Scotland Trip Report: June 29-July 7, 2014

[tufbuf]

Here is the merged trip report and photos WeLoveABD promised. WeLoveABD wrote the wonderful text and I just embellished it with photos. What a wonderful trip we had! Scotland is a beautiful country with the warmest people and spending the experience with delightful friends made the whole experience extremely special. Hope everyone appreciates the well-thought out report.

ABD Scotland Trip Report (June 29-July 7, 2014)

We like to have a few pre-days before an ABD trip, especially where there is a significant time difference (8 hours, for this trip). Plus we want to give additional time on the front end in case we have to deal with lost luggage or delayed flights.
This time around, we went to Northern Ireland (Belfast), flying on United from San Diego to Newark, then Newark to Belfast. We left on Monday (23rd) and arrived in Belfast late morning on Tuesday. There are buses (with luggage racks) that leave from just outside the baggage terminal that go to the bus station in downtown Belfast—which is on the back side of the Europa Hotel, where we stayed for three nights. Excellent hotel, very central location—much of what we wanted to see was walkable from this hotel.

Tips: Rick Steves’ book on Northern Ireland was an excellent guide. Northern Ireland and England share the same coins but NI has its own bills (same value as the British Pound)—but it will be difficult to use the NI bills outside of NI, so be sure to either spend them or exchange them before you leave. Merchants DO accept British Pound notes. We decided to get pounds before leaving the states (from Travelex)—enough to avoid their standard fees, although the exchange rate wasn’t great. However, we had sufficient currency for the entire trip to avoid relying upon ATMs; we also found a credit card (with chip) that did not charge a transaction fee for each use overseas. (We brought backup cards—also all with chips—just in case). (For guide tips, we brought them in envelopes and stored them away in hotel safes—all in US currency; it was also our emergency backup cash should we have needed it—and if we had British pounds left at the end of the trip, we could put that into the tip envelopes and take out some of the US currency to take back home with us).
We did all we could to stay awake on Tuesday until evening, to fight through jet lag. We mostly walked the inner city—as it happens, the Queen was in Belfast and her motorcade passed us by as we walked to City Hall. Highly recommend taking the free tour of City Hall (you need to reserve a time), and seeing the Linen Library (also free)—it has interesting posters on the walls relating to the Troubles. Large modern mall is nearby (Victoria Square) with a great view of the city from its central tower. An old saloon is across from the Eurpoa (called the Crown Liquor Store)—worth a look inside, and the food is very good.

Belfast Attractions Tour
We booked in advance an all day tour with a private driver/car (for 4) to see the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce castle ruins, the Titanic shipyard and the area murals (for both sides—Protestant and Catholic, or Royal and Independent). Our guide was great—could not have gotten a more detailed review of the political turmoil that has rocked Belfast over the decades. We also stopped for lunch (with food our guide brought—homemade sandwiches!), and saw various locations used for Game of Thrones (the main studio is near the shipyard/Titanic Museum, and we strolled the Dark Hedges which is used in the series).
By the time Thursday rolled around, we were all in the correct time zone. We walked to the Queen’s Museum and spent a good deal of time enjoying the Botanical Gardens (and Palm House green house) next to the University. On the other end of the gardens was the Ulster Museum, which had a terrific art exhibit on the Troubles—very moving, especially after our tour the day before. Lunch at a Steves’ recommended place called Maggie May’s (very good), and then later a walk to City Hall for our tour and then over to St. Anne’s Cathedral for a self-tour. Place across from the hotel called “Jazz Pizza” was great. That evening, DW and I went to a play (WWI-era setting, called “Birdsong”) at the opera house next door to the Europa.

Onward to Edinburgh
Spent off our Belfast bucks at the airport (on a breakfast sandwich called “bops”), then flew Easyjet for a short flight to Edinburgh. The tram (with baggage racks) from the airport to city center was clean, efficient and much cheaper than cabs. (While the tram is easy, it has interrupted the flow of vehicle traffic in and out of Edinburgh). We walked a few blocks from the tram stop to our pre-ABD hotel, Apex Waterloo (much less than the Balmoral, but only a few blocks away). The Apex had lots of nice amenities, including free snacks, coupons for use in the restaurant and bar, small gym and pool/sauna. It was also a 5 minute walk to the Carton Hill area, which has fantastic views of the city. (There was a student-run art/music show in the old observatory in Carton Hill).

