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THE TOUR IS NOW OVER AND WELL AND TRULY IN THE
HEARTS AND MINDS OF ALL WHO TOOK PART - INCLUDING
MCLEANSCOTLAND!
CLICK
HERE
FOR TOUR DIARY AND
PHOTOS
" A GRAND SCOTTISH SOJOURN "
a tour of Scottish castles, gardens, glens and
ancient Celtic sites
Thursday, August 30th 2007
to Sunday, September 9th 2007
" Having travelled with Mcleanscotland and being
so impressed with the quality of their tours and
services; I asked Paul to put together a garden tour
for me that would be for Texas Master Gardeners and
friends. We had the most wonderful "Gardens and
Glens of Scotland" tour in June, 2005, and as one of
our group members said it was a "dream tour". So
come join us on another dream tour hosted by
Mcleanscotland, the best tour company in Scotland."
Marcia Gillen, Texas.
Dear Paul and Liz, Just a
few lines to say what a super time we Texans had
with you two on the June 2005 Gardens & Glens of
Scotland tour. Speaking for Texas Certified
Master Gardeners in Dallas, Cooke and Grimes
Counties plus our fellow Texas travelers the scenery
was superb and the gardens. WOW!!! The team
you have assembled is truly professional, enjoyed by
all on the tour and "the team" we want to travel
with again. As a professional Horticulturist
and Educator we received invaluable information on
Scotland from Colin and gardening in Scotland from
the Horticulturists that greeted and personally
toured our group through their individual public
gardens. We all have very fond memories of you
three, Paul, Liz and Colin plus the wonderful people
of Scotland. I hope the "great gardener" up
above lets me visit your country once again and the
wonderful Gardens & Glens of Scotland with
McleanScotland. Until then. Great Gardening!
Dale Groom, Extension Horticulturist, Dallas
County
Texas A & M University System
above left; the group on the 2005
Gardeners Tour, taken in Glasgow, Liz and Paul
(mcleanscotland) on far right. Colin is the
other wee man in the kilt, 4th from left.
Marcia is 4th from right, what a bunch of
desperado's! Right photo; Colin - your driver
of dreams! and his brand new coach, waiting for you
this year. Things don't really go to plan with
wee man, he makes changes daily to enrich YOUR
enjoyment!
YOUR ITINERARY
Your mcleanscotland Staff on this trip will be;
Paul McLean and Colin Birkbeck - the gruesome
two-some (long lost cousins these two, Colin being
the black sheep) who you will be sure to enjoy a good
laugh with, they are both experts at what they do
and any questions you have, we are pretty sure they
can answer. Except gardens! For your
enjoyment we also have onboard Dale Groom,
Texas Extension Horticulturist,
who has travelled with us before in 2005.
Between these three you are guaranteed a fantastic
trip!
Your first overnight stop after a long flight,
should be rewarding and comfortable. The
Atholl Palace Hotel is all this and more. If you
have the energy after the long journey, walk the
gardens, take a dip in the pool, wander down to the
spa, or relax and enjoy the views. We
WELCOME you to Scotland.
CUED MILE FAILTE
August 30th - arrive Glasgow, driver and
guide to welcome you at airport. We will leave
Glasgow airport AS SOON AS BOTH FLIGHTS HAVE CLEARED
CUSTOMS. Any delayed flights may mean
passengers aboard will need to make their own way to
Pitlochry, we cannot hold a large number of guests
up for hours at the airport for a few delayed
flights. Hopefully it will not come to this. We drive north into the
Trossachs
with our first stop (our airport departure time all
being well), Fintry.
We will tour further in the Trossachs and stop for a
lunch break at a woollen mill. From here we
head east into Perthshire and north to Perth, where
we traverse the River Tay road bridge into Scone.
