre Monument, Kirks Galore, A Monty Python Moment, Wicked Burgers/Tuna Time, Picking The Right Day To Visit, Could You Check That Parking Lot Time Again?, A Tower Of Terror Drive, A Great View, In The Attic and Kebab At Baab
We had breakfast in the charming dining room of the Courie Inn. The breakfast itself was kind of a letdown, but the server said the cook was leaving in another week. The inn is a wonderful place to stay, and reviews say the dinner is great. And, if you are interested in becoming a Scottish innkeeper, the Inn is for sale!.
I had gone out early to take some photos, because we were greeted by blue skies.
We all took one last walk to the “Kim Bridge.”
It was time to head to Oban by taking a rather circuitous route via the Highlands. Early in the day, Kim knew what it was like to travel with me as a kid, since I wanted to stop at any viewpoint or historical marker we could. We popped across the Bridge of Orchy and made a quick stop at the Loch Tula Viewpoint.
A short drive later and we arrived at the Kingshouse Hotel where we had stopped in 2017. There were great views of the Scottish countryside, and we were hoping to reacquaint ourselves with the strikingly beautiful red deer who roamed this area (photos from 2017).
The first thing we noticed was the hotel had gone through a major refurbishment, and moments later Tracy asked, “Where have all the red deer gone?” (I wonder why Peter, Paul and Mary didn’t sing that?) Sure enough, there were none in sight.
We inquired inside and were told that the government moved them because too many people were feeding them.
Whether that fact is correct, there was no doubt they were nowhere to be seen.
We did snap some photos, but it wasn’t quite the same without those majestic deer.
Another lookout wasn’t far from the hotel.
The Three Sisters (aka Bidean nam Bian) lookout on the A82 is a popular spot for motorists to take a break.
Today was no different.
Hills and waterfalls can be seen from the scenic viewpoint.
I had wanted to make a stop on the east end of Glencoe Village to see the MacDonald Memorial/Glencoe Massacre Monument. As we turned on the small road in the village, we knew we weren’t going to make hay on this drive. A giant truck filled with hay was having quite an ordeal making a tight turn. We almost turned around, but the truck “baled” us out by navigating the predicament perfectly.
In a few minutes we spied the monument on a small mound. I went up to take a look (you should read about the massacre when you get a chance).
On the way out of this area is another monument honoring those locals who perished in World War I and World War II.
Looking at the clock in our car I was flabbergasted. I lamented, “My god! It’s nearly noon and we haven’t seen one church!” Luckily, there were a couple nearby on my list.
In a gorgeous part of Scotland lies (or lays) the tiny village (I guess village really denotes tiny) of Ballacchulish, situated alongside Loch Levin where it flows into Loch Linnhe. I think history in the U.K. would be easier than geography.
There we found St. John, The Scottish Episcopal Church and its burial grounds. Built in the early 1840s. We were told by a gentleman in the graveyard (yes, he was alive), that the church was closed due to one of the clergyman stealing something.
The setting is lovely.
As is the nearby St. Bride’s Church, which I assumed was named because so many women get married here. This church was closed as well, and I started to get a complex. I felt like the Rodney Dangerfield of tourists.
I heard the church has lovely stained glass windows that we would never see. Maybe I should have titled this report “Scotland Closed For The Spring.”
In any event, the views out onto the loch as we started heading down toward Oban. I knew there was a viewpoint to see Castle Stalker (Monty Python alert!). It turns out this spot not only has great views, but also terrific food.
We pulled into the aptly named Castle Stalker View Cafe and Gift Store parking lot. To the left of a shipping container that says “Coffee Food” is a trail that took us to a fantastic view of a four-story medieval tower house known to Monty Python fans as Castle Aargh!, featured in the final scene of Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
This castle was constructed in the 1400s by the Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart, who happened to be murdered at his own wedding. Fortunately, Stewart survived long enough to complete the marriage and legitimize his son, Dugald, who was born out of wedlock. Dugald thus became the first Chief of Appin. In any case, the view from here was spectacular on a perfect Scotland afternoon.
Afterward we ordered lunch at the shipping container and enjoyed t an excellent tuna with brie and cranberry sandwich on fresh-baked ciabatta bread. It turned out to be one of our best lunches on the entire trip, and there was no French taunter to bother us while we ate. We were told they also had “wicked burgers.” Next time.
We got back on the Argyll Coastal Route toward Oban, but soon turned onto a picturesque, narrow road to our next destination.
Ardchattan Priory and its garden was on the Mai Tai itinerary. It happened to be a Wednesday, and as luck would have it, Ardchattan is only open on Wednesdays from April through October (at least in 2022). Finally, fate turned out to be on our side.
The gardens have been around since the 13th-century, although very little is known about its origin except that Valliscaulian monks, from a little known order in Burgundy, settled on the north shore of Loch Etive 700+ years ago
We walked through some wild gardens …
… and entered a spacious lawn area that has spectacular views out on Loch Etive.
Ardchattan House is a private residence, and the occupants were enjoying the sunny day on the patio. It felt rather strange to be exploring their property, especially since there were only about ten people visiting when we arrived.
