Scotland Overseas Adventure, Part II: Glasgow to Oban, July 5th-9th

Feeling sad to leave wonderful remote Lewis Island, we flew from Stornoway airport to Scotland's largest but green, lively and interesting city Glasgow (population 600,000) to meet the other 10 members for the base trip at the Apex Hotel.

In front of the hotel and marching all over and blocking traffic we confronted the controversial "Orange walkers" which takes place every year, where Protestants celebrate the victory the King William of Orange over the Catholics in the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland in 1690.  They are antagonistic to the Catholics of Glasgow and related to the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland.(Can't they let well enough alone?!)

Glasgow was the "workhorse" of the British empire  with the best Victorian architecture. It was once a fishing village, here when the Romans arrived. In the 1800's-1900 it was a densely packed city of 170,000-1,000,000. Today it is a thriving port with hundreds of shipyards a long the River Clyde. 

Karen and I took a guided walking tour of Glasgow's street art.

James Rennie MacIntosh , famous architect, artist, furniture designer, studied at Glasgow Art School and transformed art of the 20th century. Notable groups of artists at the time included The Four: Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh, Margaret’s sister Frances MacDonald, and Herbert MacNair, Frances’ husband. They were known as ‘The Spook School’, on account of the peculiar stylisations of human and plant forms in their work, featuring limbs, hair and flowing tendrils. We ate dinner at the Willows, famous Macintosh restaurant.

         Glasgow's oldest building, of typical red sandstone

We had lunch in the Gallery of Modern Art, run by a charitable organization, proceeds to the homeless. The above is a touching painting called "The Last Supper" with actual homeless eating there.

In front of the gallery, on the Queen Street pavement, stands a statue of the Duke of Wellington, who led the British in defeating Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo, and twice served as PM, sculpted in 1844.The statue usually has a traffic cone on its head; for many years the authorities regularly removed cones, only for them to be replaced.The jauntily placed cones (as many as 26 at a time) has come to represent the city's light-hearted attitude to authority.

July 6th, our local guide Louis began our Glasgow city tour at the 150 acre Glasgow Green Park (famous as the venue for dancing, Highlander and other concerts, movies, suffragettes, Nelson Mandela, public hangings, the last one in 1864, for Dr. Edward Pletchard who poisoned his wife; 100,000 in attendance!) The red sandstone building is modeled on the Doges Palace in Venice, was once a brewery and most famous as the Templeton Carpet Factory, making carpets for most European palaces.

Originally built in the 6th century, the cathedral is now Church of Scotland, founded by John Knox. Calvinists believe that the body is an abomination, a woman should not be queen and that only certain people were destined to be saved, but whose doctrine of universal education requiring every parish to have a school, ensured a 70% literacy rate by 1750! The Scottish Reformation led to the industrial revolution. There are many variations of the Church of Scotland, but most haven't permitted electricity or any entertainment on Sundays, no celebration of Christmas until 1958. We viewed it from the ecumenical Necropolis (like Pere la Chaise in Paris) where 100,000 are buried, including Andrew Carnegie, Alexander Graham Bell and other famous people .

 The University of Glasgow is a public research university in Glasgow. Founded by papal bull in 1451, it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities.

The acceptance rate is about 65%. Famous people who have studied there are on the beautiful gate

Kelvingrove Art Museum is one of the major attractions of Glasgow.

I spent several hours admiring the art and was especially interested in Scottish art and became acquainted with the Glasgow Boys, who were the most significant group of artists working in Britain at the end of the 19th century, inspired by artists working in Holland, France and London, especially Jules Bastien-Lepage and James McNeill Whistler. At first they painted rural people and landscapes, later, affluent Glasgow suburbians. Eventually color, texture and pattern became more important. I bought a print of Hornel's "Coming of Spring."

There are many amazing paintings and sculptures such as the very valuable St. John of the Cross (1951) by Salvador Dali.

Many people enjoyed the afternoon organ concert in the gorgeous hall

Mechanical inventions like the Grand Orrery, showing the movement of the planets, are on display. There are incredible exhibits on many subjects. I will do a separate blog of other museum favorites.

That evening we ate dinner (I even tried haggis, below) and visited the other rooms of the beautiful Mackintosh at the Willow Tearooms. We learned about this important building and the original owner, Katherine Cranston (featured on the Royal Bank of Scotland 20 pound notes) and designers Charles Mackintosh & wife Margaret Macdonald.

