London - Scotland Trip Day 13

Friday September 14, 2012 – London
Woke at 5 AM and went for “take away” at the “The Coffee Lounge”. Took The Tube from Canon S to Hammersmith where we took Piccadilly to Heathrow Terminal 5. Checked in for flight from London to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. I had to go through security screening twice but Carol only once. Watched several movies on the flight including Battleship with Liam Nielsen, MIB 3 with Will Smith, Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp. Carol watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. Stewards only offered one meal. I only needed one bathroom break but Carol didn't need any! 😲 Arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth with 2-hour layover. Took 1 ½ hours to go through passport check. We then had to get our checked bag and re-check it in and go through security again! Thankfully we made it to the plane with about 5 minutes to spare. Flight to Portland, Oregon was uneventful. Arrived at PDX at about 7:30 pm. It was a relief to find our checked bag waiting for us at baggage claim. We arranged a shuttle bus with Blue Star and were able to use an old ticket from 2003! Made it home by about 9 pm. Hobie was super happy to see us as were we to see him!!

• Flight Info -
• PDX to DFW American AIr
• Sunday 9/2/12 7:55 AM Pacific 
• DFW to LON British Air
• Sunday 9/3/12 5:50 PM Central
• LON to DFW British Air
• Friday 9/14/12 11:45 AM 
• DFW to PDX American Air
• Friday 9/14/12 5:45 PM Central
• Flying Scotsman Train 
• London to Edinburgh
• Monday 9/3/12 7:26 PM
• Glasgow to London
• Friday September 14, 2012
• Miles Driven in Scotland - 720 miles
• Gas Purchased - 
• Inverness  £45.88 (30.8 Liters & £1.49 /Liter)
• Glasgow £42.83 ($69.09)
• Total Gas Cost £88.71 ($143.10)
• Car Mileage - ~45 Miles/Gallon

London - Scotland Trip Day 12

Thursday September 13, 2012 – London
Woke at about 6 am. Weather was clear. Went out for coffee and found a nice little coffee lounge just across the alley from our hotel. Got a sausage and egg sandwich and Carol got a sweet roll. Headed to Tower of London to take “Original Bus Tour” at 9:30 am. Bus tour took about 2 hours and went past Big Ben, Saint Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, etc. We got off at Tower of London and took the river tour boat to Westminster Abbey. Walked past Big Ben and Westminster Abbey on the way to Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Stopped at Saint Martins in the Field Church and had coffee and cake in the “crypt” downstairs. Listened to a string quartet practice in the cathedral. Decided to go to Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded many of their records. Getting there was a challenge. We took the Underground Tube from Charing Cross to Baker Street and then switched to the Jubilee line and got off on St John’s Wood station (I think).
From there, we walked to Abbey Road Studios where we took photos of people crossing the street in front of Abbey Road Studios trying to look like the cover of the Beatles Abbey Road record album cover. We tried to take photos of ourselves crossing the street but, between all the people and traffic, it was pretty hard to get a decent photo.
Took the Tube back to London Bridge and walked back to the hotel. Went out and got burritos and brought them back to our hotel room for dinner.

London - Scotland Trip Day 11

Wednesday September 12, 2012 – Glasgow, Scotland
Woke at 6:30 AM and organized our stuff. Weather cloudy and cool. Left hotel at about 9 AM to drop the car off. Had lots of fun driving through traffic in circles trying to find the EuropCar office and a gas station where I could fill up before dropping the car off. Ended up going to EuropCar office and asking where we could get gas. Finally got gas and dropped car off at about 10 AM. Took a taxi to Glasgow Central Train Station (£4.80). Went to “FastTrack” ticket machine and got our boarding tickets. Got a couple latte and rolls before boarding train to Euston London Station (£104 / 2 tickets). Train passed through Carlisle (12:45 pm) Lancaster (1:40 pm, Preston (2 pm) Warrington (2:22 pm). Arrived at London Euston Train Station at 4 PM and took the Underground Tube to Bank (northern) stop (~4-5 stops). Train was packed and had to stand by the door holding onto a pole. Arrived at Bank stop at about 4:30 PM and walked a few blocks to “The City” Travelodge Hotel. Checked into hotel room 107 (£190 for 2 nights). Room was basic but clean and very well located. Walked to Saint Paul’s Cathedral, across the Millennium Bridge and along the south side of the River Thames. Had dinner at Pizza Express (£25) which was crowded with young, loud kids (Carol and I agreed we were the oldest people there). Headed back to the hotel in the rain.

