I come back from Scotland, a small trip of six days in Alba Country.
Alba = Scotland in galeic language.
My travel, by car:
Glasgow
Loch Lomond
Oban
Mull Island
Skye Island
Inverness
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Great Country…Scotish are warm!
It sounds like a great trip; and I can think of a lot of songs about all those places too. I’m jealous!
Lolly
I am green with envy!.. Ever since I was there in 1974, I’ve wanted to go back. Instead, I keep watching “Local Hero”… 
Did you take any picture that you will post on your website?
Patrick
I will transmit you the web link but I don’t have finished…
Excellent!
Spent a 3-week honeymoon there in 1983; my favorite place on earth so far. Edinburgh was wonderful (we were there during the festival at the end of August into Sept), the Highlands were unbelievable (stopped in for high tea at an august hotel from a bygone age, Loch Marie?), and Skye was eerily enchanted (we were there after their tourist season, and only Gaelic was being spoken; music in the bars was extraordinary). And yes the people were warm, charming, straightforward and beyond helpful (esp the touring Thurso bowling team, from whom I still have a tournament pin).
Wonderful place and you had the extra bonus of Stacey and Alba; I was there just pre-whistle days.
Regards,
PhilO
it’s Tatoo festival at Edimburgh, just in front of the castle
I tried to play bagpipe…very difficult
don’t feel too bad about it, for most pipers it takes years become any good at all.
I’m planning on going next year… the World Pipe Band Championships are calling my name. this event is always in mid-August, 2 weeks prior to the Cowal Highland Gathering in Dunoon (the former World Championships) which is always the last weekend of August.
I usually stay in Glasgow which I enjoy. Glasgow’s Miles Better is the slogan. Glasgow and Edinburgh have a long standing rivalry which that slogan exploits with a clever double entendre (hint: Edinburgh has the Royal Mile).
Next year there will be a whole piping festival in the week leading up to the Worlds (though not affiliated). The Lowland and Borders Pipers Society will participate and ensure that there isn’t a GHB bias. This will be great for the pipe bands from around the world that go to the World Championships at no small expense.
If you’re interested in more than Highland bagpipes the time to go is late January and early February when the Celtic Connections festival is held in Glasgow. There are great concerts and the place isn’t so crowded with tourists.
It looks like you saw a good bit of Scotland. Next time you’ll have to go to Stirling and Pitlochry and over to Perthshire.
Cheers,
Aaron
How come you don’t come and see Me
Sorry, but I didn’t have enough time to go to Edderton, I hope so, next time.
That’s so sweet, Patrick! I love that film myself; I have seen it countless times.
My last visit to Scotland was in 1998, on a two week hiking trip with a friend of mine. Everything about it was great, from the people to the nature. Sniff, I wanna go back too… 
Jens
Touring Scotland in June with a motorcycle was one of my greatest travel experiences.
Now, I couldn’t spend any more over two hours over these (apologies to their dwellers) gloomy cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. It maybe I just dislike big cities… on second thought, it surely is 
Anyway, I enjoyed much more the human-scale places like Fort William, or of course Inverness; on its fishing port, I could feel almost at home in Brittany. However, their Breton had a funny accent 
I visited Pitlochry, very nice village!!!
Stupid question time - Since it’s a part of the UK, Scotland (by itself) isn’t technically a country, is it?
well they have their own parliament, healthcare service, and football team, thats all any place needs IMHO. Officially perhaps not. I dont really know, and i wouldn’t bring it up in person with any of my Scottish friends for fear of the beating i would get.
I never really understood why Scotland stay a part of the Union, given that they constantly bitch about England, and the English, and they have the economic strength to stand on their own (unlike NI and Wales).
thinking about it maybe this deserves a new thread. want to ask the question again in a new thread Cranberry?
Mark
Not to forget the two extra languages: Scottish Gaelic and Scots. I’m not sure if the latter is still considered to be a dialect of english - but then, a language is in turn just a dialect with its own currency and army
Sonja
You can do it, Marko, and just say I told you to.
I’ve never spent more than a weekend in the country, used to visit Edinburgh and Glasgow for trampolining competitions, Edinburgh is probably the best place in Europe to spend a weekend, its got everything (and i normally hate citys)
going up to tour about before new year, should be a laugh..
right so i’ll try. One guy lives near carlisle, and if you ask him where he’s from he’s never sure if he’s English or Scottish. I cant imagine what it’d be like not knowing what country you are from! strange.