July 7 was a wonderful day in Ayrshire, known as "Robert Burns Country," and the small village of Alloway where the "National Bard," the "Ploughman Poet" was born January 25, 1759. Our wonderful guide Hugh, a descendant, was an amazing older gentleman who recited Burns poetry as he showed us the cottage where the poet was born, the small farm where he lived...

Old Alloway Kirk and graveyard where Hugh recited Tam O'Shanter"

Brig O'Doon (old bridge over the Doon River) and a short visit to the Robert Burns Museum to learn more about his life and many loves! "The greatest Scot"wrote in favor of abolition, after refusing several times to work on a Jamaican plantation, and admired George Washington and the American Revolution. Among his many lyrics is Auld Lang Syne, which is sung worldwide.

Driving back to Glasgow we learned that all new houses must have solar panels. The UK supplies 40% of Europe's wind power. 97% of Scotland's energy is renewable.

We had a delicious couscous lunch at Soul Sisters in Glasgow, a charity to assist immigrants. (12% of the population in Scotland) run by Djamilla and her team of Hanadi and Ahlam.

   Glasgow has a bit of everything, including an old ice cream truck

Some of us took a walk in the Glasgow Botanical Gardens where our new friendly bus driver Rod dropped us off. We walked back along the River Kelvin (scientist who discovered absolute 0 and more), then rode the Clockwork Orange metro (third oldest in the world after London and Budapest) with circular lines (no transfers). Valerie and Karen peek from behind enormous leaves.

We divided into two groups that evening for fun, delicious dinners home-hosted by Glasgow families. Above the first group going to dine with Siobhan and Brendan Connolly. My group enjoyed meeting Emma, David, Oliver (11) and Maisie (8) Kelly (at top), Celtic fans!

July 8th, Rod drove us to the amazingly gorgeous Scottish Highlands to the beautiful seaside town of Oban.

We drove through the Loch Lomond and the Trossacks National Park, stopping at the Bonny Bonny Banks of Loch Lomond for a walk through the fairy woods. We didn't encounter any trolls ...

           but made sure we let the fairies take away any worries!

In, Luss we saw a 7th -8th century Viking Hogback grave, then drove through Glencoe to have lunch at the Glencoe Mountain Resort. I had a typical Scottish lunch of grilled cheese sandwich (a toastie) and soup. Glamping huts.

  

The Three Sisters area.

The Highlands are spectacular, but also the setting of a tragic event in Scottish history: The Massacre of Glencoe, which occurred on February 13, 1692, involved the killing of at least 38 MacDonald clan members (generous as hosts) by soldiers billeted with them, under the command of Captain Robert Campbell of Glenlyon. The massacre was the result of a failure by the clan chief (a Jacobite?) to swear allegiance to the new Protestant monarchs, William and Mary, by the deadline, despite having made efforts to do so. This failure was exploited by political enemies to justify a deadly attack. 

We stopped to visit a wonderful turf house. I bought a ring & scarf pin

That evening in Oban, we walked from our hotel,The Scot, to the Rockfield Center in an old primary school, where we learned about the history of Oban (a small resort town with a large whisky distillery. Important during WWII for transatlantic cable, slate, fishing, granite quarry, shipbuilding) and now, in addition, tourism.

July 9 we visited a Highland cattle farm, owned by Queenie and John Strickland, and managed by Stuart Campbell, who showed us all the vitamins, hair products, manicure tools to prepare the Heilan Coos for shows. Originally these beautiful highland cows were sold to breeders in Europe, but now the sperm and embryos can more easily be sold to Europeans and Americans. We rode a tractor to see 20+ docile cows.

Queenie fed us a delicious and healthy lunch in their beautiful home.

On the way back to Oban we stopped at the lovely St. Conan's church, finished in 1930, financed and built by Walter Campbell. Inside is the tomb of Robert the Bruce (famous king who reigned 1306-29, and led the first war of Scottish independence).

     Some of us walked along the bay to the lovely Dunolie Wood, but                  the ruined castle site was closed.

Time for shopping, then Karen and I climbed the hill to McCaig Tower (which is in a ring like a colosseum, built to give work for workers) for spectacular views of Oban, the sea and distant islands

       We ate the best fish and chips ever!

Next part begins with Mull, Iona, and back to Oban and onward!