Scotland Road Trip Day 7: Glasgow to Family

 

Our last morning in Scotland dawned gray, much like all the others and it would have been easy to get lost in the moodiness of the sky. We had seen so much beauty and had so many peaceful moments over the last week that it was sad to think about leaving it all behind. In front of us though, was a family reunion of sorts and it's kind of hard to be sad when the people you love are waiting for you just down the road.

We stayed in the university district of Glasgow, right across the street from the University of Strathclyde and before I go any further I just want out to give a shout-out to the marketing team. Well done ya'll.

Our route to Darlington was scheduled to be about three hours. We knew we wouldn't stretch this drive out for eight hours like the other days but we did plan for a lunch stop along the way. We debated going through the Lake District but opted, instead, to take a more direct route which would send us through Barnard Castle; name of both the castle and the town in which it resides. 

We rolled into Barnard Castle at what seemed to be the height of market day. Parking was difficult to find and the streets were full of people and vendors. Having seen my share of midwestern US towns that are holding on for dear life, it was really nice to see a place (like so many others in the U.K.) where the folks come to town for a day out to shop and meet with family. We managed to find a seat at a pub and I had a delightful...wait for it...fish and chips. 

After lunch, we visited the ruined castle. The grounds are much larger than most other castles that we visited and the ruins are more extensive. There were plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.

We hit up an antique store where I found the cutest wee saucer made in Newcastle (just up the road) which seemed like an incredibly fitting souvenir for the trip. After returning home, a Google Image search revealed that this cutie is Maling Lustreware and was probably produced in the 1930’s or 40’s.

We walked back to the car and set our sights on Darlington which was only thirty minutes away through beautiful countryside along the River Tees.

We checked into our Darlington hotel and, once we were settled, walked the short distance to Drew's mom's house. Several weeks before we left for our trip we realized that we had, pulled off one of the greatest scheduling coups. We had, unknowingly, been planning parallel trips with Drew's daughters and his first wife (also a Darlington native). After sorting out the details, we found that we would all be in Darlington on the same weekend. Better yet, Drew's sister also decided to join in on the fun and make the trip from France.

By 5:30pm we were all there in the back garden of the house that his parents purchased shortly after their marriage; daughter from Michigan, daughter and son-in law from New Zealand, sister from France (Darlington born), mom (lifelong Darlington resident), and first wife (Darlington born and current Michigan resident). I had been in the same place with subsets of this group over the years but it was the first time we had all been together in one group. We were missing three (son-in-law from Michigan, Kaitlyn, and Drew's father who passed away last November) but the moment was nevertheless magical.

For the next two days we met in various configurations for meals and to hang out. Thursday night provided us all a memorable moment when we had dinner and then went on a pub crawl through Darlington. At our last stop, The Quakerhouse,  a guy noticed our group milling about and had likely heard the various accents in the group. After a few not-so-subtle looks, he finally came over and asked, "Who Are You People?!" 

At the time, we all had a good laugh, as we tried to explain the connections. I think there's a group photo floating around somewhere that includes the guy and at least one of us befriended him on Instagram. Since that night, I've thought a lot about his question. Who are we? We're a group of people who are joined by love and blood. And, though unlikely, we've all decided that love for each other is the absolute most important thing and we carry that love in our hearts wherever we are in the world; together, apart, or together in small groups.

I love these people

Our flight left Teesside Airport early on Saturday morning and I cried as our plane climbed over County Durham. I think some of the tears were from knowing that it may be awhile before the group sees each other again or that maybe we won't share the same space again. All of our lives are changing; career moves, retirements, house moves, and everything in between. Those changes will impact us all in unknown ways. My hope is that our love will continue to interweave through us all and hold us together. And maybe some of those tears were because I just didn't want to come home. 

Rather than ending on a sappy note, I figured I would let you know that on our final day in Darlington I got the sausage roll I had been pining for.

