Blogs from Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 11

27th September First Port of call - Invergorden We hadn’t made up all the time lost following our late departure from Dover but we finally dropped anchor at 9.45am, which meant some of the early tours were late leaving but our Scenic Highland Drive went as scheduled. As expected on a tour of passengers aged 50+ the tours are described as Panoramic, Easy, Moderate or Strenuous. Our days of strenuous tours are long gone !! The morning was a mixture of weather, mist, cloud, drizzle and sunshine but that didn’t spoil the tour which was very scenic. We left the dock area and followed the banks of the Cromarty Firth. Our guide was full of interesting snippets about the area, as well as historical & geographic information we learnt of the connections to the area with ... read more

Things were not looking good for a photography week, although the weather in London is not necessarily a reflection of the weather in the islands of Scotland. I left the airport hotel and it was pouring with rain. It was about a 10 minute walk from the hotel to London City Airport and I was sweaty and wet when I got there. Great, I'm going to have to spend the rest of the day sitting in wet clothes! I dropped off my bag, which, I hope, is checked in all the way to Stornoway, but I guess I will find out whether or not that is the case when I get there. I kept my camera gear in hand-luggage as, if that goes missing, I'm going to struggle on a photography week with no camera. Security ... read more

SAT, 17 SEP 2022 - Day 10: Journey to Enchanting Edinburgh - Heading back to the lowlands of Scotland, we stop in Pitlochry before heading to the historic home of golf, St. Andrews. Here, the first games were played during the 1400s. See its famous 18th hole before crossing the Firth of Forth to Scotland's enchanting capital, Edinburgh. Tickets to see the spectacular Edinburgh Tattoo (5-27 August 2022) are included on departures that coincide with performance dates.... read more

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

I leave the Highlands after passing Kilchurn Castle in my previous blog at . This fourth and final blog of my ancestral visitations to castles in Scotland covers my visits to the Lothians. 31 Aug 2022 Wednesday. My next stop of the day is Doune Castle which was originally constructed on the site of a Roman fort in the 1200's, but restored to its current structure by Sir Robert Stewart, 3rd Duke of Albany (17th ggf), the younger son of King Robert II of Scotland (18th ggf). His ascendancy continued when his elder brother, Sir John Stewart, Earl of Carrick (17th ggf), gained the throne as Robert III (the name change was to avoid connection with the earlier English appointed King John Balliol). However, King Robert III "The Lame" suffered a debilitating injury from a horse ... read more