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February 16, 2012
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  >> Photo Album >> Travel >> ID #1448306  |   Show DetailsPrinter Friendly Page Tell A Friend
Scotland, Ireland, England 2008
Photo Journal: a whirlwind tour in 12 days
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Simply: a travel journal filled with images and stories of our 12 day trip to Scotland [Stirling, Loch Ness, western coast, Edinburgh], Ireland [Dublin, Galway, Cliffs of Moher], and England [London, Stonehenge, Winchester].

Be sure to check the heading for each photo!




[note: the web links included are not my own and I hold no responsibility for their content, although they appeared safe and active at the time of this posting]

©2008 LKHunsaker. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.lkhunsaker.com
 Photo: At the Airport Such a nice welcome!Photo: St. Andrews Golf Course Looking out over the "Old Course." If you look closely, you can see the little bridge that features in the photo of Arnold Palmer's last round of professional golf. It's just below... [Click For More] Photo: St. Andrews University There are several buildings of the University, all with the same rock wall structure. We saw signs marking "Department of Logic and the Metaphysical" and "Department of Moral Philosophy.&#... [Click For More] Photo: St. Andrews Cathedral Little of the Cathedral still remains. This shows the gateway and St. Rule's Tower, along with part of the cemetary. There are also baselines where some of the walls used to stand to help show the... [Click For More] Photo: St. Andrews Cathedral Celtic Cross This stands at the entrance. It is at least as big as it looks in this photo. Quite dominating. Note the sword on the cross. ~~ To learn more about St. Andrews, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [Click For More]
 Photo: St. Andrews Castle Overlook The sectioned off area was used for bathing. Even in the middle of June, the weather was fairly chilly. While I didn't test the water, I would imagine the baths would have been quite cold even... [Click For More] Photo: St. Andrews Castle According to Wikipedia, the castle was destroyed by a combination of the North Sea rushing against it and a purposeful destruction by the Scots to keep it out of the hands of English invaders.Photo: The Wallace Monument We were based in Stirling, Scotland for two nights, and on the way back from St. Andrews, we stopped to visit the monument honoring William Wallace.Photo: William Wallace's Sword On September 11th, 1297, Scottish soldiers, led by William Wallace, defeated England at the Battle of Stirling Bridge while fighting for its independence. Wallace was a very large man, over 6 feet tal... [Click For More] Photo: Wallace Monument A view of the exterior, close up. Note the decorative "rope" accent, and the staircase on the left. The vertical slits are open for viewing while ascending, if you have the nerve to do so! The... [Click For More]
 Photo: Scottish Thistle From the platform entrance to the Wallace Monument looking over Stirling, Scotland. The thistle is Scotland's emblem and is found on road signs and many other official and unofficial signs and ... [Click For More] Photo: A Highland Bagpiper Stirling is the gateway to the Highlands, which is where we headed next. Along the way, we stopped at an overlook for photos and found a Scottish Bagpiper who chatted with us. Asking for a request,... [Click For More] Photo: Loch Ness This is the east side of the loch ... the narrow road side. Most tourists remain on the other side, so we were alone out here. This was at an unmarked pullover spot where we climbed down a hill to get... [Click For More] Photo: Foyer Falls This was across from another pullover spot with a little cafe where we enjoyed strong coffee and the view. We again had to climb down a hill to see it, farther down this time and along a path with ste... [Click For More] Photo: Nessie! At the south end of Loch Ness is Fort Augustus, where people were resting along the Caledonian canal and enjoying the gorgeous weather. Fort Augustus is very much a tourist spot, and they show off the... [Click For More]
 Photo: Caledonian Canal At the south end of Loch Ness. The canal starts at Inverness and connects eastern and western Scotland. It prevented having to sail up around the northern tip and back down west. http://www.undisco... [Click For More] Photo: Canal Boats While lunching on fish and chips and black pudding (one of us tried the black pudding, anyway), we talked with a Scottish couple doing some local travel and then watched several boats making their way... [Click For More] Photo: Urquhart Castle Along the west side of Loch Ness stands the remains of Urquhart Castle. Much of the original building, once held by Robert the Bruce and a feature of the Scottish Independence struggle, remains, altho... [Click For More] Photo: Trebuchet at Urquhart Castle Otherwise known as a catapult, the Trebuchet was a prominent weapon in the defense of the castle.Photo: Trebuchet Wheel Note the Celtic design that graces the wheel of this weapon.
