Category: Scottish Highlands and beyond
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Christiania: A unique blend of life in Copenhagen
Our friend James said we were entering another nation today on our tour of Copenhagen, but it felt like another world. Christiania has nearly 900 residents and is sometimes called a commune, set on more than 80 acres in the capital of Denmark. The area has a military history dating to the early 17th century.…
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Outings in Oxfordshire
Reg conquered the motorways of England, delivering us safely to the home of our friends Ian and Marion, who live just outside Oxford. The next day, anxious to stretch our legs and explore, we opted for the short four-mile stroll through the countryside into the city. Once there, we stopped for coffee and…
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A puzzling surprise
Rolling green hills rise up, providing a backdrop for the quintessential English village of Grasmere in the Lake District. A paradise for walkers, it's a magical place where tea shops, cafés and boutiques line the streets. We stumbled upon Barney's Newsbox while strolling through town. The jigsaw puzzles in the window caught our eye…
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Scotland engineers two enthralling attractions
Our good friend Trish guided us to Falkirk Friday to see a pair of Scottish engineering marvels. The Kelpies is a new exhibit that depicts two lake spirits as metal Clydesdale horse heads that have to be seen up close to be fully appreciated. Andy Scott of Glasgow created two 30-meter sculptures that provide nearby…
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Exploring a hidden gem
We discovered the beauty of the Scottish glens years ago when our friends Barbara and Malcolm took our family to Glen Clova for the day. Our boys were young and Malcolm taught them how to roll downhill the heather-covered hillside. It made for some great video! During our last visit, Reg and…
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Friendships weather the years and miles
We have had a most enjoyable week in Scotland after our walk, mainly because of the great times visiting with friends we made while living here in 1997-98. We have enjoyed many laughs, trips down memory lane and tasty meals in our times together. The Scottish weather, as it always does,…
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St. Andrews’ best kept secret
Who wouldn't want to claim that they've played golf in St. Andrews, the birthplace of the game? Not us! We discovered the Himalayas course back in 1997/98 when we lived here. It was great family fun and still is the best deal around for just £2.00/person (or about $3.40). We grabbed our good friend Trish…
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The Kingdom of Fife
We left the Highlands behind and headed south from Inverness last Saturday. We've rented Stoney Creek cottage in the little fishing village of Crail, about a fifteen minute drive south/west around the coast from St. Andrews. We found our cottage smack in the center of town; with The Royal Bank of Scotland, a small…
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Diversions
The sign on the trail firmly ordered us to stop. It seemed that the Forestry Commission was logging along the section of trail in front of us. We looked to our right where another sign politely insisted we take an alternate route; a diversion. With apologies for the inconvenience and a promise that the new…
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