The Journey

Trip to Kilmartin

Today several of us are feeling kind of puny but we decide to take a road trip to Kilmartin.

Kilmartin (Scottish Gaelic: Cille Mhàrtainn, meaning “church of Màrtainn”^[1]) is a small village in Argyll and Bute, western Scotland. It is best known as the centre of Kilmartin Glen, an area with one of the richest concentrations of prehistoric monuments and historical sites in Scotland. It contains over 800 monuments within a six-mile (ten-kilometre) radius. It is home to Kilmartin Museum and the Kilmartin Hotel.

Kilmartin is only about 36 miles from where were staying but its about an hour and a half drive. The roads are narrow and the scenery is gorgeous. The small towns with their houses that are only feet off the roadways are a sight to see. We take a nice walk to see some of the Cairns and standing stones before returning and having lunch at the Kilmartin Hotel. We then head back to our home base for a relaxing afternoon.

“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama

Several of us still feeling a bit under the weather so not doing much today but hanging out, watching the rabbits, sheep, cows, and rain out the window. Still not a bad way to spend the day.

We do venture out for lunch/dinner at the Tigh an Truish.

Road to Edinburgh

Today we say goodbye to Island View and the Isle of Seil. We start the drive back to Edinburgh where tomorrow Jerry & I will catch a plane back home. The girls will stay in Edinburgh for 5 more days in a little flat in downtown Edinburgh.

We decide to stop at Sterling Castle in the hopes of not only seeing the castle but getting Brandi a closeup encounter with a Highland Coo. We haven’t seen much of them on this trip as we have in past visits.

 “Get busy living or get busy dying.” — Stephen King

Jerry and I head out early this morning for the long road back home. We are leaving the young ladies to enjoy the next 5 days in Edinburgh. I have asked Brandi to carry on with the blog so you will probably notice a marked improvement in things from here on. Enjoy and Thanks Brandi !

Saturday, September 30 – Brandi Green

I wake up in time to hear a “Bye B-r-r-r-andi” coming from the hall. That’s my Uncle Greg telling me bye before he and my dad, Jerry, start their long trek back to the States. He doesn’t know I heard him, it starts my day with a smile.  Not too much later, I meet my mom, Kathi, and Aunt Sharon downstairs for breakfast. They’ve ordered me orange juice to save me from trying the abysmal hotel coffee.

After checking out of the hotel, we grab a taxi to 30A Royal Terrace which will be our home for the next week. Our place is a ground level apartment with a patio in the front and back. It’s built like a shotgun house with a long hallway down the middle, bedrooms on one side and the living, kitchen, and bathroom on the other.

That afternoon we take a short walk through London Garden which is across from the apartment. Nothing is in bloom, but everything is green and mossy which is my aesthetic anyway. 

We have a late lunch at Vittoria on the Walk. As soon as we walk in the smell of garlic is delicious enough to buckle your knees. We order bruschetta for the table. I get the chicken and pea risotto, Sharon orders the mushroom risotto, and Mom orders lasagna. We share bites and it’s all delicious. After the waiter boxes our lunch he asks “Do you want to see…” and was met with a resounding Yes by all 3 of us. Desserts all around (tiramisu, cheesecake with dark chocolate sauce, and 3 scoops of ice cream). As the napkin they delivered with dessert promised…it was yummy!

After a quick trip to Tesco where Mom was tailed by the security guard, we headed back to the apartment to settle in for the evening.

“Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.” — Mark Twain

Sunday, October 1 – Brandi Green

The sound of the coffee grinder tells me it’s time to get out of bed. I’ve been conditioned over the last 2 weeks that a hot cup of coffee soon follows this sound, so it’s quite the incentive to leave my warm bed. Over breakfast we discuss our plans for the day and map out our bus route. Magellan I am not, so a missed turn on the way to the bus stop leads us down a road where we see both the Swiss and US Embassies. Very cool and I’m certain this footage is now in my official file somewhere.

We find a new bus stop and head to the Royal Mile. Truth be told, it’s a bit of a tourist trap, but I can now say that I’ve been there. Along the Royal Mile we saw men in kilts playing bagpipes, people with owls, and a man dressed as Braveheart. We also saw more authentic sites such as St Giles Cathedral, the Edinburgh  castle, and got to look down various Closes. We passed a tavern called Deacon Brodies, named after William Brodie, who was the inspiration for Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde. By day Brodie was a wealthy respected citizen, but by night he was a gambler and a thief. He was both born and executed within steps of the tavern named after him. And, coincidentally, we were passing the tavern on the anniversary of his execution.

The next (and perhaps most anticipated) stop was to Valerie’s on Rose Street. Valerie’s is a pastry shop that Mom and Sharon have visited on each trip to Scotland. They rave about their eclairs. We make our way to Rose Street and are rewarded with a small lunch and the best hot chocolate in Edinburgh. We order eclairs and scones to go…fingers crossed they survive the bus ride back.

To end the evening Mom and I take a trip to (the very steep) Calton Hill. At the top, we were rewarded with panoramic views of Edinburgh and an amazing view of Arthur’s Seat. We watched the sunset together and then started back down the hill for home. It was a good day.

 

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” —Mahatma Gandhi