Then we drive through beautiful Perthshire
countryside to the famous Beech Hedge near
Cargill. A short but
enthralling journey along wee country roads leads us
to our final stop of the day: The name
Dunkeld comes from the Gaelic
for "the fort in the wood". Its' recorded history
dates back to the Culdee Monks in about 730AD. This
was rebuilt by Kenneth MacAlpin in 848 and two years
later Dunkeld became the religious centre of
Scotland when St Columba's relics were moved here
from Iona for safe keeping from increasing Viking
raids. Today's Dunkeld is a lovely village. A great
deal of work was done in the 1950s and 1960s by the
National Trust for Scotland and the Local Authority
to restore many of the older buildings in Cathedral
Street and around the Cross. A highlight at the
junction of Cathedral Street is the Ell House. This
takes its' name from the engraving on its' outside
wall of the measurement of an "Ell", a length of 39
inches used as a reference for market trading.
Dunkeld Cathedral lies on the north bank of the
River Tay, the setting is idyllic). We end our
journey for the day at Pitlochry. A welcome
dinner tonight at your hotel... the stunning
Atholl
Palace. The Atholl Palace Hotel has wonderful gardens for all
you "flower people" to enjoy!
31st August - after a hearty full Scottish
breakfast we head north again to Blair in Atholl,
where we visit Blair Castle,
ancient seats of the Dukes and Earls of
Atholl. Strategically located in the Strath of
Garry, whoever held Blair Castle was gatekeeper to
the Grampian mountains and the route north to
Inverness. It was twice besieged, by
Cromwell's army in 1652 and by the Jacobites in
1746. It has also been much visited by royalty.
Heading north towards Inverness, as we arrive at
Dalwhinnie we turn westwards driving through Glen
Spean until we reach Spean Bridge
woollen mill, where we stop for refreshments.
From here we travel
along the Great Glen to the road for Skye. driving
through wonderful scenery including Loch Cluanie and
the Five Sisters mountain range, leading us to
Eilean Donan Castle – our second castle of the
day, one which is so different from the last one in
Blair. This is our final stop of the day.
CHANGE OF HOTEL. We have now taken the whole hotel
ay the Kyle of Lochalsh, The Kyle Hotel, with dinner
included. Just 20 minutes from where our
original hotel was. This is for the better!
1st September - all day sightseeing today,
our first stop:
Dunvegan
Castle and gardens, the stronghold of the Chiefs
of MacLeod for nearly 800 years and it remains their
home. Time for a lengthy visit here to the castle
and gardens and lunch for those with a hunger! We
then proceed on an island tour of north Skye
including: Uig, to
The Highland
Life Museum, a fascinating insight to island
life, Duntulm Castle, the Old Man of Storr! - a
unique rock formation. We continue to
Portree: where we arrive
early evening approx 5.30. With many pubs,
restaurants and fish and chip shops there is
something for everyone! Dinner of your own choosing
tonight (not included). A night to get out and meet
the locals! Our day ends back at Kyle. Colin or Paul
will let you know our departure time from Portree
tonight, they will also assist and advise on best
places to eat, there is also a home made chocolate
shop for those of you with a sweet tooth.
2nd September - we leave Skye and
travel north via the beautiful unspoilt scenery of
Wester Ross.
If time allows we will make a refreshment stop at
Kinlochewe. Then,
travelling over moors and through glens we stop for
a visit at Dornoch, where we
have time to see the Cathedral and maybe a stroll
around this highland town. Dornoch dates back a
thousand years and it became a Royal Burgh in 1628.
Other notable events in its' history include the
extensive damage to both town and cathedral caused
by the MacKays during a clan feud in 1570; and
perhaps its' least glorious claim to fame, as the
place where Scotland's last alleged witch was burned
alive in a barrel of oil in 1722. Our next stop is a
gardeners dream - not to mention it is also a
castle! So we have something for everyone here, as
we stop at Dunrobin Castle.
We then drive north following the coastal road
through stunning scenery passing through the wee
towns and villages of Brora, Helmsdale, Berriedale
and Dunbeath to Latheron, where we turn west again
and end our day in
Thurso. We stay the night here
with dinner included at the
Royal Hotel. This hotel know Colin and
Paul very well, so be assured of a great stay here,
the staff are really excellent! That's
a drink for me at the bar then ... a Guinness
please.
