Thursday, 28 July 2016
Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Today started in the Scottish country mansion, early! The owner sleeps in the turret and rises at 5-30. He runs the place virtually single handed and you can hear him thundering about on the old creepy floorboards! Breakfast was quite something; he asked us last night if we'd like a nice plate of fruit as a starter and it turns out he prides himself on surprising foreign visitors with a plate of fruit like they've never seen before. The portions are enormous and would easily suffice as a full breakfast. But then he brings what he calls a full Scottish breakfast and, boy it contained most of Scotland! As well as the expected egg, sausage and bacon (lots) there is the flat Scottish sausage, a mountain of mushrooms, tomato and beans. I told him I didn't want black pudding but didn't notice (or it didn't say) there was a huge amount of haggis too! So, yes I've now eaten haggis (if you live there you must have to get used to it as they seem to include a dollop of haggis in all sorts of dishes!)
I was determined to clear my plate to uphold English honour but he was a bit disappointed; his mission is to outface people so he prefers it if you can't eat it all.
So, we wandered down from Edinburgh to Carlisle, down the A7 which is a fabulous old fashioned driving road with light traffic; I didn't think we still had such roads and that it was necessary to go to France to find them. The Insignia hire car is the Sri version and it came alive on those roads.
We stopped in several border towns and had a walk round but no coffee and cake today; too full of breakfast. Two places had M& Co but mum only went in one and didn't buy anything; think she's getting bored with it.
I'd heard that a visit to Carlisle was worth it; it's not, it's downmarket and has nothing of note to look at. Thankfully tonight's b&b is in the country a few miles out of Carlisle. We were still too full of breakfast so had a mars bar for tea (well I had a cheese sandwich as well) but then we discovered Hadrian's Wall. It turns out it's not just a propaganda tale put out by some bloke called Adrian who thinks it sounds posh to pronounce his name with an H; there really is a wall. I'd never seen it before. Not to be too critical though, but it could do with some maintenance. It's falling down in places.
I was determined to clear my plate to uphold English honour but he was a bit disappointed; his mission is to outface people so he prefers it if you can't eat it all.
So, we wandered down from Edinburgh to Carlisle, down the A7 which is a fabulous old fashioned driving road with light traffic; I didn't think we still had such roads and that it was necessary to go to France to find them. The Insignia hire car is the Sri version and it came alive on those roads.
We stopped in several border towns and had a walk round but no coffee and cake today; too full of breakfast. Two places had M& Co but mum only went in one and didn't buy anything; think she's getting bored with it.
I'd heard that a visit to Carlisle was worth it; it's not, it's downmarket and has nothing of note to look at. Thankfully tonight's b&b is in the country a few miles out of Carlisle. We were still too full of breakfast so had a mars bar for tea (well I had a cheese sandwich as well) but then we discovered Hadrian's Wall. It turns out it's not just a propaganda tale put out by some bloke called Adrian who thinks it sounds posh to pronounce his name with an H; there really is a wall. I'd never seen it before. Not to be too critical though, but it could do with some maintenance. It's falling down in places.
Tuesday, 26 July 2016
Your usual bloggerist has been incapacitated lately but is now able to resume full holiday correspondent status. There have been incidents on the first two days that may not have been fully reported but I will not disclose further details at this juncture; instead I start on day 3.
Woke up in Pitlochry and went to bed in Dalkeith near Edinburgh. There, that was an exciting day wasn't it? Ok then, a little more detail. Woke up at 7-46, got out of bed and went in the bathroom. Too much detail? Ok, I'll try to pitch this somewhere in the middle.
Road trip took us to Blairgowrie where mother went in her second M&co shop in 2 days and disappeared for a large part of the day, so I looked in shop windows which included a butchers ( did you know they eat macaroni pies in Scotland?) and a kilt hire shop, but to be honest I think they should wear them lower, thus sparing us the sight of knobbly, hairy knees.
We had coffee and cake in a cafe (as long as that happens once a day, mum enjoys the holiday) and we paid by card in order to avoid paying cash and then having to withdraw some of that funny money they seem to like round here, from a cash machine.