While walking to the priory some of the residents gave us the once-over.
The priory existed for about 300 years, and we walked through the ruins.
The last monk died here in 1600, and a church was here for about 130 years.
After that, the priory was abandoned and the area was used as a burial site. There are quite a few “burial aisles” that we saw.
On the left is part of the choir wall, while this elephant tries to remember why he was put here.
Before leaving we went back to the front of the house, and took one last look at the views out to Loch Etive.
All in all, a great stop, and we felt lucky to be able to visit on the one day of the week it was open.
Soon afterward, the Mai Tai Four found themselves in a predicament when we attempted to visit Dunstaffnage Castle, located at the mouth of Loch Etive. The first sign we noticed as we entered the parking lot was that the car park gates are locked at 2:30 pm. Since it was a little after 2, Tracy said we should park in an area outside the gates. Then we spied a sign that said the car park closed at 5:30. We should have listened to Tracy, but instead we parked in the lot
We walked the short distance to the castle. For some reason on neither of those parking signs was a mention that this castle was closed. Also, for some reason it didn’t dawn on us that the 2:30 sign might be correct. We walked around the castle taking photos oblivious that 2:30 was fast approaching.
She waved him down and told him that we (and the other car who was also trying to leave) really did not want to sleep in the lot all night. Let’s say, this guy was not very happy having to unlock and open the gate, but fortunately Mary’s pleading worked, and we were able to leave. There were plenty of other people trying to visit the castle, and lots of cars in the lot when the grumpy man snapped the gate shut for good and drove off.
She caught his attention and told him that we (and the other car who was also trying to leave) really did not want to sleep in the lot all night. Let’s say, this guy was not very happy having to unlock and open the gate, but fortunately Mary’s pleading worked, and we were able to leave. There were plenty other people trying to visit the castle, and lots of cars were still there when the grumpy man closed the gate for good and drove off.
This is just another example that I should listen to my wife more often.
There was one last stop before we reached our Oban lodging for the next two nights. On a hill high above Oban sits McCaig’s Tower. I asked Kim if he wouldn’t mind driving us up there. Easier said than done,
The streets were narrow, and as we climbed higher our GPS basically said, “You’re on your own.” After a harrowing little drive nearly killing many Oban pedestrians, we pulled into the tiny parking area. Kim and Mary decided to wait in the car, and I suspected they were just plotting to leave us (me) on the hill.
The tower was built at the end of the 19th century by John Stuart McCaig, a successful Oban banker. The project, incorporating Greek and Roman influences “was intended to provide employment for local stone masons during the lean winter months, and at the same time create a lasting memorial to the McCaig family.” It has the look of the Rome Coliseum on the outside.
McCaig died in 1902 and that was the end of the construction of the tower, so it has remained “roofless and hollow.” There is a garden inside the tower and it did have nice views overlooking Oban and the harbor, but we only stayed a short while since we were worried Kim and Mary had left without us.
Kim and Mary decided not to ditch us, so we drove to the Barriemore, a 3-story Victorian townhouse located on Oban’s sea front. Unknown to me (once again I should pay attention) I booked Tracy and me a spectacular ground floor suite with a beautiful view over Oban Bay, while I neglected to do the same for Kim and Mary who had to climb some stairs to their room. Fortunately, it was nice, too. I learned afterward that this building had also been built by John McCaig as a private residence. Fortunately, he didn’t die before the roof was put on.
After a short nap we took the 15-20 minute walk along the water to the town of Oban.
Our dining destination that evening featured an Eastern Mediterranean menu and was located inside the Perle Oban hotel. Dinner was excellent, including the small plates of Hummous with pine nuts on top, Muhammara, which was roasted red pepper, chili, walnuts and pomegranate blended into a ”zingy” paste and fried Halloumi; Lebanese style; cheese in panko bread crumbs with dipping sauce.
The Kebabs were great as were the Tamarand Prawns and Rose Harissa Mussels.
It was good we had that 20-minute walk back to Barriemore.
I had planned to go to the Isle Mull, but felt Oban would be a good place to just relax for the final four days of the trip. Upon further review and given the glorious weather, I probably should have booked that day trip to Mull, but que sera (although this will be the last time I am a benevolent tour guide). We did have a good visit to the local castle and a crazy drive where we wound up in an unusual spot.
The following day we’d head to the “Bridge Over The Atlantic, get shut out by Moher Nature, climb to a castle, see some famous stones, hit an unusual garden, and go see how the other half lives at Inveraray Castle. We’d have a great seafood dinner, and our lodging would take us down on the farm
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Oban, Inveraray & In Between
Day Nineteen: Sleeping In, Julie Julie Julie Do We Love You?, War & Peace, Ay Columba, Castle On The Hill, Pie For What Ales Me, Perry Mason Hasn’t Ended Yet and Pier Review
Day Twenty: Bridge Over The Atlantic, Storm Damage, Up To The Castle, Seeing The Stones, Himalayan-Style Glen, How The Other Half Lives, Beer Garden Break, Life On The Farm and Samphire Seafood
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...ttish-scenery/
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Killin To Oban … Scottish Scenery Sensation
Day Eighteen: It’s A Loch, Where’s The Red Deer?, Three Sisters, Massacre Monument, Kirks Galore, A Monty Python Moment, Wicked Burgers/Tuna Time, Picking The Right Day To Visit, Could You Check That Parking Lot Time Again?, A Tower Of Terror Drive, A Great View, In The Attic and Kebab At Baab
We had breakfast in the charming dining room of the Courie Inn. The breakfast itself was kind of a letdown, but the server said the cook was leaving in another week. The inn is a wonderful place to stay, and reviews say the dinner is great. And, if you are interested in becoming a Scottish innkeeper, the Inn is for sale!.
