Scotland itravel to and first day of tour
Liverpool to Edinburgh and beyond 9th & 10th July
Tuesday morning was a slow start, packing my bags for the next leg of the tour. Checked out and then spent some time in the hotel lounge as it was raining outside and didn’t really want to go out too soon. Made my way to Liverpool Lime Street Station, as only a ten minute walk away, didn’t even need to use google maps as had a short cut down pat. Main problem with walking is the variety of pavements especially the cobble stones, glad to be wearing my tramping shoes around, don’t know show the young ladies manage in their fancy party shoes.
Managed to get on the correct train to Wigan North Western and my connecting train was arriving on the same platform just 30 minutes later. My only issue was I had to do a wee sprint down to the back of the train to my first class carriage. Oh the first world problems! Really comfortable in first class, you get waited on, drinks, light lunch and snacks. Sat opposite a young man from Carlisle, conversation starter was that the chocolate snack was too sweet, he agreed. He is a professional video gamer and had been to Birmingham for work, travelled a bit but doesn’t like the heat, was happy to be back in rainy Scotland.
When I reached Edinburgh it was raining quite heavily, only a five minute walk to the hotel, which took a bit longer waiting for crossing signals, so was fairly dripping by the time I got there. And the room…
Way too dark for my liking but okay just for one night. Met the group over dinner in the hotel restaurant, another three course meal, pea and watercress soup, gnocchi and then fruit salad. Only 6 people on the tour, quite lucky that it is going ahead - phew. All Australians except for moi! Will have to fly the flag!
Was raining when we left Edinburgh but looked quite interesting what we drove through, would have been nice to have some time there, but happy with my choice of Liverpool. Our tour leader was wearing his McKay tartan kilt, a nice touch. First stop was Queensferry on the firth (estuary) of the river Forth. It was a photo stop to admire engineering feats over three centuries. The railway bridge, completed in 1890, the most famous of cantilever designs, still the world s longest, and the world’s first major steel design, now a UNESCO world heritage site.
The Forth Road bridge, opened in 1964, the worlds fourth longest suspension bridge with distance between two towers 1006 metres. Over 2.5 km long in total. Has some issues with rust and also had to be closed during high winds.
So the built the Queensferry bridge opened in 2017 is the longest three towered cable stayed bridge in the world. Also has some sort of wind guard. It’s a little hard to see but it’s behind the suspension bridge, you can just make out the cables.
The Road bridge is now only open to buses, so over we went despite the rust!
Next stop was a little seaside fishing village of Anstruther, Sor a walk around and a hot chocolate. A very pretty little place, walked down the Seawall to the lighthouse and back, still amazed by the tidal range on these isles. The weather improving steadily.
St Andrew’s, home of golf and education for Prince William and Kate, was next. Did the golf course stop , right by the beach and some tall old residential buildings, not what I would call pretty. And then to the town itself, I left my camera on the bus as we had to exit quickly! I felt vey bare without my phone as couldn’t take photos of such a nice town. I purchased another sweatshirt because it was cold, but dry at this point in time, had an onion birdie and a strawberry tart for lunch, wandered around and found a statue to a cat called Hamish McHamish, and I couldn’t photograph it! Some amazing cathedral ruins there also, still didn’t have my camera.
Crossed another very long bridge on the Firth of Tay, you can just see the railway bridge in the distance - 4.43 kilometres. Goes from the suburb of Wormit (I know, cool name) in Fife to Dundee. Amazing the engineering in bridges here. Unfortunately they had a bad rail disaster in 1879 on the previous rail bridge during incredibly high winds.
On into the highlands. It was raining or heavy drizzling by now but still a beautiful area to drive through, we stopped at a lookout point at Glenshee to take some photos looking down the valley, heather is just starting to come out so will be very pretty in a couple of weeks if they get some sunshine.
Past a castle or two, This one is Braemar - Lost by the Earl of Mar who lead the 1715 uprising, and on to the gates of Balmoral, as close as we could get, apparently no Royals in residence at the moment - didn’t they know I was coming?
Slainte mhath .Hope those Aussies behave themselves. Keep an eye out for Jamie in his kilt.x
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