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Sunday 21 August, from Newcastle to Beauly, Scotland

Great Britain 2005 - part II

Elisabeth & Teije
2006-08-27 12:06:06

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The last time we were on this ferry we were sleeping above the engines of the boat, this time we have a cabin with endless seaview. So this time we hear the noise of the sloshing sea and the strengthening of the wind. One disadvantage of being on the outside is the fact that we feel the boat rolling much more. We both sleep a bit uneasily and wake up now and then. When a voice wakes us at half past 6 that we are going to land in 2.5 hours we are glad we can sleep another hour.

At 9, English time, we drive out of the harbour at Newcastle and soon we are on our way to Scotland, on the coastal road. Just after Berwick-upon-Tweed we pass the border. Officially, this town is still at war with France, we have read somewhere. When the English and French signed a peace treaty in 1747, they forgot to invite this town that probably was a third party in the war.

In this holiday we want to see more of England and Wales, but we are glad we can start in Scotland. So we skip castles in England today, like Alnwick (very big and impressive and used in the Harry Potter films). We will see enough of England the next weeks.

As soon as we have crossed the border we go into the nearest village (Lamberton) for a coffee. A still somewhat dozy barman likes to help us, even though he is still busy cleaning the mess from last night's party; what a night, he sighs. When we ask him if we can take a beer mat with a funny text on it, he brings us a whole packet of beer mats! Then he gets us our coffee and we go sit outside in front of the pub, in the sun. We have to pay only one pound for the coffee's.

In Ayton, not so far from the border, we come across our first Scottish castle, with a nice gate lodge. And soon after that we see the first hills and mountains appear, the extinguished vulcanos around Edinburgh. The sun is shining abundantly, again we have beaten the weather forecasts which said it would be raining and only 15 degrees Celsius.

When we stop at Birnam for a cup of soup, like we did 3 ago, a thermometer tells us it is 25 degrees and we are sweating outside. We have lots of time today, so we don't go straight to Beauly but make a detour now and then onto small roads. But just before we enter the Highlands it starts raining and it doesn't stop before we arrive at Beauly, west of Inverness. The last 15 kilometers from Inverness are rather hilarious: we know the roads here reasonably well, but we have a navigation carkit now which we are trying out with the voice of John Cleese. He is doing very well until we reach Inverness. We know which way to go but we try to follow his advice to sea where he leads us. But he gets confused, wants us to take exits that aren't there, or he leads us onto a muddy path where we almost get stuck. Eventually we arrive, but it has taken quite some time. You always have a good laugh with this man!

We are greeted warmily at the Caledonian by Iain and Cathy and later also other old acquaintances. An English man in the pub asks us if we are locals or at least live here. Well, that feels like a sort of compliment... yes, we feel very at home here.

After a warm meal and a lively evening with acquaintances and people we don't know, we feel very contented when we go off to bed. We are travelling again, so we feel at home!