Bonnie Scotland

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It doesn't appear that my last blog has made it to the publisher?? In case you haven't received it, I will published an abridged version.

We've now landed in bonnie Scotland. Flew from Amsterdam to Edinburgh and the weather has continued to be fine and warm. In fact England has had it's hotest day on record 32.5 degrees C and we've had it pretty warm up this way too. Anyway we've hired a car between, Stuart and Clare and Bird and I and the first thing you have to do is learn how to start it, without and operations manual and no car keys (a keyless car). Now that's different for those of us from the colonies! Finally figured it out, so we'll get on the road and figure out the other essentials as we go, like indicators, wind screen wipers and car stereo etc. It's been 3 days now and we've figured out most things, including the petrol cap release. It doesn't have a release you just pull it open by hand.

Great to catch up with Wilma and Pam. They are really lovely people with great sense of humour and you've got to love that soft Scottish accent. Stuart and Clare got the spare room, Bird and I took over Pam's room. Pam and Wilma aren't great on cooking so the meals will be courtesy of the local take-aways e.g. the chippy (fish and chips), Chinese and Indian. Yesterday we went to see the ruins (the name escapes me) of a 15th century castle. This was on the first day we've had that resembled anything like rain. The castle ruins were shrouded in mist and fog and for this Maori boy, it had this wairua (spirit) which you could feel..... well I could! Great!!

Then onto Abberdeen to have lunch and do some shopping...... you gotta do that. Then onto Balmoral Castle where the royal family like to spend their Xmas's. The drive their reminded Bird and I of the trip through Reefton and Murchison to Greymouth, on the West Coast of NZ. Truelly magnificent. Balmoral was closed by the time we got there so we missed out on taking a stroll through the grounds, but we (Bird and I ) may go back there before we leave to have a better look.

Today it was 'meet the family' day, which was great. Bird burst into tears when she met her cousin David for the first time. The absolute ringer for her dad, Jock and if I must say so myself, he even spoke and sounded like Jock. I must say I was kind of mizmerized by him myself, having flashbacks to Jock and many of the good times we had together, especially with a beer in hand.

Tomorrow we head to the Isle of Skye. We'll overnight there. I'm told that that is where Bird's mum's (Joan) family come from, the McMillans.

So that's it for now.

P.S. Everyone keeps telling us that the weather is not normal. Doen't worry us, as long as it continues.

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Comments

[Ian]

thnx
Holly is in Scotland in Hamilton. Just about due back from her holidays. Due to start a new job on August 2nd. I sent Fiona her email so hopefully she would have it by now. She would love to catch up with you.