Scotland Road Trip Day 6: Fort William to Glasgow

 

I woke feeling a bit sad, knowing that our road trip was quickly coming to an end. I knew, though, that I still had one item on my bucket list and that was Glen Coe. We ate breakfast at the hotel, packed up the car, and were on the road by 9:30. Fort William to Glasgow was scheduled to be an approximate three-hour drive but if you've read my other entries, it won't be a spoiler alert if I tell you in advance that we pretty much doubled that time.

Leaving Fort William, the A82 took us along the coast of Loch Linnhe. I wish that I had a word other than breathtaking to describe the views but I haven't come up with anything better than that. As we approached the Glen Coe area we saw a "Scenic Route" sign. We are not the kind of people who can say know to a scenic route, thus began our first detour of the day.

This road took us up the coast of Loch Leven and into the town of Kinlochmore. We saw a sign for a waterfall so we parked for free (!), put on our hiking boots, and set out in that direction. We crossed a bridge over the River Leven and I captured the first photo of the day.

We followed the sign for Grey Mare's Tail Falls and we were soon in the woods. We heard the falls long before we saw them. We first encountered water tumbling over rocks in a series of steps. For just a second, I thought that was the falls. 

Just beyond the curve in the stream, we finally saw the falls. They were gorgeous, but our photos don't do them justice. It's possible to get really close by walking on some narrow planks, holding onto ropes, and then scrambling over rocks. I looked at Drew while I was deciding if I wanted to do this and he just gave me "the look;" the one that says we are not taking you to the hospital today. Also, I'm pretty sure that the physical therapy team that spent three months getting me ready for this trip would not condone plank walking, rope walking, or rock scrambling.

The obstacle course to the falls

In the end, we enjoyed the falls from a distance and sat for a few minutes to take in the splendor of it all.

On our way back, Drew spotted what seemed like a trail that might have a view at the end of it. We followed it until we reached the John Kent Memorial Bench. I don't know who John Kent was but I would be pleased to have such a beautiful spot named in my memory. The views of the loch and the surrounding hills were just stunning. We spent a few minutes enjoying the solitude and feeling incredibly lucky to have this moment.

Back at the car, we couldn't seem to find the rest of the loop on the scenic route that had detoured us in the first place so we went back the way we had come. We started seeing signs for Glen Coe after returning to the main road and we knew it wasn't far away. As we started our drive through it, we had some incredible views of nature and...so...many...freaking people. Where had they all come from? Cars and tour buses filled every pull-off spot and there was nowhere for us to stop. We took in as much of the scenery as we could while looking for a spot that never materialized. As I realized that I was not going to have my Glen Coe photographic moment, I thought back to all the beauty that we had witnessed over the last week and it was pretty difficult to be upset. If you're planning a trip to Glen Coe, try to get there early in the morning. 

Eventually the traffic thinned out and Drew pulled off the road and we were able to snap a couple of photographs looking back toward Glen Coe.

It was here that I spotted the cutest little boggy patch. I would like to think that this is where my bog witch origin story begins. 

We were both getting pretty hungry and decided that the next stop needed to be for food. I had my heart set on a Gregg's sausage roll because there are no Gregg's in northern Scotland and I like those sausage rolls as much as I like fish and chips. With no Gregg's in site, we stopped at a roadside cafe on the shores of Loch Lomond. By this time, hanger had me in a chokehold and I had a very bad attitude as we ate the egg salad and ham and cheese sandwiches that had been on offer. Did I take photos of the lovely loch? I did not. I ate my sandwich and returned to the car with zero humor.

About 90 minutes later we arrived at our hotel in Glasgow and almost immediately set out to see the Glasgow Cathedral. The last entrance was listed at 4:30 and we arrived at 4:10. Whew!

I love this version of Jesus and the Little Children

We left the cathedral and headed for the Glasgow Necropolis which is situated on a hill behind the cathedral. The closing time was listed as 4:30 but there were plenty of folks like us going through the gates so we continued. The necropolis is the final resting place for many of the city's prominent founding fathers and merchants. It has expansive views of the city and the monuments are gothic and gorgeous.

