 Back From Scotland_cropped.jpg) Posted by Donna MacMeans Jul 30 2012, 12:53 am Hi All! Did you miss me? You probably didn’t know I was gone Technology is great when it works…not so good when it doesn’t. So I’m working to recover some photos into this computer to share. Cross your fingers for me.
The other side of the castle has a steep drop off as well, but it used to be a lake – the lake where the city inhabitants drew their drinking water, and the lake where they dumped their cesspots
While I saw lots of men in kilts, I didn’t manage to get many photos of them as they were often in a rush about their own business. But I did manage to take a photo of this bagpiper. We were at St. Andrews (home of the famous golf course) and a wedding was in process at Edinburgh University - where Prince Harry and Kate met. The bagpiper was playing outside while the wedding was ongoing, so I was able to snag a shot without annoying the wedding party.
I’m still sorting through the recovered photos, but I wanted to post a few that would give you a sense of the scenery. This is from the highlands, an area of steep glens and deep blue lochs. (Though is more of a strath – a wider gentler break between the hills than a glen). The other photo is a waterfall, again in the Speaking of distilleries, here’s a shot outside of one. That’s our tour guide, Jonathon. He’s got great taste in reading material Also, you might recall an earlier blog post when I asked for help in naming a couple of the taverns in my WIP book. I posted some pictures of various pubs for inspiration. One Scottish one was The World’s End – remember? Anyway, we saw the actual pub in Edinburgh and learned the reason for it’s name. Edinburgh is a medieval city and as such was once surrounded by a stone wall. Most of the wall is now I’ve been talking about Edinburgh, which is the second largest city in Scotland (Glasgow is the first) but there’s another sizeable city we visited We had a great time, but I’m glad to be back home. How about you? Have you gone on any interesting trips this summer? Any plans to go somewhere special? I’ll be posting more photos throughout the week on my facebook page, so if you’re interested in seeing more of Scotland – friend me Posted in Donna MacMeans, Edinburgh, Inverness, Scotland Comments66 thoughts on “Back From Scotland” |
   
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, but I left July 18th for a week in Scotland. The good news is that I took lots of photographs. The bad news is that when I tried to transfer them from the camera to the computer, the program automatically deleted the images from my camera (I didn’t click anything to do that) AND transferred the photos into a non-existent program. Sigh. 
. Eventually they made the connection between the unsanitary water and the high levels of sickness and deaths. This was also the lake where women accused of witchery were tried and drowned. Edinburgh drowned/burned more people (predominately women) for witchery than did the Salem witch trials in the States.
Hey, Golden Rooster! Are you visiting me?
Hey, Deb, looks like the Rooster has climbed down from that steep roof to come and visit you. Maybe he doesn’t like haggis!
LOL – I think based on my conversations with various Scots that the GR considers Australia a second home from Scotland. Everyone in Scotland had a relative in Australia – and then there’s the whole sheep thing.
Donna, definitely a HUGE Scottish influence in Australia – even more so in New Zealand (and more sheep!). I think one of the reasons I feel so at home in Scotland is that Aussies and Scots have a fairly similar sense of humor – it’s dry and rather dark and quite irreverent. Makes for immediate friendships when you meet strangers!
Oh yes Deb
Have fun with him
Helen
welcome back and i would love to win this
glad you had a great time
Thanks Tammy -
We packed for rain – especially as England is having a particularly rainy spell – and only had rain one day. The weather was perfect. Can’t ask for more.
Donna, your trip sounds wonderful!! My cousin went to Scotland and loved the city of Edinburgh. The photo of Edinburgh Castle is so neat! Thanks for posting photos. Ahem, I saw Scotland once, from a plane, 20,000 feet in the air as we flew over…
My husband, daughter, and I went to Corpus Christi and North Padre Island early in the summer and I LOVED the beach and the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It was so relaxing. I wasn’t crazy about the humidity in Corpus and know we were there at a time when it wasn’t as bad as it would be now. I have already been looking at vacation rentals for our return in 2 years.