I had gone out early to take some photos, because we were greeted by blue skies.
We all took one last walk to the “Kim Bridge.”
It was time to head to Oban by taking a rather circuitous route via the Highlands. Early in the day, Kim knew what it was like to travel with me as a kid, since I wanted to stop at any viewpoint or historical marker we could. We popped across the Bridge of Orchy and made a quick stop at the Loch Tula Viewpoint.
A short drive later and we arrived at the Kingshouse Hotel where we had stopped in 2017. There were great views of the Scottish countryside, and we were hoping to reacquaint ourselves with the strikingly beautiful red deer who roamed this area (photos from 2017).
The first thing we noticed was the hotel had gone through a major refurbishment, and moments later Tracy asked, “Where have all the red deer gone?” (I wonder why Peter, Paul and Mary didn’t sing that?) Sure enough, there were none in sight.
We inquired inside and were told that the government moved them because too many people were feeding them.
Whether that fact is correct, there was no doubt they were nowhere to be seen.
We did snap some photos, but it wasn’t quite the same without those majestic deer.
Another lookout wasn’t far from the hotel.
The Three Sisters (aka Bidean nam Bian) lookout on the A82 is a popular spot for motorists to take a break.
Today was no different.
Hills and waterfalls can be seen from the scenic viewpoint.
I had wanted to make a stop on the east end of Glencoe Village to see the MacDonald Memorial/Glencoe Massacre Monument. As we turned on the small road in the village, we knew we weren’t going to make hay on this drive. A giant truck filled with hay was having quite an ordeal making a tight turn. We almost turned around, but the truck “baled” us out by navigating the predicament perfectly.
In a few minutes we spied the monument on a small mound. I went up to take a look (you should read about the massacre when you get a chance).
On the way out of this area is another monument honoring those locals who perished in World War I and World War II.
Looking at the clock in our car I was flabbergasted. I lamented, “My god! It’s nearly noon and we haven’t seen one church!” Luckily, there were a couple nearby on my list.
In a gorgeous part of Scotland lies (or lays) the tiny village (I guess village really denotes tiny) of Ballacchulish, situated alongside Loch Levin where it flows into Loch Linnhe. I think history in the U.K. would be easier than geography.
There we found St. John, The Scottish Episcopal Church and its burial grounds. Built in the early 1840s. We were told by a gentleman in the graveyard (yes, he was alive), that the church was closed due to one of the clergyman stealing something.
The setting is lovely.
As is the nearby St. Bride’s Church, which I assumed was named because so many women get married here. This church was closed as well, and I started to get a complex. I felt like the Rodney Dangerfield of tourists.
I heard the church has lovely stained glass windows that we would never see. Maybe I should have titled this report “Scotland Closed For The Spring.”
In any event, the views out onto the loch as we started heading down toward Oban. I knew there was a viewpoint to see Castle Stalker (Monty Python alert!). It turns out this spot not only has great views, but also terrific food.
We pulled into the aptly named Castle Stalker View Cafe and Gift Store parking lot. To the left of a shipping container that says “Coffee Food” is a trail that took us to a fantastic view of a four-story medieval tower house known to Monty Python fans as Castle Aargh!, featured in the final scene of Monty Python and The Holy Grail.
This castle was constructed in the 1400s by the Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart, who happened to be murdered at his own wedding. Fortunately, Stewart survived long enough to complete the marriage and legitimize his son, Dugald, who was born out of wedlock. Dugald thus became the first Chief of Appin. In any case, the view from here was spectacular on a perfect Scotland afternoon.
Afterward we ordered lunch at the shipping container and enjoyed t an excellent tuna with brie and cranberry sandwich on fresh-baked ciabatta bread. It turned out to be one of our best lunches on the entire trip, and there was no French taunter to bother us while we ate. We were told they also had “wicked burgers.” Next time.
We got back on the Argyll Coastal Route toward Oban, but soon turned onto a picturesque, narrow road to our next destination.
Ardchattan Priory and its garden was on the Mai Tai itinerary. It happened to be a Wednesday, and as luck would have it, Ardchattan is only open on Wednesdays from April through October (at least in 2022). Finally, fate turned out to be on our side.
The gardens have been around since the 13th-century, although very little is known about its origin except that Valliscaulian monks, from a little known order in Burgundy, settled on the north shore of Loch Etive 700+ years ago
We walked through some wild gardens …
… and entered a spacious lawn area that has spectacular views out on Loch Etive.
