GLASGOW

 After a short early flight from the Isle of Lewis, we landed in Glasgow for 4 days. Largest city in Scotland and we are smack downtown. But it’s easy walking to so many things. We got here so early our rooms were not ready so we did a walking tour around the hotel vicinity. There is any kind of restaurant one would want except for Mexican! Haha. Lots of Indian food tho. In fact steve and I went to an Indian place last night and had a great meal. No one tips around here. It seems weird. This am we got on a bus and had a tour of the city and some special places like parks and cathedrals. Then we ate at Soul Sisters . It’s a place run buy immigrants of all kinds. They cook the food and try and learn English. Because of  Brexit….the immigrant population has dwindled. Like us, they depend on immigrants to do jobs no one else wants, so they have the same problems with help wanted all over, and services are slow and places shutting down.

This afternoon I spent 3 hrs with a friend from Scotland I have only met on line thru FB. We bonded on a site about a Norwegian trips we were both going to take but it got canceled because of Covid. Well, we kept corresponding and today she took a train to Glasgow from her small town and we met and really really enjoyed each other’s company. It was so fun. Steve walked to one of the many museums while Linda and I were yakking. 

Glasgow is a great city with tons to see and do. All the university’s in Scotland are free as is vocational training and advanced degrees. All health care and prescriptions are also completely free. Kids can vote at 16! Anyone living in UK/Scotland can vote even if they are immigrant.

GUGA HUNTERS

 We traveled by van today to the “Butt of Lewis” it’s the most Northern point in all UK, and known for its ferocious winds and weather. They have recorded winds up to 161 mph at the lighthouse. The lighthouse is Brick and has 168 steps to the top and is 37 meters tall, so before this was automated…it was a fun climb up and down! The weather did not disappoint. It wasn’t a gale, but it was windy and also started to rain. No one was there but us! 

We traveled to Ness where we met at man at their historical society that was a guga hunter, and he was a wealth of knowledge. He had a slide presentation of the centuries old custom where men, and only men, sail out to a remote uninhabited island called SULS SGEIR. They set up a camp for 10 days by climbing a rock face and hauling all the gear needed to hunt and harvest the guga chicks that are about. 5 months old and fat and oily. guga is what locals call these birds , known as Ganets. They only harvest the chicks which are fat with meat and oil. They salt the meat to keep,it from spoiling. They are allowed 2000 birds each year, and usually get their limit as the birds are not afraid of man, so…….they just take a long pole and slip a noose around the neck of the bird to pull it out of the nest, and another man is ready to kill it with one stroke of a club. It sounds awful, but it’s been the food and a way of life for centuries. Bird flu and “ lazy teens who don’t want to go into the trade” are changing things..Dod, the ol guy who was schooling us was quite a character..typical Scottish man with a fine sense of humor.

We returned to Stornoway on a sideways rainstorm and passed quite a few bikers on the narrow roads. Not ebikers either! We hopped off the Van and said goodbye to Claire, who hast

driven for us a lot. Can’t say enough about her! All good. Steve and I went to Lews Castle and investigated the grounds while waiting for the rain to stop so we could walk back to town and the B&B.

Tomorrow we rise early and catch a 7 am flight to Glasgow….

Busy Day

 Left our AirB&B this am for a small crofting farm and a couple who left professional jobs to learn weaving the way it’s done for Harris Tweed. They have to follow a strict protocol to work for Harris Tweed and we learned the ins and outs about it all. I could NOT believe how interesting it was. it’s a big deal in this part of the Isles and employees many people, each in their own homes or shops who basically weave exactly what Harris Tweeds wants.

The rain stopped and we continued to a historical place called Blackhouse. People in this area of Scotland were extremely Hardy folks and lived in these stone houses for centuries. They burnt peat to heat and cook and so we also learned all about peat bogs and how important they were to the Northern Isle people but also, how important

peat bogs are to our eco system. Even more important that rain forests 

We traveled North on very skinny one lane roads and came to Callanish Standing Stones. Very very cool! 3000 yrs B.C. And some of the oldest rocks in our universe, and still no one knows who put them there and why. Some people get all jiggy with it and hum and dance around in circles …. But I didn’t get it. Still, it was such an awesome place. After that we climbed a hill to another old stone edifice , which no one knows why it is there. This is such a remote area and only about 20,000 inhabitants…. But something went on here eons ago.

On the way back to Stornoway, we stopped at a memorial that’s was erected because w ship returning from WWI with a few hundred men crashed on the rocky waters only 30-40:yards from shore and over 200 men, who had all survived WWI and were returning home to their loved ones, died. It was called IOLAIRE MONUMENT and it was quite moving. Steve and I decided to walk the 2 1/2 mile path back to town and we saw each head stone along the way. Then we walked into town and had fish and chips down by the harbor. Busy day!