Nearly went to Scone Palace but it looked like there may be an entrance fee and, besides who's to stay they'd finished baking it yet? So we drove round the outside of the estate walls instead. We did go see the Kelpies though. That's the big silver horses which you should by now have seen photos of me feeding. They were very impressive as was the free entry (£2 parking fee but cheap at the price when mum pays). Flushed with this success we also found and saw the Falkirk Wheel which is a massive machine that lifts canal boats up in the air rather than use 5 locks like Bingley. There was an entry fee but it's so big you can see it working easily enough, through the fence, so that was good.
Tonight's b&b is quite something; it's a big old country house standing in its own large estate in the countryside. Great big, wide doors, low ceilings, massive staircase, you know the sort of thing. But unlike the usual en-suite facilities we have our own private bathroom. The one drawback being that it's on the ground floor opposite the entrance, about a quarter of a mile walk, and down the main staircase, past the dining room from our first floor bedroom. I think I may have to keep my shreddies on until I get in the bathroom (rather than discard them in the bedroom like normal) when I go for my shower in the morning so as not to overly startle the dining room staff/other guests.
Went to a nice restaurant nearby tonight but mum was thwarted in her quest for chicken for, as seems to be the norm up here, chicken comes stuffed with haggis! I hope they do it after death or the RSPCA may have something to say about cruelty. So she had macaroni, but not in a pie. I fancied fish but eschewed fish and chips as I'm on holiday so had sea bass and very nice it was.
Next instalment tomorrow as long as this place isn't haunted!
Woke up in Pitlochry and went to bed in Dalkeith near Edinburgh. There, that was an exciting day wasn't it? Ok then, a little more detail. Woke up at 7-46, got out of bed and went in the bathroom. Too much detail? Ok, I'll try to pitch this somewhere in the middle.
Road trip took us to Blairgowrie where mother went in her second M&co shop in 2 days and disappeared for a large part of the day, so I looked in shop windows which included a butchers ( did you know they eat macaroni pies in Scotland?) and a kilt hire shop, but to be honest I think they should wear them lower, thus sparing us the sight of knobbly, hairy knees.
We had coffee and cake in a cafe (as long as that happens once a day, mum enjoys the holiday) and we paid by card in order to avoid paying cash and then having to withdraw some of that funny money they seem to like round here, from a cash machine.
Nearly went to Scone Palace but it looked like there may be an entrance fee and, besides who's to stay they'd finished baking it yet? So we drove round the outside of the estate walls instead. We did go see the Kelpies though. That's the big silver horses which you should by now have seen photos of me feeding. They were very impressive as was the free entry (£2 parking fee but cheap at the price when mum pays). Flushed with this success we also found and saw the Falkirk Wheel which is a massive machine that lifts canal boats up in the air rather than use 5 locks like Bingley. There was an entry fee but it's so big you can see it working easily enough, through the fence, so that was good.
Tonight's b&b is quite something; it's a big old country house standing in its own large estate in the countryside. Great big, wide doors, low ceilings, massive staircase, you know the sort of thing. But unlike the usual en-suite facilities we have our own private bathroom. The one drawback being that it's on the ground floor opposite the entrance, about a quarter of a mile walk, and down the main staircase, past the dining room from our first floor bedroom. I think I may have to keep my shreddies on until I get in the bathroom (rather than discard them in the bedroom like normal) when I go for my shower in the morning so as not to overly startle the dining room staff/other guests.
Went to a nice restaurant nearby tonight but mum was thwarted in her quest for chicken for, as seems to be the norm up here, chicken comes stuffed with haggis! I hope they do it after death or the RSPCA may have something to say about cruelty. So she had macaroni, but not in a pie. I fancied fish but eschewed fish and chips as I'm on holiday so had sea bass and very nice it was.
Next instalment tomorrow as long as this place isn't haunted!
Monday, 25 July 2016
Arrived this morning in Scotland having swayed and slept most of the night. Lack of proper en-suite facilities required a little creativity on the part of one of us who usually makes regular visits to the loo. We managed to wile away some of the 3hour plus wait we had before we could collect the hire car, at Costa with one cuppa each, taking ages to drink it. After several circuits of Inverness, we picked up the hire car. My guess would be that at some point a picture will appear on this blog. No handbrake on the car which was a little tricky to begin with. We stopped off en route to Pitlochry so we didn't arrive too early at B and B. Long day. Both tired so super sub has completed today's blog contribution. Normal service should be resumed tomorrow.
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