Loch Lomond & the Highlands of Scotland

27 September 2011


After spending the night in Glasgow Scotland we spent the morning cruising up Loch Lomond.  It is the largest freshwater lake in Scotland.
The weather was cold and rainy, so we spent most of the time inside the cabin.  The boat in the center of this picture was similar to our boat. 
Loch Lomond is famous for its many islands, more than 30 islands.  The largest island is Inchmurrin which is also the largest island in the UK.  It is famous for the only colony of wallaby not in a zoo or preserve outside of Australia.  

We stopped for lunch in Fort William.  I was surprised that the fort no longer exists.  The remainder of the day was spend driving through the Highlands of Scotland, the Grampian Mountains, to Newtonmore.

 It rained most of the day and the mists on the hills were beautiful.  For most of the day we saw few other vehicles so the highlands did seem desolate and unoccupied.

To pass the time, our tour guide passed out words to songs like "Loch Lomond" and everyone sang along.  

Crossing the Irish Sea & Robert Burns Birthplace

 26 September 2011


We followed the coast highway from Ballygally to the port of Larne at Larne Lough (Irish for lake) so we could take the ferry from Northern Ireland to Scotland.  Although they are both part of the United Kingdom, technically, they are different countries so we had to go through customs.  Since we were on a coach (Americans call it a bus) the customs authorities could elect to look at every suitcase or a "sampling" of suitcases.  Our driver, Jim, pictured here told us in advance that they would probably sample the luggage.

The customs officers came onboard the bus, looked at each passenger, verified the passenger count, and then selected a four bag "sample."   The passengers that belonged to the chosen bags had to exit the bus, claim the bag, and identify the contents. When the officers were satisfied, they got back on the coach and Jim drove the coach onto the ferry.

 Everyone had to exit the coach for the two hour crossing.  We spent most of the time on deck enjoying the sunshine and sea breezes coming from the North Channel.
We entered Scotland via the Firth of Clyde.  According to "Webster's" a Firth is another name for an estuary, a bay, or inlet to a loch. The Firth of Clyde gives access to the river Clyde.

 Once we were back on the road again it was a short drive north to Alloway to visit the Robert Burns birthplace, museum, monument and gardens.

 This is the backside of the house where Robert Burns was born.  The doorway on the left enters into the stable room.  The horse and the cow were kept here.  Next to the stable room was the workshop.  Following that was the parlor.  The window above the green shrubs lights the parlor the white chimney at the center of the building, near the window, is for the parlor fireplace.  The front door or the door to the street is in this room.  

 The family spent most of their time in the small family room (the one with the small window on the right above).  They cooked, ate, worked, and slept in this room. 

 This bed is where Robert Burns and three of his siblings were born.  The bed is about four feet wide and about five feet long.  It is across the room from the fireplace against the parlor wall.

 After spending some time in the museum, we ambled through the gardens.

 The gardens cover several acres and are on multiple levels.

The bridge in this picture was featured in one of Burns' poems.  However, it now is a bridge to nowhere since a new bridge was built about a half mile west.  The memorial can be seen on the hill at the top of the picture.

 This picture was taken from the top of the hill, on our way back to the museum.

This is a closer view of the memorial monument.

Ballygally Castle

 Overnight 25 to 26 September 2011


We spent the night in a castle!  The brown section (see the picture at the right) was built in 1625 while the white section was built in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  It does have modern amenities including free WiFi in the lobby.  It is only a few miles east of the Giant's Causeway.

The castle faces the Irish Sea.  Scotland can be seen in the mists to the North from the front of the castle.  The turret window on the NE corner of the building is said to be haunted.  Legend says that the Lady of the castle, Esmeralda, threw herself out the turret window when her baby died.  They say that she roams the "old" castle in search of her babe.

After dinner we climbed the stairs to Esmarelda's bedroom.  She must have been a very small person!  The window in her room is about one and a half feet wide by two feet tall and at least four feet from the floor.  Maybe she had help?!  At any rate, we didn't see her or hear her during our stay in the castle.

The Irish Sea is immediately across the two lane highway and "car park."  The castle has a private beach.  

I am standing on the beach looking back up at the parking lot entrance.  My daughter is standing at the top looking out to sea.

In the far distance, to the west, we could see the Giants' Causeway that we visited the day before.  


And yes, we went in the water, sort of...  She stuck her foot in and said it was freezing so I put my fingers in.

Behind the wall around the "old" castle wall (look back at the first few pictures) is a delightful terrace and garden.  The gate in the distance leads out to a path that leads to the street.

This is a view of the garden standing at the same point but looking to the south.  The roof in the distance is to a guard post.  