London - Scotland Trip Day 10

Tuesday September 11, 2012 – Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Weather was cloudy with drizzle and occasional rain. Decided to switch plans and drop of the car in Glasgow rather than London. Carol checked online prices for train from Glasgow to London (£104 for both of us). Also checked to make sure it would be OK to drop the car off in Glasgow (no problem). We paid £72 for our train tickets from London to Edinburgh 12 weeks ahead so £104 didn’t seem too bad considering it was the day before. Gave Carol a birthday card (border collie with sheep) for her 55th birthday. Will have cake later 😊. Had a great breakfast of mushroom and tomato omelet, coffee, OJ, toast just like yesterday. A cruise ship pulled into Portree Harbor this morning and passengers were being shuttled to shore all morning. Cathryn (B&B owner) said they get about 8 ships per year and generally the passengers don’t even know where they are, LOL. Checked out of B&B (£140) and went to T.I. in Portree to make train reservations for Glasgow to London. Also made reservations for hotel in Glasgow for tonight (£44.95). Stopped and took some photos of Portree skyline from a vista point. Started raining pretty heavy. Headed to Eilean Donan Castle. Stopped in Broadford at T.I. where Carol bought some gifts. Made it to Eilean Donan Castle.by 2 PM and spent about 2 hours checking out the castle. Headed to Glasgow via A87 and A82. Made it to Glasgow at about 8:30 pm. Stayed at a Travelodge Hotel near the train station. The hotel was in a sketchy area so when I went to check-in so I remote-locked the car with Carol in it. Little did I know that it would also lock Carol into the car so if she moved or tried to open the door, the car alarm would go off. Needless to say, Carol moved and tried to open the door which set off the alarm causing people to look out of their windows and give Carol stink-eye. I heard the alarm but unfortunately, didn’t realize the alarm was our car until I got back from checking in to the hotel 😞

London - Scotland Trip Day 9

Monday September 10, 2012 – Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Woke at 6:30 AM to a beautiful sunrise over Portree harbor. Took some pictures as the sun was coming up at about 7:45 am. Enjoyed breakfast at the B&B dining room. I had OJ, coffee, mushroom & tomato omelet, sausage, toast with marmalade. Carol had scrambled eggs on toast. Drove north from Portree along the east side of Isle of Skye. Saw Old Man of Storr and Kilt Rock. Kilt rock was impressive with a waterfall in the foreground dropping dramatically to the ocean. Weather was brisk, windy, and rainy. We got drenched at another stop where there used to be a diatomaceous earth mine. Stopped at the northern tip of Skye where there were rocks stacked all over the place. Next stop was the Skye Museum of Island Life where there were old, thatched cottages and displays showing how people lived back in the old days (up to ~1950). It was amazing to see how hard life would have been for the people that lived there back in the old days. Visited Kilmuir Cemetery near the museum with a grave and monument for Flora McDonald. Flora helped Bonnie Prince Charlie after his defeat to the British back in the 1700’s. Stopped in Uig and visited the Isle of Skye Brewery and Uig Pottery shop. Carol bought a couple pottery cups (one for Lotte). I bought a few souvenirs while Carol waited in the car. While waiting, someone mistook our car for theirs and jumped into the driver seat giving Carol a little surprise. The person quickly realized their mistake, and Carol and the guy ended up having a good laugh. Uig is a charming little town and bay with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside from the road above the town. Drove to Dunvegan Castle but it was closed for the day. Stopped at a cemetery where there were some old Pictish stones that had been re-erected by the locals using original techniques (Pictish stones near Uig). Stopped multiple times to take photos. On one stop, I tried walking across some heather and ended up with soaked feet after sinking up to my knees (Note: walking on heather is risky). Arrived back at the Portree B&B at about 7:15 pm.

London - Scotland Trip Day 8

Sunday September 9, 2012 – Inverness, Scotland
Woke at 7:30 AM and made reservations at a An Airidh Bed and Breakfast in Portree on the Isle of Skye (£90) for the next two nights. Wanted to visit Culloden battlefield but decided not to due to time limits. Walked around Inverness which was very pretty with Ness River and lots of old stone buildings. Drove south towards Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle where we watched an 8-minute introduction film. Walked around the castle which was mostly ruins. Weather was cloudy and cool. Also stopped at the Loch Ness Gift Shop and managed to not buy anything except post cards. Left for Portree at about 3 pm. Weather started drizzling and raining off and on. Rain got heavy when we reached Isle of Skye. Made it to An Airidh Bed and Breakfast at about 6:30 pm. Owner, Catheryn Macleod kind of reminded us of Mrs. Doubtfire (especially her voice). Catheryn was very friendly, and her B&B was very nice with a great view of the ocean towards the east. Drove around Portree (population 4,000 – 5,000 people). Had dinner at a “The Café” restaurant (no longer in business). I had fish and chips and Carol had a vegetarian burger.