The Dugald Stewart monument on Carlton Hill. He was a renowned Scottish mathematician and politician


Arthur's Seat viewed from the hill.


Edinburgh...


The National Monument




We had a late lunch reservation at The Witchery (in the Secret Garden)—reservations can be made on line and it is recommended. It was expensive. And while it is a “must do” stop, I was not wow’d by the interior—the garden room area is not as lush as I had imagined. We followed our 3 pm reservation with a 5 pm Real Mary King’s Close tour, which was cheesy fun.

The Witchery is right in front of the entrance to Edinburgh Castle


Tip: most credit cards are put into a hand-held machine; needs to stay in the machine until it gets properly read (at a store I put the card in and pulled it right out—messed everything up and a manager had to be called). Also—if you are leaving a tip (usually 10 percent), let the waiter know as otherwise the card will only be charged for the pre-tip amount and then you’ll need cash for the tip (or run).

It was light out past 10 pm, so while the kids enjoyed the hotel pool/TV, DW and I walked the area—mostly the Royal Mile and Princes Street. If you have time, stroll the park along Princes Street (behind the Scott Memorial)—it was once a lake (loch), and is below street level.

 

[tufbuf]

The Scott memorial


Outward from Edinburgh
Another great thing about the Apex Waterloo was its convenient location to the tour bus stop, right across the street. We had booked in advance a tour with the highly recommended “Heart of Scotland” tour company. We spent our Saturday on this tour, going through the Borders to Rosslyn Chapel (featured in “Da Vinci Code” and in the movie), a stop in the town of Melrose (where we went from market to market to put together a great picnic lunch), through the lowlands into England and Hadrian’s Wall (to a section where we could walk on the wall). Cool weather, but no rain when we were out and about. We returned around 7:30 and went to an Italian restaurant next to the Apex called “Martone” (excellent food—and we thought it was reasonably priced; we were, however, too full for gelato).

Yummy gelato!


Just About ABD Time
Sunday morning we had b’fast in our room with food we got the night before at a nearby Tesco supermarket (there are refrigerators in the rooms). Walked a couple of blocks with our bags to the Balmoral. We met up with our friends (two families we met on the Greece ABD) and took Bus 22 (right out front of the Balmoral) to its end—the harbor area, where the Royal Yacht Britannia was located. Had a wonderful lunch on board (with tea, desserts), then took the tour. The ship is aside a mall, so everyone walked the mall a bit after the tour, before busing back to the Balmoral. The hotel has a fantastic gym—large indoor pool, sauna, steam room and four rooms of exercise equipment.



The meticulously arranged formal dining where the queen meets heads of state




One of the royal cabins


Cappuccino on the Britannia


Tip: there are no coffee makers in the room; however, coffee is made in the gym (which opens up at 6:30)—and newspapers are available there as well. (And tea, and fruit).
We met the group (40 total, including a family group of 12) and our guides, Michael and Lenora. Dinner in the hotel.

 

[tufbuf]

ABD Starts!
The one thing different on this ABD trip was having two American guides, rather than one from the US and one from Scotland. Both guides were great—efficient, funny, friendly. But there is an added bonus when there is a native on board who can discuss growing up in that country. The other notable difference was the absence of the “back of the bus” kid crowd—and there is quite a bit of bus time on this trip. In large part I think it was due to the fact that we had a large multi-unit family group who stuck together, so the kids all stayed up in the front half of the bus where these families situated themselves.
The Queen was coming to town, so we could not go to the Palace of Holyroodhouse—disappointing (and now on our “must do” list for a future visit), and compounded by its replacement being St. Giles Cathedral, which we had visited on our own. (ABD did send a letter about this change, but we had left for Northern Ireland before it arrived). On the up side, our guide for this day was a 74-year-old Scotsman named David who sang and joked and provided a good overview of Edinburgh (he is a Blue Badge Guide). He did not get into detail because he was concerned about the attention span of the kids on board—but for a tour around town, maybe it was sufficient. We had a great time at the National Museum of Scotland—but I’d recommend selecting a few highlights on the history side (such as the Lewis chess pieces) and then go to the art and science side (which includes the stuffed sheep “Dolly”—the first cloned animal). Lunch at the museum was excellent and the storyteller who came in held us all captivated. We next visited Dovecot Studios for family weaving activities (it was fun—these things are always more fun than they sound!)—but we were divided into two groups (for two different activities)—and in some of the down time it would have been nice to have our guide David around to talk to. (However, there is some sort of time limitation so he could not hang out at the museum under his current contract). The day was capped with a tour of Edinburgh Castle (partially with David, partially on our own)—we say the soldiers lining up by the cannons in preparation for the 21-gun salute for the Queen’s arrival (and saw the guns go off as we walked across Waverley Bridge).

