Ireland 8 Oct to 19 Oct 2013

This post covers the period we were visiting my sister, brother-in-law and niece and nephew!

We had the loveliest time, and getting to spend some time just with my niece and nephew was excellent!  It allowed us to get to know them better and they are lovely little sweeties!  Not so little of course!  We felt very privileged that we were allowed to look after them!

It was amazing how much you forget as far as getting children off to school, bed and doing homework and getting washed!  They were very good, and a pleasure to look after.  

I wish we saw them more often.  I think we will need to Skype!

While they were at school we managed to have a look around and had some amazing weather.  We've been so lucky with the weather, still!  And it looks as if Dubai will be about 32c.

We visited Dun Aengus a fortified site which has the most fantastic location on cliff tops...

Yes it is a sheer drop from here!

And of course there are the amazing views....

Sunsets and changeable weather!

It was lovely to have some R&R and just lax as one of the other young rellies described it!

We were very sad to leave, although it will be nice to get home!  And we are looking forward to a couple of days in Dubai!

Days 26 & 27 - Edinburgh to Shannon to Co Galway

We got up and had breakfast, finished packing and checked out.  We had to drop the car off at the airport by 11am, so we were on a mission... Until I tried to find my glasses, which should have been in my bag.  I couldn't find them, so we went back to the hotel..  By the time I went back up to our hotel room and back, Peter had found them at the bottom of my backpack!   Oh, oh, I was in very big trouble......!

After that, we got to the airport... and decided to stay there as we had to be there by 2.15pm and didn't think we could get somewhere and back in time.  They have two hours of free wi-fi, so I made use of my time to do some postcards to use up the stamps and do another blog update.  So some cups of tea and lunch done, it was finally time to check in!  Thank goodness.  

We could then go to the departures lounge which has duty free shops and eating places.  I thought we still had at least another hour to go before boarding but it was time to go to the gate!  

We were sharing a little twin prop plane with a group of Irish dancers, who had been off to a competition and were coming home with trophies!  It was a bit of an experience!

When we got to Shannon we had to go thru passport control and were issued with 90 day visas.

We walked across to the Park Inn and got settled in.  Tomorrow we will be catching the bus to Galway, about two hours away.

No photos taken this time... Just some random ones from before!

Day 25 - Edinburgh

After breakfast, we headed into Edinburgh by train and found ourselves coming out of the station just where the double decker tourist buses go from.  We decided we would buy a ticket and that we would visit Edinburgh Castle.  There are five different bus trips you can choose from and we bought the tickets that allow you to hop on or hop off whichever bus you wish.

We caught one that went straight to Edinburgh Castle.  The chap giving the talk was great, and silly us got off at the Castle.  I thnk we should have stayed on!  We went past the Sir Walter Scott monument. Sir Walter Scott is another favourite of my dads.  Who would have thought they would have had a great big memorial just near the train station for him.  He wrote a whole lot of novels and is obviously a revered person in Scotland.

The guy doing the commentary asked if anyone knew of him or had read any of his books, so I could put my hand up!

The Castle is an obvious landmark for Edinburgh, apparently it used to be part of an ancient volcano.  There wasn't much information provided, and we didn't buy a guide book.  Apparently the oldest building on the site is Sait Margaret's Chapel, which is a tiny little chapel at the top and was built in the 10th or 11th century.

There are royal apartments to see, the Scottish Crown Jewels (so a many people goong thru' here) and a war memorial for Scottish armed forces personnel in WW1.  It was scary to see the numbers of Scottish men who lost their lives.  We only really read two of the plaques and there were over 20,000 casualties.  

We went into look at the Great Hall which was built in the 1500s.  It was turned into barracks during Cromwell's time and then reconstructed in the 19th century.  As we walked in a fellow came out in costume and was playing a hurdygurdy.  It was very atmospheric until all these people started going up to him to have their photos taken with him!  The music was excellent.

We also went into the regimental museums which were excellent.  One of them had two hussifs made by soldiers in 1880s.

We left the Castle and decided we'd get back on the bus and do the whole tour and then maybe another tour after we had had some lunch.  Just down from the Castle we found a cafe attached to the ticket office for one of the theatres in Edinburgh and had lunch there, I had the roast beef and horseradish mayonnaise sanwich which was delicious and Peter had ham and mustard.

When we finished, we went out and the bus stop is just there, and so was the bus we wanted!  This time we had an older lady telling us about the parts we were driving thru.  Edinburgh is amazing as there are a number of bridges however the buildings are still a couple of stories below the level of the bridge road.  The train station is also below this level, so you have to walk down to it.

We went past Holyrood Castle, the National Gallery, the Museum and up the Golden Mile which is the road that leads from Ediburgh and Holyrood Castle.

We decided to try another trip, and this time went on the one that went down to the port where the ex Royal Yacht Britannia is berthed.  We also went past the Botanical Gardens, which we shall have to visit properly next time.  And the school's grounds where the Chariots of Fire was filmed.

It was so nice just to sit back and enjoy being driven around as we are both tired!!!

We had a little wander around including down a little bit of Queens Road, which our first guide told us was the most intact street in Edinburgh.

I was fascinated by the number of chimney pots at the top of the buildings!

We walked back to the station via the Scotsman's Steps, each step is a different coloured rock...

We had a quick trip back to our hotel, had dinner, did some packing and then off to bed.

Day 24 - Fort William to Edinburgh

We were very sad to leave our deluxe accommodation at Fort William.  We can highly recommend the Myrtle Bank B&B. Especially the new build!  It was a lovely place to relax and spend a couple of nights.  Breakfast was excellent, the fruit plate I had was lovely.

We had the left half!

