Windermere, the Lake District, England

October 24, 2017

I figured the off season, past summer, past autumn trees colors (although without Sugar Maples the vibrant reds that we get to experience in New England are just not there. We Yanks are spoiled and until you see what Europeans call foliage color, you can’t appreciate our autumns. An occasional Japanese or Chinese ornamental maple […]

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Whitehaven, Cumbria, England

October 22, 2017

I’ve never seen the northwest coast of England so I decided to take the train from Dumfries to Whitehaven (£14/$18) with it’s American connection and a protected harbor it sits about half-way between the 2 biggest towns on the route, Carlisle and Barrow-on-Furness. The Whitehaven area is thought to have been settled by Norse in […]

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Day tripping from Dumfries – Gretna Green & Annan

October 21, 2017

Having seen most of what was to be seen in Dumfries, I decided to do a quick train ride (£3.25/$4.20) to Gretna Green, famous as Britain’s most popular wedding locale.  Due to earlier laws regarding the minimum marriage age in England and Wales being older than in Scotland many people would head here to marry […]

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Dumfries and more Robert Burns

October 20, 2017

The main reason I went to Dumfries is because I hadn’t been before and it was on my way south, so it was a bit ironical that, after so recently making a planned pilgrimage to see The Poet’s birthplace, I should find myself at the front door of the house where he died at only […]

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Wigtown

October 19, 2017

Since I was unfamiliar with this section of Scotland, the Dumfries part of Dumfries- Galloway ( I went to the Rhins of Galloway and the Mull a few years ago.  Brilliant BTW) I decided to stop in Wigtown before heading to Dumfries.  Let me first say that the area between the two towns is as […]

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Ayr, Alloway and The Poet

October 17, 2017

Having gone through Ayr on the train a couple of times, nothing beckoned me until I realized the next town, Alloway,  was where Robert Burns was born.  How can I visit Scotland repeatedly and not pay homage to one of the world’s greatest bards? Since I’m on the southerly trail from the Highlands to England, […]

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Glasgow – Buchanan Street – Great Kilt Music

October 15, 2017

Clanadonia I saw this group last visit and thought the performance was Grand.  Heading to Ayr from Perth I had debarked in Queen Street Station I had considered the shuttle to Glasgow Central but then, remembering it was the weekend,  I figured there would be some street musicians and decided to walk.  Even with my […]

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Perth, Scotland UK

October 14, 2017

[nwm_map ID=15] There are basically 3 ways to get to/from Plockton sans auto the I know.  One is the train from Glasgow to the town of Mallaig from whence you take a ferry to Armadale on Skye then a bus to Kyle and then bus train or thumb to Plockton,  I have done that route […]

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Smoked Seafood

October 10, 2017

[nwm_map ID=11] I’m guessing that one of the reasons The Plockton Inn and Seafood Restaurant has won the award for Best Seafood Restaurant in Scotland is, in addition to the amazing skills Susan, Mary and the rest of the culinary staff display, is the fact that they have their own smokehouse out back. The other […]

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The Plockton Inn music session you’ve been waiting for

October 10, 2017

[nwm_map ID=11] I won’t bother with words as the musicians do it for me.  Thursday year round at the Plockton Inn and Tuesdays in the summer there is local highland music.  Since summer was rubbish, I was told, I guess they extended it. Dougie is on Lowland or Border pipes. As head of the National School […]

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