Day 5: Inverewe Gardens and Ullapool

Wednesday 17th August - 2022

Day 5: Our fifth day on the road for us today. We are still in the western highlands of Scotland. Continuing our journey to northern Scotland, we departed our hotel, the Balmacara Hotel in Kyle this morning.

(Above) Coach outside Balmacara Hotel in Kyle before we hit the road this morning.

(Above) Looking towards the Isle of Skye from the restaurant while enjoying breakfast.

(Above) John (our Guide, the big fella on the right) & Gary our C·I·E Tour Group motorcoach driver loading all the punters suitcases onto the coach while we enjoyed breakfast inside the hotel.

(Above) What a gorgeous Scottish morning. Our coach preparing to leave the Balmacara Hotel in Kyle with the Isle of Skye visible across Loch Alsh in the background.

We made a stop into the Inverewe Gardens. A lochside garden amid a barren wilderness on the Atlantic coast in the North West Highlands.

This impressive garden was designed & built by Osgood Mackenzie, some of the mature specimen trees of pine, beech, eucalyptus and abies date back to garden founder Osgood Mackenzie's original 19th century plantings.

(Above) Inverewe Gardens. Rare species thrive in this heritage garden as the effects of the Gulf Stream meet the Highlands.

(Above) A layout map of the huge Inverewe Garden.

(Above) The wonderful name tag tree where l discovered the P. Warburton name tag.

(Above) Guess what l discovered hanging on the welcome tree as l entered the gardens? A tag with the name Mr. P. Warburton, my first cousin's name was Peter he has gone to heaven & l know that he never visited these gardens when he was alive.

(Above) Some of the garden flowers (yellow flowers in garden bed).

(Above) When I was sitting in the gardens having my lunch today this beautiful Red breasted Robin decided to join me & ate all my crumbs. He was so beautiful, he stayed with me within less than a metre, so tame.

(Above) The National Trust for Scotland plate. The garden and estate has been the property of the National Trust for Scotland since it was given to the Trust along with a generous endowment for its future upkeep by the founder's daughter Mairi Sawyer in 1952

The reason why these Inverewe Gardens survives is because here in this area it is a Micro Climate from the Gulf Stream with perfectly good air quality. Truly a natural wonder, because nothing needs to be nurtured especially in these very harsh conditions in the Scottish Highlands.

(Above) Our C·I·E Tour Group motorcoach at one of our many pit stops along the way.

(Above) Me watching on as they prepare the dog's life jacket before venturing out onto the freezing cold water of the Loch. Hope that you are all noticing the Blue Sky.

(Above) A dog going for a ride on a ski at one of our pit stops beside a Loch.

Our fifth day's journey will end at the Caledonian Hotel in the tiny port town of Ullapool this evening.

(Above) Our accommodation in the tiny port town of Ullapool for tonight, Night 5. The Caledonian Hotel.

(Above) Moored in Ullapool harbour, the 700-passenger cruise ship Azamara Quest. Ullapool has several cruise ships a week calling in here to western Scotland. Azamara Cruise lines is based in Miami, Florida and operates four cruise ship on worldwide itineraries.

The ferry terminal at Ullapool harbour runs a daily service to the Isle of Lewis. Routes south of Ullapool pass through Gairloch and Poolewe to Kyle of Lochalsh and the bridge to Skye. Ullapool is also the main terminus for the ferry to Stornoway.

That's it for Day 5 of 12 on the Scottish Highlands road.

Warbo

Day 4: Isle of Skye, Dunvegan Castle & Portree

Tuesday 16th August - 2022

Day 4: Our fourth day on the road we left the Scottish mainland at the Skye Crossing and headed across Loch Alsh to the Isle of Skye, where we had a tour of the remote Dunvegan Castle and then stopped for lunch in the island's largest settlement at Portree.

The Isle of Skye is the largest island of the Inner Hebrides group of islands, you access it by crossing the Skye Bridge or Skye Crossing from the Scottish mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh.

(Above) We stopped for lunch at the picturesque village of Portree, the biggest town on the island, where all the house are painted in bright colours.

Portree was chosen as one of the "20 most beautiful villages in the UK and Ireland" by Condé Nast Traveler, and is visited by many tourists each year.

(Above) On the Isle of Skye, we visited the Dunvegan Castle & Gardens which is remotely located 1-mile (1.6 km) to the north of Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland. It's present architectural form dates back to about 1840.