St. Giles Cathedral


The interior




John Knox's statue


The Thistle Chapel




Beautiful stained glass windows inside the church




Our blue badge guide, Dave McRae




Our storyteller during lunch who is wearing traditional Scottish kilt


Lunch this day was at the National Museum of Scotland. This is a replica of Mary Queen of Scot's sarcophagus


Dovecot Studios


A weaver at work inside the studio


This is where the Crown Jewels are housed, we had a private viewing on our farewell dinner night


The 21 gun salute in Edinburgh Castle


Tip: with long days, this was the right time to head down the Royal Mile for dinner at one of the pubs then onward to see the quirky new Parliament building, Holyrood and then walk up to the top of Arthur’s Seat (takes about 30 minutes to walk up the path—sometimes steep, frequently uneven—but man! What a view!). We had toyed with buying provisions and picnicking at the top—but that would have been a long haul.

 

[tufbuf]

Isle of Skye
Our lucky streak of beautiful weather held out, and our bus (half asleep) wandered by gorgeous green hills, lochs and mountains into the Highlands, through Glencoe (Bonnie Prince Charlie territory) to our lunch stop at Ft. Williams. Rick Steves’ recommendation was to drive on by, but he was wrong—a lovely little town and a variety of eateries (once again, Fish and Chips for me), a young female bagpipe player in the town square and plenty of shops. I bought a shirt that said “Malt Whisky” in the Disney font, with whisky bottles forming the shape of a castle—perfect for the whisky tasting that evening! From Ft. Williams we went to the Eilean Donan Castle—used in Brave, and also the castle you see in the ABD ads with the parents and kids running up a stone bridge. Guides were on site for an overview, and then you roamed. The castle is less than 100 years old (rebuilt in the early 1900s using existing ruins and drawings dated from a 1714 survey—the Brits drew it then destroyed it). From this stop we went on to the Isle of Skye to the Cuillin Hills Hotel in Portree. Most of the town closes for the winter, but Cuillin Hills Hotel is one of the few year-round hotels. This was Junior Adventure night—while they were off, the adults who were interested went to the whisky tasting followed by an ABD-provided dinner at the hotel’s restaurant.
By the way, the Balmoral and the Kingsmill (Inverness) both had room safes—the Cuillin Hills Hotel did not, but if you wanted to have the front desk put your valuables in a hotel safe they would do so. All hotels had wifi (good free wifi reception in Balmoral rooms, we had reception in our room in Cuillin Hills—may have been due to our location on the first floor, and Kingsmill had free wifi in lobby but a paid plan for rooms), all hotels had hairdryers and plenty of outlets. The towel racks at the Balmoral and Cuillin were heated—the Cuillin were VERY warm to hot, so beware! Excellent pool at Balmoral, decent gym and pool at Inverness—no gym or pool at Cuillin. However, the lawn area overlooking the Portree harbor was stunning—try to find some time to sit there if you can. One other thing: little biting bugs (like mini-mosquitos) can become a problem; if so, bug spray is not very effective but the guides have spray on hand that should do the trick. We some a few of the “midges” but they were not a problem on this trip.

The young female bagpiper in Fort William, where we stopped for lunch


Our group walking our way to Eilean Donan Castle


The Cuillin Hills Hotel


The view in front of the Cuillin Hills Hotel


Again, a bagpiper greeted us on our arrival at the hotel


Downtown Portree




Ceilidh dancing girls


Whisky tasting night


The dining area in the hotel


This is no mini-mosquito!

