Just to review…Scotland 5/18 to 6/03

So, followers….Uncle Dennis Berry has taught me long distance how to capture a map for all of us to savor and review where we have been.  (He and his honeymoon partner, Miss Blair, traveled through Europe on a whirlwind-5 country visit and provided us with the idea of this blog/journal and included a map).  Thanks, Dennis.

The big circle was the 1st week on the Classic Journeys sponsored “walking tour” with our kids (Amy & Michael Brock, Mike & Sky and Tim & Cindy).  The highlight will always be the “engagement in the garden” of Inverary Castle (which is about at 8 o’clock if that circle were a clock).  Michael Brock had smuggled an emerald and diamond engagement ring through TSA without Amy seeing it and popped the question, while they were strolling the Castle, owned by the Duke of Argyll.  The Duke would have been proud of the way it  was handled by Mr. B and all of us were agog…still smiling.

The rest of the walking tour (which officially began in Glasgow and finished in Edinburgh) was fascinatingly varied in its terrain – from the midlands to the Highlands and back – and its history – Stone Age to present day.  Our guides – Allistair and Ronnie – were a rare combination of personalities and perspectives which enriched our trip and our understanding of the Scottish people.

Nancy and I are preparing to leave the Isle of Skye in the Highlands this morning to take a ferry ride from Armadale on the Isle to Malaig on the Mainland, and thence to Glasgow again (see how I’ve gotten to be able to throw a “thence” in there and you think it’s normal now that I’m part Scot) for a flight tomorrow to Belfast.

We’ll do some touring there and some hunting for McCannes (Nancy’s elusive Oliver roots from the 1750’s).  The Seven-Oh birthday plan (6/8/42) is to be on a boat off the Coast near the Giant’s Causeway (near Bushmills) going to Rathlin Island to see some seals, whales and birds…I’m getting to be just like Gary Dutton.

All the best from us to you.