Mary.....Queen of Scots, Bridges, and The Trossacks

Mary… Queen of Scots

Oh what a beautiful morning! This day started out better than we ever would have expected. The air was brisk, but not freezing, and it was not at all damp. The sun broke through off and on and to top it off, the evening surprised us with an ‘almost’ full moon. It is hard to imagine a day more beautiful on this side of eternity!

After our typical Scottish breakfast, we were once again welcomed by Davey, our driver….the kids have taken to calling him King David….he gets on right nicely with them. Actually he and “Uncle Terry” both have found the group quite delightful and quite unlike many of their American groups which they call, stuffy and flat. These students ask great questions.

Among the things we learned today during our drive through the countryside….

A cow is a coo……………..a horse is a hahse……….but a sheep is a sheep                                    A lake is a Loch………..a Bridge is a Firth………but if you want your hahse to go, then say gigi, not giddy-up.

We headed out of Edinburgh today toward the countryside, hoping to make it up into the snow capped mountains to reach the wool mills and Loch Katrine (Lake Katherine). Because of the extreme rains and up to 100 mph winds that came through last Sunday and Monday, many of the roads were still blocked or underwater. The river (well, the tributaries that ran into the River Forth)…was still swollen and running rapidly because “the river broke its banks” (or flooded).  We passed a ‘car park” (parking lot) which was inaccessible due to the floods and there were so many trees down. It really did look like a hurricane had blown through!

Because we were unlikely to make it to our intended destination, Terry and Davey had a great backup plan, and I think it turned out to be better than watching a sheep dog in the field! We took a little side trip (actually, the long way ‘round to the castle) and got to travel through the cutest little towns….what we had imagined that Scotland living would be like. We saw the step gable architecture on homes…and influence from the Vikings. We followed the River Forth, which is the main shipping line and a big reason for the industry in Scotland. We came to realize how close we were to Scandanavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway) and why the Vikings found this an interesting territory to conquer.

Then, round the bend, we came upon one of the great surprises….at least to me….for I had hoped to see the grand Firth of Forth Bridge…..take yourself back to the time of the installation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris….this is the time period and style of the bridge...and, this bridge is comparable to our own Golden Gate Bridge!  …it is a train bridge and it is still in use today. (We saw two trains cross it!) It was one of the great marvels of its own day. Our group shot has not only the rail bridge but also the car bridge in the photo.

We also saw the oldest post box in Scotland, those round red tubes that we see everywhere. This one was stamped with the seal of Queen Victoria!

After re-grouping and loading the bus to get warm again, we headed off to Stirling Castle. I think I will make that a separate post because it was just an incredible experience as well…….

Let’s skip on past the morning visit to the Stirling Castle and head on down the road to the Woolen Mills Stores. (I will get back to the castle later)

It was interesting to see how they weave the tartans (the scottish plaids)...each is a different color or pattern according to the clan (family name).  Of course we had to have our fair share of plaids and some of the girls can not pass up a direction sign called......CLEARANCE. Oh my! Thank goodness for large suitcases!

We had lunch at the Mills and got some great photos of the beautiful snow covered mountains just ahead of us. Though we wanted to, we could not get into the mountains due to the trees that were still blocking roads. Like ours, the mountain roads are the least important when it comes to getting them cleared.

Loading up again, we saw many sheep in the fields, lots of crops  and plowed fields, and even some Highland cows (coos)....if you ever saw a photo of a very hairy cow...with hair down in their eyes...that is a Highland Cow...they have been in Scotland since the 6th Century and are unique to this area. They do not have an extra layer of fat in the winter, but rather, an extra layer of hair. They also call it Highland Angus....or steak....mmmmm. We have not had any.

Off to Loch Lubnaig in an area called the Trossacks (meaning wild area or woodlands)

The lakes are nothing like we have, but are beautiful anyway. The photo does not show the beautiful snow capped mountain behind the group, but you will see more of those photos when I have a chance to do a download. This group loves their cameras and had a great time....in the freezing cold....doing all kinds of great people shots!

After a quick stop in another little town (Aberfoyle, I think) and some GREAT hot chocolate, we headed back to Edinburgh. It was beautiful coming into the town at night. The castle was beautifully lit and we had an almost full moon. WOW!

We made a quick trip to the Tesco Express....somewhat like our Walmart Neighborhood Store ...to pick up some Brittish candies and other goodies. NICE souvenirs! We also learned that the traditional CADBURY chocoate...an English company, was just bought out by Kraft...and the Brits are anything but happy about it! I don't blame them!

Dinner at Jolly's was fantastic and a jolly good time! It was a neighborhood restaurant around the corner from our hotel and we got to pick what we wanted to eat. What could be better than that?!  Everyone returned to the hotel full and exhausted, ready for showers and bed.

I will post more about Mary, Queen of Scots and Stirling Castle, where she grew up. That was a day in itself! Right now it is morning and we are checking out, checking passports (so we can get home again) and heading out for the Burns museum and the Ferry ride to Northern Ireland!

G'Day!