London - Scotland Trip Day 7

Saturday September 8, 2012 – Aberdeen, Scotland
Woke at 7 AM and went to Archibald Simpson for breakfast. I had the “Scottish breakfast” with blood pudding, sausage, bacon, eggs, potato. Carol had pancakes. Walked around Aberdeen which is also known as the “Granite City” since most of the building’s downtown are made of granite. Saw the 2nd largest granite building in the world. Checked out of our hotel and drove to Footdee. Explored the waterfront which had a boardwalk and sandy beaches. Weather was sunny and warm so there were lots of people walking on the boardwalk. Drove south to Dunnottar Castle just south of Stonehaven (my grandfather’s mother’s birthplace). Took a self-guided tour of Dunnottar Castle (£5) which was pretty much a ruin except for a couple restored buildings (drawing room and house). Headed back north then west to Inverness, Scotland. Stopped along the River Dee and later at Tesco Superstore in Banchory where, by the looks of the cars in the parking lot, people are fairly well off (most of the cars in the parking lot were BMWs, Range Rovers, Land Rovers, and Audis). Drove on secondary roads which were very narrow in places with lots of crazy drivers. Country was incredibly beautiful. Saw our first heather just outside of Cairngorms National Park. Heather literally covers the hills after this point. Drove through Cairngorms National Park and stopped at Ballater and took some photos of the old church. Further up the road, the country side was what I would call classic Scotland with rolling hills covered in heather and grass and occasional forest and small rivers. Stopped and took some photos of the beautiful old stone Gairnshiel Bridge that crosses the River Gairn. Got to Inverness at about 8 PM Spent the night at the Premier Inn Inverness Centre Hotel in Inverness (£76). Hotel was very nice and used to be an old brewery that was recently converted into a hotel. Had dinner of bread, cheese, and beer.

London - Scotland Trip Day 6

Friday September 7, 2012 – Stirling, Scotland
Woke at 7 AM and got coffee and rolls at the local Costa coffee shop. Can’t get “brewed” coffee in Scotland so we usually get Americano, cappuccino or lattes. Left hotel at about 8:45 AM and headed for Doune Castle where several movies were made including a favorite of mine, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Doune Castle looked just like the movies and had a self-guided audio tour by Terry Jones from Monte Python. Audio tour was quite fun and highlighted places in the castle from the movie. Weather started out drizzly but ended up partly sunny by the time we left. Next, headed towards Tayport via Perth, Dundee and Tay Bridge. Stopped and took photos at the Welcome to Tayport sign. Checked out the Tayport Cemetery by the sign hoping to see some names I might recognize. Saw some gravestones with the name Wilkie which was a name I recognized from my grandparents travel stories. Took photos of the Tay River. Next, went to 14 Nelson Street, Tayport where my grandfather, Charles Manclark was born. Then stopped at the War Memorial where my great grandfather, Charles Manclark’s name is engraved. Charles died during the WWI Battle of Passhchendaele. Took photos of the memorial and talked with a local resident who told some stories about the memorial including how people recently stole the brass doors and have been trying to steal the brass plaques off the monument too! Stopped at the local post office and bought some post cards and a book on the history of Tayport. Bought some cheese and rolls and had a mini picnic at the Tayport Harbor. The harbor is fairly small and only had small sail boats (no fishing boats). Headed to Dundee (~3 pm) to look for lodging. Unfortunately, everything was filled up due to “students returning”. Drove on to Aberdeen and found a room at Premier Inn (£67). Went to a local pub called The Archibald Simpson and had dinner of Abbot’s Shepherd’s pie and Carlsberg beer. Carol had 5 bean chili (£13.89 total). Pub was a fun place full of loud locals. Menu had lots of Scottish fare like black pudding and haggis. Planning to have breakfast here tomorrow.