Dunvegan Castle is the oldest continuously inhabited Castle in Scotland. The castle is built on an elevated rock overlooking an inlet on the eastern shore of Loch Dunvegan, a sea loch.

(Above) A lone piper plays along the clifftops high above the Sea of the Hebrides on the Isle of Skye.

 

(Above) The McCleods Clan have occupied this Castle continually for 800-years.

Clan MacLeod ruled the wild, mountainous and very beautiful islands in the north western edge of Scotland - Skye, Lewis, Harris and Raasay. The clan descend from seafaring Norse Kings and its rich clan history stretches back over 800 years.

Check out this impressive family crest (Above) consisting of bull's head cabossed sable, horned Or, between two flags gules, staved at the first.

(Above) A waterfall flowing off the rugged cliffs into the open ocean on the Atlantic side of the Isle of Skye.

(Above) Our fearless C·I·E Tour Group Guide, John, pouring shots of 'Isle of Skye Liqueur' Drambuie on the bus.

(Above) The potent Scottish bus medicine

(Above) Flora Macdonald grave site on the Isle of Skye.

Flora MacDonald was a member of Clan Macdonald of Sleat, best known for helping Charles Edward Stuart evade government troops after the Battle of Culloden in April 1746. Her family generally backed the government during the 1745 Rising and MacDonald later claimed to have assisted Charles out of sympathy for his situation.

Arrested and held in the Tower of London, she was released under a general amnesty in June 1747. She later married Allan MacDonald and the couple emigrated to North Carolina in 1773.

Their support for the British government during the American War of Independence meant the loss of their American estates and they returned to Scotland, where she died in 1790.

Day 3: Loch Lomond, Fort William & Eilean Donan Castle

Monday 15th August - 2022

For our third day on the Scottish road, we are off to visit Loch Lomond, Glenco, considered one of Scotland’s most beautiful regions, we will travel through Fort William & visit romantic Eilean Donan Castle, spectacularly situated on an island at the meeting of three lochs & l wonder why l cannot sleep.

(Above) The “Squire” is shaking hands with our C·I·E Tour guide, John, with Loch Lomond providing a nice backdrop behind us. Look who is wearing that most 'traveled sweater' in the world.

We stopped for a quick pit stop on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, I took the 'high road'. Loch Lomond was breathtaking. The photos today sure are different to the rest of my photos taken for more than 81-days of beautiful weather here in the Britain. 

Eilean Donan Castle in the western Highlands of Scotland

Last night, after 81-days of being here in the UK l was woken up in my Glasgow Hotel room to the sound of thunderstorms & lightning followed by some rain. It had to happen. Enjoy the change of scenery.

The Eilean Donan Castle is surrounded by majestic scenery and situated right where three sea lochs meet. Its one of the most visited and important attractions in the Scottish Highlands. The Castle underwent a 20-year restoration and was re-opened in 1932. 

A lone piper at Eilean Donan Castle

I have to tell you all, the scenery here in the Scottish Highlands & Glens is truly spectacular as you can see in my photos even without the sun shining. You could just imagine what they would have turned out to be if the sun was shining.

On the bonnie banks of the 22-mile long Loch Lomond

The countryside that we drove through yesterday is renowned for it’s unsurpassed beauty. We drove through Glencoe, often considered one of Scotland’s most beautiful regions, traveled through Fort William (Harry Potter country) & finally finishing up at the romantic Eilean Donan Castle.

I was talking to Gary our driver over dinner last night, he said you haven’t seen any thing yet, so God only knows what we have ahead of us.

(Above) My good-self with one of Eilean Donan Castle's local tour guides.

We now have two days at the Balmacara Hotel near the Kyle of Lochalsh Highlands.

Cheers

Warbo

Day 2: Isle of Bute

Sunday 14th August - 2022

When we departed our Glasgow hotel this morning our destination was a visit the Isle of Bute. The island is located out in the Firth of Clyde, and is 33-miles from the Wemyss Bay ferry terminal, so we needed to travel out here via a CalMac ferry from the mainland, arriving into the principal town of Rothesay. 

The Isle of Bute's Mount Stuart House estate built in approximately 1877 

Let me tell you folks you just have to Google this place it is truly breathtaking, it has left me completely speechless, any photographer would be in their element here in Scotland, it is absolutely beautiful & to make things better the weather is unbelievable at 26°C.

This island contains some of the grandest Victorian buildings and glorious gardens anywhere in the UK. And believe it not, it is known for its remote and protected sandy beaches.

