Those are 3 names of town/cities. I did it that way because we are spending 8 days in Falkirk while visiting there, Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you pull out a map, you will see that Glasgow is on the westside of Scotland and Edinburgh on the east are not really that far apart. The country narrows there and the train runs regularly between the 2 cities with the town of Falkirk conveniently located on the train line between the two. We are staying at Alma Villa a short term serviced rental that is quite nice. We are about 5 minute walk from the train station in a neighborhood in what might could be a mother in law suite - attached to the main house but a full place on its own. We have a full kitchen, living room, full bath downstairs and a bedroom and full bath upstairs. This is one of the best Airbnb type places we have stayed in over the last couple years. Our hosts have been very friendly and helpful. This has been a combination rest, relax, clothes wash and tour spot for us.
Alma Villa was perfect
Falkirk
We chose Falkirk for its location, but truth be told it too has a couple of reasons to visit it. As we learned while in Edinburgh it used to be a huge steel town and that most man whole covers in the world are stamped "Falkirk" because that is where they were made. What I had known was that the Kelpies and the Falkirk wheel are here. What is a Kelpie you ask? A Kelpie according to Scottish folklore is a spirit that takes the form of a horse. One account claims it delights in the drowning of travelers. In Falkirk, a Kelpie is an enormous steel structure of the neck and heads of 2 horses raising up from the waters of the Clyde Forth canal in the Helix park. I do mean enormous too (100 feet). I saw them from the train tracks which are not nearby. There is a visitor center which has a video on the building of the Kelpies and some history of the area. I said they rise up from the waters of the canal which is true but it is water that has been diverted from the main canal way. The towpath along the canal is popular with the locals these days for bike riding and dog walking and we did see a couple of barges that looked like they were meant for leisurely riding the canals in warmer weather. Oh something I have been meaning to mention. Swans are indigenous to Scotland so we have seen them on this canal and up in Orkney building nests, etc. First time I have seen truly wild swans since most in the US have had their wings clipped to keep them in a particular body of water.
Tower at Falkirk High Street was once used to lock up prisoners
Jeff wants to vacation on one of these someday
Glasgow
We packed for this trip in a distracted manner and that combined with the changing seasons meant we had more luggage then we wanted to try and lug around on our train tour of Scotland so we left a suitcase in a locker at a self-storage facility in Glasgow. Thus, we needed to get it and we wanted to explore the city more. We had overnighted there before the tour had begun but had not explored the place. We decided to take a hop on hop off bus tour and had a couple of ideas of where we would hop off before we got into town. We ran out of time the day we spent in Glasgow but did get to see a few places. We went to the Clyde Distillery, Riverside Museum and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. We wanted to go to the Mackintosh House at University of Glasgow but ran out of time.
Glasgow Tower also was used to lock away prisoners
The Clyde Distillery is not well known or fantastic whiskey rather it is in an interesting spot in Glasgow and it was a distillery where we could schedule a tour. Now that you have low expectations let me lift them some. In its heyday, Glasgow was a huge shipping port. The distillery is built on the former Queen's Dock in the pumphouse. Part of the distillery is the old building and part is a nice new glass structure. It is a young distillery so their whiskey is a blend onto itself in that part is aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels and part in sherry barrels and then blended together. The tour was informative and the tasting was nice. If you are in Glasgow, I would say it is a nice hour.
A Still with a view
From there we went a block down the street to the Riverside Museum which contrary to its name is basically a transportation museum including a tall ship at the junction of the Rivers Kelvin and Clyde. The museum building is impressive and holds a large collection from large ships to small toy trains. We enjoyed seeing the various forms of transportation and I enjoyed the corresponding clothing they had in the exhibits too.
The Kelvingrove Museum is famous for its Dali which is of Jesus on the cross. There are placards around the painting which is in a small vestibule by itself. The placards talk about how he used a human model to be certain how a body would hang in addition to his knowledge of mathematics. The placards also say how people tend to react to the painting. Not sure if it was in my mind, but I did feel goosebumps on my back when I first looked at it. Somehow it is kind of spellbinding. We wandered around the museum a little more and saw some interesting things, but my goal was to find the Impressionists and Monet I had heard they had. A guide sent us in the correct direction and off we went. After enjoying them and enjoying the building itself soon we were on our way. to get our luggage and our train. Funny thing along the way though. We had spent a night before our tour begun in Glasgow and had not thought much of the area the hotel was in. Well it seems that we were close to their Royal Concert Hall, and several theaters but with Covid they were closed up and the area seemed dead. So if you like orchestras or ballet then check the schedule and head to Glasgow.
interior of Kelvingrove Museum
Edinburgh
We went into Edinburgh on 3 separate days. We bought a hop on hop off ticket with a company that had 3 versions of their route and used it the first 2 days. The third day we did a food tour of Edinburgh and wandered on our own some. Our first day had the worst weather - it was extremely windy like it was practically pushing both of us at times and a light off and on rain. We decided to go after our indoor sites that day which meant we went to the Edinburgh Castle and Palace of Holyrood which are the 2 ends of the Royal Mile. We also visited St Giles Cathedral kind of in the middle of the two ends.
