Thursday, 12 July 2018
Glasgow - vibrant and dynamic!
We came to Glasgow after 11 fabulous days in Iceland, a largely rural country. It was a nice break to be in a vibrant city with a long history and with its share of beautiful medieval as well as dynamic contemporary architecture. We explored the city in a day and a half, primarily on our feet. One day, I logged almost 24,000 steps on my app going from the University of Glasgow area down to the river front and back to the centre and further exploring the centre. It was exhausting but also exhilarating to have so many things in a city that I wanted to see in the little time we had. We had to leave on various day trips and then for the Isle of Skye for the rest of our stay.
We stayed at an airbnb in the centre right in Merchant City, a charming historical section with lots of beautiful historic buildings. It was a short walk to the riverfront which was pleasant to walk along and offered many photo ops, on a fine day, that is. Our second walk by the riverfront was not as pleasant because of the drizzly weather but nevertheless interesting to see all the activities and dynamic structures in the area, including the SEC Event Campus which consisted of the Armadillo auditorium, the SEC Hydro arena and the conference centre. Not far from this was also the stunning Riverside Museum, a creation by architect Zaha Hadid.
The City Centre was a great mix of old and new, lots of pubs and restaurants to meet every taste, and quite a few pedestrian malls which made the centre very pedestrian friendly. There were lots of people around giving it all a festive feeling. The City brand "People make Glasgow" seemed to be dead on. It was also one of the friendliest places for tourists - people stopped to help even without being asked and one nice student even googled the Cathedral to confirm its exact location so he could point us to it. It was one city that made us feel very comfortable to be walking around in, at least in the city centre. (I just noticed in the online publicity that Glasgow has been voted "the world's friendliest city" - so my vibes were correct!). I should also mention that it has one of the cheapest and easiest Airport to town connections we have encountered in our travels.
We ate out every night trying different restaurants. One night we ate at the City Merchant, right in Merchant City. Please read about it on Food Sparks, the food blog.
Practical tips:
- Airport Express 15 minutes to downtown. Group fare for 5 people or less was only 30GBP($52 CAD) roundtrip!
- Marks & Spencer's on Argyle has an excellent food section where you can get all your groceries if you're staying at an airbnb. I brought some of their Devon scones home with me - best ever!
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| University of Glasgow tower in the distance |
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| Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum - very much a teaching museum |
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| Inside the Art Gallery |
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| Interesting art installation in the atrium |
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| University of Glasgow |
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| The Main Hall at the University |
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| Beautiful stained glass in the chapel |
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| Riverside Museum of Transportation (architect Zaha Hadid) - a 20 minute walk from the University of Glasgow. When we visited, there happened to be one of the Tall Ships anchored beside the museum and we were able to go aboard for a free visit. There was a nice café inside the museum. |
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| Also on the waterfront, the SEC Hydro arena and the Armadillo auditorium provided more spectacular architecture. |
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| The Clyde Arc bridge in the general neighbourhood. |
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| A long walkway connecting the event space to the train station - obviously strategically located for the movement of large crowds. |
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| Central train station (1879) - the train seems very well used. We took the train from the SEC Centre to Central Station, which is right in the downtown centre. |
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| The modern subway - surprisingly compact |
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| St. Enoch's station |
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| Typical Glasgow mix of old and new |
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| The medieval Glasgow Cathedral |
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| Beautiful stained glass throughout |
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| A mural near the Cathedral depicts a modern day St. Mungo, the patron saint of Glasgow. I've found the mural a very touching and impactful painting. |
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| I love the red brick that is prevalent in the part of downtown called Merchant City |
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| The Merchant City Clock Tower at Glasgow cross which used to be the centre of medieval Glasgow |
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| One of many bridges on the River Clyde - the City Union Bridge is a railway bridge. |
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| The Tradeston bridge is a pedestrian bridge - also known locally as the "squiggly bridge" |
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| Another stunning mural - one of many in Glasgow |
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| The oldest pub in Glasgow (circa 1515) under the threat of the wrecking ball |
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| The famous spiral staircase inside the Lighthouse, building designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. There is also a Mackintosh exhibit inside - in the Centre for Design and Architecture. |
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| One of the Willow Tea Rooms - inspired by Mackintosh |
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| The opulent interior of the Glasgow City Chambers |
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| George Square - the centre of everything |
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| The Argyle pedestrian mall - you can find everything here, but shops close early |
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| In front of the old concert hall - these two perfect subjects are dressed up for a themed travel convention...;-) |
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| The Glasgow brand: People Make Glasgow |
Next post: Ayrshire - Robbie Burns country
Sunday, 15 July 2018
Ayrshire - Rabbie Burns Country
Our first day out of Glasgow, we joined a day tour to Ayrshire, visiting Culzean Castle and Rabbie Burns country. Culzean Castle
was the former home of the Marquess of Ailsa, chief of Clan Kennedy,
but has now been turned over to the National Trust of Scotland and is
considered the "jewel in the crown". The 18th century castle, more like a
country house with battlements, was designed by architect Robert Adam.
