Aberdeen -> Pitlochry -> Glasgow
We depart Maryculter House Hotel and head off towards St Andrews which is on the coast between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Driving into the town and we are struck by the massive grandstands that have been erected to facilitate the staging of the British Open golf tournament.
The Open finished the day before we arrived having been extended to a fifth day because of bad weather. We wander around the Old Course and check out the golf (we didn't get to play but at nearly 200 GBP for a walk up public round, our wallets certainly stayed fatter), visit the myriad golf shops (sadly no real bargains) and then explore the ruins of St Andrews Castle the old Cathedral which are truly amazing.
 |
| The temporary grandstand behind the 18th hole at St Andrews Old Course |
 |
| Looking across the 18th green to the 1st tee at St Andrews |
 |
| Anne and I near the 1st tee |
 |
| Us again - this time on the famous stone bridge on the 18th fairway |
 |
| The entrance to St Andrews Castle |
 |
| Part of the castle ruin |
 |
| A bee - caught in action |
 |
| The tower of the ruined St Andrews Cathedral |
 |
| Tower and gravestones |
 |
| The main cathedral entry |
 |
| St Mary's College, St Andrews |
 |
| Market Street, St Andrews - the main shopping thoroughfare |
The Scots sure have some interesting street names and the town of St Andrews is no exception!
 |
| Anne standing in 'Butts Wynd' Road |
 |
| Hmmm... |
St Andrews has a real buzz to it but soon, it's time to hit the road again and head to Pitlochry, our next destination and Craigroyston House, our rather salubrious B & B.
Pitlochry is a fascinating little Scottish town with a golf course, a distillery and a loch with it's own dam and hydro plant on the River Tummel. Everything a Scottish town should have! We do some great walks around the town and in the surrounding countryside and enjoy this isolated little Scottish gem immensely. Fantastic place to visit and a Scottish favourite of ours.
 |
| The Old Mill Inn in Pitlochry |
 |
| The 'Golfing Lady' made out of sticks |
 |
| Heading back to our B & B - Craigroyston House |
 |
| Festival Theatre, Pitlochry |
 |
| The dam on the River Tummel with hydro plant and fish ladder |
 |
| The tail end of the loch on the Tummel on one of our bush walks |
 |
| Anne outside a Neolithic stone dwelling |
 |
| The ruins of a stoneage family circle house |
 |
| Bad weather rolling in - we're in for a drenching! |
 |
| After the rain - the birds come out |
 |
| The church at Pitlochry |
Our last destination in Scotland beckons and soon, we're on the road again towards Glasgow. We drop the car off back at the car rental place and rejoin Anne and Denise at our hotel and grab the hop-on-hop-off bus for a lightning tour of the city. There are 28 stops on the bus route so you get a sense of just how many things there are to do in this underrated town. We find an absolutely fantastic pub (called the 'Counting House') for dinner and have some un-fantastic Indian fare (but some OK beers) the head back to our hotel for our last night in Scotland.
We have all of the next day to explore the city as our flight to Dubai leaves in the late evening so we explore the Cathedral and Necropolis and then check out the People's Palace Museum and Wintergarden which is surprisingly interesting. The Museum of Contemporary Art also gets a visit but some of the artworks left me a bit confused! Then it's a late lunch of phenomenal Thai food right near our hotel.
 |
| Glasgow - a funny little turret room on an old sandstone building |
 |
| Street art - a lot of it painted by an Aussie street artist |
 |
| These old police call boxes are all around Glasgow |
 |
| The 'Counting House' - a great pub in the centre of Glasgow |
 |
| George Square (after King George III) and column with statue of Sir Walter Scott |
 |
| The Museum of Contemporary Art |
 |
| The Clyde Arc Bridge (locals call it the 'Squinty' Bridge) |
 |
| The Science Centre |
 |
| The Clyde crossing |
 |
| The Hydro - Glasgow's Entertainment Centre |
Glasgow surprised us immensely - we had expected a dull, working class city but instead we found a buzzing place with stacks to do and see. Finally, we pick up our luggage that was stored at our hotel and grab a cab to the airport and our flight from the chill of Scotland to the heat of Dubai. Scotland has been a revelation and a place we have thoroughly enjoyed visiting. A must visit place on any traveller's bucket list!
No comments:
Post a Comment