On the bus tour they told us to go inside The Bank of Scotland as the interior was magical. The bank was very welcoming with information boards to both share the history of the building and as a memorial to the bank employees who died in the world wars. The interior was stellar with star shaped windows in the domed ceiling.
Edinburg Castle towers over the city on a large volcanic rock. Centuries ago glaciers eroded away the land on either side leaving a defensible position that people have fortified over the centuries. Besides a tourist attraction it is manned by the Royal Marines. It is also the backdrop for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo each August. We had tickets for it in 2020, but the dates didn’t work for us this year. The brief video below promotes this spectacular event each August.
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Main gate to Edinburgh Castle
Courtyard view
Palace of Holyrood has two roles. It’s where the Royal Family resides when visiting the capital of Scotland to this day. It is also preserved for all to enjoy. We toured the Palace and took in the grandeur and history. There is a room with absolutely gorgeous tapestries and further up the bedroom where Mary Queen of Scots assistant was murdered by her husband's men out of misguided jealously. We also saw a dining room and a gallery room that the Queen still uses today in official functions.
Front view
Courtyard view
Kings bedchamber
Stairway lined with paintings and tapestries
Stairway ceiling is amazingly intricate
Privy Chamber
Saint Giles Cathedral isn’t really a cathedral I’m told as the Church of Scotland doesn’t have a hierarchy that would give a church the title of Cathedral. It’s grandness is the reason for it baring the name.
Our second day we used a different route from the bus company and went to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal Yacht Britannia and wandered around Leith a little. The garden’s reputation for incredible Rhododendrons was the draw and we were not disappointed. They came in a rainbow of colors and some were as tall as trees.
Yes that is a very large Rhododendron
Note the tiny people in the distance next to the giant privet hedge, that’s how tall it is
The Royal Yacht Britannia was crewed by the Royal Navy from 1954 until she was decommissioned in 1997. Many Presidents and Prime Ministers have joined the Royal Family aboard. It also served as a set for the new Downton Abbey A New Era movie which is soon to be released in the States. We enjoyed watching it in Falkirk on a rainy day.
The Royal Yacht Britannia
Our last day should have been our first! We went to several restaurants and food stops with our guide and 4 other tourists. Our favorite dish was the Cullen Skink. It’s a broth based soup made from smoked haddock, potatoes and onions with cream and/or milk. The Haggis at the next stop (MUMS) was very good, but filling with the mashed potatoes and parsnip. The vanilla ice cream at the next stop was incredible. There was even an Indian restaurant where they had dished that included both Haggis and oddly Plant based Haggis. At another stop we enjoyed a wee dram of Whiskey.
We enjoyed Haggis at Mums. It’s best enjoyed without asking to many questions about what’s in it
This concludes our tour of Scotland, next stop Bristol England.
Pitlochry is in the Cairngorms National Park and is an area of Scotland that Queen Victoria enjoyed. It is also a tourist town. First one we had seen since leaving Oban. There was a little shop on the corner that sold trinkets and stuff plus ice cream. I think every time we went past that corner there was a line out the door for ice cream and no it was not particularly hot there. We enquired and no there was nothing special about the ice cream either; just people enjoying it while on holiday.
Many people go there to hike/walk or bike the paths in the park. So many that we saw a backpackers hostel, a UK version of a MegaBus (one of those super big, super cheap double decker bus services) and lots of people walking around with backpacks on. We also realized too late that there was a golf course very close to our hotel. In addition to walking in the park, there is a castle nearby, a dam in the town, a well known festival, some good shopping, theater and a former battle field near by.
We stayed at Craigatin House which was a very nice Victorian house on some well manicured grounds and a nice A Frame addition. Our host said there were red squirrels in the garden and could be seem from the A Frame lounge room but we unfortunately never did see them. We had made dinner reservations for the first night and took his recommendation for the second night. We walked around town the first day and stopped at a pastry shop for scones and happily we were seated in the front window so we could watch people go by. I should add there is a main street with streets coming off of it and one street parallel to it. Pretty much that is town. We saw what we thought was an old church that is now a fitness facility. Nearby is a neat old primary school and a Pitlochry unique place: a field for a sport which combines rugby and I thought lacrosse but now can't find it listed anywhere. When we finished wandering around for awhile, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for dinner.