The best aspect of the castle in my view is its site on the top of a
cliff with waves crashing at its feet. But it also has lovely grounds,
including a walled garden, the beautiful ruins of a viaduct and many old
trees along its many walking paths.
There was a nice friendly cafe on the castle grounds with delicious homemade scones among its offerings. After lunch we headed towards Alloway into Rabbie Burns country. On the way we stopped at the ruins of Dunure Castle, also by the sea. There is a certain air of romance around ruins that made them very attractive. We had seen another one (Baltersan Castle) earlier on the way to Culzean castle but we didn't have time to stop at the ruins of Crossraguel Abbey, which looked very pretty online.
Our first view of the Brig O'doon was exactly as I had seen it in photos - what a stunning sight! It was the photo that made me want to come down to Ayrshire - a must-see for me and as luck would have it, the sun came out for us just at the right time after a windy cloudy morning at the Castle. Unfortunately, the gardens, which looked gorgeous from the gates, were closed by the time we got there but we just made it into the Alloway Church beside it to see the beautiful interior with its amazing stained glass. Our guide Iain had put on songs and poetry by Rabbie Burns on our way down to the countryside, putting us right in the mood for a visit to his birthplace. Iain reminded us of his poem "To a mouse" and how he derived deep philosophical insight from a common incident encountered so when we walked by the sculpture of the mouse on the Poet's Path to his cottage, we recognized what we were looking at.
It was an excellent day trip from Glasgow - highly recommended!
Practical tips:
- The "z" in Culzean Castle isn't pronounced; I asked the guide as I kept wondering whether I was misspelling it.
- Check the hours of the different pieces of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum before you visit so you don't miss seeing important places like the gardens which supposedly close at 5pm but was closed when we got there at 4pm. The Church was open till 4pm.
There was a nice friendly cafe on the castle grounds with delicious homemade scones among its offerings. After lunch we headed towards Alloway into Rabbie Burns country. On the way we stopped at the ruins of Dunure Castle, also by the sea. There is a certain air of romance around ruins that made them very attractive. We had seen another one (Baltersan Castle) earlier on the way to Culzean castle but we didn't have time to stop at the ruins of Crossraguel Abbey, which looked very pretty online.
Our first view of the Brig O'doon was exactly as I had seen it in photos - what a stunning sight! It was the photo that made me want to come down to Ayrshire - a must-see for me and as luck would have it, the sun came out for us just at the right time after a windy cloudy morning at the Castle. Unfortunately, the gardens, which looked gorgeous from the gates, were closed by the time we got there but we just made it into the Alloway Church beside it to see the beautiful interior with its amazing stained glass. Our guide Iain had put on songs and poetry by Rabbie Burns on our way down to the countryside, putting us right in the mood for a visit to his birthplace. Iain reminded us of his poem "To a mouse" and how he derived deep philosophical insight from a common incident encountered so when we walked by the sculpture of the mouse on the Poet's Path to his cottage, we recognized what we were looking at.
It was an excellent day trip from Glasgow - highly recommended!
Practical tips:
- The "z" in Culzean Castle isn't pronounced; I asked the guide as I kept wondering whether I was misspelling it.
