Scotland Overseas Adventure, Part III: Oban to Edinburgh

July 10 we took the Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferry from Oban to the Isle of Mull and met our driver Richard who drove us to Fionnphort where we caught a smaller ferry to the Isle of Iona, had sandwiches and scones before meeting our local guide Jana (longtime residents of German origin).

Breath-taking scenery! On Mull there are 10,000 deer and 3200 people

(from Mull to Iona) School kids spent week boarding in Oban, then home on weekends

We had lunch at the Argyll House, then met our guide Jana, who showed us around the restored buildings and ruins of the Iona Abbey 

Here St. Columba of Ireland in the sixth century traveled to this small Scottish island to spread Christianity. He built a Celtic church, Iona Abbey, where the famous Book of Kells is believed to have been written. Over the centuries the church was repeatedly raided by Vikings, destroyed and rebuilt, finished in the 12th century, and then abandoned during the Scottish Reformation.

           Home of the Macleods, founders of the Iona community

On the way back by ferry, bus, and ferry from Iona we stopped for photos, listened to poetry and songs. So beautiful!

July 11 we left Oban and headed up the Great Glen following the route of Thomas Telford's Caledonian (Roman name for Scotland, though Romans never conquered Scotland) Canal (finished in 1852) which links the great lochs (Lochy, Oich, and Ness). We had a short stop in Fort William where we saw the old Jacobite steam train (or Hogwart's Express in Harry Potter films)

Organization est. 1952, after 330,000 troops were rescued at Dunkirk

Ben Nevis, tallest mountain in Scotland

Fort Augustus on the shores of Loch Ness,where we stopped for lunch 

    We visited the ruined Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness

Our visit to the museum was interrupted by a fire alarm (false alarm!) We arrived at our hotel in beautiful Inverness (=mouth of the Ness River) before dinner at the Mustard Seed and afterwards loved the music at the Highlander Bar.

     Inverness City Hall

The hottest day of the year, Rod drove us to Clava Cairns, an ancient stone circle and burial site

We then headed to Culloden Battlefield, site of the last (and very short) pitched battle on British soil at the end of the final Jacobite (those who wanted to restore the House of Stuart) uprising on April 16, 1746, where Bonnie Prince Charlie, against the advice of his leading commanders, insisted on fighting against better armed and prepared British government troops under Duke of Cumberland, was quickly defeated, with 1500 dead. Great visitors center! 

Lunch back in Inverness at Victorian Market, visit to Leakey famous used bookstore, Old High Church behind where St. Columba preached Christianity to the Picts (original inhabitants of Scotland).

Valerie, Karen and I walked a long ways along the River Ness to the annual Highland Games and watched the dancing, shot-put, and weight throwing over a bar competitions, listened to the famed and wonderful MacGregor multi-instrument Ceilidh band, then walked back to shop and meet the group for dinner in town at the Aye Eat.

Our hotel is across the river, but a ways around by the closest bridge

The church down the street from our Glen Mhor Hotel on the river

Inverness Castle on the hill above the River Ness

The 11th-century castle was occupied by English troops in 1303 as part of Edward I's attempts to seize Scotland. In 1308 Robert Bruce recaptured the castle and had it destroyed to prevent it from being used by the English. It was rebuilt in the 19th century

July 13 we left Inverness through the Highlands via the Cairngorms National Park (the second of Scotland's 2 national parks). We stopped to see the old Coffin Bridge (coffins used to be carried across it somehow in Carrbridge, also known for its porridge and chainsaw competition 

and met a very gregarious little boy Noah who was impressed to meet so many Americans!

In the town of Birnam we took a walk with local guide Nicky along the longest river in Scotland, the Tay.

We passed the famous 600 year old Birnam Oak as featured in Shakespeare's Macbeth: "Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him." In Shakespeare's Macbeth, Birnam Wood's movement to Dunsinane is a crucial element of the play's climax and a fulfillment of witches' prophecy. It signifies Macbeth's downfall, as the advancing army uses branches from the forest to disguise their advance, making it appear as though the wood is moving. This event shatters Macbeth's false sense of security and pride derived from his misinterpretation of the prophecy.

We had lunch in the beautiful village of Dunkeld, where I visited the cathedral

After lunch we drove to Glamis Castle in Angus. It dates back to the 14th century as a royal hunting lodge. It is steeped in folklore, including associations with Macbeth (who is the Duke of Glamis in the beginning) and tales of ghosts, and where the Queen Mother spent most of her childhood. She never expected her husband Edward to be King after her brother was killed serving in the Black Watch.