As we headed off, we only had Glencoe as a stopping point and then travelling back via Perth.  It was a bit of a funny day, with the sprinkles (drizzle) coming in and out.

As we weren't sure how long it would take to get to Edinburgh, we didn't go into Glencoe village where there is a folk museum, we will have to do that next time.  We did go to the Visitor Centre, which was very interesting.  It was really about the natural environment and people's place in it, with a little about the Glencoe Massacre.  There was an excellent short film with a woman called Fiona Watson about the historical background to the rebellion which was the easiest explanation about the history of the highlands we have seen.  In the shop they had a book called the History of Scotland by Fiona Watson, so I'm bringing a copy home with me.  What I've read so far is excellent.

We had morning tea here and then went outside where there are a couple of walks and a viewing platform of the Glencoe Valley, it is very beautiful and with the changing clouds and sprinkles changed before our eyes.

My first panorama shot!  Don't know why I hadn't used it before!

There were lots of cars on the road, going both ways.

Our next stop was down the road where there were a couple of waterfalls close to the road, and some what I thnk is heather... Very pretty...

The photo above gives you an idea about the road, very windy and narrowing!  Peter did an excellent job with the driving!

We didn't know where to stop for lunch... Yes this trip has been revolving around food... We thought of stopping at the Green Welly which is a petrol station, cafe and shop, we did stop for petrol but there were so many people in the cafe, we decided to keep going.

We ended up at a funny little pub which felt like it was out of the movie Deliverance!  It was actually very nice and we wished we had ordered something more substantial but it wasn't clear we could!!!!

We got back on the road and headed towards Perth and the more gentle scenery.

We stopped for afternoon tea near a loch and I had a very nice ginger slice, the ginger icing was 7 mm thick!

Back on the road and we made it to Edinburgh about 5.30, very earlier compared to most nights being about 7pm!  Travelling into Edinburgh we had to go over a bridge, there was a railway bridge next door, when I looked at the photo late, I got a man walking his dog as well!  There are lots of dogs in the UK and they end up everywhere...  Lots of them are white terriers, they are very cute!

We thought we were going very down market, however the Premier Inn at Edinburgh Park was very nice and we had a large room, so what more can you ask for?  It is next to the Edinburgh Park railway station which is just over 10 mins to the centre of Edinburgh, so very convenient.  It only cost £3 return each.

The only down side is we are both very tired!

Day 23 - Fort William to Mallaig and back

We had a lovely comfortable night, the bed was excellent, and underfloor heating!  Though, it was rather warm.  We haven't really been cold, and my feather jacket has only been need two days! And only for a little!  Though, it has been wetter since we got to Scotland...

We had breakfast including for me a very nice fruit plate.

And then went off to find the visitor centre at Fort William and the post office.

Before we got to the visitor centre, we found the West Highland Museum at Fort William and decided to go in and have a look.  (It is free!)

We were very pleased we did.  It is an excellent little museum.  It has two floors and you start off in Room 1 where there is the Commando exhibition.  During WW2 Churchill decided to set up an elite squad of commandoes who became the green berets and their training took place in the West Highlands.  There is memorabilia including letters, medals and other interesting things.  There is a natural history room, archaeology and mountaineering room and then upstairs to the Jacobite room including a silk waistcoat worn by Bonnie Prince Charlie and Jacobite glassware.  The Highland Life room has all sorts of things in it, including a 19th century harp, weaponry, information about costumes/plaids.  For a little museum it was full of very interesting things and an excellent way to spend some time!  The museum has been added to my best of list!

Fort William itself is a lovely town.  It must get very busy, there are lots of B&Bs and hotels, and places to eat.  There is a nice little shopping strip, and the location on the edge of  Loch Linnhe between mountain and sea is ever changing and very beautiful.

We went into the visitor centre and the girl there was very helpful and suggested the places she thought we should see.  The first one was a ruined 13th century castle just on the outskirts.

Then we travelled on to the Glenfinnan Monument, which is a memorial to the Rising of 1745 and purportedly where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his Standard on the 19th of August. The monument is a tower with a statue of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the top.  You can climb the monument and as it is at quite a stunning location we decided to do so.  The only thing is... To get out of the tower at the top there is a smallish hatch with not much room!

It was worth it though!

A "funny" thing is happening to some places in Scotland...  They are being overtaken by Harry Potter mania.  Glenfinnan is also where the viaduct is that featured at the start of the 2nd Harry Potter movie. We were going to do the train trip from Fort William to Malliag and back, but because we stayed a couple of extra nights in Yorkshire, we decided to do the trip by road instead.

You can see the viaduct from the monument.

We don't think the train was running, as we didn't see any sign of it.  There were tourists around, but not that many.

We had lunch at the visitors centre, the soup was delicious.

We then went on to Mallaig, following the coast road.

Mallaig has a car ferry that goes between there and the Island of Skye, we didn't take the ferry, but we did see it!

It wasn't the best day!  Very atmospheric!

We drove back to Fort William and stopped at Neptune's Steps which is a series of locks to take boats/ships from Fort William/Loch Linnhe to the canal and on to Loch Lochy, Loch Ness and then Inverness.  There were two boats waiting in the top lock when we got there, waiting to access the canal.  It would have been interesting to have seen their progress up the steps! What an amazing feat of engineering!  I feel like I've been saying this all trip!

When we got back to our lux accommodation, we made a booking to go to tea at the Currag Seafood Restaurant.  We had a lovely meal...  I had scallops with cauliflower couli, then baked cod on a sweet potato and zucchini rosti, a delicious salsa and a green paste which may have been coriander!  Dessert was the best!  Rhubarb and Apple crumble with ginger ice cream.  The ginger ice cream sweetened and spiced up the crumble and was absolutely delicious!  I will be happy to go back there again!

The view from our table!