Glasgow Cathedral from the Necropolis

We headed in the general direction of the hotel and restaurants. Just down the hill from the necropolis we saw the Tennant's brewery; the very home of the tasty stuff! A few blocks away we found a pub with outdoor seating and decided to have a couple of pints. And, yes, I had Tennant's.

We meandered toward Buchanan Street to take in some sites and find dinner. I was so thrilled to see the statue of the Duke Wellington and to find that he was wearing, not one, but four traffic cone hats and carrying one gull on the back of his horse.

Poor Duke Wellington

After a bit more walking, we decided to try Ralph and Finn's for dinner. The menu had a modern flair which meant that there wasn't a savory pie or fish and chips in sight. Drew had an amazing fried buttermilk chicken Caesar salad. I had a risotto with fresh peas and so many herbs that it felt like taking bites from my herb garden. And I mean that in the best possible way.

After dinner, we strolled a bit more and then walked back to the hotel. Kaitlyn called to tell us that there was a problem with the smoke alarm in the kitchen and we walked the streets of Glasgow attempting to help her troubleshoot the problem. That was likely the most surreal moment of the trip. For what it's worth, she had done all she could with the smoke alarm so we told her to chuck it in the garage and not build any fires until we got home.

I love this mural

Scotland Road Trip Day 5: Ullapool to Fort William

 

Our only goal of the day was to get from Ullapool to Fort William and we, honestly, weren't sure what we were going to do in the intervening time. The drive was scheduled to be about 2 1/2 hours long but we had learned by this point that we could easily stretch that to four or five hours depending on the numbers of stops that we made.

I had hoped to see Urquhart Castle so we set out with that destination in mind. As we neared the location, we noticed long lines of people. We arrived at the parking lot only to find that it was full. It was 11:00 a.m. I did some quick searches online to find out that parking must be reserved in advance and that those fine people standing on the road had, likely, walked in from the nearest town and were waiting for a bus to take them to the castle. So friends, if you want to see Urquhart Castle, plan ahead!

We continued on to Fort Augustus and arrived around noon. After having spent so many days in the far north on deserted beaches and in quiet pubs I nearly hyperventilated when we turned into the public parking lot and encountered 20 tour buses and very few parking spots.

We followed the masses into town and up to a series of locks on the Caledonian Canal. The restaurants and shops were heaving with people so we walked toward the end of the lock where it empties into Loch Ness. There, we found the lovely Boathouse Restaurant. We enjoyed a quiet lunch of toasties (I love a toastie!) and pints of beer. By this time, I had fallen in love with Tennent's pilsner and I'm pretty sure that I drank my weight in it while we were in Scotland. After lunch we spent a few moments admiring Loch Ness and then walked back to the car. 

Loch Ness

Since we missed Urquhart earlier in the day, we set our sites on Invergarry Castle. The castle is not mentioned on road signs and we only found it because I was following on Google Maps. It appears to be on the property of the Invergarry Castle Hotel and signs only mention the hotel. The castle has a safety fence around it and visitors are urged not to cross it due to safety concerns but I have to admit that I was incredibly tempted. The lush greenery surrounding the fence and the plants growing inside what would have been the "keep" lent an otherworldly feeling to the moment. It felt like time might be trying to pull us backward. Ok, I felt that. I'm pretty sure that Drew didn't.

A few miles down the road we saw a sign for the Commando Memorial. The memorial was unveiled in 1952 and it was built to honor the commandos who answered the call to service in World War II and joined together to create an elite fighting force. The commandos trained in the area near the memorial and 1,700 of them lost their lives during the war. The site faces Ben Nevis which is the highest point in in the British Isles and the tallest of the Munros.

