Sunday Scheduled an airport van to pick me up at 3AM, so I stayed up, watching the Nats play late (west coast game). Arrived at Reagan around 4 (empty airport) for the flight to Toronto. The flight from Toronto to London [map] was delayed by about 90 minutes, so I got into Heathrow with little time to grab the tube to South Kensington (rode without a ticket, but was able to get out of the station with the assistance of some guys working on the exit gates). Got to the hotel (Eden Plaza) around midnight, grabbed a Heinekin at the desk, and went to my (very small) room to unpack and get some rest after the long day.
Monday Up late (just before the hotel breakfast buffet closed), then walked to Hyde Park. Rented a Boris Bike and did a loop through the Park, then walked down to Harrod’s to mosey around, to a nearby bank to exchange some money, and to the Kensington tube station to pick up an Oyster card. Picked up another bike and rode to Buckingham Palace, stopping briefly there, then on to St. James Park for a snack and rest. Rode from the Park to the Thames and the House of Commons. A storm blew up while I was near the river, so I dumped the bike and took the tube back to South Kensington station. Walked from there to the Victoria and Albert Museum, where I spent the rest of the afternoon. Rested for a while at the hotel, after the museum closed, then walked through a fierce rain/hail storm to a nearby pub (Queens Arms) for dinner. Shared a table (and several beers) with three Korean exchange students who were all studying physics at a college in London. Walked back to the hotel, after dinner, to drop off my umbrella, then walked up Cromwell Rd to a coffee shop for cappuccino and a pistachio macaroon.
Tuesday Up around 7:30, breakfast at the hotel. Took the tube to the British Museum, arriving around 9:30 (before the seriously huge crowds). Stayed there until around 2PM, having lunch at the museum. Walked from there to the British Library, lingering for a while in the courtyard with coffee and ice cream, then toured the Sir John Ritblat Gallery. Grabbed a double-decker bus from the library to Hyde Park Corner, then walked from there to the hotel. Rested until dinner, then walked up to an Indian restaurant (Light of India) on Gloucester Road. Met a couple dining next to me who had just returned from hiking the Coast to Coast hike. The wife was from Laurel, Maryland.
Wednesday After another restless night (jet lag?), got up late (around 9), then walked down to the South Kensington tube stop for breakfast (salmon, eggs, toast, salad, coffee). Took the tube to the Tower Hill station, then walked to the Tower of London, getting there early enough to avoid the endless line at the Crown Jewels display. Toured the Tower and grounds until about 1, then had lunch (fish and chips) in the plaza near the Tower. Considered taking a boat to Westminster, but the long lines persuaded me to use the tube. Toured Westminster Abbey for a couple of hours, then headed back to the hotel for a quick nap. Walked down to the South Kensington tube station, had dinner at a Pret near the station, then grabbed a bike for a sunset ride through Hyde Park.
Thursday After my first good night’s sleep since I got to London, I got up around 6, read for awhile, then headed down to the lobby for breakfast. Took the tube to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Toured the cathedral for a couple of hours, climbing to the Golden Gallery for a spectacular view of London. Rented a Boris bike for a ride to Trafalgar Square, then visited the National Gallery for a few hours. Left the gallery after lunch, and walked to the tube stop in a serious downpour. Took the tube to Victoria Station, where I bought a round-trip ticket for the express train to Gatwick, and topped up my Oyster card for the trip to Heathrow when I returned from Scotland. Headed back to the hotel to rest, then headed out for dinner. A hard rain had all of the restaurants packed, so I grabbed carryout food (Pret salad and sandwich) and dined in the hotel. Packed up for the Friday trip to Scotland.
Friday Up early to straighten out my bill at the hotel, then hustled down to the tube to ride to Victoria Station, where I caught the train to Gatwick. Got to Gatwick with time to kill, so I had a light breakfast at the airport, then did some reading (and observed a bizarre exhibition by a fellow airport visitor). Got to Inverness [map] in the early afternoon, and caught a cab to the B&B (Andross Glencairn) where I stayed on Friday night. Unpacked, rested for a few minutes, then walked around Inverness for an hour or so before dinner. Dined at Johnny Foxes Pub (Guinness pie, peas, chips, beer).
Saturday After an early breakfast, I spent the morning exploring Inverness, walking through town and along the river. Had lunch in town, then headed back to the B&B to fetch my luggage. Got to the train station around 1PM, where I met Bill and Joan Talder from Seattle. Meg Barry and Barbara Stewart (both from Texas) showed up a few minutes later. The four of us chatted until about 1:30 when Angela Gillespie, our REI guide met us. As we loaded up the van, George Shaw (from the San Francisco bay area) rolled in, and we departed for Ullapool [map]. We checked into our hotel, the Ladysmith Guest House, and rested for about 30 minutes. Around 3, we drove to the trailhead of the Ullapool Hill Path, and spent a few hours hiking to the summit and back. We stopped by a local grocery store on the way back to the guest house, to buy beer for the next two nights. After a wonderful dinner (sea bass) prepared by our hosts, Niven and Pauline McRobb, Bill, Joan, George, and I walked down to the pier to see the tall ships and check out the céilidh that was happening on one of the tall ships (closed party, we couldn’t get on the dock).