 

[sayhello]

Reading so far! Sounds like some great pre-days. I'm definitely considering eating at the Witchery. Guess I should figure that out & make a reservation!

Did you climb Arthur's seat? I keep waffling back and forth on that.

ETA: Aw, heck! You posted 2 more entries while I was reading! So I got the answer to my question. I think I may stop reading for a bit. Are their spoilers for surprises? Or just the standard itinerary stuff? I'm torn!

Sayhello

 

[tufbuf]

Our wildest weather day was July 2 (Wed), which we spent on Skye on its Trotternish Peninsula. The wind howled and whipped us about as we visited a few cliff-side areas (walking down some pathways, stopping at Kilt Rocks area). From there we went to the Quiraing—a popular destination for hikers; we hiked up into the hills and as we went further and further in, the clouds grew darker and the winds more intense. It was very dramatic, and breathtaking in many ways. On the return hike, some rain. My DW had purchased plastic pants to go over her clothing—and we brought lightweight rain jackets with hoods—all of which came in handy for the hike (but not really used again on the trip). Since the weather is so unpredictable, it is worth the small investment to bring these with you.
After the hike, we stopped at the Uig Hotel for a decent buffet lunch (nothing spectacular), then back to Portree for shopping time before a scone-making activity at a local bakery (be sure to check out the art studio in the bakery, on the second floor). Back at the hotel, an area dance studio (youth) provided a variety of music and dance performances; after that, we left for Portree (on foot, 15 minute walk) for a great fresh seafood dinner at the Rosedale Hotel on the harbor.

Kilt Rock


It's hard to appreciate it in photos but it was incredibly windy that day!!









Our scone-making venue


These scones were absolutely delicious!! Not a bad treat after a long day of hking!

 

[tufbuf]

Wherefore art thou Nessie?
Thursday, July 3. Daylight. We are on the search for a reported serpent beast. Name of Nessie.
Now this was a Scottish day. We traveled along the Loch Ness (one of three lochs that essentially create a west to east channel across the Highlands); the loch is deeper than the North Sea. We toured a very interesting museum at the Loch Ness Center, followed by lunch and a talk by the curator of the museum (and foremost Loch Ness Monster researcher), Adrian Shine. After lunch we split into three groups, with one group taking canoes out into the loch, one riding a boat (with sonar and a glass bottom) around the loch and the third touring the ruins of nearby Urquhart Castle. We toured and then canoed (switching with the group that canoed first, then toured)—because of the weather/high wind, our canoes were tethered to a long rope, but that was OK. During the middle of the canoeing the sun broke out from behind the clouds and we all laid down our oars and sunbathed on the Loch Ness. From there, to our hotel in Inverness (the Kingsmill). Time enough to unwind, take in the pool and exercise room and then meet up with the group again for dinner at the hotel. The highlight: the presentation of the Haggis, with a reading from the works of Robert Burns (Burns’ “Address to a Haggis” recited by a wonderful local poet). I swore I’d never have Haggis, but I tried it…freshly cut open, steaming—and it was good!

Adrian Shine


Nessie!


Our canoes a-waiting


Loch Ness, you can see the canoers at the bottom of the photo; 2 canoes were tethered together and they are tethered on shore as well due to the strong winds


Urquhart Castle






The haggis ceremony at the Kingsmills Hotel


Friday July 4
Sick all day in bed. Damn Haggis.

