Greater Cumbrae

May 22, 2017

Largs in a wee town about a 15 minute bus ride from Wemyss Bay. A large sailing community, a viking center and ferry were about it. And a couple of food stores.  Wemyss by has a chippy shop, a petrol station store, a cafe and, at the time, a butcher who held the title of […]

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Bute

May 15, 2017

Britain, Skye, Mull, Benbecula, Arran, North and South Uist, Isle of Portland and now Bute so far.  Still a long was to go.  Cumbrae off of Largs should be the next one. An island in the Firth of the Clyde (with exceptionally clear waters I must note), Bute reminds me a bit of the larger […]

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Wemyss Bay

May 13, 2017

I’ve decided to try something new.  I’ve booked a static caravan (in the US we would use the term mobile home even though by any name they are stationary) in the village of Wemyss Bay (rhymes with seems) on the shores of the Firth of the Clyde, the deepest and largest coastal waters in Britain. […]

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Queenferries and 3 really big bridges

May 11, 2017

No not some fantasy story but two towns on opposite sides of the River Forth. Since it was another stellar day I decided to walk across the River Forth.  Not having the skills to walk on the water, I chose the Forth River Bridge as the Queensbury Crossing is not yet open and the Rail […]

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Royal Botanic Garden – Edinburgh

May 10, 2017

This is the easiest post ever as so few words are needed.  I’ve been to the Garden in the past and loved it.  Apparently in Edinburgh, March showers bring April flowers since most of the spring blooms had faded but it was still nice. Climbing this would puzzle a monkey Now that’s a hedge! I […]

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National Galleries

May 9, 2017

I’ve been in the National Gallery before but there was one painting I wanted to see by my favorite, Edwin Landseer. No not Rent Day which I can not find but the recently acquired Monarch of the Glen   I also took in the National Portrait Gallery, another magnificent building in itself Here are a […]

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Views from the top

May 9, 2017

One of the highest points in Edinburgh is Nelson’s Monument shaped like  a telescope on Calton Hill.  On a clear day the views are great and today was very clear again.The views from anywhere on this hill are pretty good but the 140 or so steps (half the number of the Great Fire Monument in […]

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Rainy Edinburgh

May 8, 2017

Not!  It was a glorious day in Auld Reekie. Mild temps, bluest of skies, just grand, so I just started walking after check-in. My GH is near The Meadows so I began by cutting through this large Edinburgh park.  Once, like Princes Street Gardens, this area was a loch that was drained and became a […]

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Carlisle Cathedral

May 7, 2017

One of the nice things here in Carlisle is that the Museum, Castle and Cathedral are within hundreds of  meters of each other and the main shopping district so no time wasted traveling from one to another. The Cathedral is more of a complex of buildings than a stand-alone church. The inside was pretty standard, […]

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Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery

May 7, 2017

A museum, castle and cathedral, right?  This mansion was purchased by the city of Carlisle and made into a school, library and museum in 1893. The schools and library were relocated and museum expanded onward from 1980. Since Carlisle was an anchor point for Hadrian’s Wall (AD 122) which ran for 74 miles in north […]

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