Blogs from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

TOUR 07 – Best of Britain - Trafalgar – 14 Days – THU, 15 SEP 2022 - Day 8: On to Fort William and the Scottish Highlands - Journey along Loch Lomond, whose bonnie banks were immortalised in the well-known Scottish song. We arrive in Glencoe and remember the MacDonald clansmen who died tragically in the 1692 massacre which led this place to be called the 'Glen of Weeping'. At the World War II Commando Memorial near Fort William, we admire views of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Our day in beautiful surrounds comes to an end with a cosy dinner at our hotel located within the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands. Hotel – The Laggan Hotel Newtonmore, Scotland; Included Meals - Breakfast, Dinner... read more

As I type this entry we are on the train from Inverness to Glasgow, meaning we are now in the final days of our trip. It’s a three-hour train ride, so hopefully I can get caught up on the last three days. They are shore entries as they were not jammed back days. After breakfast we headed out in the car to Montrose, the first potential summer retirement home of the day. The drive is getting easier for both me and Jerry. We did not really stop in Montrose but did a drive through it did not really speak to us as a place we would want to spend two months every year. From Montrose we headed up the shore line through Inverbervie, a tiny village that does not ever make the guide books. Jerry marked ... read more

Dear All Greetings from the Scottish Highlands! I’m really quite excited to be here. While there is much to see in the country, it seems that the Highlands are what make Scotland quintessentially Scotland. It is the region of high fells, forested hills, snow-capped mountains, rushing rivers and Highland Games such as tossing the caber. It is also the wildest part of Great Britain, where wild deer are common and golden eagles can still be seen. I am looking forward to exploring this part of the country for the next six days: three days spent here in Ballater in the eastern part of the Cairngorms National Park, and three days spent in Carrbridge near Aviemore, in the northern part. My goodness the weather has changed since yesterday. So far I think I’ve been really fortunate with ... read more

Days 28 and 29 - By Car, Boat, and Train After breakfast we checked out and drove over to the beach. It was another lovely morning in Scotland, meaning the sun ALMOST came out. We stopped at the amusement park from last night and rode the VR roller coaster Michelle had been eyeing before we left. Then we headed to Innoflate, a new inflatable fun house. We got a nifty pair of lime green antimicrobial socks, and tickets for a half hour of bouncing. 30 minutes was PLENTY. After the first 15 minutes of bouncing, sliding, bouncing, climbing, bouncing, running through inflated obstacles, and more bouncing were ready for a break and wondering just how long we had been in there. Tony showed off his ability to launch small children into the air as well as ... read more

We arrived in Aberdeen Wed 23 May after driving through the picturesque fertile farming region of Angus/Aberdeen. And, yes, fields of gold everywhere. We checked in to the Great Western Guest House. The proprietors, Paul & Wanapat, were very welcoming and friendly. Our room had a big photo of Sydney Harbour on the wall. Cute! We teed off at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club at 8am the next day. A little cool. Light jumper and jacket stayed on for 18 holes. Royal Aberdeen is a reciprocal club of Royal Canberra. The club and the course lived up to our expectations. A typical links course and quite tough. I was advised to play the Green Tees - thank goodness! I lost no balls (possibly because I was in so many bunkers lol). Bill only lost one but not ... read more