Scotland 2001 — Jack and Linda Hoeschler

Thursday, June 21, 2001 - Jack and I leave MSP on KLM to AMS to Glasgow, arriving at 8:30AM, Friday, June 22. We bus it to our hotel, the Millennium of St. George Square in heart of city. Nap for the morning, then explore this vibrant city. We order Jack MacMillan pants, velvet jacket & silk waistcoat, quite dashing, tour Rennie Mackintosh sites & hit a graduation party at his art school; Saturday, June 23 - we hit the West End Parade, art galleries, Mungo Cathedral area, modern art & religious museums, a walkable, intriguing city - like it a lot.

Sunday, June 24, 2001 - We rent van & pick up Alan and Cecily Morse, their son Nick, and wife Loren Watson, & drive to Isle of Skye, passing through Loch Lomond, with lunch outside Fort William (McMillans came from nearby Kilmallie). We take the bridge to Skye, then register at Skeabost House, where we dine and bed for 2 days; Alan & Mick Morse.

Monday, June 25 - We walk and tour Skye all day, ending with a charming show of Highland songs & dances in Portree. Intermission comes after 2 hours (!) so we walk the town and visit a pub; Portree Harbor. Although Jack just has a beer, he remarks about a quiet, sad couple in the corner - mannequins!

Tuesday, June 26 - we ferry from Skye to Harris where we stay 2 days at lovely Ardvourlie House, retired engineer and his schoolteacher sister run it, beautiful appointments & wonderful dinners!; Not many trees in Scotland, especially on Lewis and Harris; Welcome tea upon arrival; The house has a delightful library with 3 feet of books on Paedophilia. There is a surprising lack of literature on sheep husbandry.

We drive around Harris in the afternoon.

Purchase Harris tweed.

Wednesday, June 27 - Lovely drive around Harris.

Sheep & Caribbean-colored beaches, but no trees.

Wonderful [Rodel] church; Hotel we originally wanted to book. Have sister in law who is a composer, they are musicians; Beautiful carvings of Bible stories.

We leave our castle on Thursday, June 28 & head to Lewis on same Hebridean island to board our 42' boat in Stornoway. In Lewis we tour stone circles; Then to Callanish where we find David Rockefeller Junior [DRJ] and second segment.

Then Dun Carloway Burren and a black house; Black house without roof; Pretty dark living, occupied until 1960s; Note, no chimney, smoke just goes through the thatch and keeps the thatch dry (It will collapse with the persistent wet weather without a constant fire inside).

Thursday, June 28 - We provision our Cal 42 (I drop 4 rungs on dock ladder, bruising shin), do laundry, then set sail late afternoon; View from our boat; seals and sea lions abound; Friday, June 29 - We head for garden tour of Inverewe.

Inverewe Gardens; Our genial host, DR Jr.

There was so little top soil here that everything needed for the garden had to be brought in by boat. The wall helps collect sun heat and thus support plants that might not otherwise survive.

And lots of water in between! Loren coaxes bird to eat from her hand.

Friday, June 29 - we leave gardens (after boys rescue 2 boats which drift when anchors slip!) & sail to port in another cove. Saturday, June 30 - We sail 12-14 hours around Cape Wrath; Anthony Elgort at helm; Saturday, June 30 - We try 3 anchorages, only to hit winds which twirl us around, so it's all night watches (every one 3 hours) to make sure anchor holds.

Sunday, July 1 - We sail into Stromness in the Orkneys. Walk around town & fine group dinner. Jack & I go to hotel; Monday, July 2 - Tour of Orkney stone circles with a New Age tour guide.

Skara Brae.

Monday, July 2 - We take bus to Kirkwall, tour sweet town, thenj watch bowling on the green, tour the club; Pleasant dinner overlooking Scapa Flow; Tuesday, July 3 - Boys sail to Shetlands & girls ferry to Scrabster, bus it to Thurso; The entire day is fairly foggy.

Tuesday, July 3 - We take a wonderful train ride from Thurso to Inverness, register in Dunain Park Hotel, lovely cottage, dinner & wine.

Wednesday, July 4 - Take train from Inverness to Edinburgh & stay at new club, walk city that evening & take Cecily to birthday (61) dinner.

Thursday, July 5 - Cecily & I tour the Georgian Museum, get gifts for our crew, and walk the streets (Loren a bit sick).

Edinburgh Castle; we then hike up the hill to Edinburgh Castle.

Extensive Edinburgh Castle; Lovely chapel.

View of city from Castle not very inspiring; Gladstone's land, wonderful Merchant House, National Trust; St. Giles Cathedral

Friday, July 6 - We quickly tour the National Gallery. I spy painting in Minneapolis Art Institute from 32 years ago, painting by LePage that looks like Jack as a boy. We train to Glasgow, back to Millennium Hotel.

Friday, July 6 - In Glasgow we head to the countryside to see the Burrell Collection. I then walk through the woods to the splendid Pollok House; Saturday, July 7 - our day is bookended by the hateful (anti-Catholic) Oranga Day Parade. Midday we train it to the brand new Museum of Country (Farm) Life; Sunday, July 8 - I fly home. Meanwhile the boys sail through the fog to the west die of the Shetlands. After anchoring in a delightful cover, DR Jr hikes up to a cluster of homes that show in the charts and he finds Elam Johnson, the local school bus driver & tour guide & she takes us all around the 5 1/2 of the Shetlands for the next few days. She told Jack during one lull that our friend David will never make it as a tour guide unless he is prepared to make arrangements more in advance! Note her name: these islands were owned by the Norwegains (ie Norsemen) until the pledged ('Mortgaged') them in the 16th century as a dowry for a Norwegian bride who married a Scottish king. Everyone has a Norwegian name & Scandinavian appearance - there are no McAnythings on the islands.

Scotland, June 22 - July 11, 2001

England 2000

Scotland 2002