London - Scotland Trip Day 5

Thursday September 6, 2012 – Edinburgh, Scotland

Pep and Fodder Cafe

Woke at 7 AM and had breakfast at the "Pep and Fodder" cafe near the hotel. Had a “bap” called “I love Scotland” which was a bun with ham, sausage, and egg with HP sauce. Went to the Tourist Info place and got maps and some Scotland souvenirs.

Our Rental Car

Checked out of hotel and picked up our car rental at Waverley train station, Platform 4 EuropCar. Waverley train station was under construction and very difficult to get around. Elevator wasn’t working and had to haul our luggage down several flights of stairs. Luckily two nice lads saw us and helped Carol carry hers downstairs. Spent some time becoming familiar with the car (VW Golf) and checking and documenting damage. Car had multiple scuffs, scratches and dings which were all written on our contract. 

Drove through Edinburgh with great trepidation and headed to Stirling to see the castle.  Found a parking spot in downtown Stirling just below castle. Got to castle around 1:30 PM in time for the 2 PM guided tour. 

Stirling Castle was very cool and included a moat, cannons, huge doors, and a fancy palace. Got a nice description of how they are recreating tapestry’s that were thought to have existed in the castle when King James VI lived there (father of Queen Mary). 

Carol and I both felt Stirling Castle was less touristy and more authentic than Edinburgh Castle.

Holy Rude Church Cemetery

Checked out the Church of the Holy Rude cemetery (Google Street View). Not sure why, but Carol and I have always been facinated by cemeteries. Especially old ones with big headstones and monuments. 

Debated on whether to go visit the National Wallace Monument which was visible on the horizon from Stirling Castle. It was getting late so we decided to leave that for another day. Left Stirling at about 5 pm. Tried making reservations at the Travelodge in Dundee but all 3 were full. So, tried for Perth which had rooms, but both of our credit cards were rejected! 

Drove to Travelodge in Stirling and were able to get a room without a problem using our credit card. Hope credit card problem doesn’t continue! Room rate was £53 but would have been £5 less if we booked online or by phone. Room had an “off” odor like sour dish cloth. So, asked for a different room. Guy at front desk said they had taken the room next to ours “off-line” because of a “plumbing” problem. Luckily, they had another room, and the guy was nice. Had a Burger King whopper for dinner (hadn’t had one of those in ages…).

London - Scotland Trip Day 4

Wednesday September 5, 2012 – Edinburgh, Scotland

Calton Hill

Woke at 7 AM and went to a local bakery and enjoyed a cappuccino and croissant. Walked up to the top of Calton Hill and saw several monuments including one for Robert Burns and another for Admiral Nelson who helped defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Trafalgar.Climbed 143 steps to the top of Nelson Monument for a great view of Edinburgh and Firth of Forth. 

View from Nelson Monument

Stopped at John Lewis store to look for gifts and then went to the Scotland’s People Centre building to see if I could do a little family tree research. There was a charge of £15 per person per day so I decided to wait until I got home and could do it on the Internet. Went to the Tourist Info store to get info on tours, etc. 

Sir Walter Scott Monument

Climbed to the top of Sir Walter Scott monument (287 stairs). Stairs were so narrow at the top that people could barely pass each other. There was an impressive view of the castle and Edinburgh. Went to Jenner’s store to look for gifts. Found some scarfs and other gifts for folks back home. 

Sir Walter Scott Monument View

Took “Edinburgh New and Old Town” tour bus and got a good overview of Edinburgh.  Carol found a restaurant called Hendersons of Edinburgh that had vegetarian haggis, so we went there and had lunch/dinner. 

Henderson's

Carol had vegetarian haggis and I had quiche. Took another 1-hour bus tour and headed back to the hotel for the night.

London - Scotland Trip Day 3

Tuesday September 4, 2012 – Edinburgh, Scotland

Woke at 7 AM after a good night’s sleep. Went to a local bakery and got some pastries and latte. Walked to Edinburgh Castle and on the way, listened to a bagpiper performing in a downtown plaza.

Arrived at Edinburgh Castle 9:30 AM when castle opened. Stood in line for about 1/2 hour for tickets

Edinburgh Castle 

(7–14-day pass cost Steve £29 (senior) Carol £38). Went on a 30 min guided tour at 10am. Then toured castle on our own.

Witnessed the 1 PM firing of the canon.

Mons Meg Canon

Checked out Mons Meg which is a six-ton siege canon that could fire a 331 lb. (150 kg) stone for up to 2 miles (3.2 km). The canon was given to King James II in 1457 and at that time, was seen as cutting-edge military technology. 

