Scotland: a flyby update
I only have a few minutes left on the internet here in my hostel, so this'll be uncharacteristically brief!
* Inverness - smaller than expected but I really liked it. Met my aunt Loretta, my cousin Katie and her twin sons and daughter, my cousin Sam and his wife Debbie and their wee boy Jamie. They were all lovely, though Katie's boys can get a bit out of hand at times! Tasted an uncarbonated Scottish beer - still not a beer drinker but it was a VAST improvement on the carbonated stuff!
* Loch Ness - lovely and peaceful and even got some sun the second day! A lot of Catalans there visiting! Including one of the seasonal staff members at the hostel I stayed in, so she and I went out for a whisky on my last night there and chatted away in Catalan for a few hours. Nice. Also went to see Urqhart Castle, whihc is surprisingly complete, given its history, and signed up for membership of the Scottish Historical Places Trust, which gives me free access to all registered historical sites, for one year (and half price access to the equivalent sites in England and Wales!)
* The Western Isles (The Outer Hebrides) - absolutely wonderful (my one run-in with Scottish midgies, to date, aside :D). I really have to allow far more times for the islands, next time and to get to the Inner Hebrides as well! The stereotypical (but true, as it turns out) Scottish friendliness and helpfulness is doubled out on the islands, I've found.
* Edinburgh - spent yesterday with my cousin Mike, his wife Nic and their wee girl Abi. Just as lovely as the lot up north! Went to Edinburgh Castle. Today I'm off to explore on my own and try to track down the Scottish Genealogical Society HQ, so I can do a bit of investigating. :)
Hope you're all well. No time to keep up with reading LJ and it's highly doubtful I'll do so when I get back, so if there's anything hugely important going on in your life, leave me a note here!
Have a good day or night, all.
* Inverness - smaller than expected but I really liked it. Met my aunt Loretta, my cousin Katie and her twin sons and daughter, my cousin Sam and his wife Debbie and their wee boy Jamie. They were all lovely, though Katie's boys can get a bit out of hand at times! Tasted an uncarbonated Scottish beer - still not a beer drinker but it was a VAST improvement on the carbonated stuff!
* Loch Ness - lovely and peaceful and even got some sun the second day! A lot of Catalans there visiting! Including one of the seasonal staff members at the hostel I stayed in, so she and I went out for a whisky on my last night there and chatted away in Catalan for a few hours. Nice. Also went to see Urqhart Castle, whihc is surprisingly complete, given its history, and signed up for membership of the Scottish Historical Places Trust, which gives me free access to all registered historical sites, for one year (and half price access to the equivalent sites in England and Wales!)
* The Western Isles (The Outer Hebrides) - absolutely wonderful (my one run-in with Scottish midgies, to date, aside :D). I really have to allow far more times for the islands, next time and to get to the Inner Hebrides as well! The stereotypical (but true, as it turns out) Scottish friendliness and helpfulness is doubled out on the islands, I've found.
* Edinburgh - spent yesterday with my cousin Mike, his wife Nic and their wee girl Abi. Just as lovely as the lot up north! Went to Edinburgh Castle. Today I'm off to explore on my own and try to track down the Scottish Genealogical Society HQ, so I can do a bit of investigating. :)
Hope you're all well. No time to keep up with reading LJ and it's highly doubtful I'll do so when I get back, so if there's anything hugely important going on in your life, leave me a note here!
Have a good day or night, all.