Identity Crises

     We do not usually take guided tours or transportation but who can resist a deal? As always John had researched places to visit and things to see. He groups things together on the daily itinerary geographically so we don't waste time zigzagging a city. All we needed was a detailed walking map. We went to the Edinburgh Visitors Center to get one and naturally we were bombarded with visual advertisements for this “midnight walking ghost tour” or that “secrets of the city” bus ride. Every city, it seems, has ghosts and secrets. Anyway as we waited for our turn at the counter we noticed a combination ticket for the Castle, Holyrood Palace, the Royal Yacht Britannia and a three day hop on hop off bus pass. All of these things were on our itinerary except the bus but if someone is going to include it for free then ok. Especially since one of the stops was near our flat in Leith. It was a deal too good to miss even if it meant appearing like -tourists.

     I know that sounds funny since we are traveling around to so many places but I am talking about TOURISTS; people who visit another country or place and complain because it is not like home. They stay in large groups and block the doorway or walkway for other people. They are usually loud, pushy and more concerned about getting back to the hotel for lunch since it was part of the travel package they bought. Some tourists are so busy filming or taking selfies that they don't actually see anything. Invariably, if there is a shop within a hundred yards it will be filled with tourists buying the most ridiculous of things as gifts or mementos. There are those tourists so afraid of being robbed that getting to a wallet is like breaking into Fort Knox..And they always travel in buses.

     But here we were “hopping on” to a double decker open air bus with many tourists. We were given headphones to hear the narration as we drove past significant places in and around Edinburgh. It was awesome. Not only did we get a great view of the city from the top deck, but we were also able to get a feel for the size of the city and what was or wasn't walkable. The narration included some great background information about the city as well as some of the famous and infamous citizens both past and present. With four different lines we were able to traverse the city with ease, at least for three days. It is definitely a good choice when visiting a city for the first time. Now where is the shop with the bagpipe magnets?

Loving Leith

     After our time in the Highlands we headed back to big city experiences in Edinburgh Our flat was actually Leith, a suburb of Edinburgh. It was an old cooperage with a lot of the industrial architectural elements remaining.

 We checked in as quickly as possible, in a hurry to get to a pub to watch Scotland vs England in a World Cup Qualifying game,although we had been assured that England ALWAYS wins. We had trouble finding a pub that we could get into as the ones showing the game were standing room only with people pouring out into the streets. Finally just before halftime we found a place that we could actually sit down and see the game. With only four minutes left Scotland had the lead; you could feel the excitement as the seconds counted down. Sadly, with one minute left England scored ending the game in a 2-2 tie. It wasn't a loss but it also wasn't a win. The once full and loud pubs were empty and quiet.

This is a very cool neighborhood with great restaurants and pubs along the river.Two of our favorite restaurants were the Ship on the Shore https://www.theshipontheshore.co.uk/ for really fresh seafood and live music and Kazban Mediterranean http://www.kezbanedinburgh.co.uk/. Both of these were close to our flat so we were able to park the car and walk to them. For pubs, Teuchters Landing is a must do http://www.aroomin.co.uk/teuchters-landing-bar-edinburgh/. Go for breakfast and be prepared to share the Full Scottish with at least one other person.


Leith is also the location of the Royal Yacht Britannia, the decommissioned vessel of the British Royal family. You can board the yacht and see not only how the Royals spent leisure and business time but also ho the ship was used in times of crisis such as evacuating refugees from Aden during their civil war. The casual elegance of the decor, plus the tea room made this a lovely place to visit on a cloudy and sometimes rainy afternoon .http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/

It was easy to take public transportation into Edinburgh making this the perfect place to stay away from the noise and crowds of the city- a true hidden gem.

Offal Isn't Awful

   

     As we drove from the Highlands to the Edinburgh, the Scottish capital we realized we had committed what for some would be a mortal sin- two weeks in Scotland without having Haggis. Now for some this would not be considered a sin as much as a demonstration of good sense. After all, the ingredients that make up this dish are not things most Americans would consider appetizing or even edible. But we are not opposed to some animal organs. Liver and hearts are fine-kidneys-no way! I was raised with fried chicken gizzards and make giblet gravy for my family on Thanksgiving,( John and others get gravy without the “bonus” protein). We had enjoyed Black Pudding in both England and Wales;how different could Haggis be? We resolved to correct this oversight at the first opportunity.

