UK, France & Cruise Home

We enjoyed the day's coach trip to M Northampton. David & daughter Clare were waiting at the bus stop for us! So good to see them. Took our cases & gave us a tour around our hotel area to show us where things were. Came up to the room & saw us settled! I had met David's  brother Peter on  a Russia tour a girlfriend & I went on in 1975! He sadly died from a stroke in 1980s. David's wife Gwen not at all well after she fell down their stairs 2 years ago. Monday 24th June - my BIG 0 birthday. Jen rang!!!  & All the family in touch in the morning. David & Gwen picked us up the next day 'for a day out'. We went to Bletchley Park!!!! Clare met us there & pushed Gwen in a wheelchair. Gwen had been at Teachers College there in 1960s - no one knowing what BP had been during the war!!!! A great day - beautiful Estate House, gardens, lake & All the other huts & buildings that went with a massive up to 9,000 strong 'workforce' wor...

Sunny & warm! First time we've had to take our own bags for a while. We walked down North Bridge to Waverley Station & waited in big room with other passengers. Warren filled in some of his time by playing the piano there - Waltzing Matilda, I Still Call Australia Home & Song of Joy. Good trip to  Newcastle joined by football type group - very noisy, drinking & smoking. One dressed as a lifeguard - blonde wig, bright red exaggerated lipstick. Short shorts! When we arrived we decided to book seats for Northampton. £257 for 2!!!!! - because it was Sunday & track work!!!!! I went to coach station -£84!!!!!! I found our road - Westgate Road & Warren decided we'd walk - from 61 to 427!!!!! I wanted to get taxi or bus - no. It took an hour!!!! Up huge hill!!! Past old cemetery!!!!!! EXHAUSTED WHEN WE FINALLY ARRIVED! Guy said our room was upstairs - slipped twice & he asked if we'd like a downstairs room. Yes please. It even has an ensuit...

Another day trip was from Inverness on Kyle of Lochalsh trip to the coast opposite the Isle of Skye. More lovely green hills & dales, beside lochs & mountains.  Throughlittle towns of Aviemore & finally Plockton - little white houses where Hamish MacBeth TV show based. It's beside huge bay that train sweeps around. UUnfortunately we had rain & Scotch mist. Coach picked us up & took us to Eileen Donan Castle.  Had to cross stone bridge on Loch Duich.  It has interesting history. It was mostly destroyed in Viking times & Clan civil wars. The Macrae family rebuilt it in early 1900s. They used the stone that was there & plans from old castle. The family still live nearby. Two great talks about it. On way back to Inverness we stopped at Thomas Telford built bridge - early 1800s. The Next & Llast day we left Inverness & trained down to Edinburgh. We stayed in the Raddison Blu Hotel on the corner of The Royal Mile & North ...

We stayed for another 3 nights at The Palace Hotel & Spa Inverness right beside the river opposite the main shopping street & castle. Beautiful city - old stone buildings, hanging baskets & gardens of spring flowers. Lovely room & breakfast/dining room. First day I went for a walk before breakfast. Very cold wind. More - usually old & stone - churches than pubs! w We coached down to do a cruise of Loch Ness & over to Urquhart Castle ruins. 4 seasons in a day again. Very interesting talk about the castle & Scottish history! The afternoon was free so Aileen & Jim MacEwan (Fwe know from their visits out to our church when they visit their daughter & family in Engadine). So lovely to see them! They took us sightseeing as we drove the 50 mins South to their home in Nethybridge. He was Presbyterian minister there, lively walk along creek; to castle ruins where he married his daughter & where we saw a hairy coo/Scotch cow/Highland cow ...

Meals are lovely at hotel - breakfasts all set out to choose from hot & cold selection. 3 course dinners in separate room. Lots of other guests - lots of walkers. Group very friendly. Older unwell couple who are helped by Kate & other English couples. The Dutch couples keep very much to themselves & don't want to be included in group! Couples - Fran & Rick - from Denistone; Mary & Philip from Buderim & daughtet Anne from Toowoomba; Joy & Denis from Newcastle; Helen & Ross (R born West Ryde & worked at ANSTO just after W retired) from Melb; Angela & John from Harrow. Another good day - coach trip to see Neptune's Staircase - set of 8 locks allowing boats to travel from one loch/part of canal to another. Canal 150 miles; 22 locks along it. We saw Jacobite steam train go past - we on it tomorrow. Time for wander around Fort William - lunch - then cruise on Loch Linhe to see small colony of seals on Black Rock. We sat outside for ...

Start to our train trip! First back to Glasgow - fine & sunny, an hour to see both sides of station:  George Square ( civic buildings & statues; Buchanan Street ' shopping mall, very busy.  On to West Highlands train - travelled beside Loch Gare, glens, farmland onto Loch Lomand with high hills & mountains - Crianlarich, Upper Tyndrum & Rannoch Moor. Coach met us & took us to our Ballachulich Isles of Glencoe Hotel for 3 nights. Really spoilt now - bags outdide room then we find thrm in our room at nrxt hotel. Hotel long & low on bank of Loch Linhe - beautiful view from room! The next day we travelled by coach to Oban on the coast. We past bay where St Columba came ashore from Iona. Also cemetery where Princess Diana's  mother is buried. She was born in village/town there & had local business. Showery & cool in Oban. Pretty town; old part, streets from shore steep & narrow. Walk around before ferry trip to  Crai...

Time to leave Kilmarnock. It was fine weather for us to walk to bus station, about 15 mins. Bus/coach to Glasgow - double-decker, run every 20 mins! 6 pounds. Easy change over to Edinburgh coach - no waiting. 8.50 pounds. 1 hrs 20 mins. Wet & cold in Edinburgh. We walked to Apex Hotel in Waterloo Place - about 15 mins downhill in the rain! Lovely hotel - we feel really spoilt. We went for walk up nearby Calton Hill in the rain. Steps & muddy steep walk up hill. At top Observatory, restaurant & great views over city. Huge shopping complex being built near our hotel. Lower exit of our hotel goes into Waverley Railway Station, the main one in Edinburgh. As we walked down the last lot of steep steps there were 2 'middle Eastern guys (in 30s) standing in rain at the bottom. We walked past them & a bit further on when Warren said ' my wallet, where's my wallet. He walks with his hand over his wallet in his back pocket. Next thing the shorter of these guys (fro...

South of Kilmarnock today. We set off at 9 & arrived at Cumnock at 9.30 - freezing cold wind! Cumnock has very old Square with HUGE Free Scottish Presbyterian stone church taking up one side. A fellow told us all the history of the town. We walked the block then went into the church run coffee shop in the Square. The minister happened to be there too so he took us over & showed us the church! I was very surprised how small it was compared to the size outside. The Earl of Bute (small island off the coast) where MacCallum Clan originated. One of 3 sons of early Clan leader settled in south at Oban & became Malcolm Clan. McCollums descended from them. Earl of Bute connected to Cardiff in Wales - controlled huge shipping trade. Hence Prince Charles association with this church, Earls of Bute & Dumfries House out of Cumnock. Saw the bridge at Dumfries which I remembered from my 1975 trip with Anne. We loved our tour of Dumfries House - which we found ou...