LOL Deb -
You dream of returning to Texas and I dream of going to Australia
. I definately enjoy the Gulf side of Florida – lovely gentle warm water.
One of these days I’d like to go to Ireland – like you, I’ve only seen it from the window of an airplane, but one of these days….
My major dreams would be to return to Denmark; it’s a lovely country. I also would love to visit New Zealand, Australia, England, and Scotland….. I hope, some day…
I’d add France, Germany, and Italy to my wish list – but i’d like to stay longer than a week. Guess I’ll hae to wait for my dh to retire.
Donna, what a great post! And it brought back so many memories of my trips to Scotland. LOVE Scotland. I think we might have stayed in the same hotel. I was in the Grass Market and I loved that every time I set foot outside the hotel, there was the rock and there was the castle. Couldn’t get much better for atmosphere! Glad you had such a wonderful time and took so many pics of men in kilts. Seriously, GLAD!!!! Looking forward to seeing the pics on Facebook! Welcome home!
Oh Anna -
While we were in St. Andrews I saw a whole lot of handsome young men in the full kilt ensemble with small white corsages pinned to their dark green jackets. THey were making great speed down the street – obviously ushers at that wedding, but oh my! They looked like cover models. Unfortunately by the time I snagged my camera, they were gone – but I’m not going to forget that sight for a long, long time. (grin)
OK, drooling like a sharpei right now. NOT an attractive look!
I would love to visit Scotland one day. I saw how beautiful it was when Craig Ferguson did a week of shows in Scotland. I haven’t gone on any real trips this year. We drove to Philly a couple of weeks ago, but it was for a memorial not for fun.
Jane -
I watched Craig Ferguson that week as well. I remembered that the girl always was bundled up and still complained she was cold – so I packed all long sleeve stuff.
I hope you get to take a trip – even if it’s for a long weekend. It’s so easy to let the day-to-day things eat up all your time and the summer is gone before you know it. Philly can be fun with all that history. Hope you get to go somewhere special.
Trips? I wish! Instead, I’m looking after my brother’s dog here at countryside while he’s away. But the weather is like in the tropics right now, which means there will be some thunder and lightning soon.
Minna -
I hope the dog does well with thunder & lightning…or that it’s a small dog (grin). Isn’t that the way ? All that heat builds up during the day and just erupts with violence in the evening. I hope you get to go someplace just for yourself. New experiences – I love them.
Hi Donna,
First of all it was Wills who met Kate not Harry…. but we will let you off mean as you may still have jetlag lol
Glad you had a great time and looking forward to reading all you research in your next book… I was born in England and lives there for over 35 years and am sorry to say I never went further north than the Lake District…. so never saw Scotland
Barb – I hit the wrong button to reply. See my comment below.
LOL Barb – Obviously I’m not one to follow the Royals – but you got the gist (grin).
Isn’t that the way? We never adequately explore our own backyard and then it’s too late. About twenty years ago, we thought my husband was going to be offered a position out of state. I decided the kids and I should see all the touristy type things here before we moved. He turned down that position (and it turned out to be a good thing he did) and I got to explore all the places I probably would have overlooked otherwise.
I have plans to head up to the Sunshine Coast, QLD when Summer does eventually get here.
I have family up there, so bonus.
Have to admit – What a fabulous name for a spot of geography – The Sunshine Coast. Hope yoiu have a great time!
Donna
What a fantastic trip Scotland is one place I really really want to visit
I am looking forward to your next book and learning about whiskey yum I loved The Cassanova Code so much.
We went on a cruise last month and although we hit really rough weather and missed out on a few of the ports we were supposed to visit we had a ball and are now deciding which cruise we want to take hopefully next year.
Have Fun
Helen
Sorry – screwed up the reply thingie. See my response below.
