The Outer Hebrides

Yesterday we drove north on the A82 from Ft. William to Spean Bridge, then continued on the A82 north to Invergarry.  Here we turned west and crossed the Great Glen on the A87 toward Shiel Bridge.  At Shiel Bridge we took a left and headed due west toward Glenelg.  The road from Shiel Bridge to Glenelg was one lane most of the way with “Passing Areas” every ¼ to ½ mile or so.  Steep, sharp climb as we neared Ben Achacinich (but didn’t summit it, just drove around it).  Still, we got some glorious pictures from up that high, looking down to sea level.  Continued on down the other side of the mountain to Glenelg.   On the picture below, the pinkish line is where we went just today!  My butt is flat.  this was way more driving than I care to do, but we got where we wanted to go.

Drove up to the ferry landing and they were just rotating the platform to take off.  They stopped upon seeing us, then motioned us on the ferry.  We drove on.  It SAYS this ferry can take up to 6 cars, but I can’t see that unless every car is a motorcycle.  4 at most from my estimate.  But they collected the fee at mid-stream, which I guess is the best incentive to pay, since you could get rolled off the back side if you don’t pay, I suppose!  At the other side (Kylerhea) they rotated the platform to meet the ramp and we and the couple from Worcester, Mass drove off. 

We took another one-lane road from Kylerhea on the Skye side to meet the main road, the A850.  We followed the A80 through Portree, the main town, and on up north to the A856 until we came to Uig. Here are a couple of pictures from part of that journey:

There we bought ferry tickets for the Uig-Tarbert ferry, and waited about 90 minutes to board.  Once on board, I was glad to see that there were no naked lights allowed aboard with us decent folks.  

We bought return tickets for Stornaway-Ulapool, so today we've visited a Harris Tweed weaver's croft in Carlaway, then drove to Stornoway, where we are now. We shopped in Stornoway and bought some actual Harris tweed, and now we're at the Cabarfeidh Hotel, which, thankfully, has a good Internet connection.  Tomorrow afternoon we take the ferry back to the “mainland” and Ulapool, where we’ll head for Inverness.

This is incredible country.  Amazing, amazing scenery and people.

Harry Potter!

Today we rode the Jacobite Express coal-fired steam train from Ft. William to Mallaig and back again.  this is the same train used in the Harry Potter films.  it was great fun--but very rainy and cool in the morning, so the only way you could get any decent photos is by opening the sliding window atop the big picture window.  However (we discovered) when the train goes through a tunnel, steam and coal soot comes flying back inside the coach through said open sliding window.  it was quite an adventure.  But the scenery was breathtaking.  Here are just a couple of the over 100 photos I took today.

The B&B we stumbled on yesterday is a real gem, set on the side of a hill overlooking the harbor at Ft. William.  Absolutely lovely place and we've enjoyed chatting with several of the other guests. 

Tomorrow it's off to the Isle of Skye on a tiny little ferry boat operated by hand that only takes about 3 cars. 

Lost in Scotland. . . for a while

Well, the other night we couldn't find out B&B.  The address was "Gartmore, near Aberfoyle".  That's it.  It got dark, it was raining, I was in unknown territory driving on the left side of the road.  We finally gave up and just stayed at the first B&B we could find.  But YESTERDAY we found out that the old Neilson Parish Church (dating from the 1500's) was an outgrowth of Paisley Abbey nearby, which dates from the 1100's.  We drove up to Paisley Abbey and. . . .Oh. My.   There's not much more I can say.  The place is fabulous!  And the organ is stunning.  Bringing pictures back for our church organist.  Some attached here.  It's late, and we're taking the Harry Potter steam train (the Jacobite Express) out to the coast and back tomorrow.  Will attach pictures after we return tomorrow night.  Should be fun!

Many travels today

Well, we started in Stranraer, where we're currently staying, and went to many litle hamlets and fields that still carry the names they were given back in the 1700's: Lochan's Moor, Crailloch, High Salchrie, and Low Salchrie.  Also investigated the TINY town of Kirkcolm, and found the old Kirkcolm church.  Visited the area where the Inch church used to be:  The original one was built in the 1100's on an island near the old Castle Kennedy, where the Earl of Stair used to keep his residence.  At some point it was abandoned, and a new church was built, looks like around the 1600's.  this is now in ruins, with no roof, however the current Earls and Countesses of Stair and their children are still being buried within the walls of the old church.  Very interesting.  One half has the parish ministers, the other half of the old curch holds the gentry who own or owned the land.  We did find a couple of Gibsons buried there, but if they're 'our' Gibsons, they're only distantly related.  Also, these fields are COVERED with stinging nettles, and my ankles are on fire right now because I didn't wear thick enough or high enough socks.  Yowza!