 Photo: From the Tower Window Many castle windows are in this shape: large enough to see through to watch for attacks, but hard to aim at well enough to get anything through.Photo: Highland Foliage This can be found throughout the landscape of the Highlands. I have to guess the lavender plants are the famous Scottish Heather.Photo: Highland View We had a light rainfall/mist throughout the day of driving from Dingwall/Inverness back down the Highlands toward Edinburgh. While not fun to drive through, it created a perfect atmosphere and photo o... [Click For More] Photo: Eilean Donan Castle This is the castle of "Highlander" fame. Of course, cinematography uses what it wants and not the rest, so it's not exactly the way it looks on the series, but it's a gorgeous castle r... [Click For More] Photo: Glencoe Glencoe is most known for the infamous massacre of 1692, when a "friendly" clan led by Robert Campbell was entertained for 10 days by the MacDonald clan and then turned on their hosts, murderi... [Click For More]
 Photo: Misty Mountain Also in the Glencoe area.Photo: Scottish Broom This bright shrub is everywhere along the roadsides and up in the hills of the Highlands. I hear it's been rooted in Canada in recent years and is thriving and overtaking certain areas. Appare... [Click For More] Photo: The Forth Railway Bridge This bridge spans the Forth River across from Edinburgh to Dundee. A second bridge to the left (unseen here) provides vehicle travel. The photo is taken from Queensferry, Scotland, on the outskirts... [Click For More] Photo: The Forth Bridges The Forth Road bridge is on the left; the Forth Railway bridge on the right.Photo: Our Chef Okay, not really. ;-) We splurged on a night in a castle hotel on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh, complete with a dungeon dinner. Many of the Scottish castles have been restored because of th... [Click For More]
 Photo: Kilts, of course! Although they were outlawed after the Jacobite rebellion, they are now everywhere in Scotland, not only in the Highlands. These are in front of a shop along the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.Photo: Scottish Sense of Humor You have to love a country that would choose thistle as its emblem. It does fairly represent the people, from what I've found. They are charming, creative, strong, and prickly when needed. They ... [Click For More] Photo: Edinburgh Castle Standing on the base of a long-extinct volcano, Edinburgh (pronounced Ed-in-bur-uh) Castle dates from the 12th century and has been a fortress, a military garrison, a state prison, and a royal palace.... [Click For More] Photo: From the Castle This is taken from Argylle Battery, overlooking Edinburgh's new town and the Firth of Forth (an inlet from the North Sea leading into the Forth River). A bit of the Prince's Street Gardens ... [Click For More] Photo: Governor's House Formerly the dwelling of the castle's governor, it is now an Officer's Mess for the Garrison (military cafeteria). Yes, the Castle is still a working military post. They take much pride in gua... [Click For More]
 Photo: St. Margaret's Chapel http://www.qmssa.org/chapel.htmPhoto: Looking from a canon's point of view This is a north-east view of Edinburgh, with Calton Hill all the way to the left, the Forth in the background, and Arthur's Seat on the right.Photo: Guarding the Castle Entrance On the other side, there sits a lion.Photo: Celtic Cross Along the entrance, nearly concealed by the event seating. I think there are 2-3 of these on each side.Photo: For the Dogs A small graveyard for the soldiers' dogs. The dark peaked structure in the center beyond the castle is the Walter Scott monument.
