Off Topic - Trip to Scotland - SLIDE SHOW as requested

oooh that one looking over the fence into the landscape beyond…........ lovely!!
well they are all lovely but that one is extra-special

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Wow! Thanks for the trip, jroot. The scenery is the stuff that dreams are made of. The wonderful stone castles! the narrow, cobbled streets, the windy, hilly roads and pastures. This is a land I’d love to visit some day.
So, tell us, how did you and your DW decide to go to Scotland? Do you have relatives there? Did you do lots of homework bf going so you’d know where you wanted to go and how to get there?

Thanks so much for taking the time to put together this slideshow for us. I so enjoyed watching it.

-- 'To plant a Garden is to believe in Tomorrow'

Thanks for your kind words, Iris & MsDebbieP.

Actually, I have a floating time share with a site near Perth that we went to see. We had some ideas that we wanted to see, like Bamburgh, and Balmoral. The rest we “just winged it”. Travelling with us was my youngest sister who had never been to the area before, but proved to be an excellent navigator while I was concentrating on driving my manual 5 speed Peugot “on the other side of the road with the gear box on my left” instead of on my right. The round-abouts really got to her, but I had driven in UK before and they were no problem for me. Only once did I have to go more than 360 degrees to make my exit.

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

jroot thanks for this slide show. One of our LJ members Alistair is from Dunoon Argyll Scotland U K
and he has standing invitaton to visit his place. After seeing your slides I am eagerly waiting for that day to come when I visit this beautiful place. Had you been to Dunoon?
Sharad

-- Bagwan-- “If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means they have never tried a new thing in their life”.-Albert Einstein

I have definitely been close, as I visited a lot of the Argyll area several years ago. The Campbells of Argyll are my related family through my mother’s side. I don’t recall Dunoon though. Now I just might have to go back. LOL

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

Beautiful pictures of truly lovely country.

-- the day you quit learning is the day you quit living.

Stunning pictures and what a beautiful country…...have to visit there someday.

-- Gardening is Great Therapy!!.....Georgian Bay area....zone 5b

Thanks, Jroot. I really enjoyed your photos. It looks like you had a lovely vacation. My sons enjoyed the castle photos. They are currently immersed in learning about the Medieval Ages and siege warfare. A few castle photos stirred up their imaginations and off they went to have their own battle.

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

Robin, Bamburgh is an amazing castle – home of the Northumbrian kings before the crown was upon the head of only one regent. It has been used many times for movies about battles involving castle seiges. One of the cannons on site is from the Armada, – obviously captured and taken as plunder. Neat stuff there. And to think that it was once in my family’s hands in somewhat invigorating. On the other side, it is no longer in the familiy’s possessions, and there are stories about why that took place, and several ancestors hung, etc. In many ways, we live a much safer lifestyle now. It is nice to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live in frequent fear of attack, and fiscally taxing / fleecing the community in order to support a standing army, – just in case. The cost of heating the castle must have been tremendous, although I imagine they kept only a few rooms warm in the winter.

You’ll have to take your sons on a trip to see some castles. There are many all over Europe. As you say, they certainly encourage the imagination to run wild. Ah, I remember the days when we kids fought many battles on the big yard outside of our home in Stratford, fighting for the favour of the “princess”, who used to come and visit us ( daughter of friends). Of course, I was “the prince” who always won her heart. .... of course. ... It just couldn’t be any other way. ...

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

Beautiful pictures Jroot.What a beautiful country.Thanks for sharing them with us.

-- Bon,Hastings,Ont.....zone 5a....Always room for one more

Beautiful pics Jroot. I like Forests, they are similar to those in our country, but they have really nice stone castles. Thanks for sharing.

-- Michal, http://gardentenders.com

That is my dream trip, in a couple years, is to go to England and Scotland, we hope to spend at least 3 weeks.

My husband has relatives in i guess what would be called the Highlands, hope to see some of that too.

-- Gardening is Great Therapy!!.....Georgian Bay area....zone 5b

I love the highlands. There are differing parts though. Some are more lush than others. Some of the highlands are quite sparse in vegetation, but lots of beautiful heather. It is an area that you should visit, if you have it in your blood.

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

Jroot, loved your childhood story. We are reading aloud G.A. Henty’s book Wulf the Saxon and In Freedom’s Cause (Scotland’s fight for independence) is next on our list. Did you read those when you were a boy? I lived in Germany as an exchange student for a year and visited quite a few of Europe’s castles during our vacations. Fascinating places to visit and tour, but based on what we know of those times, I am glad I did not live in them.

The history of our ancestors can be very interesting. One of my ancestors came over on the Mayflower; however, before I get too proud and mighty, I must confess he was later executed for murder….

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

Anywhere with castles is fine by me, thats part of why i want to go to England and Scotland.

Again, great pictures.

-- Gardening is Great Therapy!!.....Georgian Bay area....zone 5b