Friday July 4, Actually
Just kidding! The Haggis WAS very good—spicy, like a crumbly meatloaf, sort of. Best not to think too much about it.
On this date we flew to the Isle of Lewis (ABD chartered plane—much better treatment and snacks than any domestic Delta flight). The weather held, although it seemed like it could storm at any moment.
Our local tour guide was very good—gave us a lot of background on Lewis (the mass is actually two islands—Lewis and Harris, of Harris Tweed fame). We visited a Blackhouse Village (thatched roof, peet burning inside)—these were used as models for the witch’s house in “Brave”—and nearby was the Carloway Broch (a tribal home designed for defense, over 2000 years old). Beautiful setting. It is so hard to capture some of these settings on camera—use panorama on your cameras if you have it.
The highlight was visiting the Callanish standing stones—these upright flat rocks are up to 6 feet underground, and rise above ground 10 feet or more. We had plenty of time to roam around the stones. There was a small shop nearby and a cool solo artist show in a room below where the shop was located.
Lunch was in a restaurant along the main drag of Stornoway (with many good shops—great place to get Harris Tweed). As we sat there talking, we realized it was the 4th of July and that there was nothing particularly planned, so a few of us started singing the Star Spangled Banner—it ended with the whole room of ABDers standing and singing. It was a pretty cool moment. You have time after lunch to roam the town, or head across the river to see the Lewis Castle (I did that—it was being renovated, but the park surrounding it made for a really great walk. Most of Lewis is flat, tree-less—so this walk offered a nice small forest so different from the rest of the island). We flew back, had some time (not much) at the hotel, before catching our bus for dinner at the Mustard Seed (one of the Steves-recommended restaurants in Inverness; it was an old church). We opted to walk the town after dinner (again, light until after 10)—about 20 minutes from the hotel on foot, and we walked through some nice neighborhoods, adding flavor and character to our view of the town.

Our chartered plane to the Isle of Lewis


A black house


Inside the blackhouse, everyone lives in here including the animals! Once we were done with the tour, everyone smelled of burned peat!


The Carloway broch, people lived here about 2000 years ago


A panoramic view in front of the broch


The Callanish Stones

 

[tufbuf]

Lunch was inside The Royal Hotel, the lamb was actually quite good!


The Lewis Castle



The Mustard Seed



Estate Planning
This day offers what many on this trip have said was the best day—visiting a local estate (20,000 acres, with forest, lochs, mountains, farming). The Rothiemurchus Estate. We would never have been able to do all that we did had we tried to plan this trip on our own—it is the sort of experience that keeps us coming back to ABD.
While the Jr. Adventurers went out on a horseback ride, the adults toured the grounds by van…to scenic spots to try to take in the whole of the estate, to a field full of deer (to feed), to seeing hairy coos (er, cows) up close…we all met up for a really good lunch in a tent outside (including venison sausages, which my DS noted after that we fed the deer and then they fed us). (Sorry). In the afternoon we broke into two groups—one started on a nice long bike ride (ending at a loch) while the other did archery, then switched. Frankly, after all of the history and castles and scenery, the kids were ready for some play time (adults too!).
We had dinner on our own, so our group of 10 walked to Inverness to a guide-recommended restaurant called “Taste of Joy”—mix of food, good value, nice atmosphere.

A Scottish pine in the estate


Hairy coos/Hamish cows/highland cows




Archery in the estate, this was our teacher


Biking in the estate - this was so much fun!!!


The loch in the estate where we took a break from biking


The JA's horseback riding


Some picturesques sights in Inverness along the River Ness






And So The End is Near
A 6:30 AM departure back to Edinburgh. A sleepy group on the bus—but when we stopped at a Burger King in the coastal town of Aberdeen, everyone gave coffee/hot chocolate orders and then headed to the nearby beach to take a foot dip (or more) into the North Sea. From there, a relatively short drive to Dunnottar Castle, which has an interesting history (including being the hiding place of the Crown jewels—from Cromwell). The Castle ruins overlook the North Sea—the weather was fantastic, the air crisp and the cliff/ocean views breathtaking. We departed for Glamis Castle, the ancestral home of the late Queen Mother. Parts of the castle were over 600 years old—and it is said Shakespeare used the old parts as the setting for Macbeth. King Macbeth pre-dated the castle.) We had lunch here, with a little bit of time after to walk about or check out the gift shop. It started to rain as we were leaving, but cleared by the time we got back to Edinburgh. The ride back was entertaining, and fulfilled what many had hoped for. Just sayin’.

We waded, touched and tasted the North Sea in Aberdeen, the silver city of Scotland


Dunnotar Castle


It's a long walk down and a long climb up!


The castle ruins






View of the North Sea from the castle

 

[tufbuf]

Glamis Castle


The royal dining room with our energetic guide, Pauline


An ornate silver centerpiece


The drawing room




The royal sitting room


One of 6 paintings in the world with Christ wearing a hat, this painting was in the castle's chapel


That evening was our farewell dinner. Our guides were in full kilt, and many of the older teens were dressed in kilts (either bought along the way, or brought with them). Everyone was encouraged to wear something Scottish, and most did (scarves, hats etc.). We took the bus over to Edinburgh Castle, which was now only open to ABD, walked the grounds, went to see the Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny (with a private guide telling us about all of it)—then to a beautifully set room for dinner. (This is the time to give your guides their tips).

