Scotland

It was de ja vu this Easter with another trip to Scotland on the train (same as last year.) We had madly been making the most of our limited free membership to Ancestry.com and so were keen to see what sort of places the people who came before us lived. This time we had managed to score tickets on the Caledonian Sleeper to Aberdeen. After our excellent sleeper experience in Turkey we were keen to try it again. So we rocked up to Euston Station on Thursday night, find our room (which was alas a bit tighter than the Turkish equivalent) and tucked ourselves into our bunks before trying to get some sleep.

We awoke early after a somewhat shaky sleep in a very grey and foggy Aberdeen. Not to be dissuaded we wander around the central town and checked some of the large grey stone buildings. It was only about 7am so the city was largely still asleep. It was all quite eerie being around in the fog in a largely empty city but the few souls wandering the streets with us made us comfortable we hadn’t gotten lost in a horror movie. After a breakfast of hot cross buns (it being Good Friday and all) from Greggs we jumped on the bus to the airport where our rental car for the rest of the weekend awaited us. By the time we left the airport carpark the fog had virtually lifted and was promising a beautiful Spring Day. We had a loose plan about where we would be going but were free to stop and change things along the way as we saw fit. The main purpose of the trip was to visit some of the places our ancestors were from (or possibly from). Our research hadn’t exactly been rock solid but was enough to give us some ideas. The first stop was the town of Ellon. It was near to the town of Tarves where Jess had a feeling her Grandad Ken’s family was from. It was a pretty little town with a cute bridge and river. We made the first of many stops at the local cemetery but didn’t find any names we recognised. It was then back in the car and further north to the town of Fraserburgh where Jess had a feeling some of the Ritchie family might be from. It was built out of the same grey stone but the sun made things look a bit brighter. It wasn’t really much of a tourist stop though, the highlight being the lighthouse museum. We decided to avoid that and instead filled up on fish and chips for lunch. Not the best we had ever had but a darn site better than what you get in London. It was then along the north coast to the village of Rosehearty. This was apparently where the Ritchie family were definitely from. It was a nice sleepy seaside town. The view was pretty good on the day we were there but we suspect that that was probably the exception rather than the rule. We found the house where Jess’ Great Great Great Grandfather James Ritchie was born/died although it looked like it had probably been replaced by a new block of flats since that time. A wander around town didn’t shed much more light on Jess’ past however a chance glancing at no. 32 Pitsligo Street proved that there were still Ritchie’s to be found in Rosehearty. We didn’t have the guts to knock on the door but at least we knew we were on the right track. We drove up the hill above the town to Rosehearty Castle which Jess decided was her own. It is basically a ruin now but it was pretty cool being able to walk right through it and have a good close up look at everything. Just up the road from there was Peathill Kirkyard, a cemetary where apparently one or two of the Ritchie’s might also have been buried. We started wandering around looking at the gravestones and one or two is probably an understatement. If you check out the photos you will see that the place is full of Ritchies, and a fair few Mitchells too. Didn’t manage to find any names and dates that we recognised but still good to have a such a positive strike on our first day. 

We then carried on south again to the town of Huntly. This time we were on the Hunt for Henrys. We had a bit more information from Marcus’ Grandma this time so it made it easier to find the places we were looking for. We checked out where Marcus’ Great Great Grandfather had grown up at No. 1 Old Road (now a charity shop) and where his grandparents had lived (seconds around the corner) at 49 Duke Street (now a motorbike shop.) A general wander around Huntly showed that it was a pretty and probably quite prosperous town. Not as bleak as the towns we had just been in on the North Coast. We made a quick trip our of town to check out Affleck Farm, apparently where the oldest Henry son had worked for many generations, but we couldn’t see that much from the road. After a quick visit to the shortbread factory and a look past Huntly Castle we were back on the road again and off to our last stop of the day Nairn just north of Inverness, the site of the battle of Culloden Moor, the final confronation of the Jacobite Rising in 1746 although that site is now just a big field. After sampling some of the local beer we made it to bed for a well earned sleep.

