July 10, 2026 We toured the Isle of Louis where we visited the Calanais Standing Stones, the Iron Age broch of Dun Carloway, and the Gearrannon Blackhouse Village. On the way, we passed by Loch Meavaig with a carpet of wildflowers. The Calanais Standing Stones are a prehistoric stone circle that predates the standing stones of Stonehenge. Erected 5,000 years ago, the stones are made of gneiss from the Isle of Lewis and arranged in unique cross pattern. Archaeologists theorize

July 9, 2026 After the Isle of Mull, we traveled to the Isle of Eigg in the afternoon. "Eigg" in Gaelic means "notched island" because of its unusual shape. The ship anchored off shore and we took a zodiac in. and enjoyed a nice walk near the shore. An oyster flew with a snack it caught and brought it to it's young. We enjoyed watching a common eider and its ducklings. On the way back, we saw a hooded crow.

July 9, 2026 Thanks to Brent's early booking of excursions we and four others were able to go on a wildlife tour of the island in search of red deer, white-tailed sea eagles, and otters. We were lucky and saw all three! The white-tailed sea eagle was the first we found. There were two in the trees. The Isle of Mull is nicknamed the Eagle Island because it has a high population of both the white-tailed eagle and the golden eagle. The white-tailed sea eagle is the largest bir

July 8, 2026 We visited the Isle of Bute today. We took the zodiacs in to the town of Rothesay. We then met our guide for a walking tour around town. We first visited the Rothesay Victorian Toilets. These well-preserved toilets are probably the most complete Victorian toilets in Great Briain. They remain open to the public both as a tourist attraction and a public toilet. We then explored the town. The Winter Gardens (Bute Discovery Center) Rothesay's Coat of Arms Rothesay Fo

July 7, 2026 In the afternoon, we visited the Isle of Man. Although located near the Scottish Isles, the Isle of Man is not actually a part of Scotland or even the United Kingdom. It is a self-governing island that was granted its independence by the English monarch who is the "Lord of Mann," a largely symbolic title. We did a panoramic bus tour of the island. King William's College Castle Rushen is one of the best-preserved medieval castles. Milner's Tower atop Brada Head Po

July 7, 2026 On July 6, we sailed away from Dublin on the Seabourne Venture and headed back to Scotland. The adventures started early in the morning the next day when we explored the Isle of Calf by Zodiac. Our photography group went out first and got to stay out a bit longer - a great perk of joining the Image Masters. The Drinking Dragon Chicken Rock Lighthouse The Puffin Project - these plastic puffins combined with speakers broadcasting puffin calls are meant to attract p

June 28, 2026 We left Belfast and headed to Derry today. The limestone cliffs along the Causeway Coastal Route were stunning. This one reminded me of a turtle. We stopped briefly at the Magheracross Viewpoint so we could get a better view that from the bus window. We were even able to see the ruins of Dunluce Castle in the distance from the view point. Stories of Dunluce Castle include that of the "Falling Kitchen". It is claimed that during a violent storm in 1639, the kitch

June 27, 2026 We left Glascow today and traveled to the ferry that would take us to Northern Ireland. After a pleasant ride on the ferry, we reboarded the bus and headed to Belfast for a tour of the city. Our first stop was the Titanic Belfast, a museum on the grounds of the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the doomed ship, Titanic, was built. Each of the four wings of the building resemble the hull of the Titanic. Once inside the Titanic Experience museum, you learn about th

June 26, 2026 We started the day with a Gate 1 city tour of Glascow. Mostly it was a bus tour, but we did have stops at the Glascow Cathedral and the Glascow Botanic Gardens (although the latter was mostly a bathroom stop with very little time to actually explore the gardens). The Glascow Cathedral of St. Mungo was the only mainland Scottish medieval cathedral to survive the Scottish Reformation led by John Knox. They were iconoclasts who believed the images and statues in Ca

June 25, 2026 On June 25, we left Aviemore and headed to Glascow where we would stay the next 2 nights. We enjoyed our drive through the Western Highlands. Our first stop was at Laggan Dam on the River Splean. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the chance to stretch our legs. We continue our drive, passing by the Beinn Sgulaird Munro. A munro is a moutain in Scotland that is over 3,000 feet tall. Many mountaineers in the United Kingdom make it a goal to climb all 282 munr

June 24, 2026 We headed out to explore the Highlands and visit the Isle of Skye. It was a long ride, but the scenery was beautiful. Findhorn Viaduct for the Highland Main Line Railroad. River Ness running through the town of Inverness. South American Alpaca grazing alongside a donkey in Inverness. A common style of house throughout Scotland. Our first stop was at Loch Ness in Inverness. We took a walk down for a view of the lake and a possible Nessie sighting. Since Nessie fa

June 23 After leaving St. Andrews, we enjoyed more scenic driving. Sheep are a common site along the Scottish roads. The next stop after St. Andrews was the Scone Palace (pronounced "skoon"). The lands upon which the Scone Palace stands hold a rich history. Fifteen hundred years ago, this was the capital of the Pictish kingdom. In later years, between the 9th and 13th centuries it became the place where Scottish Kings were crowned while seated on the "Stone of Scone", also kn

June 23, 2026 We left Edinburgh with the Gate 1 tour group today. We passed over the Firth of Forth. This picture from the bus shows part of the Forth Bridge. It was still early for heather, but occasionaly we drove by patches of purple where it was just starting to bloom. The landscape was filled with so many beautiful shades of green. On our way to Aviemore, we first stopped in St. Andrews, famous for its world-renowned St. Andrew's Beach Golf Course. This year (2026), it

June 22, 2026 Pictures of Edinburgh Castle, information to come later.

June 21, 2026 Pictures, explanations will come later

06-20-2026 Some pictures from Holyrood (explanations to come later). We did go inside, but no pictures are allowed inside.

06/20/2026 (Pictures only for now. I'll add text and some more photos of the Hop On Hop Off sites on the blue route later).

06-19 and 06-22 2026 Although we did not go to the National Museum or Gallery, we visited some of the smaller museums around Edinburgh. The Museum of Childhood was nostalgic with its displays of toys from the past to present. These baby toys were ones I played with. Fuzzy felt was one of my favorite toys when I was a little girl. My mom collected dolls and I collected Barbies. She would have loved these displays. My sister and I loved playing Mouse Trap and later it was my so

June 18, 2026 After a day of touring Edinburg on the City Sightseeing hop on hop off bus, we got off at the national museum stop and walked to Biblos. We had booked the Folk and Haggis show there to listen to traditional Scottish folk music while enjoying a traditional Scottish meal. The music was excellent, the fish and chips we ordered from the choices - not so much. Perhaps if we had gone with the haggis it would have been better. I did enjoy the Cullen Skink (smoked fish

6/18 and 6/20 Brent read Wealth of Nations when he was 10 to 12 years old, and its Scottish author, Adam Smith, had a profound influence on him. Therefore, when we were in Edinburgh where Adam Smith lectured and lived in his later life, we searched out his statue and grave at Canongate Kirkyard. His statue shows him with a beehive and plough symbolizing his impact on agriculture and industry. He rests his hand on a globe showing his worldwide influence. While walking in the r