Edinburgh Castle

We stayed near Edinburgh, but didn't want to even think about trying to drive into the middle of town, so we took a bus in from the outskirts. It was a nice way to see some neighborhoods on the way.  Our day started out sunny, but unfortunately didn't stay that way!

Edinburgh Castle is about as impressive and imposing as they come, having been built up high, on a dormant volcano.  We did a short tour, which was very interesting, but you have to pay attention. I know it's the same language, but the Scottish brogue makes it challenging to understand sometimes!

The "front door" to the castle.

The view from the castle wall, looking out over Edinburgh.

There's something about a man in a kilt...

It was rainy, windy and very cold, so we limited our walk around town.

Leaving Edinburgh we headed along the coast. Our destination is Newcastle. (We'll be taking a ferry to Amsterdam from there.)  We're staying the night in a fascinating town called Berwick Upon Tweed. Part of it is walled. It was the sight of many conflicts because it is on the border between Scotland and England, and changed from English to Scottish  and back many times, depending on who won the latest battle.

We'll be kind of sad to leave Ireland and Scotland behind. I thought Ireland was really beautiful, but so is Scotland! Nobody wins - it was a tie!  We loved them both.

Scottish Highlands - Part II

We had a nice stay at a really lovely bed and breakfast.  You can't beat waking up to this view in the morning.

Today we continued traveling north through the Scottish Highlands.  It's beautiful everywhere, and the winding roads and frequent stops make it hard to get anywhere in a hurry.  Our first stop was at Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness.  It has a long and pretty violent history, changing hands between the English and the Scottish several times.

One weapon used to attack and destroy the castles was a trebuchet, a giant catapult which could hurl massive stone balls.

We were extremely fortunate to have a sighting of Nessie, the famous Loch Ness monster.

Even the Highland cattle are unique - almost cuddly!

Driving got a little tricky at the highest elevations in the Highlands. Yes, that's snow!

Oh yeah, just another castle we happened to see by the road!

Tomorrow - Edinburgh Castle!

Scotland Road Trip

We flew from Dublin to Glasgow on Saturday.  We left a rainy Ireland and arrived in sunny Scotland, which was a surprise.  We were impressed with the number of wind turbines we could see from the air.  Ireland and Scotland both seem to be environmentally progressive countries.  Everyone recycles.

This morning we grabbed a taxi and went to downtown Glasgow for a few hours before heading out of town.  It's a very pedestrian friendly place.  Even on Sunday it was full of people. We just wandered and enjoyed.

And of course we had to find the Hard Rock Cafe so I could add to my pin collection!

This seems almost disrespectful!

Taking a short break.

We left Glasgow and headed for the Scottish Highlands. Our destination was Fort William, where we had a Bed & Breakfast reservation.  We thought it would be interesting, but we were unprepared for the astounding beauty we encountered. It was amazing, and required frequent photo stops. The farther we drove the more dramatic the landscape became. We were surprised to see the snowy peaks. As we drove down into Fort William the weather cleared and we enjoyed a beautiful evening.

One of our first stops - for tea of course!

And of course we're always on the lookout for wildlife.

This little guy is a pied wagtail.

Our home for the night, the West Haven Bed & Breakfast, with a fantastic view of Loch Linnhe.

Tomorrow we continue on to Inverness, taking a little time to search for the Loch Ness monster, and then we'll head south again toward Perth and Edinburgh.

Galway by the Sea

Today was our last full day in Ireland, and we decided to go to Galway.  It's the first day we had less than perfect weather, but we shouldn't be surprised to get a little rain in Ireland. It was only light rain and it cleared up in the afternoon.

On our way to Galway we took a little side trip to go see Dunguaire Castle and the absolutely charming little village of Kinvara.  Dunguaire was built in 1520 and has been fully restored.

Our tea and coffee stop before our castle visit.

Dunguaire Castle.

Looking back at Kinvara from the castle.

There are a few thatch roofed houses in most of the smaller villages.

Jim making friends.

On to Galway!  Galway has a large pedestrian area full of quaint shops, fun restaurants, and lots of pubs with Irish music.  There weren't as many street performers out today because of the marginal weather, but I suspect on sunny days there are many.  It is situated where the River Corrib flows into the Atlantic Ocean, so it is a very busy hub, and it has retained many of its Irish traditions.

Jim hanging out with the Wilde boys - Oscar and Edmund.

We enjoyed the riverside walk adjoining the busy commercial area.

Leaving Galway was bittersweet, because now it's time to go back to the room to get packed. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Ireland. We've loved falling under the spell of this magical place. 

Dublin in a Day

We had thought we would drive to Dublin to spend the day, but when we found out we could hop on a bus and let someone else do the driving, we decided to go for it. It was worth getting up early! Dublin is a big, vibrant city. There are a ton of things to see and do, but we just picked out what we thought we could manage in a day. (We should have had about three!)  Our first visit was to Trinity College where we saw the Book of Kells - fascinating. The Old Library Long Room is mind boggling  - all those floor to ceiling old books.  I can't imagine trying to go to college with all those tourists all over the place.

Our next stop was a visit to St. Patrick's Cathedral. It's beautiful and full of history. A church has stood here since the 5th century.  Jonathan Swift was dean here between 1714 and 1745.

The garden beside the cathedral was gorgeous.

We walked everywhere, and the longest walk was to the Guinness Brewery.  The beer is no longer brewed in the building that houses the museum, but they have a wonderful walk through display that tells you more than you even knew you wanted to hear about how it is crafted. The tour culminates with a stop at the Gravity Bar, which is on the 7th floor of the building and has a terrific view of the city below.  I was never a particularly big fan of Guinness, but that pint sure tasted great. They say Guinness in Ireland is not the same, and I think I agree. It's better!

We had a great time on our visit to Dublin.  We wandered all over,  got lost a couple of times, and just enjoyed soaking in the atmosphere.