3rd September - CHANGE TO OUR ORIGINAL TOUR. This
morning we leave THURSO and head right away to
The Castle of Mey for a visit. We then take the
1.45
ferry to St Maragrets Hope on Orkney. We arrive and have
the remainder of day to explore. Over the next two
days we will visit (amongst others) Ring of Brogar,
Maes Howe, Skara Brae, Italian Chapel, Highland Park
distillery, Kirkwall, Broch of Gurness, Bishop's and
Earl's Palaces, Tomb of the Eagles and Kierfiold
House and garden - a Victorian walled garden.
Dinner each night on Orkney, staying at the Kirkwall
Hotel. a GOOD BIT OF INFO FOR THE FERRY; It
was cold on the upper deck and the captain
was concerned for the comfort of his passengers. He
called down: ‘Is there a mackintosh down there big
enough to keep two young lassies warm? ’‘No,
skipper,’ came the reply, ‘but there’s a Maclean
willing to try.’
4th September - Orkney all day, dinner and
overnight. You will find that Orkney is more
Viking than Scottish, this will become obvious when
we tour. Thousands of years of history waiting for
you, for example did you know: at Skara Brae each
house has a near identical set of fixtures and
fittings? These include a large central hearth
with a stone box bed on each side, with the bed on
the right being larger than the bed on the left in
each case. The box beds would have been packed with
heather. Each house is dominated by a stone-built
dresser of standard size and design, and in some
there is a stone seat in front of the dresser. The
houses also contain a number of other storage areas,
including shelves and recesses in the walls and
waterproof stone fish-bait boxes built into the
floor! Here is a wee joke for you; "These
rock formations," explained the tourist-worn
guide, "were piled up here in the Highlands by the
glaciers." TOURIST; " But where are the
glaziers now ? " TOUR GUIDE; " They've gone back,
madam, to get more rocks, "
5th September - we take the
NOON ferry
back to the mainland and onto Caithness. We drive west along the very top
shelf of Scotland to Tongue, then take the Strathnaver trail south. The trail runs through
almost desolate scenery at times, this area is
infamous for the clearances. We travel to the Falls
of Shinn, Dornoch and on to Inverness. Once again,
Colin may change this route if weather dictates or,
he just wants to annoy Paul. We end our
day in Grantown on Spey at the
Craiglynne Hotel where we stay
overnight. Dinner is included at the hotel.
CHANGE, we do not stay at the Columba. Here's
a wee thing to think on; if the hills are alive with
the sound of music, how do the sheep ever get to
sleep?
6th September - our first visit will be
Culloden Battlefield, followed by Clava Cairns.
History to see and touch, get the spine jingling
with these two visits, much of our Scottish history
in under two hours! We then head into Speyside to
visit the
Speyside Heather Garden, travel north to Elgin,
we will have time for a walk in town, see the
cathedral or
The
Biblical Garden, just around the corner from the
Cathedral. Using the Bible as its' reference
and including all one hundred and ten plants
mentioned therein, anyone who enjoys gardens and
gardening must visit. We return to
Grantown on Spey for
Dinner which is also
included tonight! here's one for the wee man
Colin: The Scottish coach driver was giving a tour
of Scotland to a group of tourists. The tour went
through the countryside and the driver would point
out sights of interest. He drove by this one area
and said, "Over there is where the Scottish
PULVERIZED the English." They drove on a little
further and the driver pointed to another area along
the roadway and said, "This is the place where the
Scottish MASSACRED the English. Not much further
down the road the driver told his passengers that on
the right was the great battlefield where the
Scottish WHIPPED the English. About that time a man
on the bus, with a stiff English accent, said, "My
good man, didn't the English win any battles around
here"? The bus driver responds, "Not while
I'm driving the bus".
7th September – this morning we drive along
the south side of Loch Ness, arriving at Fort
Augustus where we make a short stop. Then continue
west by south along the Great Glen to Fort
William and on to Glencoe. We
will make a lunch stop here at Glencoe.