- Check the hours of the different pieces of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum before you visit so you don't miss seeing important places like the gardens which supposedly close at 5pm but was closed when we got there at 4pm. The Church was open till 4pm.
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| Walled garden and the land side of the castle |
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| The cliff side overlooking the Firth of Clyde |
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| The viaduct |
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| The ruined arch of the viaduct |
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| The Clock tower |
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| The impressive display of arms over the fireplace inside the Castle |
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| Inside the main hall with its columns and graceful double staircase |
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| I don't know what to call this other than "gorgeous"! |
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| Red deer on the grounds |
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| The visitor centre courtyard itself is quite beautiful |
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| Looking at the castle from the visitor centre |
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| The ruins of Dunure Castle |
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| Looking out at the sea from Dunure castle |
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| Ruins of Baltersan Castle near Maybole |
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| The Brig O'Doon in Alloway |
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| On the Brig O'Doon |
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| The Alloway Church |
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| The Old Kirk and Cemetery with inscriptions dating back to 1612 |
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| The mouse - on Poet's Path |
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| Robbie Burns' birthhouse |
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| The animals stayed in the same house |
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| Beautiful wood carving "Witches & Warlocks in a Dance" from Tam o'Shanter inside the museum |
Monday, 16 July 2018
Stirling Castle and Whiskey!
Here
are two places that one must visit if one is in Scotland - Stirling
Castle and a Whiskey Distillery. So that's what we did - joined another
day tour to visit both. We spent the morning at the castle - it was very
impressive and its walls remarkably thick. There were wonderful views
of the countryside from the battlements, some interesting nooks and
crannies in the castle, a lovely airy chapel and some beautiful wood
carvings inside the museum.
We had lunch in a nondescript little town, the highlight of which was the butcher shop that had some amazing pies which we were able to purchase for dinner - the steak pie was the most delicious!
The tour was supposed to include Loch Lomond but it happened to be raining when we were there and the driver guide dropped us off at a point on the huge lake that was not very scenic, rain or shine. I have included here a photo of Loch Lomond that we took when we were on the way back from the Isle of Skye. Still, it was just another large lake that I can't get too excited about other than that it was glorified in song. I suppose one has to stay here and have some interaction with it before one can truly experience it - it's just not a one-stop wonder.
We visited the Glengoyne Whiskey Distillery and saw how whiskey was made. It was an interesting tour. It was quite amazing to see how relatively "simple" the process for making this expensive spirit was compared to winemaking - no grapes to grow, no fields to irrigate and no praying for good weather! Apparently, a barrel of 50 year old whiskey sells for 12-20,000 GBP! But I did enjoy the 12 year old shot that came with the tour ticket. :-)
Practical tip:
- pay the extra 3 GBP for the two dram tour at the Whiskey Distillery; you get to try the 18 year old whiskey which I'm sure is worth it.
- feel free to skip Loch Lomond if you were just going to stop and take a photo - you could be on any lake if you don't have time to spend a few days to experience it.
Variations of the unicorn (Royal Coat of Arms used by the Kings of Scotland and now Scotland's "national animal") inside the castle...
We had lunch in a nondescript little town, the highlight of which was the butcher shop that had some amazing pies which we were able to purchase for dinner - the steak pie was the most delicious!
The tour was supposed to include Loch Lomond but it happened to be raining when we were there and the driver guide dropped us off at a point on the huge lake that was not very scenic, rain or shine. I have included here a photo of Loch Lomond that we took when we were on the way back from the Isle of Skye. Still, it was just another large lake that I can't get too excited about other than that it was glorified in song. I suppose one has to stay here and have some interaction with it before one can truly experience it - it's just not a one-stop wonder.
We visited the Glengoyne Whiskey Distillery and saw how whiskey was made. It was an interesting tour. It was quite amazing to see how relatively "simple" the process for making this expensive spirit was compared to winemaking - no grapes to grow, no fields to irrigate and no praying for good weather! Apparently, a barrel of 50 year old whiskey sells for 12-20,000 GBP! But I did enjoy the 12 year old shot that came with the tour ticket. :-)
Practical tip:
- pay the extra 3 GBP for the two dram tour at the Whiskey Distillery; you get to try the 18 year old whiskey which I'm sure is worth it.