 Photo: Lest we Forget This used to be a water fountain. It marks the spot where those accused of being witches were burned. Now it's hard to find the location and we had to ask three times, getting rather bemused looks... [Click For More] Photo: Festival Center Information home of the famous Edinburgh Festival: http://www.erf.co.ukPhoto: St. Giles Cathedral The High Kirk (church) of Scotland, from where John Knox directed the Scottish Reformation. The architecture is Gothic and most of the cathedral has been restored.Photo: Inside the Cathedral Stained glass scenes fill the Cathedral.Photo: The Writer's Museum Just off the Royal Mile, the museum features work by Scottish authors: Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson... There is a guestbook for visitors to sign their (uh) John Hancock, a... [Click For More]
 Photo: Leading to the Writer's Museum There are many quotes etched in squares on the sidewalk along with this one by Robert Burns.Photo: Scott Monument Sir Walter Scott was a hugely important figure in Scotland, touching many aspects of Scottish life and art and politics.Photo: Calton Hill This is a view of the National Monument (for the dead of the Napoleonic wars) and the Nelson Monument (commemorating the British victory at Trafalgar). The National Monument was started in 1822 a... [Click For More] Photo: The National Monument Showing its true size. The views from up here are outstanding and the climb isn't bad.Photo: from one hill to another... Arthur's seat as seen from Calton Hill. This is at the bottom of the Royal Mile, with Holyrood Palace at the base of Arthur's Seat. Formerly a royal hunting ground, Arthur's Seat like... [Click For More]
 Photo: Holyrood Palace Holyrood means holy cross. This is the queen's residence when she is in Scotland. Parliament is just across the street.Photo: underground Many buildings in Edinburgh were closed off during a major rebuilding of the city. These small, dark spaces that had been used for houses and businesses were used as foundations and newer buildings ... [Click For More] Photo: in a cemetary As the wealthy used to often be buried with their jewels and such, grave robbing was a problem. And so, many of the burial chambers began to have these metal bars put over top to prevent it. This on... [Click For More] Photo: Scotland the Brave This flag from Urquhart Castle waves in honor of the Scottish people and her history. I use it here as the end of the Scotland photos before moving on to Ireland. I do intend to return.Photo: Ireland Dublin was our first stop. While we didn't eat at the Hard Rock, we had to stop for souvenirs and a photo.
 Photo: color and art Bright, colorful buildings abound through Ireland, as does Irish music. While this restaurant/bar appears welcoming to all from any nation, we didn't stay long. The reputed Irish charm and we... [Click For More] Photo: Sight-seeing on foot Photo: Dublin Castle It was quite a change from all of the castles we saw in Scotland -- much more modern.Photo: in honor of writers Ireland does boast heavily on its writers! There were many of these plaques on the wall surrounding St. Patrick's Cathedral. There were also plaques of different kinds on most of the restaurants... [Click For More] Photo: St. Patrick's Cathedral Dublin
 Photo: Library and Book of Kells Trinity College Library is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow photos inside, but there are a few here: http://www.tcd.ie/Library/ The Library is like the US Library of C... [Click For More] Photo: example At the entrance of the Book of Kells stand several huge illustrations from the book and explanatory comments. We didn't stick around to try to read them because it was overly crowded.Photo: On the way to Galway We took the train from Dublin to Galway and I enjoyed the scenery and many beautiful stone walls marking field boundaries.Photo: Piper Galway's city center hosts a variety of performing artists, such as this young musician. When we first stopped, she was playing the Irish pipe whistle, with a set of odd-looking bagpipes lying n... [Click For More] Photo: Indoor Outdoor Bookstore Actually, it's in a little mall-type building, but its outside walls are covered with books, also! Apparently, no one bothers them.
 Photo: Galway Bay Water from Galway Bay runs through and along much of the city, making gorgeous, peaceful walking paths and attracting plenty of water birds, including swans. By looking at the darker line running... [Click For More] Photo: Galway This is beside the city center and there is a long sidewalk running all the way down beside it. Other than it being quite cold and windy in the middle of June, it's a place I could spend lots of t... [Click For More] Photo: From the bus to the cliffs Stone walls are everywhere in Ireland, marking boundaries. The land is full of sedimentary rock, since it used to be all under water, and in order to use the land, owners have to move the layers of ... [Click For More] Photo: fishing We took a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. Along the way, we saw cars parked on one side of a narrow winding road and a few men fishing down the embankment. Never mind the cold rain a... [Click For More] Photo: Leprechan! See him?
