Greenock
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city and a university town. We docked at Greenock which is about 27 miles from Glasgow. Travel to Wales was not possible because of high winds and waves. Glasgow is inland and uses the port town of Greenock. We elected to tour Greenock on our own rather than take an excursion to Glasgow. It’s a small city with a population of 43,000. We walked most of the city in about 4 hours. We went into the mall and changed USD to UK Pounds, looked at items in a grocery store (a favorite activity), went into the public library, and walked a hilltop park. We did see a car accident; well, not the actually hit, just the immediate aftermath. About an hour later as we walked by again, the police and the wrecked cars were still in the same place. Nothing happens quickly in Scotland.
We did have a steak pie and scones for lunch. We know the waitress was speaking English but absolutely could not understand what she was saying. I guess she figured we were just deaf so she shouted at us; TEA or COFFEE? Were we embarrassed??
Ullapool
Beautiful day; sunny and cloudy but NO rain, NO wind which is good because we are hiking what’s called the Knockan Crag. Listed as a moderate hike; someone who writes the excursion summaries needs to get out and actually hike it. Steep, muddy with often times narrow steps (some 20 inches high) and nothing to hold on to, lead us to a 3,500 ft elevation with views that were so Scottish. We were looking at dramatic mountain peaks piercing the sky and miles of unpopulated and unspoiled wilderness. The trees were cut down centuries ago, and red deer eat new sprouts, moss is dominant and creates peat at the rate of a 1/32 inch per year. It is still harvested and used to make scotch whiskeys. The climb was pretty tough and we lost a few hikers who decided to turn back half way in. We had a geologist guiding us, who explained that Scotland is loaded with geological wonders of which Knockan Crag is one. Normally, when looking at rocks, the oldest are on the bottom while new rocks accumulate on the top. Here, a discovery was made by two brilliant young rock mappers (yes, that’s a real job). It was called the Moine Thrust in which enormous forces move rocks sideways so that the older rocks end up on top of the younger ones. After three hours, we were all happy to be back on the bus, heading for home and a good drink.
Kirkwall
Today, we experienced a good Scotland soaking with winds so strong, many had a hard time controlling their umbrellas. Yesterday’s mud was nothing compared to todays. We’re on an excursion called A Remote Island’s Neolithic Past. Our first major stop was at the Ring of Brodgar, a huge ceremonial circle of stones dating back almost 5,000 years. They were quarried, transported, and uprighted 500 years before the pyramids, and 800 before Stonehenge. This circle started with 27 vertical stones varying in size from 5 to 10ft high. There are 12 stones left. Why in a circle you ask? Many theories have been discussed; one being that the circle was where the aliens would one day land. Another was for spiritual reasons and living close to this circle was a preferred location. We continued on to a well-preserved Stone Age settlement of Skara Brae to explore one of the most complete Neolithic villages. Older than Stonehenge, the site has been called the “Scottish Pompeli” because its remarkable preserved dwellings remained hidden beneath the sand dunes until only 150 years ago. It was discovered that the villagers living here figured out how to install running water, make furniture out of rock, created jewelry and setup composting. Their walls were painted with color, they had gardens and ate well and appeared to have good lives based on skeletal remains. There are numerous archeological digs going on here, so anyone interested in dirt digging, get yourself a ticket to Orkney Island.
Today, we had 3 people fall and another broke her arm. Mud, combined with all that green grass, is really slippery!
Edinburgh
Edinburgh has been Scotland’s capital since the 15th century and offers splendid views of the sea. Edinburgh Castle overlooks the city from Castle rock and is impressive. There are also many church spires towering throughout the city. Our tour guide noted the existence of a single Catholic church in the city. We started out on an excursion bus tour and dropped off two hours in, to continue on our own. We walked and walked and walked and both of us felt the same. Everything was of the same dull colored sandstone, covered with coal soot. There was minimal creativity in their architecture. There are no individual homes, just rows and rows of what look like apartments. Windows are all the same, and the only color is on the front door. They were red, blue, yellow, green and brown. Businesses, embassies, private living quarters, cafes are all intermixed, all in rows, on every street.
We headed to the famous Royal Mile to see what that was all about. Many, many cafes, restaurants and tourist stores. Today, filming for Fast & Furious #9 was taking place so a good portion of the mile was closed off, as were other portions of the city.
We did find St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral and spent a good amount of time inside. Yet another Cathedral under renovation. From the stained glass to the columns that created the ceilings to the magnificent alter; this place was beautiful and just felt comforting. Ladies were at a table embroidering pillows that sat under each chair in the church for kneeling. I never did see any two alike. The organist was practicing on the grand pipe organ with enormous resonators.