- feel free to skip Loch Lomond if you were just going to stop and take a photo - you could be on any lake if you don't have time to spend a few days to experience it.
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| Stirling Castle |
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| The very green countryside as seen from the battlements |
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| Can't resist this perfect twin-trunk tree |
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| Impressive thick walls |
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| A surprise! Modern floating stairs inside one of the buildings! |
Variations of the unicorn (Royal Coat of Arms used by the Kings of Scotland and now Scotland's "national animal") inside the castle...
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| The amazing wood ceiling of the Great Hall |
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| The beautiful airy chapel |
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| Love these windows! |
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| Wood carvings inside the museum |
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| Scenery as we drove through the Trossachs - what looked like a castle is actually a luxury hotel |
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| One corner of Loch Lomond on a fine day |
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| Cute Highland cows |
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| The Whiskey Distillery - we were only allowed to take a photo from the outside. All phones had to be turned off when we were inside on the tour as they were afraid a spark could set off an explosion |
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| The cellar with the barrels, each with a date |
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| Lovely garden at the distillery - there is a waterfall at the end from where the water came for the distilling |
Labels:
Glengoyne Distillery,
Lock Lomond,
Stirling Castle
Thursday, 19 July 2018
The road between Glasgow and Skye
We
took a three day tour to the Isle of Skye of which two days were
actually on the road between Glasgow and Skye. There were lots to see
on the road (even in the rain) so it was a worthwhile two days. The trip
up was the first really bad weather we had - pouring rain. Our driver
guide John was excellent, entertaining us all the way - apparently, he
prepped for his tours, getting music ready to go with the stories he was
telling. Since he was close to our age, he chose all the right kind of
music - we were singing along to John Denver and the Beatles, among
others. The fun road trip went by quickly with stops whenever he could
to show us the sights. We drove through the Glen Coe valley in the rain
but he made it up for us by driving back the same way so that we could
see the beautiful valley when it was not raining.
This post included photos from the road trip between Glasgow and Skye on different days regardless of which direction we were going. I could see it would be an awesome drive either way as the road was very scenic, driving through the highlands. We also drove by and saw hikers on the West Highland Way, a long distance walking trail from north of Glasgow to Fort William. I could imagine it would be a wonderful way to through the highlands - if we were younger. It so happened that on the flight home we sat next to a Seattle man who had just hiked the trail - he said it was amazing.
We stopped by a few bridges and waterfalls, got fabulous views of the famous Eilean Donan castle and even had a short hike in the forest to get to one of the waterfalls - what a treat! It always amazes me how quickly the young people could race up a hill, no matter how many times I have seen them done it before. At our last stop to take photos of the gorgeous Glen Coe valley spread out before us, the driver gave us 10 minutes. That was enough time for these young people to race all the way up to the top of the hill, take their photos from their unique perspective and come back down. You will see from the photo how far up they went in 5 minutes. But Glen Coe is certainly an area that would be worth a separate trip.
The good thing about the weather was that there were always moments when we could stop and snap a few photos before it started to rain again. We had lunch at Fort William on the way up and Fort Augustus on the way south. At Fort William, there was enough time for a sit down lunch at a local restaurant and a walk down main street to visit St. Andrew's before it started to rain. Thankfully, it was dry when we were on Skye and on the road back to Glasgow.
Practical tips:
- Fort William is very touristy but the Hot Roast Company is very local and homey; we had a great lunch there of its specialty, roast pork. For the lunch special, you get a roast pork sandwich, soup and salad for a very reasonable price + they have great scones too!
- Fort Augustus, can't remember the name of the restaurant but it's the one with the umbrellas outside beside the lock. Nice sandwich and salad. Good scones there too!
Glen Coe
Next Post: Isle of Skye
This post included photos from the road trip between Glasgow and Skye on different days regardless of which direction we were going. I could see it would be an awesome drive either way as the road was very scenic, driving through the highlands. We also drove by and saw hikers on the West Highland Way, a long distance walking trail from north of Glasgow to Fort William. I could imagine it would be a wonderful way to through the highlands - if we were younger. It so happened that on the flight home we sat next to a Seattle man who had just hiked the trail - he said it was amazing.