Ardchattan House is a private residence, and the occupants were enjoying the sunny day on the patio. It felt rather strange to be exploring their property, especially since there were only about ten people visiting when we arrived.
While walking to the priory some of the residents gave us the once-over.
The priory existed for about 300 years, and we walked through the ruins.
The last monk died here in 1600, and a church was here for about 130 years.
After that, the priory was abandoned and the area was used as a burial site. There are quite a few “burial aisles” that we saw.
On the left is part of the choir wall, while this elephant tries to remember why he was put here.
Before leaving we went back to the front of the house, and took one last look at the views out to Loch Etive.
All in all, a great stop, and we felt lucky to be able to visit on the one day of the week it was open.
Soon afterward, the Mai Tai Four found themselves in a predicament when we attempted to visit Dunstaffnage Castle, located at the mouth of Loch Etive. The first sign we noticed as we entered the parking lot was that the car park gates are locked at 2:30 pm. Since it was a little after 2, Tracy said we should park in an area outside the gates. Then we spied a sign that said the car park closed at 5:30. We should have listened to Tracy, but instead we parked in the lot
We walked the short distance to the castle. For some reason on neither of those parking signs was a mention that this castle was closed. Also, for some reason it didn’t dawn on us that the 2:30 sign might be correct. We walked around the castle taking photos oblivious that 2:30 was fast approaching.
She waved him down and told him that we (and the other car who was also trying to leave) really did not want to sleep in the lot all night. Let’s say, this guy was not very happy having to unlock and open the gate, but fortunately Mary’s pleading worked, and we were able to leave. There were plenty of other people trying to visit the castle, and lots of cars in the lot when the grumpy man snapped the gate shut for good and drove off.
She caught his attention and told him that we (and the other car who was also trying to leave) really did not want to sleep in the lot all night. Let’s say, this guy was not very happy having to unlock and open the gate, but fortunately Mary’s pleading worked, and we were able to leave. There were plenty other people trying to visit the castle, and lots of cars were still there when the grumpy man closed the gate for good and drove off.
This is just another example that I should listen to my wife more often.
There was one last stop before we reached our Oban lodging for the next two nights. On a hill high above Oban sits McCaig’s Tower. I asked Kim if he wouldn’t mind driving us up there. Easier said than done,
The streets were narrow, and as we climbed higher our GPS basically said, “You’re on your own.” After a harrowing little drive nearly killing many Oban pedestrians, we pulled into the tiny parking area. Kim and Mary decided to wait in the car, and I suspected they were just plotting to leave us (me) on the hill.
The tower was built at the end of the 19th century by John Stuart McCaig, a successful Oban banker. The project, incorporating Greek and Roman influences “was intended to provide employment for local stone masons during the lean winter months, and at the same time create a lasting memorial to the McCaig family.” It has the look of the Rome Coliseum on the outside.
McCaig died in 1902 and that was the end of the construction of the tower, so it has remained “roofless and hollow.” There is a garden inside the tower and it did have nice views overlooking Oban and the harbor, but we only stayed a short while since we were worried Kim and Mary had left without us.
Kim and Mary decided not to ditch us, so we drove to the Barriemore, a 3-story Victorian townhouse located on Oban’s sea front. Unknown to me (once again I should pay attention) I booked Tracy and me a spectacular ground floor suite with a beautiful view over Oban Bay, while I neglected to do the same for Kim and Mary who had to climb some stairs to their room. Fortunately, it was nice, too. I learned afterward that this building had also been built by John McCaig as a private residence. Fortunately, he didn’t die before the roof was put on.
After a short nap we took the 15-20 minute walk along the water to the town of Oban.
Our dining destination that evening featured an Eastern Mediterranean menu and was located inside the Perle Oban hotel. Dinner was excellent, including the small plates of Hummous with pine nuts on top, Muhammara, which was roasted red pepper, chili, walnuts and pomegranate blended into a ”zingy” paste and fried Halloumi; Lebanese style; cheese in panko bread crumbs with dipping sauce.
The Kebabs were great as were the Tamarand Prawns and Rose Harissa Mussels.
It was good we had that 20-minute walk back to Barriemore.
I had planned to go to the Isle Mull, but felt Oban would be a good place to just relax for the final four days of the trip. Upon further review and given the glorious weather, I probably should have booked that day trip to Mull, but que sera (although this will be the last time I am a benevolent tour guide). We did have a good visit to the local castle and a crazy drive where we wound up in an unusual spot.
The following day we’d head to the “Bridge Over The Atlantic, get shut out by Moher Nature, climb to a castle, see some famous stones, hit an unusual garden, and go see how the other half lives at Inveraray Castle. We’d have a great seafood dinner, and our lodging would take us down on the farm
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Oban, Inveraray & In Between
Day Nineteen: Sleeping In, Julie Julie Julie Do We Love You?, War & Peace, Ay Columba, Castle On The Hill, Pie For What Ales Me, Perry Mason Hasn’t Ended Yet and Pier Review
Day Twenty: Bridge Over The Atlantic, Storm Damage, Up To The Castle, Seeing The Stones, Himalayan-Style Glen, How The Other Half Lives, Beer Garden Break, Life On The Farm and Samphire Seafood
Sep 8th, 2022, 02:02 PM
#202
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I really enjoyed your last 2 reports! The photos are gorgeous! It's difficult planning a trip to Scotland because everything is so beautiful and interesting. Love your story about getting locked in the parking lot. Your lodging in Oban is beautiful!