We arose the next morning for a full Scottish Breakfast and with much food in our bellies checked out the beach down the road before heading back inland to Cawdor Castle, the home of the Thane of Cawdor, the most famous Thane being MacBeth. It is more of a stately home set in gardens but was still very pretty. It is still lived in so the current Thane has focussed more on the actual history of the castle rather than Shakespeare’s version, although there is a cauldron hidden just by the entrance for those wanting their fix of the Scottish Play. After a wander through the gardens and the obligatory hedge maze we carried on in the car past Inverness and up into the Highlands of Scotland. It had been virtually flat up until now but as soon as we passed Inverness the road rose and became windier and the hills began to loom on either side. We stopped on our way westward for a walk to a waterfall. The walk from the carpark was only about five minutes, but living in London we always appreciate a chance at some nature. We continued onwards and upwards through the forests and ever further westward as the forests gave way to rolling grasslands and low grey cloud. We knew we were in Scotland now. We arrived in the cute seaside town of Ullapool where we were staying at an excellent B&B called  Birchgrove. It wasn’t time to go there yet though. We had a lunch of tea and cake at the Pink Teapot Coffee Shop down on the waterfront and then continued winding our way north to the Coigach peninsula, this time on the hunt for Morrisons. Again we had a bit of information to go on with Marcus’ great grandfather having come from Polbain before coming to New Zealand. Getting there was no easy task. The road was only paved in parts and was only one lane with little laybys that you needed to duck into when there was an oncoming car, and the locals didn’t seem too interested to stop for anyone. We made it in one piece however, so were able to see what we had come for. We checked out the family house at 196 Polbain which the local shop owner told us was now owned by a German writer. We carried on along the coast. We weren’t quite sure which of the ruins was “The Fever House” but as that isn’t actually our ancestors we weren’t too worried. With the help of Lynn and Dave’s instructions we found the grave of Isabella Campbell at the Coigach Badenscallie cemetery. After checking out a house where we think an earlier generation of Morrisons may have lived we wound our way back to Ullapool. We had a tasty fish dinner at a local pub before a walk along the seafront and falling into bed.

After another full Scottish Breakfast we were back in the car and heading back the way we had come before turning south to take the coast road down to Skye. Although we had been lucky with the weather so far it had finally decided to let some rain come down on us. This didn’t stop us having a look at another waterfall, this one being more impressive than the one from the day before. The countryside through here was again very rugged, this time in a more dramatic way, with large mountains on one side and the sea on the other, or driving through the middle of the mountains and all of a sudden it would open up into a loch which was capturing all the rain as it fell. We eventually arrived in Kyle of Lochalsh. Unfortunately illness meant that the B&B we had booked could no longer take our booking. They found us some alternative accommodation but it left us feeling a little bit confused. Nonetheless we didn’t let that stop us. The sun had now come out again so we crossed the bridge into Skye. We didn’t really have a plan of where we were going but we saw a sign directing us towards a traditional Highland Cottage. We went in the direction of the sign…and we went….and we went….until we eventually arrived at the Clan MacDonald visitor’s centre at Armadale, the ancestral seat of Clan MacDonald. Although not exactly what we had anticipated we decided as we were there we would have a look around the grounds of what is now a ruin and visitor’s centre. The visitor’s centre gave us a bit more of an insight into the history of the people of Highlands and Western Isles. We never did find that traditional Highland Cottage though….After another big day we made our way back to our B&B for another well earned sleep.

After yet another cooked breakfast we were off again on the last day of our trip around Scotland. We stopped along the way at Eilean Donan Castle, but as it wasn’t yet open decided we wouldn’t hang around with the tour bus crowds and instead got some photos of one of Scotland’s most romantic castles, situated on island just off the coast, before making our way inland to Scotland’s most famous landmark, Loch Ness. You come driving through the mountains and then all of a sudden there it is, sprawled out to your right. It isn’t that wide but it stretches for miles. We attempted to spot Nessie but unfortunately she was having a day with her feet up when we were there. After some lunch, and like the many American tourists we stopped in at the ruins of Urquhart Castle on the shore of the Loch. Although impressive it did feel like yet another ruin. We then continued our way slowly winding around the western shore of the Loch until all of a sudden it was gone and we arrived back where we had been two days before at Inverness. Inverness is a small but pretty city built around a river, even though the coast itself is not that far away. After a less than enthralling visit to the Scottish Kilt Museum we decided to just go for a wander around the town. We had promised Andy and Cami that we would pick up some Haggis while we were there, so never one to shirk a responsibility we grabbed a couple of small haggis before nestling in at a local bar for some dinner and drinks and then meandering our way down to the train station and back on the overnight train to London bleary eyed and probably not at our best, but still functioning, for work on Tuesday.
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April

We celebrated April Fool’s Day with Ian, down at Ziloufs where he was having his birthday party. Alas nobody went along with the request to come dressed as a rabbit. The cocktails were flowing freely and we had some good yarns with all the usual gang. Old Fashioneds were definitely the sponsor of that night. After the gang headed off to a gig down at the Relentless Garage we decided to pike upstairs with a few hangers on and polish off a few more drinks in the luxury of our own lounge.

After the resounding success that was Yum Cha we decided to have another go at. This time we were joined by Tree (who was in NZ last time) and Perry, who couldn’t make it last time either. Anna alas had to work but we made a point of eating plenty to make up for her not being there. This one fortunately didn’t turn into a session of afternoon drinking as Perry and Tree both had to go home and do some marking, being teachers and all. Perry never quite got to his but that is a story for a later blog entry…