We stopped by a few bridges and waterfalls, got fabulous views of the famous Eilean Donan castle and even had a short hike in the forest to get to one of the waterfalls - what a treat! It always amazes me how quickly the young people could race up a hill, no matter how many times I have seen them done it before. At our last stop to take photos of the gorgeous Glen Coe valley spread out before us, the driver gave us 10 minutes. That was enough time for these young people to race all the way up to the top of the hill, take their photos from their unique perspective and come back down. You will see from the photo how far up they went in 5 minutes. But Glen Coe is certainly an area that would be worth a separate trip.
The good thing about the weather was that there were always moments when we could stop and snap a few photos before it started to rain again. We had lunch at Fort William on the way up and Fort Augustus on the way south. At Fort William, there was enough time for a sit down lunch at a local restaurant and a walk down main street to visit St. Andrew's before it started to rain. Thankfully, it was dry when we were on Skye and on the road back to Glasgow.
Practical tips:
- Fort William is very touristy but the Hot Roast Company is very local and homey; we had a great lunch there of its specialty, roast pork. For the lunch special, you get a roast pork sandwich, soup and salad for a very reasonable price + they have great scones too!
- Fort Augustus, can't remember the name of the restaurant but it's the one with the umbrellas outside beside the lock. Nice sandwich and salad. Good scones there too!
Glen Coe
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| The Three Sisters |
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| This was the hillside that the young people only took 5 minutes to climb up, one of them was still up at the top there. |
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| Stone bridge and white water near Glen Orchy |
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| A short hike through the forest to get to a view of double bridges and waterfalls. |
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| The bridge in front is still part of the highway. |
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| Loch Ness (the dark spot was where Nessie popped up) |
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| Caledonian canal locks going into Loch Ness (Fort Augustus) |
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| Our first experience of a moor - you can see the wind at Rannoch Muur - wild and beautiful |
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| Fort William Main Street |
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| Stained glass window in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, formerly a Catholic Church |
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| Bell Heather |
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| The Eilean Donan Castle in its lovely setting on Loch Alsh seen from the hilltop |
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After the castle, we're almost at Skye - another 15 minute drive to the other end of Loch Alsh and the Skye bridge. |
Sunday, 22 July 2018
The Stunning Isle of Skye
We
crossed the bridge to the Isle of Skye in late afternoon just as the
rain was ending and as luck would have it, the sun broke through the
clouds as it was setting and shone an ethereal light on Portree harbour.
It bode well for the following day when we had a full day to see the
key sights on the island. It would have been great if we could actually
spend a week hiking on the island, but that was not for this trip.
The day was cloudy but we were thankful it was at least dry. The Old Man of Storr, our first stop, was mostly hidden behind fog, so we moved on to see other sights, including Kilt Rock and Staffin beach. We had lunch at a nice family run restaurant with a view of "McLeod's tables"; of course the table mountains were also half hidden in fog.
The Quirang was for me the high point of this trip - such a stunning area that I don't have words for it. It would have been great to do the trail here but it was classified as "hard", meaning, beyond our reach; however, the view alone was worth the trip.
We were lucky too that the weather held up right to the end when we hit the western tip of the island at Neist Point. It was so windy I felt I could be easily blown over the cliff; it rather reminded me of Cape Spear, Canada's most easterly point on Newfoundland. It was difficult holding the camera still in the wind. There was an incredible white flower that looked like cotton blowing in the wind (we found out later it is called Cottongrass) - it was amazing that it could hold its own in the gale force winds. After we got on the bus to leave, it started drizzling again. We came back to Portree just in time for a Jacob's ladder to shine its eerie light on the harbour.
