A Tour of Scotland – the Natural Garden of British Islands

I have been on a tour of Scotland for the last four days since 7^th July. It was an experience worthwile. It was enjoyable to say the least.

I and my wife started the journey by the early morning of 7^th July by a Star Tour Coach from Wembley, which is part of London. My son, Shaji, arranged everything for the journey. There were 55 passengers and interestingly they were all from India. Mostly they were the parents or in-laws of youths employed in London and nearby. Some were the youths themselves working in UK. The tour consisted of four days and stopped at Glasgow, Inverness and Edinburgh, important cities of Scotland.

As you know, Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, which consists of England, Scotland and North Ireland. There have been continued wars in the earlier centuries between England and Scotland for supremacy. Now Scotland is having its own Parliament with 129 Members. To a certain extend it is like our states in India. Scotland covers the northern part of the British Islands and is famous for its natural beauty.

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Started from Wembly (London) at about 0700 hours and proceeded to Glasgow. Both the sides of the road were full of green scenery. Now and then, there are villages with small houses and a lot of cattle and horses feeding in the expansive grass land. At noon the coach stopped at Gretna Green for lunch. It is  a small town which is famous for iron foundries and expert blacksmiths. Another major attraction is that it is very special for conducting marriages. Young people come here from all parts of the country for holding marriages.

We reached Glasgow in the evening. It is one of the 4-5 big cities in U.K. The University of Glasgow is worth visiting and we had a small stop there. Then we visited the Glasgow Cathedral which is a double church, one above the other consecrated in the 12^th century. It has withstood centuries of conflicts within the church, between the Catholics and the Jacobites, the latter being  prominent in Scotland.  It is dedicated to the Patron Saint of Glasgow, St. Mungo. We had a tour of the city in the coach till about 1900 hours after which we had a good Indian dinner in Indian Restaurant with  tasty food. Arrangement for stay was made in a good hotel.

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The break-fast in the hotel was sumptuous with many vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and fruits. In UK and other European countries the hotels provide ‘Bed and Break fast’. The hotel charges include the breakfast also. We started at about 0900 hours and reached Fort William, a tourist centre. We had lunch there and a few minutes to see the place. Next point was Nevis Range, very beautiful scenery with mountains all around. We enjoyed the cable car which takes you to the high mountain and back, the entire operation for about 15 minutes for each side. It was very cold on the upper side. Many adventurous cyclists were going down the dangerous slopes. In fact the shops down were renting cycles for the same.

On the way toInverness, you will be passing on the side of the great Loch Ness ( big lake for a length of many miles ) which was enchanting. There are a number of such lochs in Scotland.

We stopped at Inverness for the night at a good hotel after dinner from an Indian restaurant.

09-07-2012

Now the journey started from Inverness to Edinburgh ( It is pronounced as Edinburr ). The first stop was at a Whisky Distillery. The staff of the factory showed us how whisky is being made. The process is not easy. Barrels and barrels of whisky produced decades before are kept in the storage. The tourists were offered small dose of sample of very old whisky for tasting. On our way we passed through the spectacular Forth Rail Bridges, old and new. By afternoon, we reached the historical city of Edinburgh, which is the capital of Scotland.

The coach went through the many roads of the old and new city. Old city comprises the fort and the historical places, while the new city constructed in the 19^th century is well planned and modern. We could spend about one hour in the historical Edinburgh Fort, which has always been the headquarters of the Scot kings. It is not very big, but is well-built and kept till this date. Many antiques and symbols of royalty are kept there as also a memorial building for the Scots martyrs of the 1914-1918 First World War. The panoramic view from the Fort overlooking the entire city and the Loch is enchanting. There are a lot of good shops nearby selling woollen clothes/dresses, souvenirs etc. There are many old churches here having very high and pointed spires.

The dinner was from an Indian hotel as usual. Stay at a good hotel near Airport.

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Today is the last day of the tour. Started from Edinburgh at 0800 hours and stopped at Grasmere, the village where romantic poet William Wordsworth lived and is put to rest. The village has kept its charm all these years. William Wordsworth is laid at the local church which we visited and paid our homage. In the corner reserved for the Wordsworth family, William and his wife Mary are laid to rest. The place is well maintained and there is a plaque with a small poem of Wordsworth. It was a memorable day for all of us to have visited this village which gave inspiration for his great poems. There is a museum in memory of the poet.

Next stop was at the great lake in the Lake District. The lake and the beautiful gardens were a treat. We went on a one hour tour in the lake in one of the many tourist boats. It was also a nice experience.

Next it was the long journey back to London. The youngsters sang and enjoyed. TV was on and a cinema was shown, but most were sleeping. BY 2100 hours we reached back to Wembley. Relatives of the passengers had been waiting. My son had come to pick me up. We all parted after greeting each other.

The tour was enchanting and memorable. The driver and the guide Mr Vazid and Mr Viral were very helpful and cared for all our needs.  Thanks to all, including the co-passengers for the very good tour.

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