just returned from tour of Scotland and Ireland

Laughing at your wallpaper paste bread description! Your feelings are normal and why many of us come back home and begin dreaming or planning a next trip.

If you have a little time, please share a trip report on the forum, too. We love reading experiences- what you liked, special stories, etc. And it helps you remember the trip later, too.

Oh, I know how you feel. Writing your trip report will help, I agree. Another thing that helps is to try to reproduce foods you enjoyed - that Irish brown bread, for instance (I loved it too!).

Yes :(

Been home a week and still missing the food, among other things. My husband, who had only briefly been out of the US before, now understands what I'm talking about when I say the bread is sweet here.

The only reason I didn't get really sad is that my next trip is already booked. That might be the only antidote going forward.

OK.....here goes.... We started our tour in Glasgow at the Radisson Blue. Best night sleep I ever had. The bed was amazing. The breakfasts were great. But I never tried Haggis or Black pudding....uh huh...no way.
The Scotland tour was great and I booked an 8 day Ireland tour on the end so I was pooped out by the time I got home on the 27th of September. Our Scotland tour guide, James MacLetchie and our driver Ian were the best for the travel on the bus. There are a few long rides on the bus but you cannot see it all without driving there. They made it fun and interesting.
Oban, Iona, Mull....spiritual and beautiful. Weather was fantastic. Food was great and had flavor and nutrition. I did not realize it until I got home and started up eating the junk in this country.....its sad. I almost ordered flour from Europe just to make some scones that tasted like what I had there but gave up. Accommodations were all great. Quirky like Rick Steve's says but not so bad because you are forewarned. Every night was quiet and people were kind and helpful. I prefer the out of the way places instead of the commercial hotels. It was a perfect touch. Stirling castle was amazing....people dressed in period costumes and even talked like they did in that era. The border collie dog demo was a highlight as well as seeing the "hairy coos" and we even got to feed some red deer. It was kind of a jaunt into a more remote area (Cairngorms National Park) but well worth it. The special guide was so interesting. You could tell he loved it there. Our group was having dinner in Inverness when the guide announced that the Queen had just passed away. We were a day behind all the traffic and hoopla but BBC covered it nonstop. In Edinburgh I walked to see Holyroodhouse palace where the Royal Family visits on occasion. There were tons of flowers all around the gate and front lawn area. It was quite moving.
Being an Outlander nut I made sure I touched the stones at Balnuaran of Clava and the door of Jamie's print shop in Bakers Close in Edinburgh. I know......what can I say. The Battlefield of Culloden was quite humbling learning how many died so needlessly. There are grave markers on large areas where groups of soldiers were buried. The museum there was incredible and a wealth of information. Walks along the river in Inverness were beautiful. We had free time so I walked along some peaceful paths. As time went on and we were free to get our own lunch I found I was quite satisfied getting a bowl of soup and bread. Wonderful beyond belief how something so simple could taste so good. St. Andrews was not a highlight for me but the city was quite quaint and on free time I and others popped into the Beatrix Potter museum. Nice walk in the town and very interesting shops. Lots of local items and of course woolens to buy. Edinburgh was a really cool city. So much going on and so international but it was pique tourist time and the Queen's passing brought more people out moving about. I enjoyed it all and now want to go back. I took over 1,000 pics on my iPhone and am still sorting. I recommend labeling each picture with the information option and placing it in an album each night else....a swarm of pics to sort out. I used my debit card exclusively and had no problems at all. The establishments all take debit cards.

Where did you go in Scotland? What are some highlights for you? I am planning our trip to Scotland for next June, and would love to hear your thoughts.

I found out why our grains in our breads are so yucky. US grains are hard red wheat - which has more gluten. It is more resistant to drought. (there is much more here to research including seeds altered with inbred pesticides). European wheat is soft wheat - the gluten breaks down easier. In the US we spray Roundup on our food.....Given all the locations we toured I would have to conclude much their food is local but worth researching for the inquisitive mind.

“ I almost ordered flour from Europe just to make some scones that tasted like what I had there but gave up. ”.

Jill, I thought the same thing when I recently returned from Italy! I’m making pasta with King Arthur ‘00’ flour in the meantime. I was watching some random show about a guy traveling all over Italy to find the answers about Italian pizza. He returned back home to his mom’s home in northern Italy with all kinds of ingredients he acquired during the adventure. I was coveting that bag of flour! ; )

Jill: Yes, ma'am. The best answer I have is to start researching and planning your next trip. Get a history book on the region, scout out some locations and itineraries. Figure out your budget and check hotel and travel costs. This will give you something to look forward to, which is critical to the survival of our species.

AMann, we don't like to see how animals are killed for our food, but if you do you'll become an instant vegetarian. It's a revoltingly cruel, short life for our hamburgers and chickens. Don't get me started on pork, lamb, and veal. Those things stem from a true horror of cruel inhumanity.

I’m taking this trip next year in about the same time as you did. I have waterproof shoes. Do I really need boots?

Re: waterproof shoes....I did not bring waterproof shoes because I have high maintenance feet...high arch and narrow heel and wide toe base. I hate tight shoes so I had to sacrifice some comfort for fit. I tried a million pairs of shoes and ended up with Brooks arch support running shoes. I strongly urge a good ankle support and if you have the shoe makers standard foot you can find leather ankle support waterproof shoes. I cant find any like that so I compromised. I bought 3 pair of 100% wool ankle socks which were wonderful. We had two separate days of rain but it never stopped the tour. The hotel lends umbrellas and I dried my shoes out with a fan I got from the front desk. If I could have found a pair of soft leather high ankle support waterproof walking shoes I would have bought them. Alas, compromise. I wore a pair of Sketchers boat shoes on the plane and having a shoe to switch out from those walking shoes was wonderful. Just have a backup pair so your feet get a break. I brought flip flops and doubled them as slippers and casual dining in the hotel. Loved them. We walked a lot...cobblestone streets, cracked pavement, dirt trails, sidewalks with lumps....lots of uneven terrain...hence, good ankle support. The city walking tours - you are listening to the guide and looking all around and can trip if you dont pay attention. Plus, the stairs over there are shorter in the base than ours. It takes a few days to get used to them but you will. Good socks for comfort and wear your shoes a longgggggg time to make sure you love them. You will be living in them!!!!! Don't bring a lot of clothes because you will have some two night stays in a hotel and can wash out your clothes. I brought nylon underwear and washed out a pair every night and they dried. You will hate your clothes after five days but who cares...you can toss them before you go home. I tossed a pair of pants and two tops. Leave room for stuff to buy. I had to ship my purchases because my suitcase was packed. Several bought a spare suitcase and filled it with their purchases and checked it home. Shipping is easy and I got my stuff ok. We all "nest" in our own ways and I got really good at nesting quickly and packing up for the next day. It was kind of fun. There are stores everywhere so you can get everything you need. Hope that helps.
Jill

lessdarya, I'd prefer if you would go by moredarya, as your posts are quite worthwhile.

I found out why our grains in our breads are so yucky. US grains are hard red wheat.

All the more reason to try baking your bread (or buy from a local retailer that uses local grains). You can buy einkorn and rye wheat in many shops (the local coop has them here) or online, which are used in a lot of European breads. I buy Einkorn and rye berries and grind them myself. It's really not that hard and the bread tastes almost as good as the bread you get when traveling. 😊

Jean, I always use the King Arthur ‘00’ flour for pizza dough - it really makes a difference. There are other good brands, too (it's also called Italian flour).