A bagpiper almost always welcomes us wherever we go




The castle opened only for ABD! This is the Scottish National War Memorial building


Our farewell dinner banquet inside Edinburgh Castle




Edinburgh sunset

In Conclusion
Happily our flight didn’t leave until 12:30, so we had the morning to relax at the hotel—have a leisurely breakfast, use the sauna/gym, walk Princes Street Park. Part of our group left the next day, and went back to see the Palace of Holyroodhouse (which had reopened after the Queen’s departure). We are always on the fence about post-days, as our kids are anxious to get back. We always do pre-days, and always will—best way to get adjusted to the time difference before the ABD trip gets underway, and to buy extra time if needed due to travel delays. I have read elsewhere that the departure city is usually given less attention on an ABD trip, and that seems to be generally so—we loved having the opportunity to do a lot of things on our own before meeting the group (especially the Royal Yacht, and the day trip down to Hadrian’s Wall).
A good, solid ABD trip, excellent itinerary and lots to learn if you take the extra effort. I am now about three weeks post-trip, and have to say it is holding up very well and gets better and better upon reflection.

 

[tufbuf]

Holyroodhouse was not included in our ABD as the queen was in town when we were there. We had an extra day and toured the palace during that time. I think we saw more than what we would have if ABD went there. We spend half a day in the compound. We first went in a gallery called In Fine Style which features paintings of royalty and a discussion of their fashion which is an art form by itself. We were given probably the most awesome audio we have ever used in a museum! It was quite interesting as each app discusses in detail the painting in front of you. They also had some samples of real outfits worn by ancient royaltly and it's surprising to see how tiny they were! Those items were not allowed to be photographed.

Again, good weather was on our side. Before touring the gardens, it started to drizzle but soon enough the sun came out! And it lasted the whole day giving us a better time to enjoy our last day in Edinburgh.









Next, we waited by the entrance of the palace for our guide to take us to the Palace Gardens. 10 gardeners maintain it all year round. The lawn is gorgeous! Considering the size, it must be a lot of work for 10 people!







A sun and moon dial


The queen was just there so the lawn is beautifully manicured!






The scarlet Queen Elizabeth rose, it's huge!


The courtyard of the palace. Photography was not allowed inside.


The fountain in the courtyard


The abbey which was mostly destroyed by King Henry VIII


Inside the abbey














The Royal Mile


Haggis, anyone?


So there! Again, credit to WeLoveABD for the ABD trip report. Hope it whetted the travel appetite of those who are about to see Scotland and those still thinking about it!

 

[tufbuf]

Reading so far! Sounds like some great pre-days. I'm definitely considering eating at the Witchery. Guess I should figure that out & make a reservation! Did you climb Arthur's seat? I keep waffling back and forth on that. ETA: Aw, heck! You posted 2 more entries while I was reading! So I got the answer to my question. I think I may stop reading for a bit. Are their spoilers for surprises? Or just the standard itinerary stuff? I'm torn! Sayhello

The post has mainly what is in the itinerary. I don't think there are any spoilers, maybe there is one that is mentioned but I didn't post a photo so as not to emphasize it. it was a surprise for me!

WeLoveABD climbed Arthur's Seat. Our DD was so hungry, tired and under the weather we opted out.

 

[WeLoveABD]

The post has mainly what is in the itinerary. I don't think there are any spoilers, maybe there is one that is mentioned but I didn't post a photo so as not to emphasize it. it was a surprise for me!

WeLoveABD climbed Arthur's Seat. Our DD was so hungry, tired and under the weather we opted out.

The hike (and it is a hike with moments of steep and rough/rocky terrain) is well worth it!

 

[sayhello]

The hike (and it is a hike with moments of steep and rough/rocky terrain) is well worth it!

Cool! Good to know. I was looking at doing it during the day the ABD starts, most likely. About how long should I allocate to hike up, enjoy the view then hike back down?

Sayhello

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

Living vicariously (or maybe it's reliving) your wonderful trip report and pics from Scotland. We went last year and had a fabulous time--it's my favorite ABD to date (of three completed).