Moving south we travel through
Rannoch Moor and to Tyndrum where we make
a wee stop. From here we take a right turn (south)
at Crainlarich, and travel down the whole length of
Loch Lomond. We will stop at Luss. From here we are not far away from our hotel
for the night in Glasgow; The West End Hilton. There
is an amazing restaurant and bar called
Oran Mhor,
we highly recommend for dinner tonight. There
are also many other choices within 5 minutes of the
hotel. Also within sight of the hotel is the Botanic
Gardens of Glasgow. We are told that we should be
expecting a visitor today, the other half of
mcleanscotland - Liz (the better looking one),
should be joining us whilst we are in Glasgow.
We may even get to meet the family who knows. For
those of you have not been before with us, look at
this page link, you can meet us virtually!
www.mcleanscotland.co.uk/aboutus.asp
8th September - a full day trip to Edinburgh,
INCLUDING Rosslyn Chapel (see above) so much to see
and do we will make an early start to allow the
maximum time for you in our Capital city. We return
to Glasgow for a Farewell Dinner. Anyone not wishing
to visit Edinburgh can take time to see the Botanic
Garden (above) or wander around our largest city, Glasgow!
9th September - a sad farewell as we transfer
to the airport.
10 Night tour of Scotland
includes: luxury coach, driver
Colin and guide Paul, all visits and entrance fees as above,
ensuite facilities in minimum 3 star hotels, 8
evening dinners, full Scottish breakfast daily, a
surprise or two en route, plus fully bound
tour notes including historical notes and plenty of
humour!
FLIGHTS AND INSURANCE ARE NOT INCLUDED.
COST OF THIS TOUR:
£1175 per person sharing a TWIN OR DOUBLE
room (based on 22 or more fully paying adults)
OR £1295 per person sharing a TWIN OR DOUBLE
room, (based on 16-21 fully paying adults)
Single supplement of £200 per person
Deposit and final balance:
a non refundable deposit of £100 is
due by 1st February 2007
information on deposits/balance or other tour
information please contact:
Marcia Gillen email:
mmchunt@webtv.net or mcleanscotland at
gardens@mcleanscotland.co.uk
for those paying deposit by personal/business
(USA) cheque a £20 admin fee will be added to the
final invoice. A receipt/invoice will be sent showing financial
transaction and final balance due in pounds
sterling. Personal/business cheques (whilst accepted for
deposit) are unfortunately not accepted for
final balance, we request either:
bankers draft/cashiers cheque in Pounds sterling
payable to MCLEANSCOTLAND OR
an international money transfer (bank to bank, any
charges to be paid by sender)
to be received by mcleanscotland no later than
Friday 29th June 2007.
OUR ADDRESS: mcleanscotland, Ground Floor, Armagh, Friarton
Road, PERTH, PH2 8DE, Scotland.
...................................................................................................................................................
We advise all our guests to refer to the
terms and conditions
on our website.
...................................................................................................................................................
Fintry - The story of Fintry is
closely tied to that of nearby Culcreuch Castle.
This started life as a three story tower house in
the 1400s. In 1796 the castle and its estate passed
into the hands of Alexander Spiers. At about the
same time he built a water powered cotton mill on
the Endrick Water just to the east of where the
centre of Fintry stands today. This was an ambitious
enterprise, designed to employ a thousand people.
There was a settlement here called Culcreuch by the
early 1600s, complete with an older mill: and a
church was built in 1642. But the need to
accommodate workers in the new mill caused the rapid
growth of the village. In 1823 a new church was
built as a shell surrounding the existing church,
which continued to be used during construction. When
what is now Fintry Kirk was complete, the earlier
building contained within it was demolished. The
bell from the old church continues in use in its
replacement today.
Beech Hedge near Cargill. 30
metres (100ft) high and 530 metres (1/3 mile) long.