Sep 9th, 2022, 08:52 AM
#203
Original Poster
"I really enjoyed your last 2 reports! The photos are gorgeous! It's difficult planning a trip to Scotland because everything is so beautiful and interesting. Love your story about getting locked in the parking lot. Your lodging in Oban is beautiful!"
Karen I think the day we drove from Killin to Oban was my favorite day of the trip.
Karen I think the day we drove from Killin to Oban was my favorite day of the trip.
Sep 10th, 2022, 05:02 AM
#206
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What a wonderful way to travel! I envy you. I never traveled like that and do regret it. It's easier to do when one is younger, I think, and 40 years or so ago places would have been less crowded, so it would have been easier to do. And I guess one would need more time as well, to figure out what you want to do when you get there, look for accommodations, etc. I never had the time or the confidence to travel like that. Before we were married, my husband traveled across the US with 2 friends. One friend had the car, my husband had the gas card, and I forgot what the other person contributed. They basically got in the car and headed west, without any reservations at all. They might have had a rough route planned out, but that's about it.
Sep 10th, 2022, 02:39 PM
#207
Karen, I only did that once, our first trip.
Zero plans.
Got to one town we opted to stay in, to find no accommodation available due to a golf tournament. The tourist office had called out for locals to offer up a bnb using their spare bedrooms. So we overnighted in some kids’ bedroom, ha.
These days I’ve checked bus schedules, restaurants, reviews, trip reports, and revised my itinerary umpteen times before my DH goes a bit mad with my dithering.
I often joke that the worst gift I could get is a flight for tomorrow….no chance for me to do all my planning and worrying, lol.
Zero plans.
Got to one town we opted to stay in, to find no accommodation available due to a golf tournament. The tourist office had called out for locals to offer up a bnb using their spare bedrooms. So we overnighted in some kids’ bedroom, ha.
These days I’ve checked bus schedules, restaurants, reviews, trip reports, and revised my itinerary umpteen times before my DH goes a bit mad with my dithering.
I often joke that the worst gift I could get is a flight for tomorrow….no chance for me to do all my planning and worrying, lol.
Sep 14th, 2022, 10:34 AM
#208
Original Poster
It was a quiet day (for us) in Oban, so I have combined the next two days into one chapter. (Unfortunately, I won’t get to Glasgow for a few weeks, since Portugal beckons, and I’ve been too slow with this report) In Oban we took a pleasant stroll into town on a gorgeous day and had a wonderful breakfast. On the way to Dunollie Castle, we’d stop in an Oban church (of, course we did) and have a tranquil hike to the castle of the clan of the MacDougalls. We’d attempt to drive to a nearby hill I’d wanted to see, but our GPS took us to a not-so-lovely spot. The following day we’d drive to Inveraray by way of a bridge that purported to be over an ocean, some castle ruins, historic stones, a Himalayan glen and end up at Inveraray Castle, where we’d take a self-guided tour. For some reason this site will not allow me to include photos today on the Fodors page, but you can see them all in story report link below. It will also not let me copy and paste story without photos like I usually do. Fodors, not my fault 
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...ay-in-between/
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...ay-in-between/
Sep 14th, 2022, 10:47 AM
#209
"It will also not let me copy and paste story without photos like I usually do. Fodors, not my fault "
You're off the hook because the silly site is just full of glitches and problems. Something strange seems to have happened since sometime yesterday morning. Tech gremlins
"You're off the hook because the silly site is just full of glitches and problems. Something strange seems to have happened since sometime yesterday morning. Tech gremlins
Sep 14th, 2022, 01:02 PM
#211
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The photos of Oban harbor are gorgeous!!!! They don't look real! The lighting is spectacular!
And, yes, I got the Ham Burger/Perry Mason reference, too! That was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid.
And, yes, I got the Ham Burger/Perry Mason reference, too! That was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid.
Sep 14th, 2022, 08:21 PM
#213
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The theme music for the Perry Mason show just popped into my head and now I can't stop thinking about it. I, too, remember Ham and Della. My mother, who never missed a Perry Mason episode, once thought she saw the actor who played Paul Drake (William Hopper) sitting in a restaurant where we were eating. I remember her commenting how unwell this man looked and shortly thereafter Mr. Hopper was admitted to the hospital and died. We always wondered if we had spotted the actor.
Oct 6th, 2022, 02:43 PM
#219
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Oct 20th, 2022, 09:46 AM
#220
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Well, we returned from Portugal virtually unscathed, so it's time to get back to the last part of our spring trip to the UK. We are close to the end. Today was a travel day from Inveraray to our final destination of Glasgow. In between, we’d stop at a small church (St. Conan’s Kirk) situated in an idyllic Scottish setting, one last garden (Geilston Garden) for Tracy and then hit Glasgow, where someone who had been in the news lately stayed at our hotel the night before. After visiting with a local Cone head, we’d head down to George Square, and then hit a delicious Italian restaurant for dinner. Story with photos in link below ... without photos below photos.