Photo overlooking the River Clyde from a little town called Lyle Hill.

We are sitting having lunch inside the island's striking 19th Century neo-gothic mansion, the Mount Stuart House estate. Built in approximately 1877 was once owned by the richest person in the world, the Marquis of Bute that made his fortune out of Welsh Coal.

This was the first house in the world to have an indoor swimming pool. Richard Attenborough once had his estate on this island. Henry 'Birdie' Bowers was on the Polar Party with explorer Scott on his fatal Terra Nova expedition to the Antarctic in 1911, also lived here on the island & perished with Scott on that ill-fated trip.

The rise of the Stuarts of Bute: 1300-1700. From 1900 to the present day.

The present head and heir of the Bute family is Johnny Bute, who after a successful career in motor racing, he was British Formula 3 Champion in 1984, drove in Formula 1 in the 1986 season (wait for this) & won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1988. 

Johnny is taking Mount Stuart, the Bute Estate and the other family business interests forward into the 21st Century.

The marble in this joint is all from Italy the same source of supply that Michelangelo used in all his sculptures, just look at this stair case, & the roof over the marble stair case.

(Photo above) Check out their library, complete with a billboard sized wall hanging tapestry, the work is about 25-30 ft long, the intricate detail would blow your socks off.

I was talking to our Tour Guide, John, on the way over here this morning on the ferry.

I asked him about the weather that we can expect into the future, he said that maybe our tour will be one of the lucky one’s as far as the weather is concerned, he said that it should not be too bad. So keep your fingers crossed for us.

Our C·I·E Tour Group motorcoach at the Wemyss Bay, CalMac ferry terminal

We are not even 24-hours into this tour & already it has surpassed all my early expectations. There are thirty punters on the tour, six short of the maximum numbers, which makes it fantastic because we have so much more room on the Coach.

There are two other Aussie’s in the group, one lady from Adelaide & the other lady from Chipping Norton near Liverpool in Sydney. The other members on the tour are from Canada & America which I think is a great mix.

The ornate Wemyss Bay railway station is 26-miles from Glasgow Central

This evening we have a free evening to do what ever we want, then in the morning we head off to Lock Lomond for the next part of the tour.

Reception is very bad in this part of the world & John advises us that it will become worse the further north we travel.

The journey continues... next stop Loch Lomond.

Warbo

Day 1: In sunny Glasgow

Saturday 13th August - 2022

I am completely gob smacked by my first day back in Glasgow after 51-years, the city turned on sensational weather for me, 28°c, blue skies, sunshine, as you can see in the photos for my arrival to start my 12-day Scottish extravaganza.

While l was strolling around the Glasgow yesterday morning l could not help to notice that hundreds of people were walking around in their kilts. I thought to myself , this can’t be right surely to god they still don’t were their National Dress in the 21 century.

I decided to ask one of the punters “what’s this business of you folks still wearing your kilts”. He said ore’ no laddie, there is the World Pipe Band Championships being held here down the road at Glasgow Green at the moment. Why don’t you come on down & check it out.

I couldn’t believe my luck, not only did l come to visit Scotland for its beauty I also just happened to stumble across all these people from all over the world including Australia here to complete in these world championships, & trust me there were literally thousands of them. What a bonus.

I wandered around the grounds taking in all the wonderful Bagpipe music for hours, it made the hairs that I still have on the top of my head stand up, I love the sound of the Bagpipes because my forefathers were Scottish & that explains why I love that one & only sound.

Unfortunately I had to get back to my hotel because I was about to meet & greet my C·I·E Tour Group who were scheduled to leave on our the first tour around the City & I sure as hell did not want to miss out on this city tour of Glasgow famed for its Victorian & Art Nouveau Architecture. 

Today Glasgow is Scotland’s cultural hub. Glasgow has a population of 660,000 people, for those of you that did not know, Edinburgh is the Capital of Scotland.

As you can see in the photos you could buy yourself a set of bagpipes if you wished (see photo above). The first set of bagpipes in that photograph you could duty for £875 or AUD$1,500 if you are inclined to annoy you neighbours.

There are 30-people on this very exclusive tour from all over the world including 3 Aussie’s of which I am one. Our Tour guide, John, is Scottish, our coach driver Gary is Irish. They will be with us for the entire trip.

I am very impressed with what I see so far, if my hunch is correct as I mentioned previously this part of my holiday will definitely be the highlight of my tour of the British Isles in the Summer of ‘22. I am sure the memories will stay with me until I turn my toes up in another 20 or so years, God willing.