The trees were planted in 1745 and are now
officially recognised in the Guinness Book of
Records as the highest hedge in the world. Legend
has it that following the death of her husband
Robert Murray Nairne at the battle of Culloden, Jean
Mercer of Meikleour allowed the hedge to grow
towards the heavens in a tribute to his memory. At
its most spectacular in the autumn, the sheer size
of the hedge makes it impressive at any time of
year.
Dunkeld - The name Dunkeld
comes from the Gaelic for "the fort in the wood".
Its recorded history dates back to the Culdee Monks
in about 730AD. This was rebuilt by Kenneth MacAlpin
in 848 and two years later Dunkeld became the
religious centre of Scotland when St Columba's
relics were moved here from Iona for safe keeping
from increasing Viking raids. Today's Dunkeld is a
lovely village. A great deal of work was done in the
1950s and 1960s by the National Trust for Scotland
and the Local Authority to restore many of the older
buildings in Cathedral Street and around the Cross.
A highlight at the junction of Cathedral Street is
the Ell House. This takes its name from the
engraving on its outside wall of the measurement of
an "Ell", a length of 39 inches used as a reference
for market trading. Dunkeld Cathedral lies on the
north bank of the River Tay, the setting is idyllic.)
Dunrobin
Castle is located a mile north of Golspie, and is
the Seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland, this
beautiful castle with a very French influence sits
looking out across the North Sea to Scandinavia.
With 189 rooms, it is the largest house in the
Northern Highlands. Parts of it date back to the
1300s. There are many collections of furniture,
pictures, objets d'art, uniforms, china and family
memorabilia on display in the Drawing Room, Library,
study, bedrooms, nurseries, etc. The current owner
is Elizabeth Janson, Countess of Sutherland, who
inherited the castle in 1963 following the death of
the 5th Duke of Sutherland whose funeral service
took place in the drawing room. Although she holds
the earldom, the dukedom went to his cousin the then
Earl of Ellesmere. For seven years in the late 60s
and early 70s the castle was home to a Boys'
Boarding School. Apparently there were some ghostly
goings here. The formal gardens were laid out in
1850 by Barry, the architect who built the Victorian
extension to Dunrobin and also the Houses of
Parliament in London.
Blair Castle - Blair Castle is
the ancient seats of the Dukes and Earls of Atholl
and holds an important place in Scotland's history.
Strategically located in the Strath of Garry,
whoever held Blair Castle was gatekeeper to the
Grampian Mountains and the route north to Inverness.
It was twice besieged, by Cromwell's army in 1652
and by the Jacobites in 1746, just before the
disaster of Culloden. It has also been much visited
by royalty. The Castle has the distinction of being
the home of the Atholl Highlanders, Europe's last
remaining private army. Blair Castle was one of the
first private houses to be opened to the public and
today it welcomes more visitors than any other.
There is a great deal to see here. The Castle and
Gardens extend to some 2,500 acres and way marked
trails and cycle paths allow visitors to get the
best from the Estate.
Spean Bridge woollen mill -
Spean Bridge's earlier claim to military fame came
in 1745, when during the first skirmish in the
conflict that culminated in failure for the
Jacobites the following year at Culloden, a handful
of noisy highlanders persuaded a very much larger
force of government troops to run away
Portree: Portree is the main
town on Skye. Its name comes from the Gaelic
Port-an-Righ, which translates as "King's Port" and
dates to a visit by King James V, plus a fleet of
warships, in 1540, to persuade the island clans to
support him. It had earlier been known as Kiltraglen.
The main street running parallel to the back of the
harbour is Bank Street. This is perhaps best known
for the Royal Hotel. In an earlier guise, as
MacNab's Inn, this was where Bonnie Prince Charlie
bade farewell for the last time in 1746 to Flora
MacDonald, who had famously conveyed him "Over the
Sea to Skye".
Kinlochewe.
The name Kinlochewe implies that this is the
settlement that lies at the head of Loch Ewe. Which
is a bit odd as Loch Ewe is the sea loch on which
you find Poolewe, some fifteen miles to the North
West. The answer lies in the fact that until around
1700 Loch Maree was also called Loch Ewe. The name
was changed to commemorate St Mealrubha, who is
credited with bringing Christianity to Wester Ross
and who had a cell on Isle Maree, one of Loch
Maree's islands.
