A few days now on Islay in the most perfect weather imaginable. Several distillery visits, including the most holy Lagavulin, but also something I had wanted to see for a long time - the 8th C Celtic cross at Kildalton. It was as impressive as hoped for, as was its surroundings.
Back to the mainland tomorrow, catch up with some cousins, and then across an inconvenient ocean again.
Love Islay. We toured a lot of distilleries. As MrF was driving, it fell to me to consume the complementary drams. Only time I've had lunch on top of 10 apéritifs.
Today my son “The Giraffe” came to look after me as Me Cats was going to an Organists event in Melrose, which is a long way from here. Sadly his train from Aberdeen was cancelled, an LNER, i.e. a London train, and they sent ONE bus to replace it. Service busses were fully booked, so after waiting around, he is coming home again. There’s a reason why he has a love/hate relationship with public transport.
We live on the LNER London to Scotland route. When LNER work they are brilliant, I can get to London in 75 minutes from here. When they don't it is awful, so your husband has my sympathy.
Hello, we are arriving in Edinburgh on Friday afternoon 8 May and leaving on Monday morning. I definitely want to see the Falkirk Wheel but otherwise we are fairly flexible
Hi, WITG asked me to add some detail. We are staying at the Adagio on the Royal Mile and travelling within Edinburgh by public transport or taxi.
The buses are good. We used them a lot over a few days recently. If you don't have a bus pass they are easy to use with a debit card. The first trip of the day is full fare and subsequent ones are less if you use the same card. The scrolling route displayed inside the bus is very useful.
Anyone have ideas for a good eaterie? Although I used to travel into both Waverley and Haymarket regularly, I wasn't really looking for food; I was going either to or from work!
As long as wool or cashmere one pair should suffice. I am amazed ( as an Antipodean) how many people in the British Isles wear crappy sythetic socks in cold weather…shades of my Canberra childhood in the early 1960s😵💫
I have in the last few days reapplied my socks; we had a couple of weeks there where they were surplus to requirements, but then the temperature took a bit of a plummet.
The forecast for Sunday in Embra is 13° and partly sunny, which should be rather nice - although I appreciate that might be a tad cool from an Antipodean perspective ...
SORRY! Change of plans. Mum has a technical problem she needs help with fairly urgently. She's fine, but the NE Man and I are heading through to stay with her tonight and get everything sorted tomorrow. Therefore I can no longer head to my son's tomorrow, ready to travel to Edinburgh on Sunday.
I hope you have a lovely time.
There's a train from here that gets in at 12:35 to Haymarket; I've suggested in a PM to WITG we meet at the station and walk along to the Haymarket pub - how does that sound to you?
It's a long time since I heard anyone in Scotland pronounce the letter J as 'jye' rather than the more familiar (to me) 'jay'. When I worked in Edinburgh long ago it wasn't uncommon, but I hadn't heard it again until a couple of weeks ago when a minister used 'jye' during a service. What do Scottish Ship people say? Is it common, or is it slipping out of use? I don't think I've ever heard it outside Scotland.
It's a long time since I heard anyone in Scotland pronounce the letter J as 'jye' rather than the more familiar (to me) 'jay'. When I worked in Edinburgh long ago it wasn't uncommon, but I hadn't heard it again until a couple of weeks ago when a minister used 'jye' during a service. What do Scottish Ship people say? Is it common, or is it slipping out of use? I don't think I've ever heard it outside Scotland.
It's pretty common here. I first encountered it teaching unit vectors to my Advanced Higher class the first week we moved up and it threw me for a moment.
It maybe depends who you’re talking to. It was certainly very common in rural Fife when I was growing up, and I still hear it more often when I’m back there than where I live now, which is interesting, because now I live in Doric-speaking lands!
One of my current colleagues (a Lithgae girl) and one of my former ones (I think born in the north of England, but has lived for a long time in Edinburgh) would both say "jye". So did my granny (born in Orkney but spent most of her adult life in Greenock).
All most interesting, if not actually very important. It only just occurred to me that I am sure I never heard my father (Greenock/Cupar/Hertfordshire) or the rest of the Renfrewshire family say it. But then, I never knew my father had a Scottish accent until schoolfriends came home and told me.
Thank you! The weather has obviously been laid on especially for us (clue: it's dreich!), but the near absence of midgies thus far has been a boon.
In other news a pine marten lollopped across the road in front of us a couple of hours ago! Neither of us have ever seen one before, so a total surprise.
I'd have said it was a wee bit early for midgies: I associate them with holidays in Orkney in August. I remember my dad very uncharacteristically having to give up picking blackcurrants from the bushes in his garden because he was being eaten alive!