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...on-to-glasgow/
CHAPTER TWENTY: On To Glasgow
Day Twenty One: Missed View, Conan Not The Barbarian, A Hidden Gem, Closing Early, Where’s Johnny Depp?, Chocolat Heaven, Statue Mystery Solved, More Statues By George and Our Almost Final Italian
The home stretch would begin today. Although I am far from a Vegan, the vegan breakfast at Killean was excellent. “Maybe I should start eating healthier,” I said. We all knew that would never happen.
My initial “tour guide” error of the day didn’t take too long. Our first stop was going to be a lovely little Kirk situated adjacent on Loch Awe. Along the way, we would make a stop at the viewpoint of Kilchurn Castle, built in the 1400s. I had read, “There are few more scenic castles than Kilchurn.” Unfortunately, I forgot about that fact until quite a few kilometers past the scenic viewpoint stop. Thankfully, the VisitScotland guide had a better leader.
In the tiny village of Lochawe stands St. Conan’s Kirk. It was built in a storybook setting adjacent to Loch Awe.
Before entering the kirk, which started to be constructed between 1881 and 1886, we wandered the lush surroundings.
This serene area was awash with colorful flowers.
The church itself is a mixture of numerous types of architecture, or as one website stated, “every type of ecclesiastical architecture found in Scotland.” A statue of St. Conan (who I believe is the saint of Late Night Television, except if Jay Leno is host) stands above.
The church was expanded in the early 20th century (its builder and architect Walter Douglas Campbell was not enamored with the building), so he started an expansion project in 1907. It wasn’t until after his death that the new St. Conan’s Kirk finally had its first service in 1930.
The nave of St. Conan’s Kirk stops you in its tracks. The light shining throughout the interior provides interesting shadows and angles.
Below is the apse and altar.
We entered the Bruce Chapel, which contains a very large effigy of King Robert The Bruce lying atop an altar tomb. The hands and face effigy are made of alabaster. The rest is stone.
The base base of the tomb is said to be one of his bones that was taken from his skeleton at Dunfermline Abbey near Edinburgh. He has a nice view also. The window is from a Leith church built in 1483.
You really can never have enough pulpit photos (don’t tell Kim and Mary). The choir stalls depict coats of arms.
Breadalbane sounds like he should be in a Harry Potter movie or Pillsbury Dough Boy commercial.
In St. Conval’s Chapel are the remains of the Fourth Lord Blythswood. He continued working on the Kirk after Walter (and then his sister Helen) died. Who is St. Conval? Well,he has quite a backstory. Born in Ireland in the 6th century, he wanted to cross the Irish sea. In lieu of a regular boat, he was “miraculously transported across the sea on a large flat stone and landed at Inchinnan, Glasgow.” Rock on!
Saint Bride’s Chapel is the final resting place of Walter and Helen, who are buried below the chapel. St. Bride is the patron saint of the Douglas clan, and the saint of expensive weddings (I might be wrong on that one).
One last look at the beautiful interior plus a Celtic cross outside and we were back on the road admiring the gorgeous Scotland scenery.
We found ourselves driving along Loch Lomond and attempted to turnout at a couple of places to get some photos. However, this was a holiday weekend and every Scot from Bamburgh to Portree seemed to have converged at these spots along the Loch. Instead, we strapped Tracy to the roof of the car to get some photos as we traveled alongside the Loch (no member of our group were harmed or killed on our trip).
We made a concession to our photographer and stopped to visit one last garden. A few miles west of Dumbarton is Geilson Garden, which dates back more than two centuries. It would be here that Tracy got one more chance to smell the azaleas.
The actual Geilston House was owned by numerous wealthy merchant families until 1998, when the National Trust For Scotland took possession.
It’s a tranquil spot (I guess most gardens are), and we walked through a myriad of colors of flowers that only Tracy knew what they were.
We spent about an hour here admiring the flowers …
… unusual trees …
… and hiking paths.
We had Dumbarton Castle on our radar, but of course it was closed for repairs. When it came to castles I wanted to visit on this trip, it most certainly was frustrating to find so many of them closed.
After lunch in Dumbarton, we headed toward Paisley Abbey and in another instance of frustration, when we looked at directions we saw that it closed at 2:30 p.m. I knew we shouldn’t have eaten.
We dropped the car at the Glasgow airport, grabbed a taxi and made our way to our final lodging of the trip, The Dakota Glasgow. We had ended are previous UK trip at the Dakota Edinburgh, and we found it the perfect place to regroup for our flights home.
As our taxi pulled in front, our driver told us that Johnny Depp had stayed there the previous night. I quipped to the group, “I wonder if there was an Amber alert.”
There was no Johnny Depp sighting, but after settling in we made a quick walk down to Buchanon Street and then over to George Square.
We strolled down Buchanan Street and spied the Hotel Chocolat. This is not a lodging where Wily Wonka stays, but a store that we first visited in Edinburgh that sells some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted. We bought some in Edinburgh, ostensibly as presents for friends but by the time we had reached Glasgow, we had devoured all the presents. We’d return on the last day here and purchase some more.