I did notice quite a few itinerary changes though from last year--especially the estate day. Did you know that the adults wouldn't be able to ride? Riding was one of the highlights from our trip last year, and I'm pretty surprised that they limited it to Junior Adventurers. I have a feeling I know why, but I wondered if you were given an explanation for the change. We also did archery at Glamis Castle--which was very cool--again surprised they changed that to the estate day. Last year on the estate day we did horseback riding for one session and the bike ride for the other. People were giving an option of an estate ride if they didn't want to participate in the activities. The other change I noticed was the Flodigarry hotel on Skye (with Flora MacDonalds house).

 

[tufbuf]

I did notice quite a few itinerary changes though from last year--especially the estate day. Did you know that the adults wouldn't be able to ride? Riding was one of the highlights from our trip last year, and I'm pretty surprised that they limited it to Junior Adventurers. I have a feeling I know why, but I wondered if you were given an explanation for the change. We also did archery at Glamis Castle--which was very cool--again surprised they changed that to the estate day. Last year on the estate day we did horseback riding for one session and the bike ride for the other. People were giving an option of an estate ride if they didn't want to participate in the activities. The other change I noticed was the Flodigarry hotel on Skye (with Flora MacDonalds house).

Yes, we knew we wouldn't ride. While the JAs were horseback riding, we toured the estate on the coach. We had lunch afterwards and was divided in two groups, one half biked first the other did archery and then reversed. I guess they based the change from comments from last year?

 

[sayhello]

Living vicariously (or maybe it's reliving) your wonderful trip report and pics from Scotland. We went last year and had a fabulous time--it's my favorite ABD to date (of three completed).

I did notice quite a few itinerary changes though from last year--especially the estate day. Did you know that the adults wouldn't be able to ride? Riding was one of the highlights from our trip last year, and I'm pretty surprised that they limited it to Junior Adventurers. I have a feeling I know why, but I wondered if you were given an explanation for the change. We also did archery at Glamis Castle--which was very cool--again surprised they changed that to the estate day. Last year on the estate day we did horseback riding for one session and the bike ride for the other. People were giving an option of an estate ride if they didn't want to participate in the activities. The other change I noticed was the Flodigarry hotel on Skye (with Flora MacDonalds house).

I had noticed the itinerary change for 2015 to the riding being only for JAs. I was wondering if it was going to apply to this year's trips or not. (I wasn't going to be able to do it, anyways, but now I don't have to worry about it). I wonder what your guess is as to why?

WeLoveABD/tufbuf, was there an alternative if you couldn't do the bike ride?

Sayhello

 

[WeLoveABD]

Cool! Good to know. I was looking at doing it during the day the ABD starts, most likely. About how long should I allocate to hike up, enjoy the view then hike back down?

Sayhello

From the trail head (across from Holyroodhouse) up and back I'd suggest 1.5 hours-be sure to study the map posted to take the most direct path!

 

[WeLoveABD]

I had noticed the itinerary change for 2015 to the riding being only for JAs. I was wondering if it was going to apply to this year's trips or not. (I wasn't going to be able to do it, anyways, but now I don't have to worry about it). I wonder what your guess is as to why?

WeLoveABD/tufbuf, was there an alternative if you couldn't do the bike ride?

Sayhello

Not that I know of-one member of the group elected to hang out in the small house that was our base camp for the day. I am glad we didn't do archery at Glamis as it started raining after lunch (we toured inside then dashed to the gift shop across the back drive)-stopped by the time we got to Edinburgh which was great!

 

[sayhello]

From the trail head (across from Holyroodhouse) up and back I'd suggest 1.5 hours-be sure to study the map posted to take the most direct path!

Not that I know of-one member of the group elected to hang out in the small house that was our base camp for the day. I am glad we didn't do archery at Glamis as it started raining after lunch (we toured inside then dashed to the gift shop across the back drive)-stopped by the time we got to Edinburgh which was great!

Thanks, WeLoveABD.

(Oh, and I did read your report, but I skimmed it, and looked at tufbuf's photos. SO looking forward to this trip! )

Sayhello

 

[Cousin Orville]

Looks like an amazing trip. Scotland is way up on my ABD to do list.