We had made reservations ahead of time since we had been warned they get booked. What was not said is they are right next door to the festival theater building so when there is anything open to the public they sell out. The building looked like a private party was going on so no crowd tonight. We had a nice walk getting there and back though and the place was unique. To get there we walked through town and hung a right heading for the river - um Jeff you sure we are going right? Then there was a sign for it so yes heading to the middle of nowhere was correct. We ended up down by the river where there was a pedestrian suspension bridge to cross - kind of a Victorian looking thing. So we crossed it and found our restaurant. It is right on the edge of the river so it has nice views and much of it is outdoors. Happily our reservations were for the conservatory which was a glass roofed area connecting the outdoor walls of an area with wooden wall on the fourth wall so we were comfortable there. It was a small menu and later I noticed the write up said: lovely little restaurant on the river... food is simple but well prepared. Very accurate I think I had a fried chicken sandwich with chips (UK variation of french fries) best yet (not saying much there) followed by sticky toffee pudding shared with Jeff which was very good. Since we are so far north, it stays light late already here so we walked back to our hotel a different way then when we came. The return route took us to the small hydroelectric dam which we crossed, their salmon ladder and then much quicker back to our hotel for the night.
Our plan for our main day was to visit the nearby Blair Castle and to visit the House of Bruar. Jeff would have probably skipped the latter but was agreeable to visit it. If you are ever in the area, visit Blair Castle. We enjoyed it immensely. From the bagpiper out front to the incredible arms display in the front door to the gorgeous rooms in the upstairs it was worth every minute of our time.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert not only visited, but the Queen was on such good relations that she left her friend a lock of Prince Albert's hair after he died.
This is a fraction of the armament collection
The halls are lined with antlers and they probably had a full time taxidermist
The walls are adorned with weapons and dress from Africa
The stairways were lined wall to wall with portraits
Mother of pearl inlay
Outside there are a couple of gardens to visit too. One was a woodland area with unique trees and the other was a traditional English Garden on steroids. I think I saw it was 3 acres which are walled in and have a small pond in the middle. We saw a variety of plants, had a mallard duck try to mooch off of us and just enjoyed exploring it.
Then it was time to go to the House of Bruar a shopping landmark. We had taken a taxi to get to the castle and had been surprised at the cost. We tried to catch a bus or the train but since it was Sunday our options were limited. After a little hemming and hawing, we agreed to do the 3.2 mile walk to House of Bruar. Much of the walk was on an old dirt road running through the castle estate so we had nice views. On our walk we went past domesticated deer in a pasture, we saw sheep, couple of horses through some woods and were past by a sled dog van (huh?? - our thoughts too). Anyway that part of the walk was nice. We walked out under the western gate and then the walk went downhill. We had to walk along a 2 lane road with next to no shoulder. Luckily for the most part the road was pretty quiet.
The front gate was even more impressive then this back entry.
Then we were there- the House of Bruar. For anyone who has ever been to Rockport Maine and visited all of the Lands End stores you have a feel for this place. Not as many buildings and only their stuff but multiple buildings to shop in. From the knitted ware building to the country living to a food hall to the sales building, the plant nursery and a couple more they had it for you. After a short break, I started hitting the shops. Started with the knit hall hoping for a short sleeve cashmere sweater (some of the sheep are good for cashmere here). No luck only a couple and not colors for me. Looked for a couple of present ideas but no luck so off to the ladies wear building which was full of summer clothes which was not one of my goals. Asked about a Harris Tweed purse and was sent to the Country Living building and along the way saw a leather suitcase I liked but my pocketbook said keep moving Carol. After several attempts and still not in the Country Living area a salesperson literally walked me to the tweed purses - good man. Hemed and hawed some over the tweeds, but ended up with a smallish purse that says made in Scotland on it (even the leather part). You may notice it on my shoulder in some upcoming photos. We also found a hairy coo coaster in the gift building (like I said a ton of buildings). Final stop was the sales building thinking I might find a couple of scarves for presents. Prices were nice some patterns were nice, but I noticed they were made in Asia so I said no and we called the cab. Oops we are in the middle of nowhere cabs aren't fast here. He said sure but it would be an hour plus wait. We said okay and went to wait at the Fish and Chips Shop remember I said there was everything here. It was closing time so all the stores but the Fish and Chips closed. So to us at least we are in the middle of nowhere and thinking it is going to start getting quiet here. Um no. This place is popular - lines out the door at times. Mothers with young kids came by, families from events came by and just random people stopped for the fish and chips. We started to consider eating there till we read the write up for restaurant that night and decided to wait.
Our taxi driver showed up and off we went to our restaurant in town. It was a very good meal and one we were glad we waited for. It is a restaurant that is a mixture of Mediterranean and Scottish food so I had a chicken kebab with a nice glass of wine and a shared dessert with Jeff. A nice meal to end our train trip.
Next morning I had porridge instead of an egg breakfast. I had eaten porridge once before on this trip that time with nuts, seeds, honey and a little whisky in it. Jeff had tried this porridge the day before and said it was good so porridge with cream and whiskey for me. Yeah I know whisky in the morning? But just a little of the smooth type (not peaty or smoky) is a nice kind of sweet addition to porridge. Then we sat in the lounge for awhile before we caught our last train to Edinburgh and onto Falkirk to rest!