Ben Nevis as seen from the Commando Memorial

We arrived in Fort William around 6:00 p.m., having successfully turned another three-hour drive into an eight-hour day. If there is one thing we're good at when we're traveling, it's side quests! We checked into our hotel, the Cruachan, and then headed into Fort William for dinner.

Cruachan Hotel

Fort William, located on the shores of Loch Linnhe, is known as the "Outdoor Capital of the UK." It is the starting point of the Great Glen Way and the West Highland Way and a hub for through hikers on their own adventures. Despite having a bit of PTSD from the large crowds earlier in the day, it was really fun to walk down High Street and see the hikers coming in from their day's travels. We had a great meal at Ben Nevis Bar where I made a hard right turn toward American food and ordered macaroni and cheese (NOT mac and cheese). It was delicious!

After dinner we walked back toward the hotel and took a brief stroll alongside Loch Linnhe and then sat for awhile by the water's edge. Eventually, the siren call of the local whisky drew us back to the hotel where we had a dram (or two) and then headed to the room for some sleep.

Man enjoying the views of Loch Linnhe

Scotland Road Trip Day 4: Thurso to Ullapool

We woke to find that our clothes had not dried overnight and, defying all logic, seemed to have actually gotten more damp. We ate a quick breakfast and then headed over to the launderette. Twenty minutes later our clothes were gloriously dry. We went back to the hotel, backed our bags, and headed out for the day.

The first stop was the local beach in Thurso. There were only two other people there when we arrived and, again, it felt like we had the place to ourselves. I took off my shoes and tested the water temperature. It wasn't as cold as I had expected and it was definitely warmer than Lake Michigan. We walked the length of the beach and then back to the car.

Thurso beach with Thurso Castle in the distance.

Around 11:30 we started seeing glimpses of the beautiful coastline. A sign pointing to "Melvich Beach" intrigue us so we turned down the one-lane road. A couple of cattle guards later, we wound up in a parking lot that contained only a few cars. We walked towards the dunes and could immediately hear the crashing waves. After a short trek through the dune grass, we arrived at the beach and found that it was nearly deserted. I counted no more than five other humans and one very happy dog. 

We walked the length of the beach and then over to the spot where the Halladale River empties into the bay. We had a great view of the Big House Estate and also found some beautiful rocks. Due to airline weight restrictions and my husband's reluctance to lug my rocks through two countries and two airports, I was limited to one souvenir rock. It's a beauty though; about 14 ounces and perfectly egg shaped.

Looking across the river to the Big House

I thought that we could climb the dune to get back to the car. It was only after climbing the dune that we realized I was wrong, terribly wrong, and that we would need to go down, walk the length of the beach again, and then trek back through the dune. We arrived back to the car sweaty and panting but grateful for the beauty that we had just witnessed.

For the next four hours, we drove twisting mountain roads. Most had two lanes, but sometimes they reduced to one. There were plenty of places to stop and take in the scenery and we did so as often as we could. The sky alternated between sun and clouds with an occasional brief rain shower. The landscape was so beautiful that I couldn't find words to attach to my emotions. I was reduced to "wow," "oh my goodness," and "oh my..." for the duration.

Around 4:30, we stopped at Ardvreck Castle. Visitors are free to explore the castle ruins and the area surrounding it. 

Ardvreck Castle

Calda House, built with stones from Ardvreck Castle sits just down the road. We didn't visit the house but we did snap a few photos.

We arrived in Ullapool around 6:00 p.m. and checked into the Ferry Boat Inn. The last Caledonian ferry of the day to the Isle of Lewis was still in port and we walked down to get a closer view.

The Ferry Boat Inn

The Caledonian ferry in the background

Our hunger urged us back to the hotel where my heart was set on a dinner of fresh seafood. I was not disappointed. We had fresh oysters to start and then mussels in cream sauce with fries for a main. 

 

We returned to the room and sampled some of the Dalwhinnie whisky that we bought a couple days before. It was delicious! Our room overlooked the harbor and I feel asleep to the sounds of waves and seagulls.