There was a large vintage car show, so the castle grounds were mobbed. And we got stuck behind tractors, old cars, etc.

After dinner in our Apex Hotel in Dundee (Scotland's fourth largest city) we enjoyed watching Rebecca, a national highland dance champion and her musician friend Kit perform. We also participated in the Ceilidh dances afterwards.

 July 14th we drove to the seaside town of St. Andrews, 30 miles northeast of Edinburgh in the Kingdom of Fife, and is the home of golf (1500's) and a world class university, and the birthplace of the Scottish Reformation under John Knox in the 16th century.

The gigantic cathedral is in ruins, as is the castle with its medieval dungeon. 

    There is a natural cold swimming pool that some brave souls use

          And down the street is the University established in 1413.

We ate lunch in town after playing golf on the St. Andrews Old Course putting green. I was pleased to be where my grandfather had played serious golf. Karen, Nancy, Valerie and I played a friendly 18 holes.

Back in Dundee, leader in shipbuilding, naval technology, whaling ships,we explored the Discovery from top to bottom, inside and out. RRS Discovery is a barque-rigged auxiliary steamship built in Dundee, Scotland for Antarctic research. Launched in 1901, she was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in the U. Kingdom. 

First voyage, Scott was captain, Shackleton was an officer

Fascinating story! I can't imagine being stuck in ice for 2-3 years!

Next door is the V&A Design Museum (sister to the larger Victoria and Albert Museum in London) with its interesting architecture.

A design competition took place in 2010 to decide what the museum would look like. The Japanese architect Kengo Kuma won the competition; his design was inspired by the eastern cliff edges of Scotland. 

I appreciated the great display of Palestinian embroidered dresses. During the first Intifada (1987-93), a period of Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation, embroidery gained fresh power as a means of protest. Women stitched dresses in secret to wear in demonstrations, mingling traditional motifs with new designs inspired by resistance.

Nadia Maged El-Nakla is a Scottish psychotherapist, political activist and politician. She was elected as a councilor on Dundee City Council since 2022, representing the West End of Dundee. She is a member of the Scottish National Party. I read her fascinating autobiography.

         

The "Taybridge" likely refers to the Tay Rail Bridge that collapsed in 1879. It was designed by Thomas Bouch and connected Dundee to Fife but suffered a catastrophic failure during a storm, resulting in a major disaster. There's also a Tay Road Bridge, a separate structure. 

That evening Dominic beautifully presented his controversial topic: Scotland's Independence (pro's and con's, of which there are many. Scotland is split on the topic). Scotland has its own Parliament, with decision making on many issues, but the British Parliament can also vote on many issues for which Scotland's representation is absent or in the minority.

Dundee is known for 3 "J's": Jute (grown in India, made in 1800's into sail cloth for ships in Dundee), Jam (marmalade), and Journalism (newspapers and comics). An interesting city, but we had to move on to Edinburgh, a wonderful city!

July 15 we spend the morning detouring on our way to Edinburgh at the gorgeous Teasses Estate. The acres upon acres of vegetable, flower and wooded gardens are spectacular. Unfortunately my phone wasn't working, so take my word for it! The estate manager Craig took us for a stroll, showing us the manor house, and helping us understand the importance of land management for the economy of Scotland, as it pertains to hunting and fishing, and for the ecology as it provides a habitat for different species of wildlife. 

Stevie, a world class bagpiper, explained the instrument and all the parts of the national dress of kilt and tartan. He played for us and let some of our group (Charlene, David and Ted) try out this difficult instrument. We also had a delicious lunch served by Amelia, the granddaughter of the estate owners, in the glass green house.

On our way across the Kingdom of Fife to Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, we learn about the three centuries of cutting edge engineering which led to the First (beam and truss) railroad bridge.

Second cable-stayed suspension,longest in Europe) when built in 1964

the new "Queensferry crossing" a cable-stayed road bridge which opened in 2017. Each has their own features and design. Together they are an amazing sight. The original road bridge, seen here in the evening light was opened in 1964. I was taken across it on the day of opening. The second road bridge (nearby) was needed due to the large volume of traffic and structural problems with the original (the one seen here).