Before we left Skye in the morning, we made a stop to see the Cuillin mountain range. I saw people taking photos down by the river and followed to see what kind of view it was like down there. It didn't seem to be worth the risk of falling in and I was about to leave when a very kindly guide from another group told me to go to the farthest edge. Seeing how wobbly I was, he came over to give me a hand and in fact had he held on to my shoulder as I stood on the edge of the rapids to take that iconic photo of the Cuillin framed by the arch of the bridge. I was so moved by his kindness I wanted to give him a hug, but he left to go back to his group. It wasn't so much the iconic image but the unexpected touch of human kindness from a stranger that made this a worthwhile memory - something to remember Scotland by.
Practical tip:
- if you are staying in Portree, make sure you book ahead for dinner at one of the restaurants. There aren't that many restaurants at the port but a lot of tourists!
I
got up early to see if the sun would shine on the houses in the
morning, but got this grey heron instead. It was totally unexpected so I
didn't have the right lens with me.
I say goodbye to Scotland with fondness and a definite "I shall return"...
The day was cloudy but we were thankful it was at least dry. The Old Man of Storr, our first stop, was mostly hidden behind fog, so we moved on to see other sights, including Kilt Rock and Staffin beach. We had lunch at a nice family run restaurant with a view of "McLeod's tables"; of course the table mountains were also half hidden in fog.
The Quirang was for me the high point of this trip - such a stunning area that I don't have words for it. It would have been great to do the trail here but it was classified as "hard", meaning, beyond our reach; however, the view alone was worth the trip.
We were lucky too that the weather held up right to the end when we hit the western tip of the island at Neist Point. It was so windy I felt I could be easily blown over the cliff; it rather reminded me of Cape Spear, Canada's most easterly point on Newfoundland. It was difficult holding the camera still in the wind. There was an incredible white flower that looked like cotton blowing in the wind (we found out later it is called Cottongrass) - it was amazing that it could hold its own in the gale force winds. After we got on the bus to leave, it started drizzling again. We came back to Portree just in time for a Jacob's ladder to shine its eerie light on the harbour.
Before we left Skye in the morning, we made a stop to see the Cuillin mountain range. I saw people taking photos down by the river and followed to see what kind of view it was like down there. It didn't seem to be worth the risk of falling in and I was about to leave when a very kindly guide from another group told me to go to the farthest edge. Seeing how wobbly I was, he came over to give me a hand and in fact had he held on to my shoulder as I stood on the edge of the rapids to take that iconic photo of the Cuillin framed by the arch of the bridge. I was so moved by his kindness I wanted to give him a hug, but he left to go back to his group. It wasn't so much the iconic image but the unexpected touch of human kindness from a stranger that made this a worthwhile memory - something to remember Scotland by.
Practical tip:
- if you are staying in Portree, make sure you book ahead for dinner at one of the restaurants. There aren't that many restaurants at the port but a lot of tourists!
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| Portree inlet in the golden hour |
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| Portree - we stayed at the Pink House |
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| I love this brick building - a community hall |
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| The early bird catches the worm, the early photographer catches the bird...;-) |
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| Starling looking for food |
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| Old Man of Storr seen from afar; of course, when we got close enough, we couldn't see a thing, except for the largest rock! |
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| The only rock visible - this must be the old man... |
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| Scottish thistle - Scotland's national flower - prickly! |
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| Another lovely waterfall on Skye |
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| Love the wildness! |
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| There was more to the cliff than what you could see on top |
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| Mealt Falls in the foreforground; Kilt Rock which resembles the pleats on a kilt in the background |
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| Mealt Falls closeup |
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| Staffin Beach |
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| McLeod's Tables - half hidden |
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| The Quirang - my favourite! The Quirang walk is 6.8 km long, rated as difficult, 2 hours to complete with no stops... |
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| The panorama of the Quirang, both sides of the valley |
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| Dunvegan Castle |
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| Seals on the island (seal watching boat on the lake) |
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| Heather in bloom |
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| Lush pastures on Skye |
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| Neist Point - the western tip of the island |
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| Cottongrass |
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| Scottish blackface |
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| Back to Portree, just in time to see sun rays on the harbour |
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| Hooded crow |
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| The Black Cuillin - for me a scenic spot where I encountered the kindness of a stranger; for climbers, a mecca - the most challenging and spectacular mountains in Britain. Wish I could get closer - this is too far away to get the real feel of the mountains. But I could feel Scotland here... |
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