Harris and Lewis Isles…

 After we left Portee on a weather threatening day, we got on a ferry for a 90 min ride to the Isles of Harris and Lewis, which are basically connected. It turned out to be a calm crossing and after landing we drove to our B&B in Stornoway. It was a few hours so by the time we got settled,  we wanted to go out and eat. Stornoway is an odd town, supposedly the most religious place in all of Scotland. We were warned the the zealous residents may reprimand people for doing forbidden things on Sunday…. like washing their cars, shopping, and normal stuff that we never even think about. Mostly everything is closed, but we did find a very nice pub that was crowded and we had an excellent fish dinner with drinks, So there! 

Our AirB & B is old and cute and quite nice. The new owners just opened up a week ago, so they are taking great pains to make everything perfect for their guests. We really like it and even tho it is in the middle of town, was quiet last night. We had to pre order our breaky and Steve selected Black pudding which is only authentic if if comes from Stornoway. It’s pigs blood mixed with oats and flax and then fried. It really was pretty good and very protein rich (which was why it was originated in old times when people didn’t have the modern food we eat now). Tomorrow we will be doing alot of sightseeing…. And getting to drive to Callanish Standing Stones in the very north of Lewis Isle. Looking forward to that!

PORTEE

 Today was a great day with lots of information and excursions on the Isle of Skye. We left our lodgings and headed to the northern part of Skye. We were joined by a local man who knew so much about the history, ancient and modern. He took us to some very ancient sites where people have discovered stone artifacts from the Druids and the Pics. We  learned all about “crofting” and how it affects so many small all land owners. We learned all about Clans of the old centuries and how modern Scottish history was developed. We tromped thru hill and dale

finding these ancient sites and it was raining all the time.

Before lunch we ended up on a small sheep crofting property and the owner, Ewing , had a beautiful boarder collie that was being trained to heard the sheep. Even tho it was raining and blowing sideways, we stood and listened as it was so interesting. Then we hustled back to the van and he served us hot tea and Scottish scones for a treat.  Then it was off to lunch at a cooperative that takes kids from all over Scotland and teaches them how to be resilient, successful. 

The clouds blew away and we were able to site see the magnificent lifts and out droppings that make the Isle of Skye so dramatic. After dropping us off at our lodgings, Steve was tired, but I decided to take a quick 4 mile hike nearby called “Scorrybreac Trail” which wound all around the water before it rose to the top of a big grassy Cliff. I was hustling because we had a dinner reservation in 1 1/2 hr. And I wanted to get back. I made it all sweaty . Had a shower and enjoyed fresh local mussels for dinner. 

Tomorrow we are heading the Isle of Harris, and we need to be on a ferry by noon for a 3 hr ferry trip. It’s supposed to be stormy…so 

ISLE OF SKYE

 After 3 really warm glorious days in Nairn, we left our farm manor hotel and we’re picked up by a van and driven to INVERNESS , where we caught a Train and traveled over 3hrs to  Kyle of Lochalsh. Then we met our van driver, Claire, and we zipped across the Skye Bridge to the Isle of Skye. And it’s been raining ever since.  It’s a beautiful train ride and we expected rain…. But I wish it would stop. After a small soup and sandwich lunch at a quaint B&B we watched a locally produced movie about the history of The Isle of Skye. Now we’re are settled in the CULLIN HILLS HOTEL which is a drop dead gorgeous spot on a picturesque harbor. We will stay for 3 days and explore Portee, the largest city on I of S. Even if he keeps raining, I think we will venture out tomorrow because we brought rain gear. 

SCOTLAND ADVENTURE

 We are spending almost a month in the Scottish Isles. The first part

of our trip will be in the Hebrides. After the long flt to Heathrow and a smaller flt, we landed in Inverness in late evening. Just a sideline here: we recognized a movie star on both flts. It was Tilda Swinton, and she makes her home in Nairn. We haven’t seen her walking around, but the locals tell us she is very involved in life in the Highlands.

A quick taxi ride brought us to the charming town of NAIRN, where we checked into an old farm manor, now a beautiful hotel on 21 acres of farm land. The morning after a restless sleep, I took off on some country road walking and found myself on an old golf course. The town is nestled on a“furth” which we would call a bay or inlet. It’s an ancient fishing site and became popular a few hundred years ago when Doctors prescribed salt sea and salt air for all sorts of maladies. Later in the afternoon, Steve and I wandered all over the sea wall and old fishtown, where we eventually found a pub and enjoyed fish and chips and “pint”. Nairn is a delightful town, with friendly locals and easy to get around. The weather has been warm…. The old building like the one we are staying in, do not have A\C, so it’s been a challenge keeping our room cool. The staff brought us fans and “wedges” to prob open our door to allow breezes to blow thru. It’s helpful, but compromised privacy. Tomorrow, we are up early to catch a train and travel to the start of our Hebrides exploring.