Travels with Jim & Pat

We enjoyed a nice breakfast at our b&b before heading off for the day. Our first stop of the day was the TKTS booth in Leicester Square to buy theatre tickets for tonight. We chose “Woman in Black” which was recommended by Allison and Patrick. From there we caught the underground to Saint Paul’s Cathedral where we started our morning walk towards Borough Market. We viewed Saint Paul’s Cathedral and Temple Bar. Temple Bar is the only surviving 13th century Gateway into the city of London.

Then it was across Millenium Bridge where we viewed Tower Bridge, London Bridge and the Shard. We stopped for our morning coffee as we neared Borough Market. Borough Market is one of the largest and oldest markets, with a market on that same site dating back to the 12th century. We enjoyed wandering through the busy market area trying different foods.

We then continued our walk towards the River Thames and Tower Bridge. Around mid afternoon we caught the tube back to our b&b to start organizing our suitcases for our flight back to Canada. In the evening we enjoyed the theatre production of “Woman in Black”.

Temple Bar

Saint Paul’s Cathedral

Millennium Bridge and Saint Paul’s Cathedral

Jim on Millennium Bridge

Borough Market

Borough Market

Along the River Thames

Tower of London

Tower Bridge

Today we left Scotland and headed back to spend the last two nights of our fabulous trip in London. We caught a train from Glasgow which took us back to London in less then five hours. It was a relaxing trip and a nice break for Jim from driving.

We dropped our bags at our London B&B and had a bit of a rest before heading out for dinner. Jim found a Thai restaurant online near Victoria Station so we headed there. After dinner we stopped at a pub for a drink before heading back to our B&B.

In the morning we walked to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. This is housed in a beautiful sandstone building. There is quite an eclectic,is of exhibits, from Ancient Egypt, to Canadian wildlife, to original artworks including a Salvador Dali original.

We stopped for a quick lunch on our way back to our apartment, in an up-and-coming neighbourhood called Finnieston. Glasgow is an interesting city - there are many old derelict buildings, many new buildings, and much construction. All of this is interspersed, and gives a rather “down-at-heel” impression. We were also struck by the Scottish accents here - much more pronounced than we had heard elsewhere in Scotland.

In the late afternoon, we were picked up at our apartment by two gentlemen, George and John Dunwoodie, that Jim has recently learned are his cousins. Jim’s great-grandmother was a Dunwoodie, from Barrhead, near Glasgow. George and John graciously volunteered to show us around Glasgow and Barrhead.

We headed out through pretty countryside toward Barrhead, and learned about the former industrial greatness of this area, formerly home to cotton mills, leather works, shipbuilding works, and more. It seems that this area was once rich by virtue of being a corner of the infamous triangle that traded goods from the UK to Africa, transported slaves to the US, and brought raw materials to Scotland for processing. Nowadays all of these industries are gone.

In Barrhead, we saw places where Jim’s Dunwoodie ancestors lived and worked. We also saw the street where their homes had been destroyed by bombs dropped by the Germans during WWII.

We stopped at the home of the aunt of George and John, and enjoyed afternoon tea. Later, on our way back to Glasgow, we visited the estate of the Stirling-Maxwell’s, a branch of the once-powerful Maxwell clan.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

George and John Dunwoodie

Stirling Maxwell estate

Pollok Country park

Stirling Maxwell estate

Today we are off to Glasgow for our last stop on our wonderful tour throughout Scotland. We started our morning at Kilmartin Glen to view the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in mainland Scotland. The setting was beautiful as we walked through a pasture area to view the remains of the Nether Largie cairns, the Nether Largie Standing Stones and the Templewood Stone Circles. Some of these remains date back five thousand years.

Once back on the road and enjoying our scenic drive we stopped in Inveraray for our morning coffee. Then it was back in the car heading towards Glasgow passing Loch Lomond, an area designated as a National Park for its epic splendour. Unfortunately, as we drove through it was overcast and raining lightly. Loch Lomond is also considered the boundary between the lowlands of Central Scotland and Highlands.

Once in Glasgow we settled into the apartment where we’ll spend our last two nights in Scotland. After a nice dinner out we walked around the city centre of Glasgow and took in some of its beautiful 19th-century Victorian architecture and wall art.

Nether Largie standing Stones

One of the Templewood Stone Circles

Lovely old building

The Duke of Wellington statue in all his glory, cone and all — a true testament to the incorrigible Glaswegian sense of humour.

Lovely old buildings

Wall art

Wall art

This morning we headed north to Glencoe.

En route we stopped to take photos of the offshore Castle Stalker. This was the filming location for the final scene in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

From Glencoe village, we drove partway along beautiful Loch Leven. Then we proceeded east along the Glencoe valley, and stopped across from the Three Sisters peaks. We hiked up the beginning of the Aonach Eagach Ridge Trail, where we had spectacular views across to the Three Sisters, and up and down the valley. We could hear the strains of a bagpiper busking at one of the laybys along the highway, which added to the mood of this beautiful spot.

We continued east, and entered the Glen Etive, a valley going south. We drove down this beautiful valley about 15km, enjoying lovely views at each turn. Parts of the valleys are cloaked in bright purple rhododendrons, making the scenery even more lovely.

We returned to the Glencoe highway, and continued across the Rannoch Moor. We then turned west along a one-lane track that followed the pretty River Orchy.

We stopped at a pub on Loch Awe for a pint. While there, we learned of nearby Kilchurn Castle, so we backtracked to visit. Kilchurn Castle was built by the Campbell Clan in the 15th Century, and its remains are quit impressive.

We returned to Oban for another lovely dinner.

Castle Stalker

Castle Stalker

Three Sisters peaks in the Glencoe Valley

Glencoe valley

The stunning highlands of Scotland

Jim checking out the view

Pat relaxing while enjoying the view

The stunning highlands of Scotland

The stunning highlands of Scotland

The stunning highlands of Scotland

The picturesque Scottish Highlands in Glen Etive Valley

Beautiful purple rhododendrons surround the lake

So pretty!

So many lovely views along our drive

A river we stopped beside

Impressive Kilchurn Castle

Kilchurn Castle

Kilchurn Castle

More highland cattle

I love the hairstyle!