This terrace is right outside of the dining room.  At one point the current dining room was the great hall of the castle.

Derry (Londonderry) Northern Ireland & The Giant's Causeway

25 September 2011


The walled city of Derry Northern Ireland is the only European walled city with the walls completely intact.

The Irish call the city Derry while the Brits call it by its legal name Londonderry.  In 1613, King James I added the prefix "London" to the city's name.   The walls were built for defense of invasions from England and Scotland between 1613 and 1619.  The walled portion of the city is approximately one square mile.


Each corner of the city has a gate similar to the one seen here.  Two of the gates are much narrower than this one.  The driver of our bus had to lower the bus (it sounded as if some kind of air was being released) and creep slowly through.  Then he inflated again to raise the bus by several inches.


There is a walkway around the top of the wall that is used as a promenade.  Joggers often use its four mile circuit because they are not impeded by traffic. 

Derry lies on the banks of the River Foyle and is close to the border of Ireland.

While Ireland is part of the European Union, Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.  Therefore, the currency is the English Pound rather than the Euro.


Derry is the second largest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth largest in Ireland.  It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in Europe.

Our next stop was along the northeastern coast at the Giant's Causeway.  


Legend:  The Irish warrior giant, Finn McCool, was said to have built the causeway between Ireland and Scotland so he could walk over to Scotland and raid their country.  After he finished the causeway and before he made the trip, because he was tired, he decided to take a nap.  

Benandonner, the giant warrior from Scotland, heard about the causeway and being larger than Finn decided to go looking for him.

Seeing Benandonner's great size, Finn asked his wife, Oonagh, "What shall I do?"  She told him to get back in the bed, she put the baby's bonnet on his head, covered him with a blanket, and gave him a baby's bottle.

When Benandonner arrived at the house and saw the size of the "infant," he fled back to Scotland tearing up the bridge as he went.

He was in such a hurry that he lost his boots as he fled.


Truth:  actually the site is the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.


There are over 40,000 basalt columns.


It is part of the UK national trust and considered the 4th greatest natural wonder of the UK

When the clouds cooperate, a similar but smaller deposit can be seen across the channel in Scotland

Just in case you do not believe the legend, here are the giant Benandonner's boots.  


(you have to use your imagination!)

Saint Mary's Cathedral and Bunratty Castle & Folk Park

23 September 2011


We began our morning with a visit to Saint Mary's Cathedral.  

Our tour guide claimed that the two trees in front of the Cathedral were the only two giant Sequoias outside of California.

I looked at the trees and could not tell for sure.  I have been to Sequoia National Park and am not a botanist, but the trees do appear to be similar. 

From a distance they appear to be almost as tall as the cathedral.  The giant sequoias are much much taller.  

However, our guide said they were planted by priests that had visited North America during the 6th century.  Hum???

These stained glass windows were added during the 1800's

 The interior of the cathedral is awe inspiring.  While we visited, there was an early morning mass in progress.

 Our next stop was Bunratty Castle and Folk park.  
As we entered the complex it appeared as if we had time traveled into the middle ages.
The houses, this is only one example, had thatched roofs and small walled gardens.

 The cobblestone roads, were narrow and designed for horse traffic rather than automobiles.

 A lovely road leading to the castle

Although the entrance to the castle appears large, the actual entrance door can be seen at the center bottom of this picture.
The door itself, was only about 5' tall.

 The courtyard to the castle was fortified.  Although these cannons are currently pointing inwards, on display, when the castle was occupied, they were the castle's primary defense.

On the ground floor was the guard quarters.  They lived, slept, cooked and ate in this room.  
Guests would be admitted here and escorted up a spiral staircase to the great-room upstairs.
The great hall is on the uppermost floor (4th floor).  

 The intervening floors had bedrooms, guest rooms, store rooms, work rooms, etc.  
This is a typical guest room.  The bed is quite small by modern standards.  It is approximately 4 feet wide by 5 feet long.

 This artwork hangs in the great-room.  The tour guide indicated that it was from the Renaissance period.  There was a fire-pit in the center of the room with a spit where an entire animal, sheep or hog, would be roasted.

 Exiting the castle from the right side led to a terrace and a walled garden.  My daughter is sitting on the steps to the garden.

 This is a view of the castle from the garden.


The spire in the center of the roof is a chimney with a cap that allows the smoke from the fire pit to escape but rain cannot enter.

Leaving the castle meant going through a gate and over a bridge across the moat.
Since the gate was so low, visitors would have to dismount their horses and/or carriages on the other side of the moat to enter and could not remount until after crossing the moat again.  The gate itself, was made from 4" by 4' lumber and swung on heavy hinges.