 Photo: Cliffs The Cliffs of Moher: 214 meters high (702 feet) http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/Photo: from the other side The cliffs overlook the Atlantic Ocean and are refuge to many cliff birds. On the top is O'Brien's Tower, much bigger than it looks here.Photo: O'Brien's Tower This is at the highest point of the cliffs. "O’Brien’s Tower was built in 1835 by local landlord Sir Cornellius O’Brien - a direct descendant of Irish High King Brian Boru. ... [Click For More] Photo: waves Looking downPhoto: an Irish street On the bus returning to Galway. It rained the whole time ... until we got back to the hotel.
 Photo: Celtic Cemetary Carran Chuch CemetaryPhoto: O'Brien Castle Laird O'Brien was killed at war during the time of Oliver Cromwell's reign of terror over Ireland. His wife married one of Cromwell's officers so she wouldn't lose her home, but as s... [Click For More] Photo: The Burren Hills of Ireland with the rock left undisturbed.Photo: Burial Grounds This structure is between 5 & 6 thousand years old ... that's older than Stonehenge! It is a burial monument and there are several in the area. Yes, they are slabs of stone, balanced.Photo: Fairy Circle A bit blurry, but this is part of a fairy circle. The path is formed by roots of the trees that, unexplainably, grow up into mounds instead of down or across the soil. There is a whole circle formed... [Click For More]
 Photo: Buckingham Palace main entrancePhoto: Out in front This stands in front of the palace.Photo: Queen's Garden If you pivot to the opposite direction from looking at the palace, this site greets you. Just beyond this lies the queen's gardens, with pond and habitat sheltered area. From a few steps to the... [Click For More] Photo: Sanctuary The Queen's GardensPhoto: Remember 12th of October 2002
 Photo: Horse Guard They were sitting here ready for a performance to start in about 15 minutes. It was rather warm and I had to feel for them sitting there, still as stone, waiting.Photo: Trafalgar Square Photo: Big Ben Walking up and turning the corner on the city street and being suddenly 'face to face' with Big Ben is quite an experience. It's more stunning than any photo shows. I must have stood the... [Click For More] Photo: Along the Thames The world's biggest ferris wheel, seen from many viewpoints around London. It sits across the road from Big Ben, with an art museum to the right. There is a sidewalk that runs along beside it an... [Click For More] Photo: along the sidewalk I was a bit surprised to see this small beach along the city sidewalk edging the Thames. Back in the corner to the left was a guy in a kilt (with jeans underneath for those wondering) sculpting a bi... [Click For More]
 Photo: The Globe A rebuild of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre .. it is a round, open-air theatre with seating on the peripheral and a large open floor in front of the stage. In the bard's time, the wealthy sat o... [Click For More] Photo: Golden Hinde Sir Francis Drake's ship ... sitting in an alcove along the Thames history: http://www.mcn.org/2/oseeler/drake.htmPhoto: London Bridge This is the famous London Bridge, less impressive in looks than in its history. There were actually a long series of bridges here since the time of Roman rule. Often destroyed by fire, they were ... [Click For More] Photo: Tower Bridge The Tower of London -- famous and infamous home of monarchs and prisoners, where the Crown Jewels are held -- is directly left of this photo.Photo: St. Paul's Cathedral Just down from the Tower of London, it was closed to prepare for services when we got there. Official site for more info: http://www.stpauls.co.uk
 Photo: Horse Guard Gate At the nearby stoplight, the lights that tell you when to walk and when not to walk are not people figures -- they're horses!Photo: Stonehenge They were having some kind of ceremony inside the circle when we were there. In the distance, you can see several large burial mounds.Photo: Winchester Cathedral We were running low on steam and time by this point, our last day of sight-seeing, so we didn't go inside. A friend who lives close informs me we "missed out" because it's gorgeous i... [Click For More] Photo: King Arthur's Round Table Sir Thomas Mallory referred to Winchester as being Camelot. Modern research has disproved this, and the table hanging in the Winchester Castle is not old enough to be from the supposed time of King ... [Click For More] Photo: So that's it... A brief photo journey of my trip to Scotland, Ireland, and England. If you enjoyed it, I'd love to hear from you. For non WDC members, just click on the little envelope up there beside my site h... [Click For More]

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