Dornoch - where we have time
to see the Cathedral and maybe a stroll around this
highland town. (link … Dornoch dates back a thousand
years and it became a Royal Burgh in 1628. Other
notable events in its' history include the extensive
damage to both town and cathedral caused by the
MacKays during a clan feud in 1570; and perhaps its'
least glorious claim to fame, as the place where
Scotland's last alleged witch was burned alive in a
barrel of oil in 1722.)
Dornoch Cathedral has been in use since 1239; but it
was a more recent event that really placed it on the
world map for the first time. In the spotlight of
attention from the world's press, and under the
video camera of an intruder hiding amid the organ
pipes, a very worldly Madonna had her son christened
here in January 2001.
Thurso - Thurso's origins
are revealed in its name, which comes from the Norse
for Thor's River. The Vikings were well established
here from as early as the 900s, using the river
mouth as a port and fishing base. After the Viking's
eviction from Caithness by the Scots in the early
1200s, Thurso continued to grow around its fishing
and trade. Little remains from its early days,
though the now roofless Old St Peter's Church was
first established in 1220. In 1798, Sir John
Sinclair of Ulbster built Thurso's New Town to the
south and west of the Old Town with wide streets
laid out on a regular grid. Today much of the
original pattern of both old and new towns remains
on view. In the 1850s Scrabster, to the west of
Thurso, developed into an important harbour.
There are three burial cairns at Balnuaran, and they
are part of a line of seven dotted along the south
side of the valley of the River Nairn. These
together form part of a group of some 45 very
distinctive cairns in northern Inverness-shire, all
called Clava Cairns after this location, which is
where they were first studied. What sets them apart
is their construction within a "kerb", a ring of
large containing boulders. 2000 BC
The Jacobite army did finally face the Government
army across 500 yards of Culloden Moor at 11am on 16
April 1746, most had not eaten for more than two
days; they had endured a pointless forced march and
retreat throughout the previous night; and they were
on ground ideally suited to the Government army's
artillery and dragoons, and totally unsuited to
their own single tactic of charging down the enemy.
And they were at a numerical disadvantage. The
Jacobites numbered at most 5,000 men, while the
Government army facing them was perhaps 8,000
strong, including 800 mounted dragoons. To make
matters worse, many of the Jacobites had dispersed
in search of food; while others had simply fallen
asleep in ditches and buildings. When you add to all
of this the much better equipped and trained
artillery available to the Government forces, the
outcome of the battle was certain before it began.
When the battle commenced, the Government artillery
was able to pick off the Jacobites at long range,
eventually provoking them into a charge. This
reached the Government lines at the southern end of
the line of conflict, but was repulsed after savage
hand-to-hand conflict. Elsewhere the mass of
charging Highlanders did not even reach the
Government lines. They were simply stopped by musket
and cannon fire before they came close enough to use
their main weapons, the spear and the broadsword.
In less than an hour it was all over. 364 Government
troops had been killed or wounded. A much larger
number of Jacobites and others had been killed
during the battle. Many more were killed as they lay
wounded on the battlefield or after being taken
prisoner. And the Government dragoons dispatched to
hunt down fleeing Jacobites roamed far and wide,
indiscriminately killing rebels, bystanders,
spectators, residents and anyone else who was within
reach. It is estimated that the total dead on the
Jacobite side was well over 1,000. A total of 3,470
Jacobites, supporters and others were taken prisoner
in the aftermath of Culloden. Of these 120 were
executed and 88 died in prison; while 936 were
transported to the colonies and 222 more "banished".
Many of the rest were eventually released, though
the fate of nearly 700 is simply unknown.
Glencoe -On 1 February, two companies, perhaps 130 men, were
moved south from Inverlochy and billeted with the MacDonalds in Glen Coe. The troops were commanded by
Captain Robert Campbell of Glen Lyon, a 60 year-old
bankrupt alcoholic. He was probably put in charge
because he was unlikely to question his orders.
