Edinburgh

I cannot find all my photos taken in Edinburgh through the years where we have been mostly to visit my cousins who live there. However, here are a few below!

A photo I took in Princes Street in 1987

The Royal Observatory, 1989 - a great place to visit. Here's the website.

The view from the Braid Hills, 1989

(Above and below): the Forth Road and Rail bridges
See a lot of information and great photos here!

Here's a first day cover which commemorates the opening of the bridge in 1964

A busker playing and singing - and hanging from his feet - in the centre of Edinburgh!! 1996

Geoffrey and I the right way up

A postcard I bought of Princes Street in 1996

Below, photos I took from the top of the Scott Monument the same year; built in honour of Sir Walter Scott, it's well worth climbing the 287 steps to see the marvellous views!

I've scarcely scratched the surface of this wonderful city with these few snaps but I can recommend the Undiscovered Scotland Edinburgh page for lots of photos and information!

Cairnpapple

In 1996 my cousins took us to see this fascinating prehistoric burial site, on the summit of Cairnpapple Hill in the Bathgate Hills, West Lothian (not far from Edinburgh). Cairnpapple was used from about 3,000 BC to 1400 BC firstly as a ceremonial site then several centuries later as a burial site. There are stunning views from here over central Scotland, and even as far as Goat Fell on Arran on a clear day!

There's a very interesting website about it here and the Undiscovered Scotland webpage here (the two best sites which I have come across).

Isle of Skye

I went to the Isle of Skye with my aunt in 1980 - my gerbils went too because there was no one to look after them! Their big cage can be seen below on the back seat of the car. We went over on the ferry from the Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin because the bridge wasn't built until 1995.

We stayed at "Woodside" in lovely Portree

Mrs Davidson at the front door (she didn't mind having gerbils in the bedroom!!)

A visit to beautiful Uig to find an elderly friend's brother's house though we didn't have the address. However, he had lived there most of his life and was quite well known. We stopped to ask someone if they knew where it was and, amazingly, we had parked right outside the very house we were looking for!

One reason for going to Skye was to visit the Gaelic college as I was very keen on learning at the time. It was very disappointing that the people who worked there at the time weren't at all friendly or interested in talking to me. It was quite a blow to my enthusiasm for a while as I had looked forward to going there since it opened in 1973. Hopefully it is quite different now, all these years later. It's certainly much bigger since those days, with new buildings added to the renovated barn, and there are a lot of courses on offer. Here is the website.

Here I am with Aunt Gwen, clutching a few Gaelic books which I bought.

We also visited Dunvegan castle - this is the only photo I have unfortunately, but the website is here.

Here are the Undiscovered Scotland web pages for North Skye and South Skye. There are many links and photos to make up for the lack of mine! I'd love to return there one day.

Dumfries 1

We went to Dumfries in southern Scotland several times for work but managed to make some time to look around the town and vicinity each time! We like the area very much and would like to explore more thoroughly when time permits. The photos below were taken in 2002.

There are some excellent walks alongside the River Nith

Robert Burns spent the last years of his life in Dumfries (he died in 1796) and there's much to see around the town in commemoration of the great poet. The pub above was one of Burns' favourite places to drink. Here is the Official Robert Burns site. "The Banks of Nith" was written soon after he moved to the town. In a letter, he wrote, "The following is the first Compliment I have paid the Nith."

The Banks Of Nith
Robert Burns, 1789

The Thames flows proudly to the sea,
Where royal cities stately stand;
But sweeter flows the Nith to me,
Where Comyns ance had high command.
When shall I see that honour'd land,
That winding stream I love so dear!
Must wayward Fortune's adverse hand
For ever, ever keep me here!

How lovely, Nith, thy fruitful vales,
Where bounding hawthorns gaily bloom;
And sweetly spread thy sloping dales,
Where lambkins wanton through the broom.
Tho' wandering now must be my doom,
Far from thy bonie banks and braes,
May there my latest hours consume,
Amang the friends of early days!