It being time to take Iceberg for another spin, we took the longest trip yet with a drive up to Sheffield to finally see Rae. We had only been in the UK two years after all…Other than some questionable directions from TomTom on the way up the drive was easy and we arrived in Sheffield earlier than we had expected. We caught up over a cup of tea with Rae before turning in. The next morning Rae took us a bit south to the Peaks District for some walking and sightseeing. We were a bit surprised at the lack of “Peaks” in the Peaks District, it being more a series of rolling hills but it was still good to get some country air and check out all the crazy rock formations over the hills which climbers were energetically clambering over. The weather was also brilliant. Blue skies and not too cold. Excellent for walking. After a tasty lunch and a drive around the area Rae took us for a walk through the forest, hoping to see the bluebells. Alas it was still too early but we still got another good walk over some farmland in before heading back for a tasty dinner cooked by Rae and a movie before a well earned sleep. After a full English breakfast cooked by Rae the following morning we said our farewells and drove into Sheffield to have a look around. The town itself had obviously had a lot of money invested in it over time and it was really nice and relaxed. We spent some time wandering around the Winter Garden, which is a massive greenhouse in the middle of town before doing a bit of shopping and investing in some good knives for when we travel around Europe in our van. The weather was again really good so we drove a little bit out of the centre of town and parked up in Sheffield’s botanical gardens for a lunchtime picnic and reading on the grass and catching some sun. It was then time to pack up the van again and head back to London.

The rest of April was busy too but our adventures get their own separate blogs…

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March

It was a sad start to March. Christchurch had just been rocked by the second major earthquake in six months. This one had devastated the city centre and many suburbs. It was certainly a time for soul searching for a lot of Kiwi’s in London, unable to do anything for their friends and family in NZ. To show our support and solidarity we attended a service held at Westminster Cathedral. There were thousands of people there and we were lucky to get to even be inside, although we couldn’t see much. There was singing by Hayley Westenra and a performance by a Kapa Haka group as well as various readings. Money was also raised and it was good to share time with other Kiwis at this sad event.

We had driven the Iceberg around a bit but had never really taken it for a good spin, so one weekend in early March we packed ourselves in and jumped on the motorway out east down into Kent where we visited the seaside town of Whitstable. Although the snow was now a thing of the past it was still pretty darn cold so it was hats and coats all around. Being at the seaside we thought it only fitting that we indulge in some fresh fish and chips (as opposed to the stuff of questionable age you get in London.) We wandered down to the waterfront and found a place that was selling fresh fish one side and cooked fish and chips on the other. We downed our prawns and scampi and then went for a wander along the beach. It was good to see some weatherboard houses too. Very reminiscent of NZ.We could definitely see how Whitstable would be a nice place to come and hangout in summer even if the temperature was a bit on the brisk side today.

We managed to catch up with Mary-Anne for her 30^th birthday. We hadn’t really been out in the city before so it was good to get out amongst all the suits at the wine bars. We also caught up with Monique and, as is obligatory at these events, met some more Kiwis in London.

Iceberg’s next trip was again out east, this time to Hornchurch in Essex. Kate and David had snuck off to NZ and gotten married so it was time for them to have a wedding shindig back in the UK. David’s parents had graciously lent them the use of their huge house in Romford for the celebrations. The whole gang were there and David’s parents had put on an amazing spread of food and drink for all the guests. Mr & Mrs Smith were looking stunning in their wedding attire and it was good to meet some of Kate and David’s friends, family and workmates. We had decided to make the most of Iceberg being a campervan so there was no need to find our way back to London. That meant we could eat, drink and dance well into the early hours of the morning before eventually making our way back to bed in the van for a great nights sleep. A few people had stayed at Kate and David’s and were looking a bit rough in the morning but David’s patented bagels with bacon soon put an end to that. It was then a slow and easy drive back into London.

March was also the month were we ourselves had tied our nuptials and it was time to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. We decided to do it in style this year with afternoon tea at the Ritz. We had booked one of the later spots so the tea also doubled as dinner. Good thinking eh? We were all dressed up in our best clothes as it was silver service and a string quartet. Very posh. We each had a glass of champagne before selecting our pots of tea and tucking in to the scones, cucumber sandwiches and cakes on offer. It was lucky we had gone for the dinner slot because the food and the tea just kept coming and we certainly had had our fill by the end of it all. The food was good but not quite on par with what we had at the Queen’s Garden Party. We couldn’t help but feel a little bit cheesy along with all the other tourists who were having tea too, but one must do these things when one has the opportunity.

Iceberg got yet another trip our east in March. This time to Epping Forest. This time we managed to get there without getting lost (this was not the first time we had tried.) As always it was good to get out to nature and have a wander around in the Woods. Epping Forest is an old hunting ground for the Tudors and so as well as the trees and walks it is also the site of Queen Elizabeth I’s hunting cottage. After some tasty bacon sandwiches cooked up in the Iceberg we went for a visit to Liz’s cottage. It was all decked out with fake food and armour etc and we couldn’t help but feel a little bit silly but the kids who were there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

March is certainly the month for weddings. As mentioned in previous posts, Jen and Liam had also tied the knot in Canada while they had been away at Christmas, so it was their turn to host a wedding party. This time it was a bit closer to home,down in Shoreditch in a fancy room above a pub which they had decked out in a not so weddingy, but very Jen and Liamy red and black. We made the most of the food, drink and company on offer before getting in a few more dance moves and catching the last Overground back to Islington.


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