As mentioned in an earlier posting, I don’t have enough space to continue posting. Pictures take up too much space. I will figure out what to do probably after I get home. At which time I will post anything going forward.

We arrived back in Dover completing our cruise to Greenland etc on the 21st. From there we arrived by bus to Gatwick airport hours and hours before our flight was to take to Valencia, Spain. And then that was delayed.

At last we did arrive. I had difficulty getting through immigration cuz my little finger of my right hand doesn’t straighten flat out for fingerprinting …. had to use the left hand instead.

At our accommodation, OMG, it will be an experience we won’t likely forget. First off, this is an AirBnB (which I have never had an experience dealing with before), so no reception, nobody to help get in. I was sent instructions by WhatsApp. WhatsApp requires wifi. There is wifi available once you get into the suite (???). Hmmmm! We fiddled with the code at the front door to no avail but a couple of gals were exiting so we got through that hurdle. (We have since got a code from another resident). Then we take up the elevator that we could barely fit in…. To the 5th floor (cuz our room number is 504). BTW, in Europe the first floor is “0” so I guess we are actually on the 6th level. Well, we get off the elevator there are no doors that say 504, only numbers in the “teens”. Oh but, heh…. It says puerta 14 on the instructions. There are some more codes and the door 14 opens. And then there is the 504. And some more electronic key but we cannot get it to open so after multiple tries we see another option on the text…. That has numbers but I cannot open it, D can though. What a procedure….. like trying to get into Fort Knox.

I will not be sending anymore posts for the next week… til we are back home…. I don’t think.

Famous for the rail bridge built in 1890 over the Firth of Fourth. 

On east coast of Scotland, the capital is Edinburgh but smaller than Glasgow. There are 3 sections  to the country…. Border area near England, central belt is 65-70 miles across Scotland at this point and the Highland which is 2/3 of the total area of the country.

Barley is grown for whiskey but there is not enough so have to import it from Ukraine (before the war there) Hungary and Poland. 

At Stirling….had to be taken by intruders before they could take the rest of the country. It is famous for the Castle and battles. From 1315-1707 Scotland was independent.  Britain took it for next 300 years but got it back in 1999.

2-3000 castles in the country with 1500 still standing, atleast in part.

There is a military castle there and one in Edinburgh.  From the early 12th century….. 1000 years being built and rebuilt several times.   It has a royal palace, royal chapel, great hall (built 600 year ago). It is built on flat plain on top of an extinct Volcano. Part of it was covered in gold leaf. That came off over time. Now it is painted yellow. 

William Wallace 6’6””

150 year old houses as we leave the town are worth 500,000£ or 940,000 CAD

Falkirk Wheel began with 2 canals, from east to west, one (no locks necessary) from Edinburgh, 4th of Clyde  from Glasgow 1890 started 

Circular (was later filled in) 1 miles across radius had 11 lochs … reopened for millennium, rotating big wheel raises  35 metres to the Union canal. It takes only 5 minutes. The wheel raises boats by 24 metres (79 ft), but the Union Canal is still 11 metres (36 ft) higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel. Boats must also pass through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. The wheel is the only one of its kind in the world. 

In the 1960s the canals and its use were abandoned til now. It will take 3 years to restore canals etc. The “Wheel” was built for the Millenium but was not opened to 2002. 4th of Clyde canals from Glasglow are being replaced. 

Going into a barge that rides the wheel. 24metres above …100 metres thru tunnel, 

Archimedes, part of identity… operation of the weight. Object replaces exact weight of water. 250 tons of water is evenly balanced with other  600 tons in total with both boats, water and people.  It uses only enough energy to bring 8 kettles to boil. Tunnel is under the Antonine wall (built by the Romans) is the name of other boat. The canals were started in 1770 and opened 1790. 1822 they were linked. 

My tour is to Cawdor Castle and Culloden Battlefield

Again it looks like it’s going to be a sunny day, atleast for a while. 

The name Invergorden means …mouth of the river Gorden.

Gaels came from the west and Vikings from the north where they clashed. 

Whiskey means in the Gaelic language  “water of life”….. supposedly was good for headaches and the liver…. 🤣 . It has to be aged in a cask for at least 3 years.  It has to be atleast 35% alcohol by volume…. & no more “the midges teardrop”.  “The finest whiskey is any that is free”. Black on the houses are caused from a fungus. 

 Cromarty Firth…. Deep water ….lots of dolphins and seals (some saw dolphins but I didn’t) . Cromarty Bridge a mile long built in 1979. In 1982 the bridge over mouth of river Ness was when they got rid of all ferries. There was oil discovered in Firth. They used royalties from oil to build bridges and got rid of them. 

Duncan Grant distillery was burnt down in 1689 by Jacobites. 

Scottish Highlands are older mountains than the Himalayas …. and so had more time to erode… hence lower. 

The Frasers, DeBrus, Roses, etc as well as the Grants later, Anglo-Norman knights and nobles from  France…. 7-800 years ago. They were clan chiefs but not “Scottish”. They had been invited by King David and William. 

Battle of Culloden …In 1746

Prince Charles (leading the Jacobites) attempted to  retake Britains government forces led by  Cumberland. 1500-2000 Jacobite to 300 government deaths…. in 1 hour. 

Women didn’t have to take husband name before the battle of Culloden. 

Lazy census takers didn’t want to put in “a” in Mac so in some cases was dropped…to Mc. 

Red door means owned by clan chief. 

Cawdor Castle started to be built in the late 14th century ….4 story tower, 400 years ago. 

Way back in the day, the Scot’s didn’t wear anything on their feet… never til their teens. It made their feet very tough. They could tell  direction from the way the heather was growing. They would wear hose around calves to protect them. If it was terribly cold they might wear moccasins with holes to let water out. 