Helen – Thanks for the Casanova praise. That was such a fun book to write. So where did you cruise to? We took a cruise about nine years ago to the Cayman Islands, Hondoras, Belize and Mexico. I can’t say we hit rough water, but a strong storm hit while we were docked in port. It pushed our boat into another cruise ship doing minimal damage to both. Yep we had a collision at sea – LOL. I’d like to do another cruise though. Something about sun, cabana boys and long lazy days…
I’ve traveled a few times in my life to some lovely places. The first place was Vanuatu. I was 19 and spent 1 1/2 weeks there in November – which just so happened to be Tiger Shark mating season. Not a great time to go swimming in Port Vila bay or to cut yourself on any of their lovely beaches and do First Aide in their prestine waters; as these sharks smell blood from around 15km away and will hunt for the sheer fun of it – and not because they’re hungry…. oooh, yay…
I got sunburnt in the funniest places: on the left side of my nose, the tip of my left elbow and a handprint on my back… how this happened is beyond me, but I didn’t get sunburnt anywhere else – strange but true.
My next trip was to NZ – the South Island – the following year in the middle of winter. I froze my butt off and caught the flu! But I had fun – well, that’s what my diary said as I don’t remember it all that well. Contiki Tours tend to be a fast-forward tour of partying…. soooo, I’m not too sure of where I went exactly, but my photos show that I enjoyed myself.
My biggest trip was over to the UK, Scotland and Wales… It was with Trafalgar on their very famous ‘Brittania’ Tour which took 21 days and was all over the whole of the UK… there was lots of fun to have with adventurous oldies of all ages (our oldest being in his late 80′s and the youngest being me aged 23). We ate Haggis and drank 21 year old Scotch, froze our butts off in the middle of Summer, ate Venisan (yep this was when I was a meat-eater) and then we took plenty of photos to fill more than one album… I had a ball!
That usually shut them up. Okay, they were mourning, but it didn’t mean they could be racist, when I never was.
But when I returned home to Australia, I found I was made redundant and couldn’t find another job – this was in 1997. And yes… the UK was where I was when Diana and Dodi died and I was also there for Diana’s Service too; and boy! Was I treated differently all because I was an Aussie… I was called a Convict and told to to back to my country. I always said that I was back in my country, but it was the Prison Camp the English Government sent my ancestors to they were referring to, well, it’s no longer a Prison Camp, and Convicts are no longer around; we’re called Aussie Battlers.
Mozette – I truly love your comments. I’ve never heard of Vanuato, but wow about the sharks. Given that I fell the first day we were in Scotland and scraped up my elbow and twisted my ankle – sounds like a place someone clumsy like me should avoid!
I’m envious of being able to spend 21 days in the UK. I wish I had more than a week to explore Scotland and drop down to visit Anna in Cambridge and visit lovely obscure museums in London…but the dh only had a week of vacation and we need to keep him employed (grin).
I had no idea you would have faced such comments while in the UK. Everyone I met seemed to have a relative in Austrailia as “that’s where the jobs are” – I was told. They were highly complimentary and often expressed a desire to move there themselves.
I guess it’s all about timing.
You know I was only treated horribly when the English were in mourning; and no other time. When I was traveling around and they were happy, they were offering me jobs left and right as soon as they heard I was an Aussie. I found this really strange – and a lot of the times they’d grab at me and wouldn’t let go of my arm while I kept telling them I wasn’t allowed to because I was on a tour where I’d be tossed from it without a refund.
But the moment I hit Scotland I was welcomed home by everyone – and this was because of my red hair! How cool is that? In Scotland, I also nearly got arrested! Now, I found my way out of that one by buying my co-ordinator and bus driver any beer or lager they wanted – I should have put a price tag on that… they ordered the oldest and most expensive one they could get their hands on at the hotel. It had been brewed since around the time of William Wallace! o.O
And Vanuatu is in New Caledonia… it’s made up of around 15 islands; with Efate as it’s main island where people live. It’s known as a Third World Country where people come to Australia to work as fruit-pickers where Aussie won’t do the work – pretty bad, eh – and they treated me like a Queen because I was the only redhead on the island. There was very little chance of me being kidnapped or mugged there because my hair was known to be good luck if anyone touched it, owned a loch or was friends with me. So, I found a whole island of new-found friends when I was there sweating myself into nothing (it was not only Tiger Shark mating season, but also the hottest part of the year… 47 degrees Celcius being the average day; and 35 degrees in the shade) Phew! What an adventure that place was… but it was a great holiday for my first!