As we walked toward famed George Square, in front of the Royal Exchange, we once again saw an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington (as we did in Edinburgh) with a traffic cone resting on his head. “I guess this cone on Wellington, unlike the beef dish, is not rare,” I surmised.
The sculpture dates from 1844, but why the cone? According to Culture Trip, “The first documented sightings of the Duke’s conical hat date back to the 1980s.” and alcohol played a part. The prank eventually became a tradition.
At one point fines were levied for anyone caught coning the Duke. Then they “doubled the height of the plinth to around six feet” to dissuade would-be cone toppers. It didn’t work, and the cones kept coming.
Finally a Facebook “Keep The Cone” campaign with 75,000 likes and a petition signed by 10,000 signatures (both of which took just 24 hours to garner support from Glaswegians) won out, and the cone is now an indelible part of Glasgow culture.
We ducked into the nearby Gallery of Modern Art, but knowing our affinity for modern art we just as quickly ducked out. What in the name of Joan Miró were we thinking?
In another couple of minutes we were at Glasgow’s principal civic meeting place, George Square, which has been the center of Glasgow activity since 1787. It was named after King George III, who’s most recent claim to fame is being the funniest character in Hamilton. “John Adams?” In the center of the square is the statue of Sir Walter Scott.
Other statues in the square include the Father of the Industrial Revolution James Watt, Robbie Burns (we were on a first name basis by now) and an equestrian state of Queen Victoria commemorating her first visit to Glasgow in 1849. I think she would have preferred a cone on her head.
We walked back to Buchanan Street and ducked in the lab, but no scientists could be found. Just off Buchanan, The Lab serves cocktails, including its famous test tube shots. Not wanting to pass out before dinner, we settled on beer and wine (photo from internet).
I had made 7:45 reservations at The Italian Kitchen (92 Albion Street Merchant City), which gets many a good review (for good reason).”
My bruschetta and veal marsala were both good.
Kim and Mary’s Focaccia Pizza was tasty.
And, of course, I had to have that apple tart for dessert.
We geared up for one big last full day in Glasgow, and we’d make the most of it. We’d stop into a world-class art museum with a number of fascinating pieces, a gigantic medieval cathedral (yep, one more), a necropolis on a hill with astounding views and a gorgonzola gnocchi for the ages.
In order to return to the U.S. we would have to test for Covid the following day, which would prove to be quite a weird experience and told us the days of testing to come back to the U.S. were nearing its conclusion.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: ON THE GO IN GLASGOW
https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/cha...on-to-glasgow/
CHAPTER TWENTY: On To Glasgow
Day Twenty One: Missed View, Conan Not The Barbarian, A Hidden Gem, Closing Early, Where’s Johnny Depp?, Chocolat Heaven, Statue Mystery Solved, More Statues By George and Our Almost Final Italian
The home stretch would begin today. Although I am far from a Vegan, the vegan breakfast at Killean was excellent. “Maybe I should start eating healthier,” I said. We all knew that would never happen.
My initial “tour guide” error of the day didn’t take too long. Our first stop was going to be a lovely little Kirk situated adjacent on Loch Awe. Along the way, we would make a stop at the viewpoint of Kilchurn Castle, built in the 1400s. I had read, “There are few more scenic castles than Kilchurn.” Unfortunately, I forgot about that fact until quite a few kilometers past the scenic viewpoint stop. Thankfully, the VisitScotland guide had a better leader.
In the tiny village of Lochawe stands St. Conan’s Kirk. It was built in a storybook setting adjacent to Loch Awe.
Before entering the kirk, which started to be constructed between 1881 and 1886, we wandered the lush surroundings.
This serene area was awash with colorful flowers.
The church itself is a mixture of numerous types of architecture, or as one website stated, “every type of ecclesiastical architecture found in Scotland.” A statue of St. Conan (who I believe is the saint of Late Night Television, except if Jay Leno is host) stands above.
The church was expanded in the early 20th century (its builder and architect Walter Douglas Campbell was not enamored with the building), so he started an expansion project in 1907. It wasn’t until after his death that the new St. Conan’s Kirk finally had its first service in 1930.
The nave of St. Conan’s Kirk stops you in its tracks. The light shining throughout the interior provides interesting shadows and angles.
Below is the apse and altar.
We entered the Bruce Chapel, which contains a very large effigy of King Robert The Bruce lying atop an altar tomb. The hands and face effigy are made of alabaster. The rest is stone.
The base base of the tomb is said to be one of his bones that was taken from his skeleton at Dunfermline Abbey near Edinburgh. He has a nice view also. The window is from a Leith church built in 1483.
You really can never have enough pulpit photos (don’t tell Kim and Mary). The choir stalls depict coats of arms.
Breadalbane sounds like he should be in a Harry Potter movie or Pillsbury Dough Boy commercial.