Kailey means to come together.  Lots of wheat and barley grown. 

Kilt was like blanket… could be used for a. Umber of things such as a tent. 

Unfortunately I have used pretty much all available space with pictures and videos on my blogs. My choice is to delete media from past blogs or pay a whole lot more each year. I have deleted some videos already so have been able to sort of finish this posting. We will see how far I get. If I can’t I guess you’ll have to wait til I get home and I can decide what to do.

Gail

Our tour today is the Isle of Lewis ….a heritage tour. The Outer Hebrides with a population of 19,000, is the largest British island. 

We are doing the west side circular tour… the best Iron Age tour

Lord Leverhulme (founder of Lever Bros. He had also made money in heroin trade.) in 1818, bought the island including Lews Castle, when he was 67 yrs.  for 143,000£.

Peat fields is spagnum moss. A layer of grass is first taken off. The peat is under it. It is cut into 35-36 cm blocks…. up to 2 layers only so that it can regrow. They let it dry for some time. It takes 18,000 peat blocks per year to use in each home. Apparently you have to ask the clerk of grazing for permission to harvest the peat. In some cases you may have to pay to cut. 

Harris is southern part…. Is rocky. 60,000 still speak the Gaelic (said “garlic”) language in the country. Parents have the choice to send their kids to go to Gaelic school.  

5000 +years ago …Neolithic period it was not as wet, they could grow barley and other grains . There were trees. Now the trees are seen along the side of the road, were  planted 25-30 years ago. They are pine ….not native so got invaded by insects. The insecticide they got had instructions in Russian that no one could understand. They mixed them anyway, killing some the trees. Now they only plant native species. 

Callinish Standing Stones from 5000 years ago, 2000-3000 BC, predating Stonehenge. We did not go there but saw some others as we drove by. 

Besides teachers and all hospital employees (doctors and nurses etc) that are employees of the government, the area employs people in fish farms (2nd after Norway), oil rig workers

90 cruise ship/year come so tourism. There is 6% unemployment. 

800-880 BC during the Iron Age, “Dun Charlabhaigh“ was built, probably by a wealthy family because there were wood beams used for inside support as well as the roof, when there were no trees left at the time. It is believed that it was a cattle economy at the time. The structure now stands at 9 metres high but was probably 13 originally with the  roof. 

1600…Morrison clan (stole cows) & hid in the broch in a fight with MacAuley family but they were all killed when they came out or were killed by the fire that was ignited . 

In the 800’s, Vikings came… brought Norse language and rectangular houses … black houses. Those houses were built on a slope… humans higher up, animals lower. They had thatched roofs. “Gearrannan” was the last of black-houses.  Only old people were left in 1970s. They still milked cows up to 1960s in what is the museum now. 

These were built in 1840-1850….. others were built before. Slope floor for drainage. Bronchitis was prevalent because of the smoke from peat, etc. Government made it that you had to add a centre wall to separate humans from animals . Wells were  outside…. no running water inside. They used paraffin tilley oil lamps. Summer they lived in small buildings like summer camping out on the crofts, looked after animals & cut peat. Last resident of the black houses was in 1974. 

Crofters…. renters worked the strip of land. Crofting is still alive today. 20-30,000 pounds to buy them but our guide rents for 6£ per year…she has 6 sheep and vegetables on hers. …. Now you must be living within so many miles of their Croft to use it. 

There are common grazing grounds for sheep but can only be a certain percentage of what is owned….

Must identify by tag but they also spot colour them with paint. 

Harris tweed…1833 began serious business….must be 100% virgin wool. 

Whale bone at entrance of home… from 80 foot blue whale that washed ashore in 1920

Scotland would prefer to belong to EU. 

First 7 years kids go to primary school then secondary school. There are only 2 secondary schools on the island so means more time travelling to school. 

Social housing -200 new builds rented at a reasonable price. 

Monbretia growing wild as well as heather blooming purple mostly right now.  

Whoohoo!  

Sheep farm also root vegetables

Reindeer are in the north. 

It is not necessarily covered in snow here in this area (Qaqortoq). Greenland is actually further south than Iceland and quite often doesn’t have snow and ice so it was called Greenland by early visitors. 

Only one glacier in this area that provides icebergs….meaning it empties into the ocean. Most come south from the northeastern part. Sometimes polar bears come down on ice flows. 

It’s a fair sized village of approximately 3000 people. We still outnumber them. In a way I feel for them to be inundated with so many at one time.

We are picked up right from the dock from which we tendered in and driven to the airport, the newest one in the world. The road is excellent (and brand new I would say) but very windy over barren lands.

We start our helicopter ride…..

We stop for a dip in a hot springs pool in the barren mountaintop overlooking a bay full of icebergs

Next we land on a glacier.

Landed….

It’s a beautiful day with lots of huge icebergs

And then….., the captain decided to take us through what I believe was Prince Christian Sound. OMG…..Spectacular!

As I mentioned before, the stop in Nanortalik was cancelled with the excuse that it would be too dangerous to safely go. Well now, I question that line because there was barely a cloud in the sky with absolutely zero fog and no wind.

So as a substitution, the ship’s authority decided we would cruise the Arsuk Fjord.

We saw some icebergs before entering the fjord.

While cruising up the fjord we saw muskox …. 3 on the beach at one location and one at an abandoned cryolite mine. Unfortunate they were a little too far away to get any really good pictures.

More icebergs after exiting the fjord

At Nuuk we have a dock…. not tender. 30 Minuite walk into town. Surprising to me, Nuuk is quite large…20,000+ people. There are lots and lots of apartment condos… very basic, institutional with not much of the poor rundown homes that we saw in Paamiut yesterday. There are even malls and coffee places where you can get a cappuccino ….. for almost $11 CAD. OUCH!!!