We're planning a trip to Scotland with a Rick Steves' Tour this October. This will be my second visit and I'm curious to see what has changed since my first visit in May 1973.
Saturday, May 26th - I took a bus from Keswick to Edinburgh. As I left the bus station I asked a well-dressed gentleman for directions to the youth hostel. He responded in a dialect I couldn't understand. I politely thanked him and fumbled on my way until I found the hostel.
Sunday - Edinburgh Castle: Museum, Crown Jewels, Great Hall, Scottish Pipers and Guardsmen in Kilts. Too many tourists and sadly I am one of them.
Monday - In search of the bus station I discovered the Museum of Antiquities and the National Portrait Gallery. I took the bus to Inverness and shared the journey with a mustached American in the back of the bus.
Tuesday - In search of castles I discovered the Inverness City Dump [I rarely knew what I was doing & often exploring by foot]. After that I fled to the Ness Islands which were very beautiful and peaceful. Later the rains came and with them Americans. Time to move on.
Wednesday - I hitched 2 rides along the eastern side of Loch Ness in search of Frank Searle who was camped in the woods along the shore. I hiked through the trees for awhile before finding his camp. We talked of his work, his tent and these creatures of the deep. He also showed me his original Polaroid photo of the monster (a copy had previously appeared in Life magazine). Somehow I hitched a ride back to Inverness, then hitched another to Urquhart Castle - where I ran into the mustached American and we explored the ruins in the rain. I then hitched a ride to the Alltsaigh hostel - chilled to the bone.
Thursday - The day was a bagful of rain and sunshine. I walked about 4 miles - seeing an old arching stone bridge and the falls of Invermoriston along the way. I eventually hitched a ride to Fort William which was crawling with tourists, so I hitched a ride to Glencoe with a mountaineer in a little red Mazda. I arrived about sundown. Glencoe is a beautiful village surrounded by at least 10 peaks.
Friday - I got up early, had cold cereal for breakfast and was hiking before nine. It had snowed slightly during the night on the peaks above. Along a quiet lane I discovered the site of the Glencoe Massacre of 1692. A seemingly ordinary field with a nearby stream and campground. Soon after I hitched a ride from a couple in a little red Renault. I was for Crianlarich, but they were willing to take me to Stirling, so I agreed. [ah, those carefree days!] The countryside was spectacular and the weather was moodily beautiful. We talked of geography, football, cricket and places to eat. We also enjoyed tea in Callandar. At Stirling I was able to hitch a ride from a gentleman whose brother lived in Minneapolis. He dropped me off in Grangmouth. After walking awhile I caught a ride from a color TV repairman who took me to Edinburgh. I was able to check into the hostel early (filled with Scottish schoolboys), then treated myself to a fabulous vegetarian restaurant named Handerson's on Hanover Street.
Saturday - Exploring Edinburgh again, I discovered St. Bernard's Mineral Well, a rock garden and a Museum of Modern Art. That afternoon I attended a performance of "The Miser" at The Lyceum theater. It was a new translation into Scottish brogue - which the audience loved & I was totally confused. Another memorable experience!
I'm hoping to visit some of these places again - though the people and experiences will be different.
Garrison