Get out a map. We are all familiar (or should be) with the 49th parallel dividing Canada & the US. Wick is above the 58th. Whilst my most recent home port of Manchester,CT is apparently about to enjoy a white Christmas as my mate told me he received 12″ of snow with temps near -5c, here in Wick the temperature topped 54f/12c yesterday. In fact my evening walkabout did not require any jumper (sweater) or coat!
Newtonmore to Wick via Inverness is over 150 miles and since I have no desire to pick up a triangle sandwich from a vending machine, I needed to start my day with the best breakfast the Glen Hotel (or anyone for that matter) could offer.
Yes that’s black pudding & a slice of haggis under the perfectly poached eggs. A meal like that is so filling a baguette and cheese for dinner was all I needed for the day.
UK bus drivers are your friends so ask if you are a tad confused (my normal state many would stay). The trip I booked in Edinburgh had me going to Aveimore for a 40 minute wait. Since the destination light on the front of the bus shoed Inverness, I questioned if I might stay on. He concurred and that saved me once I got to Inverness for had I waited for my scheduled bus, I would have missed the crowded 2:30 transfer. The ticket providers are friends too as they spend as much time as needed to help you get the least expensive, fastest route. My ticket set me back a mere £62 for a 5 day explorer pass which allows me 5 days before 25/12/16 (that’s how we in the States would write 12/25/16). With a couple of days to go on my pass, I’ve traveled over 260 miles. Had I chosen to do a car hire, by now I would have rubbished either the passenger mirror or left front hubcap or maybe both and would have had no one to chat with.
FYI, I use the App: Mila’s Tools for all my conversions needs. It’s a very easy and useful site. Money can be converted in my head but temps with the whole temp plus 1.8 plus 32 takes a bit longer and i can never seem to convert the other way. When I first visited Scotland in 2003, I seem to recall it took $1.63 to buy one GBP (take the sale price, add 50% then 10% on to that). Last year it was about $.10 less so x 1.5 worked. Today it is around $1.25. This means that my money is worth about 22% more than even last year making a UK visit a very good deal for Yanks, so come visit!!. For a specific example, I had a pint of Guinness for $4.05. In the States that could easily be twice that. With those prices this could turn into a very long pub tour! Ps Cairngorm Brewery makes a batch of good brews.
I got to Inverness about 2PM. The 2:30 bus was fully booked but thankfully all those who book rarely show so there were a dozen seats. Since the next bus was 3 hours later, getting on the earlier one was good luck indeed.
This is the River Ness from the bridge.
Couple of more photos from the bus before it turned too dark around half 3, UK for 3:30.
One last picture from Newtonmore is this wee sitting place build from intertwined willow, I believe, which must be cool once the leaves show.
Now it’s getting light enough to wander where my ancestors once roamed, so off I go.
{ 0 comments… add one now }