We visited the 'new' Inch Church and churchyard which is exceptionally well maintained.  Looks to have been built in the 1800s sometime.  Driving in these tiny, mediaeval burghs is quite an experience.  Glad I got the additional cover (insurance) on the car, because a branch came back and thwapped the driver's side mirror and broke it.  Don't know if I should call and get it fixed or just let them deal with it when I return the car.  I'm only out 60 pounds (about $100) since I have the insurance.  Whew!

Also saw some very interesting standing stones and cairns.  Carinholy I and Cairnholy II date from some of the very earliest inhabitation in the area and were places of burial.  Took quite a few pictures.  I wonder how early people maneuvered some of those stones around? And they're still standing, when many grave markers from the 1800's are already down. 

Tomorrow is the Wigtown Book Festival. I anticipate finding many good deals, or "can't miss bargains" as my grandmother used to say.  Will upload more pictures tonight.  Stay tuned!  I just need to re-size them so they don't crash everyone's computer.

Charging your equipment in the UK

Well, the inevitable happened.  I forgot something.  Or rather, I forgot to double-check something.  I brought the voltage converter and an outlet adapter.  However, it's a UK to US 2 prong adapter.  The computer, of course, takes a 3-prong plug.  You know, the one with the little round ground plug below the two regular prongs? and after much fruitless searching for the past 2 days, I've come to the conclusion that I'm unlikely to find said adapter over here.  Because, of course, anyone from the UK would be going TO the US, not coming FROM it.  ::sigh::  So I plugged in the voltage adapter and the converter plug I brought with me, and then just turned the power plug to the laptop upside down and it does charge the laptop that way.  Needless to say, this is less than optimal.  I don't leave it plugged in overnight or unattended for any length of time.  But it works in a pinch, and that's what we're in, laptop-wise.  Ain't technology grand?

New Occupation: Flax Heckler

Okay, this is a new one for me.  While this wasn't an occupation of anyone in our lineage, I stumbled across it.  Flax heckler.  "Hey, flax--you ever catch flak for your name?  hahahahahah!" 

In other news, made quite a bit of progress today after not finding much yesterday.  But one of the few leads we got yesterday turned into gold when the librarian at the Ewart Library here in Dumfries knew how to find which farms we were talking about, and produced an old ordnance survey map showing the locations of both farms, which are just down the road from each other.  Also on opposite sides of the parish dividing lines, which explains why we keep finding people in Inch Parish and Mochrum Parish. 

Ate a delightful late lunch/early supper at the Old Bank Restaurant and Coffee house. Tonight is our last night at the Glencairn Villa B&B, which is situated perfectly for our needs, near town and VERY near the Ewart Library.  Tomorrow it's on to Inch and Stranraer, with a side trip to check out the location of those farms we found on the maps yesterday. 

I'll be back driving on the left side of the road, so watch out!

First stop. . . . Dumfries

As in Dumfries & Galloway, tho this is the town of Dumfries, not the county of D&G.  I have to say, Air France Business Class (Affaires) completely ROCKS.  Ability to rest, wonderful crew members (one even looked like French President Nicolas Sarkozy) and outstanding food and wines. 

We're staying at the Glencairn Villa B&B, which is an older Georgian-era home that's been turned into a B&B.  We passed through Gretna Green on the way up here, but didn't see anyone getting a hasty marriage.  Just sheep and cows.  Sheep and cows.  More sheep and cows.

Tomorrow we'll go into town and see if we can find a voltage converter that takes 3 prong American plugs, instead of 2-prong, which is all I brought.  And fix up mom's credit card because it doesn't look like dad's call to the bank to tell them we're in the UK registered. 

But for now we're just tired.  Picture of the Best Western in Dumfries, opposite the train station.  Not too many Best Westerns that look like this.