Looks like you had a great trip. Sorry about your photos. Hope you can get them all back. Thanks for sharing.
All our trips this year are to visit family and friends. IL in August, CA in September and FL in October. No place exotic. Though going down to FL to visit my family is like going to a 3-ring circus missing it’s ring master.
Wow Elysa – You’re doing some traveling. Florida in October sounds lovely – though I understand it won’t necessarily be a restful vacation. Hopefully, you’ll be able to steal away for some alone ocean time . There’s something about walking along the shoreline that rejeuvenates creativity.
I think I’ve recovered all the photos – though I had to buy a special program to do so (sigh). However, I haven’t figured out how to get the photos into a program that will let me crop and play with lighting. LOL – I was sort of counting on that.
I have been to Scotland and stayed a week in Edinburgh… It is a wonderful city. I love the Mile…Been a long time since I was back there…
As for traveling this summer, it will just be weekend here and there to friends cottages…
Glad you had a good time Donna.. your pics where really great and gave me a bit of nostalgia….
Hi Kathleen -
My screwy husband had been to Edinburgh about twenty years ago – but he only was there for a day. He told me there wasn’t much to see or do there. What? Wish I would have had more time to explore. He was so wrong about the activity there.
Glad you enjoyed the pictures. Hope to be posting more.
Donna, your trip sounds wonderful.
I spent more of my free time in Edinburgh than in any other city when I was in the UK for school. That castle just calls to me, and yet gives me a sense of foreboding as well. Maybe both good AND bad things happened there to me in the past. *grin*
So glad you enjoyed your trip! Scotland felt like home to me as soon as I crossed the border.
Cassondra – I could see how you’d feel comfortable in Scotland. There’s a wildness to the Highlands, yet so much natural beauty. Edinburgh was fun – I loved all the little alleyways called “close” in the old city. We didn’t get a chance to explore much of the new city. Guess we’ll have to go back.
Oh – wanted to tell you I brought back a CD by the Red Hot Chili pipers. Thought you’d like that.
LOL! Donna you’ll have to bring that CD when I see you. I’d love to hear it!
Will do!
Aloha, Donna! The “hardest” part of living in Hawaii is being soooo far away from Scotland! As you may know, Captain Cook was the first recorded European explorer to come ashore in the Hawaiian Islands – he landed in Kauai in 1778. The islands reminded him of his father’s homeland – Scotland. Plus Princess Kaiulani was half Scottish and studied in Alba.
I just returned from RWA in Anaheim – great week but now back to reality. School starts today … so I can dive into the romance books I brought home.
Wow – school starts early over there! I think ours opens in about two or three weeks. Once the kids graduated, I sort of lost track
You know – I recall a mention of Captain Cook in Scotland. Something over there is named after him I believe. There were so many references to famous poets, writers, explorers, and engineers that I’ve sort of lost track of who had a tribute where.
Hope you had a blast in Anaheim! Any good stories?
Ugh! That’s so frustrating and disappointing. I once “lost” a film roll of pictures because the teen sales clerk taught me the wrong way to load the film. The way she did it, the roll didn’t engage so I didn’t actually end up taking any pictures. Bleh! Hope you get your pictures back! *fingers crossed*
Not interesting or special but a very busy, travelling-about sort of trip. Next weekend is a long weekend and my friends are going up to the cottage but as I also have an annual family reunion BBQ, I’m joining up with them later on. Friday, I’m spending the night at a first cousin once removed’s house and then the next morning, heading up to cottage country with him and his wife for the BBQ. Unfortunately, because I don’t drive, I’m coming all the way back to the city Saturday night…and then heading all the way back up to a different part of cottage country(a measly 50mins away from the other cottage! *sob*) on Sunday morning to join my friends…and then we’re all coming back to town on the Monday!