Forth Road Bridge operating as a public transport corridor, 2024. Queensferry Crossing, the newer road bridge crossing the Firth of Forth (built 2017) is shown in the background.
In Edinburgh we have dinner on the Royal Mile  opposite the St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland so not really a cathedral)

After dinner Karen and I walked most of the Royal Mile (High Street) to the magnificent Holyrood Palace (the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland). We took the tour the following day. (no photos allowed inside)

The palace adjoins Holyrood Abbey and the gardens are set within Hoyrood Park. The King's Gallery was converted from existing buildings at the western entrance to the palace and was opened in 2002 to exhibit works of art from the Royal Collection

King Charles III spends one week in residence at Holyrood at the beginning of summer, where he carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies. The 16th-century historic apartments of Mary Queen of Scots and the State Apartments, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public throughout the year, except when members of the Royal family are in residence. The palace also serves as the official residence of the Lord High Commissioner to the  General Assembly of the Church of Scotland during the annual meeting of the General Assembly.

Across the Street is the Scottish Parliament, a very modern building.Construction of the building commenced in June 1999, and the members of the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the new building on 7 September 2004. 

Other buildings along the Royal Mile (castle to palace)

Edinburgh is a very vibrant, tourist-filled city, with so much to see!

We took a tour of the castle which dominates the city at the opposite end of the Royal Mile. Behind Holyrood is Arthur's Seat a magnificent hill with a great view which I regrettably didn't have time to climb.

Edinburgh Castle stands on Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the reign of Malcolm III in the 11th century, and the castle continued to be a royal residence until 1633.

We stayed in Grassmarket, below the castle, an area with lots of pubs and history.

Until his death in 1872, faithful Greyfriars Bobby visited the grave of his master in Greyfriars Cemetery every day for 14 years. 

The Last Drop pub is located on Grassmarket which is one of Edinburgh's main market squares, formed under the 1477 ordinance of King James III. Used as a gathering point for market traders and cattle drovers, the Grassmarket was traditionally a place of taverns, hostel and temporary lodgings. The market closed in 1911. Around 1660 it became a noted place for public executions, hangings on an almost daily basis until February 4, 1784, the last person to be hanged was James Andrews, a robber. The last drop is said to refer to the last drink a prisoner was allowed before his hanging, but also refers to his last drop through the scaffold trapdoor! There were also witch hunts, and persecutions of those who refuse to adhere to the new religion.

The Edinburgh Arts Festival, held since 1947 is approaching in August, so bleachers are being set up next to the castle and elsewhere.

The old city of Edinburgh is 901 years old when a 1124 charter allowed the city to hold a market trade. In the 1700's it was expanded, with a New City for the wealthy, and includes Charlotte Square, Queen Street, etc. Alexander Graham Bell, Dr Lister (discovered carbolic acid, Dr. Simpson (chloroform as anesthesia for childbirth), Robert Louis Stevenson (moved here at age 8 with lung problems; observing children playing in the park across the street he got the idea for Treasure Island), G Maxwell who discovered electro-magnetism, and other prominent Scots.

Our last full day we took a new tram down to Leith and the Royal Yacht Britannia, floating palace on which Queen Elizabeth sailed the world, It was retired in after 44 years from service in 1997, when the government decided the money could be better spent, I guess!

Royal dining room above, the queen's office, surgery, infirmary, below

I guess I won't be able to sail, but am grateful for all the other transports that have allowed me to discover wonderful Scotland!

I spent my last afternoon at the wonderful National Art Gallery next to the Sir Walter Scott monument and Park.

I especially focused on the Scottish art exhibits and share just a few..

                      Charles-Emil Jacque's  Leaving the Stall

Wandering Shadows, by Peter Graham (beautiful Scottish Highlands)

         illustrations of Shakespeare plays

                               Saint Agnes by David Gould

John Duncan's Saint Bride, "foster mother of Jesus" being carried from Iona to witness the birth of Christ.

Sir William Allan Murder of David Rizzio (1833). The assassination of Italian musician and private secretary to Mary Queen of Scots as she looks on, restrained by her jealous husband Lord Darnley, implicated in the plot in Holyrood Palace.

                 William Crozier's Edinburgh from Salisbury Crags

Unfortunately it was time for our farewell dinner at Maison Bleue and good-bye to our new friends, our wonderful tour leader Dominic Youe, and to a beautiful country I've fallen in love with

     Karen Jakobovits, Nancy Sandwick, Valerie Sopher, Dominic Youe, Bill Young, Michele Roche, Phyllis Bender, Hope Davison

Karen and Dave Finkel, Miriam, Paul and Barbara Upson, Charlene and Tom Virts

Unfortunately it was time for our farewell dinner and good-bye to our new friends, our wonderful tour leader Dominic Youe, and to a beautiful country I've fallen in love with.

I flew from Edinburgh to London (photo below), to Chicago to Salt Lake City early morning July 18