Thank you! The weather has obviously been laid on especially for us (clue: it's dreich!), but the near absence of midgies thus far has been a boon.
In other news a pine marten lollopped across the road in front of us a couple of hours ago! Neither of us have ever seen one before, so a total surprise.
Glad you saw the pine marten! I you want better weather come to the Costa del Moray. Gorgeous day here and the beginnings of a splendid sunset over the sea.
Glad you saw the pine marten! I you want better weather come to the Costa del Moray. Gorgeous day here and the beginnings of a splendid sunset over the sea.
Scratches head... Not my territory, I admit, but where will you see a sunset over the sea on the Moray Firth? Isn't most of it facing the wrong way for sunsets?
I'd have said it was a wee bit early for midgies: I associate them with holidays in Orkney in August.
I was given to understand that the Highlands have two seasons: wet season and midgie season.
If you promise not to tell anyone else, a good time quite often is late April and early May. Warm, not hot; days getting longer; tourists not yet overwhelming.
Glad you saw the pine marten! I you want better weather come to the Costa del Moray. Gorgeous day here and the beginnings of a splendid sunset over the sea.
Scratches head... Not my territory, I admit, but where will you see a sunset over the sea on the Moray Firth? Isn't most of it facing the wrong way for sunsets?
There’s plenty of places where you can face west (or at this time of year north of west) across the water if the Moray Firth.
Glad you saw the pine marten! I you want better weather come to the Costa del Moray. Gorgeous day here and the beginnings of a splendid sunset over the sea.
Scratches head... Not my territory, I admit, but where will you see a sunset over the sea on the Moray Firth? Isn't most of it facing the wrong way for sunsets?
There’s plenty of places where you can face west (or at this time of year north of west) across the water if the Moray Firth.
Indeed. The coast may face northwards in general, but it is by no means a straight line! It is carved into hundreds of bays, for one thing, as well as in general meandering a bit. I live with a view across a bay. And again the sky is tuning blue here today, with a nice fresh breeze.
I'd have said it was a wee bit early for midgies: I associate them with holidays in Orkney in August. I remember my dad very uncharacteristically having to give up picking blackcurrants from the bushes in his garden because he was being eaten alive!
Guess where I'm going in August ... 🙃
You may be right. As we usually holiday round midsummer I assumed we were usually up here then. It seems we are often later.
Must have been a bit damp overnight - the river in Callander is a good foot higher than yesterday. Even the ducks are looking discombobulated.
I managed to miss a very heavy shower after work today: it was apparently chucking it down as a couple of my colleagues left, but I had a few minutes of typing left that I wanted to finish, and by the time I left it was just mildly damp.
It cleared here around lunchtime and has been glorious. Here the midges will appear whenever the wind drops, sometimes even in winter. Fortunately the wind dropping that much is a rarity.
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Back to the mainland tomorrow, catch up with some cousins, and then across an inconvenient ocean again.
The buses are good. We used them a lot over a few days recently. If you don't have a bus pass they are easy to use with a debit card. The first trip of the day is full fare and subsequent ones are less if you use the same card. The scrolling route displayed inside the bus is very useful.
The forecast for Sunday in Embra is 13° and partly sunny, which should be rather nice - although I appreciate that might be a tad cool from an Antipodean perspective ...
I hope you have a lovely time.
It also has the advantage of being almost next door to Haymarket station.
Anyone from Embra know if it's any good?
@Dafyd - are you thinking of joining us?
It's pretty common here. I first encountered it teaching unit vectors to my Advanced Higher class the first week we moved up and it threw me for a moment.
Make of that what you will ... 🤔
In other news a pine marten lollopped across the road in front of us a couple of hours ago! Neither of us have ever seen one before, so a total surprise.
Guess where I'm going in August ... 🙃
Glad you saw the pine marten! I you want better weather come to the Costa del Moray. Gorgeous day here and the beginnings of a splendid sunset over the sea.
Scratches head... Not my territory, I admit, but where will you see a sunset over the sea on the Moray Firth? Isn't most of it facing the wrong way for sunsets?
If you promise not to tell anyone else, a good time quite often is late April and early May. Warm, not hot; days getting longer; tourists not yet overwhelming.
There’s plenty of places where you can face west (or at this time of year north of west) across the water if the Moray Firth.
Indeed. The coast may face northwards in general, but it is by no means a straight line! It is carved into hundreds of bays, for one thing, as well as in general meandering a bit. I live with a view across a bay. And again the sky is tuning blue here today, with a nice fresh breeze.
You may be right. As we usually holiday round midsummer I assumed we were usually up here then. It seems we are often later.
Must have been a bit damp overnight - the river in Callander is a good foot higher than yesterday. Even the ducks are looking discombobulated.