Our first port of call this afternoon was this magnificent medieval Glasgow Cathedral, being such a magnificent day weather wise I requested that I wanted to take a photograph of our newly formed C·I·E Tour Group in front of the Cathedral of all our new friends just to break the ice.

This photograph sure achieved its purpose & now that I have broken the ice with everyone it has made it so much easier for everyone to be friendlier to each other almost immediately because they all want a copy of that photograph that I have taken in front of the Cathedral.

It actually turned the clock back to my early flying days when all the crew would venture out together before Walkman’s & mobile phones were the curse to society.

The photo of that superb building is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum which was of great interest to me because John our tour guide mentioned that there was a Spitfire Aircraft hanging from the ceiling & you all know the soft spot I hold in my heart for that wonderful aircraft that I was fortunate enough to fly over the English Channel a few years ago.

I definitely was not disappointed with the display of the Spitfire in the museum, plus they had on display a Haggis taxidermy mount, which l really wanted to see what those creatures actually looked like.

When our Coach bought us back to our hotel from the City tour around 5:00pm it was time to freshen up, have a shower then meet all my very best new friends in the bar for welcoming drinks at 6:00pm followed by dinner in the restaurant.

During dinner our Tour Guide John gave us all a briefing of our trip & what he expected from all of us before retiring to my room for a well earned sleep.

I have just read today’s plan of events, brekko at 07:00 board coach at 08:15 for another day sightseeing here in Glasgow.

A Haggis taxidermy mount, l really wanted to see what those creatures actually looked like. A Haggis is a fictional creature of Scottish folklore, said to be native to the Scottish Highlands.

Take a ferry to the lsle of Bute for stunning island scenery and a guided tour of the 19th Century Mount Stuart House. Spend some time in Rothesay, the main town on the island. Enjoy a free evening in Glasgow & dine independently.

Stay tuned for more of Warbo’s Magical Mystery Tour of Scotland”.

Cheers for now, must prepare for breakfast.

Warbo

Jaunting off to Scotland by Bus

Friday 12th August - 2022

After two months in the UK, I have departed Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire about 80Kms northwest of London, for Scotland by Motorcoach, to join up with my C·I·E Tours 12-day Grand Tour of Scotland that will include the 2022 Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Our coach driver is Scottish & I am having trouble understanding his accent, God forbid. Thank heavens I am not driving, this freeway is like driving on Sydney's Southern distributor in peak hour. The traffic is moving at a snail's pace.

Thinking back to my last visit to Scotland, I have just calculated that it has been 51-years since I was last here, and now I have finally made back to Scotland, and by sheer coincidence I have entered Scotland at exactly the same place that I did all those years ago, via the M6 at Gretna Green.

The 'Welcome to Scotland' sign. Unfortunately the photo (above) is the pits because we were heading right into the afternoon sun & I did not have a choice.

My good run of luck with the weather has followed me to Scotland, the driver just informed us that the temperature today in Glasgow was 32°c.

There are real hills as l look out each side of the coach. The country side is much more greener up here the further we travel north. It is now 8:00pm and the sun is still up, however l can feel a little nip in the air that I haven’t felt since l arrived in the UK some 78-days ago.

Due to our Friday afternoon M6 Motorway delays, we will arrive into Glasgow about 90-minutes late. I'm spending the first night in the Z Hotel is right in heart of downtown Glasgow. And tomorrow I will join up my C·I·E Tour Group.

We have stopped to change drivers our pilot must be out of hours, I hope that our new pilot does not have such a strong Scottish accent.

I decided that I should take a photo out of the front window of the bus. As you can see the traffic is still horrendous, these Pommies need to build this M6 freeway with 6 lanes not 3 as you can see in the photo. This highway is exactly the same as it was in 1971 when I first drove up here in my VW Camper Van with Pam as my navigator.

I am having the time of my life, who ever would have thought that I could have so much fun with a future Miss World sitting right next to me, money can not by this sort of entertainment.

Thinking back to when l booked this trip way back in late May it really did not cost that much if my memory serves me correctly, As I said I thought it was very inexpensive & it was. Just £28 return or AUD$77.00. The only bargain that l have experienced so far with UK transport while I've been here.

Everyone told me that l should have flown to Glasgow, thank heavens I didn’t because I would have missed out on all this fun.

The journey continues, I am sure there will be more to come before arrive in Glasgow.

Warbo