In St. Conval’s Chapel are the remains of the Fourth Lord Blythswood. He continued working on the Kirk after Walter (and then his sister Helen) died. Who is St. Conval? Well,he has quite a backstory. Born in Ireland in the 6th century, he wanted to cross the Irish sea. In lieu of a regular boat, he was “miraculously transported across the sea on a large flat stone and landed at Inchinnan, Glasgow.” Rock on!
Saint Bride’s Chapel is the final resting place of Walter and Helen, who are buried below the chapel. St. Bride is the patron saint of the Douglas clan, and the saint of expensive weddings (I might be wrong on that one).
One last look at the beautiful interior plus a Celtic cross outside and we were back on the road admiring the gorgeous Scotland scenery.
We found ourselves driving along Loch Lomond and attempted to turnout at a couple of places to get some photos. However, this was a holiday weekend and every Scot from Bamburgh to Portree seemed to have converged at these spots along the Loch. Instead, we strapped Tracy to the roof of the car to get some photos as we traveled alongside the Loch (no member of our group were harmed or killed on our trip).
We made a concession to our photographer and stopped to visit one last garden. A few miles west of Dumbarton is Geilson Garden, which dates back more than two centuries. It would be here that Tracy got one more chance to smell the azaleas.
The actual Geilston House was owned by numerous wealthy merchant families until 1998, when the National Trust For Scotland took possession.
It’s a tranquil spot (I guess most gardens are), and we walked through a myriad of colors of flowers that only Tracy knew what they were.
We spent about an hour here admiring the flowers …
… unusual trees …
… and hiking paths.
We had Dumbarton Castle on our radar, but of course it was closed for repairs. When it came to castles I wanted to visit on this trip, it most certainly was frustrating to find so many of them closed.
After lunch in Dumbarton, we headed toward Paisley Abbey and in another instance of frustration, when we looked at directions we saw that it closed at 2:30 p.m. I knew we shouldn’t have eaten.
We dropped the car at the Glasgow airport, grabbed a taxi and made our way to our final lodging of the trip, The Dakota Glasgow. We had ended are previous UK trip at the Dakota Edinburgh, and we found it the perfect place to regroup for our flights home.
As our taxi pulled in front, our driver told us that Johnny Depp had stayed there the previous night. I quipped to the group, “I wonder if there was an Amber alert.”
There was no Johnny Depp sighting, but after settling in we made a quick walk down to Buchanon Street and then over to George Square.
We strolled down Buchanan Street and spied the Hotel Chocolat. This is not a lodging where Wily Wonka stays, but a store that we first visited in Edinburgh that sells some of the best chocolate I’ve ever tasted. We bought some in Edinburgh, ostensibly as presents for friends but by the time we had reached Glasgow, we had devoured all the presents. We’d return on the last day here and purchase some more.
As we walked toward famed George Square, in front of the Royal Exchange, we once again saw an equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington (as we did in Edinburgh) with a traffic cone resting on his head. “I guess this cone on Wellington, unlike the beef dish, is not rare,” I surmised.
The sculpture dates from 1844, but why the cone? According to Culture Trip, “The first documented sightings of the Duke’s conical hat date back to the 1980s.” and alcohol played a part. The prank eventually became a tradition.
At one point fines were levied for anyone caught coning the Duke. Then they “doubled the height of the plinth to around six feet” to dissuade would-be cone toppers. It didn’t work, and the cones kept coming.
Finally a Facebook “Keep The Cone” campaign with 75,000 likes and a petition signed by 10,000 signatures (both of which took just 24 hours to garner support from Glaswegians) won out, and the cone is now an indelible part of Glasgow culture.
We ducked into the nearby Gallery of Modern Art, but knowing our affinity for modern art we just as quickly ducked out. What in the name of Joan Miró were we thinking?
In another couple of minutes we were at Glasgow’s principal civic meeting place, George Square, which has been the center of Glasgow activity since 1787. It was named after King George III, who’s most recent claim to fame is being the funniest character in Hamilton. “John Adams?” In the center of the square is the statue of Sir Walter Scott.
Other statues in the square include the Father of the Industrial Revolution James Watt, Robbie Burns (we were on a first name basis by now) and an equestrian state of Queen Victoria commemorating her first visit to Glasgow in 1849. I think she would have preferred a cone on her head.
We walked back to Buchanan Street and ducked in the lab, but no scientists could be found. Just off Buchanan, The Lab serves cocktails, including its famous test tube shots. Not wanting to pass out before dinner, we settled on beer and wine (photo from internet).
I had made 7:45 reservations at The Italian Kitchen (92 Albion Street Merchant City), which gets many a good review (for good reason).”
My bruschetta and veal marsala were both good.
Kim and Mary’s Focaccia Pizza was tasty.
And, of course, I had to have that apple tart for dessert.
We geared up for one big last full day in Glasgow, and we’d make the most of it. We’d stop into a world-class art museum with a number of fascinating pieces, a gigantic medieval cathedral (yep, one more), a necropolis on a hill with astounding views and a gorgonzola gnocchi for the ages.
In order to return to the U.S. we would have to test for Covid the following day, which would prove to be quite a weird experience and told us the days of testing to come back to the U.S. were nearing its conclusion.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: ON THE GO IN GLASGOW
