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 Posted here are images from and comments about our Windstar Cruise of Scotland and Ireland (18-31 June 2017), which included stopovers in Edinburgh Scotland and Dublin Ireland before and after the cruise.

My daughter Brenna is a tireless traveler, she selected the cruise, researched the itinerary, reserved hotels, Airbnbs, guides, cars, pub tours …, and insured that at each cruise port and in the cities of Edinburgh and Dublin we were off without delay to see the sights. The success of our time in Scotland and Ireland was largely due to her hard work and research. She even rented motorcycles for us to ride the famous Isle of Man race course.  Thank you Brenna.

Brenna and I departed Los Angeles (LAX) early morning of 18 June. About the same time  Paul and Pam Harris flew from San Francisco (SFO), also on Air Canada.  The four of us met in Toronto,  Canada where after a couple of hours in a crowded airport  we boarded an Canada Air Rouge overnight flight for Edinburgh. Not certain what the “Rouge” designation stands for unless it is “rough” which the well-worn Boeing 676-300 certainly was.  The plus side was the flight was not full and Brenna was able to make a bed out of three seats.

The flight did offer free food (Anthony Bourdain says to never, never eat airline food), and the seats were decently spaced, certainly more leg room than United or American.

We landed in Edinburgh little before 7am and hailed a van for transport to lodging located dead center of the old city.  As we were unloading our bags at the hotel, my son Key (AKA Jed) appeared on the sidewalk next to the van, grinning at my puzzled expression.  He had begged off the Scotland trip saying he was too busy, trip was to expensive, they rather go to Mexico, yada, yada–all designed to spring a birthday surprise.  It worked.

Key and Angela both fly for Southwest Airlines were able to catch a flight to Europe on short notice.  Everyone was in on the plan, everyone but me–a nice thought for my 104th birthday.

Our apartment was roomy with a fine view of the city (thank you Brenna), a short walk from Edinburgh Castle and close to good food (beer).  It threatened rain and we carried umbrellas for our walking tour, but were lucky with the weather.  Luckier than we would be in few days.

Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the most visited tourist sight in Scotland.  A warren of stone buildings, the castle sits atop a rocky volcanic core that looms above the city clearly chosen as the most easily defended location in the area.  Home to kings and queens (Mary, Queen of Scots) the castle is a formidable fortification .

Although the lines were long, the place is organized and waits to enter buildings were reasonable.

THE CRUISE

INVERGORDON, SCOTLAND

First port of call, Invergordon, is a quiet village whose main claim to fame is the “Invergordon Mutiny.”  In September 1931 around 1000 sailors of the British Atlantic Fleet based here expressed their displeasure with a proposed 25% pay cut by thumbing their noses at their officers and refusing to work.  The Admiralty thought it not cricket to just shoot upwards of a thousand sailors, so in classic British bureaucratic muddling the matter got worked out in a couple of days and the “mutiny” entered history as a footnote.

Invergordon is an excellent starting point for explorations of the Scottish Highlands .

Windstar Star Pride at dock. Small as cruise ships go: 440′ feet from bow to stern, 212 guests and 151 crew. (photo by Pam)

A short walk from the ship along the dock we picked up our two rental cars (thank you Brenna) and drove off to find the Whiskey Trail and the Glenfiddich Scotch distillery.

So, while we’re on the subject, how does Scotch whiskey differ from Irish whiskey?

“Scotch whiskey is distilled twice, while Irish whiskey undergoes triple distillation.
Scotch whisky uses peat-smoked, wholly malted barley, while Irish whiskey uses kiln-dried, raw  and malted barley.
Scotch whiskey is produced by ‘blending’, while Irish whiskey is produced by ‘vatting’.
Scotch whiskey is casked for a at least two years, while Irish whiskey is kept in the cask for at least three years.”

If you’re interested in the details, See:http://www.differencebetween.net/object/difference-between-irish-whiskey-and-scotch-whisky/

 

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