Tartan weaving mill 

Stopped at the castle gift shop and then walked down the Royal Mile. Stopped at several stores including a tartan weaving mill that makes kilts and other types of Scottish cloths.Also stopped at a shop (Knights Vault?) that sells swords, axes, and other types of weapons. 

Greyfriars Bobby

Walked to Greyfriars Bobby statue and had lunch at The Elephant House cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter series.

The Elephant House

Stopped at St Giles Cathedral and spent some time photographing the stained-glass windows. Walked the rest of the Royal Mile to Holyrood Palace and then back to our Travelodge hotel room (~6 pm). 

St Giles Cathedral

Crashed for a while then walked to Waverley train station to get some money.

St Giles Cathedral

London - Scotland Trip Day 2

Monday September 3, 2012 - Heathrow, London

Heathrow Airport Tube

Passport check took about 20 minutes. Then customs. Carol gave up 1 plum and 2 pizzas before going through customs. Took the Underground Tube from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Kings Cross station.

Kings Cross Tube Station

Purchased an Oyster card to pay fare. The Tube took about 60 minutes to Kings Cross. Spent some time at Kings Cross waiting for the train to Edinburgh, Scotland. Finally boarded the Flying Scotsman at 3pm.

Waiting to board Flying Scotsman

Train was practically empty, so we had our pick of seats. English countryside was beautiful. Train went through York, Darlington (5:30pm), Newcastle (5:54pm), Berwick (6:28pm), Scotland border (6:44pm), Dunbar (7:02pm).Arrived at Waverley train station in Edinburgh at 7:20pm). 

Aboard the Flying Scotsman

Saw lots of green open pastures with sheep, stone walls, stone houses, old churches with spires, chimneys with multiple flues (Mary Poppins style).

Arrived at Waverley train Station in Edinburgh at 7:20pm). 

Arrived at Travelodge, 3 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh at 9pm. Hotel cost was £118.50 for 2 adults 3 nights. Went for a 1 hour walk down Leith Street and down Regents Street and back up Royal Terrace

Flying Scotsman train route from Kings Cross Station, London to Waverly Station, Edinburgh, Scotland

London - Scotland Trip Day 1

Sunday September 2, 2012 - Vancouver, Washington 

Thunderbird Hotel on fire

Up at 4 AM (Clear ~60 deg F) Finished checking windows, doors, alarms, etc. Shuttle bus (Blue Star) arrived at 5 AM (15 min early). Said our goodbyes to Hobie and Left house at 5:15am. Driver entertained us with some stories from when he was in the Navy. Said he was in the Navy for 20 years had been to 47 countries including Britain (London and Edinburgh). I5 bridge was closed North and South due to the Thunderbird Hotel burning to the ground! 

Waiting to board at PDX

Airport check-in was uneventful. Thankfully American Air didn’t have a line (United had a huge line). Security was more exciting. Got a pat down and TSA went through my camera bag. Also got to try out their new full body scanner. Arrived at Gate C9 at 6:40 AM. Left PDX and had a nice view of Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Rainier, and Mount Hood. Not much snow on any of them. Also got a nice view of the smoking remains of the Thunderbird Hotel. Arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport around 1:30 PM Central where it was 98 Deg. F. 

Our trusty Boeing 747

Made it to gate D4 British Air at about 2:15 PM Central. Next plane scheduled to leave at 5:50 PM Central. DFW airport is huge and very modern with a cool shuttle bus system. Boarded and left DFW on time. There were an amazing number of India people on board. Plane was a Boeing 747 with funny little “pod” seats in 1st class. Arrived at Heathrow London at 8:30 AM London time (12:30 AM Pacific).

Heathrow Airport, London

I only needed 1 bathroom break after an 8 ½ hour flight. Carol didn’t need any bathroom breaks!! In flight meal was chicken curry or vegetarian tortellini. Also served breakfast of fruit cocktail, banana loaf, O.J., and coffee. Was mostly cloudy flying over Iceland and England.

London - Scotland Trip - Preparation

London - Scotland Trip - Preparation
Spent the day going kind of crazy doing final preparations for our two week trip to London and Scotland. I'm sure there will be lots of things forgotten. C'est la vie...

Hobie at Vancouver Lake Park

Took Hobie to Vancouver Lake Park for a last romp. Wish he could go to with us! Our trusty pet sitter, Vonnie will be coming over twice a day to feed, water and walk him while we're gone so I feel pretty OK about leaving him.