A Brilliant day on the Isle of Arran

May 1, 2015

You can get a hop on/hop off bus ticket that lets you travel all over the island for one low fee. I had breakfast in my tiny room since I felt the full breakfast at an additional £10 seemed a bit steep.  The bus from Lamlash to Brodick, where the ferry had arrived took only […]

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Arran

April 30, 2015

Located between the mainland and Kintyre, Arran is referred to as “Scotland in miniature”.  Lowlands to the south & mountains to the north. The ferry leaves from Ardrossan. Scotland is committed to renewable energy and here is an example.         You can see the caldera of an ancient volcano in the snow […]

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Sandhead to Isle of Arran

April 30, 2015

Before you read this, if you are following in order, due to WiFi issues I missed some of the Belfast trip. Check out “A little more Belfast” The best WiFi at Tigh na Mara due most likely to the thickness of the old walls, is in the pub.  Or it’s just a scheme to sell […]

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Logan Gardens

April 29, 2015

I love gardens and this is one of the 4 making up the Royal Botanic Gardens along with Edinburgh, Dawyck near Peebles in the Borders region and Benmore near Dunoon.  Due to it’s southerly location it takes the most advantage of the warm Gulf Stream it is home to the most exotic plants including those […]

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Mull of Galloway

April 29, 2015

From the Tigh na Mara to the Mull (tip) of the peninsula is about 15-17 miles.  I decided it was time to break out the white board, write my destination and start walking/hitching.  Well, at this point I must remind you why the Scots are the nicest people in the world. The cook, Ian, who […]

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Larne to Sandhead

April 28, 2015

Awoke to snow on the hills above the village of Larne. A five minute walk to the ferry terminal was a good start, but when I was told my ferry had been canceled due to weather and that the next one was at 4:30, things looked sour. There was a cargo ferry at noon but […]

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Tigh NA Mara Hotel Sandhead

April 28, 2015

Nice hotel with a good restaurant and pub. I found this property online as it was the nearest to the Mull of Galloway that I could find.  The lighthouse there is the most southernly point in mainland Scotland.  In an earlier post I spoke of visiting the western most point, Ardnarmurchan, tomorrow I’ll have two […]

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A little more Belfast

April 27, 2015

In addition to the Apple store, I visited the Titanic Exhibit & the most startling City Hall. The Titanic Exhibit is in the docks area where the ship was built a bit outside city central and a hike from the train depot. It is mostly an interactive type exhibit and therefore not conducive to photography. […]

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So what sights did you see in Belfast?

April 27, 2015

I went to the Apple Store?  Oh, because it’s so different from the US?  No.  I needed a Genius. And I found two. Obviously, they fixed my problem.  Thanks, Lads. I got in late Sunday and so there was not much more to do than collapse. The All Seasons Hotel was the first I’ve ever […]

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British bathroom

April 26, 2015

This was at All Seasons. Towel warmers also dry hand washed clothes. Their showers are often heated at point of use.  Much smarter than how we do it in the US. You pull the cord on the left to start the system and then their is a start/stop button on the unit that also allows […]

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