Wow – you’re going to have serious car time…like we had serious airplane time. Can you read in a moving car? Some people can’t, but if you can you’ll be able to catch up on some good reading.
Love the sound of cottage country – so cozy and inviting. Wishing you safe and happy travels.
Alas, no. Me, a moving car and reading do not mix.
Bummer – maybe audio books?
Quite possibly. I’ve got a few of those on my mp3 player.
That sounds like a fun trip. As a writer, do you see everything through the prism of a possible future setting or are you able to turn it off and just enjoy your vacation?
Kim – I’m always looking at settings, events, names with an eye on what I can use in a book – but it doesn’t really detract from the vacation as I love writing.
But I know what you mean. I went to England about twenty-five years ago when I thought my destiny was to be a painter. I have boxes of photographs of images from that trip taken with an eye toward lighting, composition, color… Today, I’m less likely to take a photo for pure composition. Now I look for historical reference and setting elements (grin).
Ohhhh Donna! I’m STILL jealous of your trip! Scotland is 2nd on my bucket list, right behind England. So dreamy!
Your pictures were awsome! Sorry you lost so many of them. But they will live on as great memories I’m sure.
Just as I’m sure I’ll get there… some day. Thanks for the account of your trip. Loved it!
Hi Tabitha – You’ll get there.
I remember an RWA workshop years ago that encouraged you to write down your dream trips and accomplishments with the idea that having them on paper somehow brings those opportunities to you. Have to admit, I’ve managed to scratch off more items on my dream list than I thought possible when I created it. I bet you’ll have that same experience.
I just returned yesterday from a week in California to visit my sister. We visited the Getty Villa in Malibu, which was wonderful – full of Roman and Greek antiquities; the Cleopatra exhibit at the LA Science Center; SeaWorld San Diego; and the highlight of the trip – the RWA Literacy book signing.
Oh and I missed you – Darn. Did you see the other banditas? I do plan to be in Atlanta for the 2013 RWA conference. Will you be there?
The other CA excursions sound great. I’d love to see the Getty Villa. Interesting about the Cleopatra exhibit. One of these days…
No special trips planned this summer
for us. Did share a weekend celebra-
ting the 58th anniversary of my class’s
graduation from high school late this
Spring. Temps have started picking
up in Texas, so we just plan to stay
home in our cool A/C and celebrate
all the August family birthdays!
Pat C.
Pat – I went to my first high school reunion about three years ago – and it was my fortieth. LOL. I had a blast. Enough time had passed that all that high school angsty stuff was forgotten. i bet a fifty-eight reunion would be similar.
Normally temps heat up here in August as well but it’s been so hot in July, I can’t imagine it getting any hotter …or drier. Scotland was a perfect respite. The weather was like a beautiful spring day. (sigh)
We are going to Vermont for a few days at the end of August.
Sandy -
Vermont in August sounds wonderful. Heck – anywhere north in August sounds refreshing (grin).
Have a safe trip!
Oh, so sorry about your pics! I remember twice not removing the lens cap – one was my wedding shower and the other was our only cruise – I was devasted. I so enjoyed hearing about your trip to Scotland and I learned so much!! Vacations have been off our budget for a while but early on in our marriage we went to some wonderful places and now I enjoy hearing about trips others have taken.
I think memories are the best souvenirs. Someone else’s photograph of a place I’ve been instantly brings back memories of my trip there. I can see forward to the day that either financial or physical restraints will keep us at home more than we like so – even when it’s difficult to schedule in – I want to travel while I can. Who knows what’s around the corner?