     That opportunity arrived quicker than expected. About an hour later we stopped for lunch in Pitlochry, a small town known for its live theater and as a hiding place for Rob Roy Macgregor. Port Na Craig ,http://www.portnacraig.com/ is a lovely little restaurant and inn on the Tummel river across the street from the Pitlochry Festival Theater. There it was on the appetizer section of the lunch menu- Haggis, Neeps and Tatties accompanied by a whiskey jus.  Never heard of it? Neeps are mashed turnips, Tatties are mashed potatoes and Haggis is …..Haggis. Think sausage patties, only these are a mixture of sheep heart, liver and lungs mixed with onion, oatmeal,suet, spices and salt. It is mixed with stock and traditionally encased in the animals stomach although most use artificial casings today. Mmm Mmm good?


     John ordered it as a first course, just in case.


     A lovely layered dish was brought out in a bowl. Potatoes on the bottom, then the Haggis and turnips on the top surrounded by a thin gravy or jus made with broth, whiskey and a little cream. It looked beautiful. Now for the moment of truth. It tasted like sausage with potatoes and turnips. It was actually quite good. The resourcefulness of the Scottish people was again demonstrated as things as humble as root vegetables and sheep organs were turned into a delicious and somewhat elegant dish. Mmm Mmm Mmm  GOOD

Highland Fling

   

The Highlands of Scotland, home of Rob Roy, Jamie Fraser, MacBeth and William Wallace. These and other larger than life historical and fictional men come from a land that is larger than life.
The Highlands are unlike any other place we have been. Simply put you have to go there to understand it. The landscape is as varied as the people, as complex as the history of Scotland and as unpredictable as the weather. It is an area of the country that has known great sorrow and suffering yet vehemently retains a spirit of pride and individualism. The people are practical and self-sufficient; happy to sit for hours to tell the stories of their villages and clans.
     We stayed a week on a croft, a remodeled farm house, in Ardgay surrounded by fields of grazing sheep about an hour north of Inverness. During that week we visited a Castle www.dunrobincastle.co.uk/ with beautiful gardens, took a cruise on Loch Ness,(no sighting of Nessie that morning) https://www.jacobite.co.uk/ and visited a scotch distillery https://www.balblair.com/.

 John was even able to golf at the local course www.bonarbridgeardgaygolfclub.co.uk/ . It was 9 holes so he played it twice. Clubs were available for rent so he didn't have to bring his for this trip. We attempted a day trip to Orkney island but predictably unpredictable weather prevented the ferry from sailing that day.
  Of course we had to include a visit to Culloden battlefield, site of the end of the Jacobite uprising and “Bonnie Prince Charlie's” claim to the throne of Scotland.https://www.nts.org.uk/Visit/Culloden/. The visitor center did a tremendous job presenting the information about the battle from both the Scottish and English perspective using parallel timelines, film and artifacts. The moor upon which the battle took place is available for visitors to walk and see markers where specific clans fought and died in an unsuccessful quest for independence.


As an aftermath of Culloden the English government set up policies that were unfavorable to the Highlanders ;prohibiting the wearing of clan tartans or the playing of bagpipes and the Clearances-the removal of families from their lands- were some of the ways King George II tried to destroy Scottish culture. To enforce these policies Fort George was established https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/fort-george/ .This Fort continues to be in active use and was one of the locations where Allied forces practiced beach landings for the D-Day invasion in 1944. Ironically the fort is also the location of the Highlanders military museum http://www.thehighlandersmuseum.com/ . The English government realized that the best way to control the Highlanders was to use them. The wearing of tartans and the use of bagpipes was acceptable if it was in service of King and Country. This led to the establishment of many Highland brigades in the British military. These units were and still are sent throughout the world as they are known to be victorious, even in the harshest of conditions.

The Highlands are a special place. The winds that come up unexpectedly seem to carry the voices of the people who fought and died to live life on their terms in a land that is harsh and beautiful and completely unforgettable. These lyrics from A Scottish Soldier seem to say it best:

There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier
Who wandered far away and soldiered far away
There was none bolder with good broad shoulder
He fought many affray, and fought and won

He’d seen the glory, he’d told the story
Of battles glorious and deeds victorious
But now he’s sighing, his heart is crying
To leave those green hills of Tyrol

Because those green hills are not highland hills
Or the island hills, they’re not my land’s hills
And fair as these green foreign hills may be
They are not the hills of home