We decided all that walking deserved coffee and scones (we can’t help it; we love scones). We sat for an hour enjoying our snack and reading a newspaper. One thing stood out. Cities like Edinburgh, Reykjavik, Machu Picchu and Dubrovnik are being overrun with tourists; mainly cruise ships. They are all considering charging tourists for admittance to certain attractions. Currently, Dubrovnik has security that controls admission. Two people out, two are allowed in. It looks like our town is not alone in trying to figure out how to control the flow of tourists so that areas (Smith Rock, Tumalo Falls, etc) won’t be destroyed or so crowded that we, the residents, can’t enjoy what’s in our own backyard.
Invergordon
We’re back in the Highlands, only this time we’re nestled between a patchwork of farmland, and a deep glacier-carved harbor. The landscape is noticeably different in that crops grow on level soil. The town was small and the people were very gracious. They staged an arts & crafts fair for us and another cruise line that was moored next to us. It consisted of mainly jewelry and one wood carver. On the door where the fair was held was a welcoming sign for the Viking Sun and the Ocean Majestic. There was a Museum next door that we walked through and what did we find but an Iron Lung Machine. This thing had great significance for me because at the age of 4, I had polio in my lungs. To this day I remember being in the hospital for 2 weeks and seeing those machines lined up in the hallways, wondering when I’d get put in one. I was lucky. We continue to walk through town and find the Church of Scotland & Seafarers’ Centre. As we enter there is a school age boy playing the organ and a big display with the words:
Give a warm welcome to the crew and passengers from Ocean Majestic and Viking Sun.
We pray that God will bless you and that you will have a safe and enjoyable cruise.
If only the world could follow this example. The town also celebrates itself with a series of stunning murals painted by local artists. A walking trail leads us to them all, passing colorful window flowerboxes along the way. By the way, this is also where the fabled Loch Ness Monster is said to hide out. Nope didn’t see him/her.
We board a bus for our afternoon excursion which takes us through the mountainous, heather-covered Highlands. One of Scotland’s earliest civilizations, the Picts, are known for their symbols and masterful metalwork. In route to a small fishing village we see two large Pictish stones covered in intricate carvings. We drive on to see a free-range chicken farm housing over 1,000 chickens. These birds are living the high life until… Next door there is a vending machine where locals can purchase eggs, 3 or 6 at a time. We all had a good laugh.
In the 1970’s, the offshore oil drilling industry boomed. Invergorden was a major hub of activity. Then the price of oil dropped and companies ceased operation. The Scottish contracts with the petroleum industry did not include removal of old equipment. The expensive machinery located on the drilling rigs was scavenged, and then the rigs abandoned. The harbor is littered with plugged wells and various styles of platforms. After decades of negotiations, the abandoned rigs remain and will continues for the foreseeable future.
Close to Invergordon is Dufftown, a mecca for small scotch distilleries. I visited there in the 70’s and was astounded by the dozens of local brands. The hotel heat was personally set with deposits of coins into a bedside meter. It was winter and really cold as I used my last coin.
Lerwick
Yes, this is home to the Shetland Ponies but there is not enough time for 2 excursions and we wanted to hear about the Up Helly Aa. What the heck is that, you ask? It’s a Fire Festival that occurs on the last Tuesday in January. It’s celebrating the end of the Yule season and its been going on since 1881. This day started with rain, then sun, then rain, then sun, getting the picture. We climbed up hills, then slid down hills. We climbed up steps and hoped we’d still be upright when we reached the bottom.
After a tour of cosmopolitan Lerwick, we were taken to an exhibition of the Up Helly Aa. This is a really big deal and the entire town works all year to make this happen. The town is currently getting ready for January’s festival by making over 1,000 torches, building a Viking ship and designing themed costumes to be worn by men who march through darkened streets in a torch lit procession. They march all through town singing and end up at the Viking ship where they heave-hoe their torches into the ship and create the biggest bonfire you can imagine. The Festival lasts 2 days and there’s much history that goes along with it. The procession is capped at 900 male participants (must be 16 to carry a torch) who are divided into groups that go to 20 different venues where they put on a show that defines what their costumes are about and the women feed them. This Festival starts at 6am on the last Tuesday in January and ends at 4am on Wednesday. No matter how cold, the entire town is out on the street celebrating.
We also visited the Town Hall which is the highlight in Lerwick. It was not your usual run of council offices. The main Hall is an impressive room with many stained glass windows showing both Norwegian history and important periods in the history of Shetland and Orkney Isles.