Donna, I winced reading about your photos. That is a real tragedy! Not that I actually do anything with my photos, but at least I could if I ever wanted to. Then again, hell would be frozen over if I started scrapbooking so…
Scotland is definitely in my Top 10 Places to Visit. I have wanted to go since I was a child and still long for it! It’s Scotland, Vienna, Venice, Florence, Paris, Hawai’i, Ireland, Amsterdam, Brussels and London. Of course, there’s another list with a lot more places on it.
As for this summer, it has been travel-light so far. I took my youngest to NYC for a graduation trip and saw some great shows and some old-to-me and new-to-me things there. We certainly did NOT see everything we wanted to see in our 4 days, but did see a Broadway musical and an Off-Broadway play.
I also went to Asheville, NC, but only to take the youngest to Orientation at UNC-Asheville. We’ll be headed back in a couple of weeks to move her in. It always feels like a vacation, even though we’re there for Official Business. I already love having a child in college there!
Coming up this fall, I’ll be heading to Hilton Head Island with friends (highly anticipated), to the Atlanta area for the Moonlight & Magnolias writers’ conference (where I’ll get a badly-needed BANDITA FIX!) and to Grand Cayman Island for a 20th anniversary celebration. Should be a super fun fall!
Caren – I am so with you on scrapbooking! I have a friend who has made a business out of making scrapbooks for others. She keeps telling me that I’d love it. I keep saying no-no-no.
I’ve been to Asheville once but I really enjoyed the time there. It’ll be absolutely beautiful in the fall. I can understand your pride and joy at having your daughter attend UNC – Asheville. NYC is always fun and I’m jealous of your Grand Cayman trip. You’re coming to M&M? Woot! Can’t wait to see you!
You know we flew into Amsterdam to catch a plane to Edinburgh. Have to say – it was gorgeous. I’d really like to go there as a destination – not a “fly-by”.
Love the pics! I went to Scotland once years ago before I got into Scotland books… Love the castles there especially…. Too bad I can’t go there again this summer since I used up all my vacation weeks already! Not going anywhere else this summer…..
Those vacation weeks are so precious, aren’t they?
The only castle that we actually went in was the Edinburgh castle – the others we just saw from a distance. Most were in ruins, so I’m not sure there was much to see inside. How cool to be in a country where castles can be readily found. Must say though that if I hear another story about Mary Queen of Scots – I might be forced to violence (grin).
It sounds like you had a great time. No plans yet.
Ah – but you must make some. The summer will be gone before you know it. Must say – I love my souvenirs of past trips. They remind me when it’s blustery, cold and boring that we traveled to someplace exciting.
Oh, Scotland! One of my favorite places, particularly the rugged beauty of the Highlands. *sigh* I’m feeling the need to go back. lol Edinburgh is such a great city! We went to a pub on our first night there called The Bad Ass. Once I saw the sign, I knew we had to go there.
))
I went to Florida earlier this month to see my dad. Not a fancy vacation, but I really enjoyed myself.
Oh Gannon – I should have consulted you before we went. I didn’t see The Bad Ass – but I would have gone there on principal (grin).
Not sure Florida in July would be my choice, but if you enjoyed yourself then that’s all that matters. i would suggest visitng your father in say …February, though (grin).
Ah, that sounds like a fabulous adventure, Donna! We’re planning on hitting the Happiest Place on Earth with the kids and some friends next month–I’m bracing myself for the lines and the heat, but I know it’ll be a fun time over all
Looking forward to seeing more of your photos–so sorry you had technology issues with them. Alas, technology is fantastic when it works as advertised, and frustrating when it doesn’t!
Oh I’m so jealous! I’d love to take a trip to Scotland! The Highlands, the castles, the people, the history, the kilts, the bagpipes, the accent…..
As for a vacation, I’m heading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon next week. I’m going to visit my son and his wife who are interning there for the summer. We hope to hike down into the canyon and also visit Utah’s Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks!1 I’m so excited!! We leave on the 7th!!