These duly arrived, in writing, on 12 February, from
Major Robert Duncanson based at Inverlochy. Captain
Campbell and his men were to "fall upon the Rebells...
and putt all to the sword under seventy." This was
to happen at 5am the following morning, 13 February.
There were up to 500 MacDonalds, scattered over the
lower reaches of Glen Coe. The start of the massacre
was signaled by a fire lit on what is now called
Signal Rock at 5am. It was dark, it was snowing, and
reinforcements intended to block escape routes from
the glen failed to turn up, leaving Captain Campbell
to make his mark on history largely unaided.
The massacre was ineptly carried out. Some 38
MacDonalds were killed by the troops, but the sound
of the initial gunfire provides ample warning to
most, who escaped into the winter mountains. An
unknown number subsequently died from exposure. The
public outcry that followed led to the resignation
of Sir John Dalrymple. The military officers
involved were left to continue their careers, though
Captain Campbell eventually ended his days in a
gutter in Bruges.
It's wrong to minimise the deaths of 38 people, plus
others in the snow. But Glen Coe's infamy is not
really because of the deaths involved. The number of
victims was not much greater than killed by the
MacDonalds in the less well known 1646 raid on Glen
Lyon. What offended Highlanders most about Glen Coe
was the abuse of the hospitality offered by the
MacDonalds to the government troops.
Rannoch Moor - Imagine a
triangular area, stood on its apex, about 10 miles
across its base and about 10 miles from top to
bottom. Imagine that this 50 square mile inverted
triangle is a roughly level plateau that sits at an
altitude of a little over 1000ft. Imagine that its
surface is dotted with innumerable lochs, lochans,
peat bogs, and streams; that it is surrounded by
mountains that rise to over 3000ft to the south-east
and the west and to over 2000ft in the north.
And, finally, imagine that this area is crossed by a
railway line, running a little inside the south-east
side of the triangle, and a single road, running a
little inside the south-west side of the triangle.
Congratulations: you've just invented Rannoch Moor.
Luss - Legend has it
that the village takes its' name from an adaptation
of the French for the heraldic flower, the iris, or
Fleur de Lys. According to the legend a local girl
married a high ranking French officer in the 14th
Century. She died in France but her body was
returned to be buried by Loch Lomond; Fleur de Lys
strewn on her grave by her husband are said to have
taken root and grown here ever since. A settlement
has probably existed here since the 1300s, when it
is known that there was a church dedicated to St
Kessog, who lived here seven hundred years earlier.
The Luss you see today owes much to the local land
owners, the Colquhouns, who lived in nearby Rossdhu
Castle. It has popped up as a backdrop to a number
of films and TV programmes; including the Scottish
soap opera Take the High Road. A little further
afield, Luss has in recent years acquired a near
neighbour in the form of the Loch Lomond Golf
Course, now home to a number of tournaments
including the Scottish Open.
Since Òran Mór opened its
doors in Summer 2004 it has brought unprecedented
entertainment and excitement to Glasgow's West End.
There is a choice of restaurants with The
Conservatory, a casual dining area serving fine
Scottish produce and The Brasserie, the perfect
place to enjoy a special celebration or to impress.
You can also enjoy a pre-theatre menu in the
Brasserie's sumptuous surroundings.
The Castle of Mey
(formerly Barrogill Castle) is about six miles west
of Jon O' Groats. In fine weather there are views
from the castle north to the Orkneys. The Castle of
Mey was built in 16th century by George Sinclair,
4th earl of Caithness (you will see this name again
at Rosslyn Chapel later in the tour). The castle was
in a semi-derelict state, then in 1952 it was taken
by Queen Elizabeth I, the widow of King George VI.
Queen Elizabeth set about restoring the castle for
use as a holiday home. She visited it ONLY DURING
August and October until her death in 2002 (the last
visit being in October 2001). The castle is said to
have a ghost (don't they all?)
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