Sunday Up early. Great breakfast at the guest house (fresh fruit, porridge, salmon & eggs), then shuttled to Inverpolly (about a 90 minute ride). Rained off and on throughout the day. Hiked up an old wagon road to the Suileag Bothy, where we had lunch. Deadheaded back down the trail to a point close to the trailhead, then took a trail across the bogs to the River Inver, which was roaring due to the recent “biblical” rains that had accompanied a hurricane about a week earlier. Followed the river back to Lochinver [map], and had hot chocolate at the Caberfeidh Restaurant. Arrived back at Ullapool around 5:30 (with very wet boots), rested for about an hour, then had another great dinner, courtesy of Niven and Pauline.
Monday Packed up for the drive to Gairloch, then met the group for breakfast in the dining room. Drove to Badrallach, and hiked from there along Loch Broom to Scoraig. Deadheaded back to the van, and then drove to Gairloch [map] and checked into the old hunting lodge (the Shieldaig Lodge Hotel) where we’d spend the next two nights. Unpacked, had a beer in the bar, then joined the gang for dinner.
Tuesday Up around 7:30 and down to the dining room for a “full Scottish breakfast” (including bacon, sausage, black pudding, eggs, toast, tattie scones, beans, and haggis). After breakfast we drove to a trailhead near comm towers on top of a high hill, with views of the Inner Seas and the hills near Ullapool. Bushwacked down from the towers, crossing high bogs and across little streams. Worked our way over to a somewhat dilapidated bothy on the cliffs overlooking the sea, then down a steep, cliffside trail to the beach where high waves were crashing. A rain squall blew up while we were eating lunch. After lunch, we hiked back up the cliff and across the high bogs to the road that leads to the Rua Reidh Lighthouse [map]. After the hike, we drove to the Inverewe Garden, where we spent a few hours touring the grounds. Drove back to the lodge, rested for a few minutes, then grabbed a beer in the bar, and headed to dinner (prawns, duck) with the gang. Back to bar, after dinner, for scotch and conversation with the group.
Wednesday Packed in the morning, loaded the van, and then hiked a nearby trail to Fairy Lochs, a beautiful highland series of lochlans, and the site of WWII American plane crash. Circled back to the lodge, had lunch in the parlor, then headed out for Skye [map]. Stopped on the way to visit Eilean Donan Castle [map]. Got to our hotel, the Sconser Lodge, in the late afternoon, checked in, rested for awhile, and hit the bar for a beer. Chatted with a couple of older Scottish guys who were at the lodge for their annual fishing trip, discussing American writers (Roth and Updike, mainly), then met the REI group in the dining room.
Thursday After breakfast, we headed to our hike in the Black Cuillin mountains, ascending Bruach Na Frithe [map], one of the “Munros” (British 3000 foot peaks). Blustery and cold all day with occasional squalls. The summit of the mountain was cloudy all day, but the sun would occasionally illuminate the range of mountains in all directions. On the way down, and almost back to the van, Meg turned her ankle and injured her foot. Bill and George helped Meg back to the van, and we drove to the Lodge, arriving in time for another wonderful dinner. Scotch in the bar after dinner.
Friday Another “full Scottish breakfast”, then a drive to Portree [map] to drop Meg off at a doctor’s office. Did a little site-seeing in Portee, then we drove north to do the last of our hikes in Scotland, the walk up to the Quiraing Table [map]. Beautiful weather for the hike, perhaps the first sunny day, from sunrise to sunset, that I had seen in Britain. Enjoyed lunch on the table, then descended and drove back to lodge, stopping on the way for ice cream. After our last dinner in the lodge, the bartender/waiter’s (Norry?) daughter played her bagpipes for the group in the bar.
Saturday After our last breakfast on Skye, we headed south past Loch Ness and back to Inverness, arriving around noon. I checked into my bed and breakfast, the Lyndon Guest House, set up my taxi for early the next morning, and rested for a few hours. Up in time to meet my hiking pals for dinner at Urquharts, then we walked around Inverness, and closed the evening out at the hotel where the rest of the group was staying, drinking scotch and bidding each other farewell.
Sunday Up around 4:30 for the cab ride to the airport. Arrived at the Inverness airport in time to enjoy a Scottish breakfast, then flew to Gatwick and caught the express train to downtown London. Took the tube from Victoria Station to Heathrow, arriving with plenty of time to catch the AirCanada flight to Montreal, where I was scheduled to connect to Reagan. In Montreal, I cleared Canadian and US customs, but was held back by the TSA staff, due to the fact that my luggage had not showed up on their screens. I was told to wait in a room until the AirCanada staff had confirmed the status of my luggage, which was apparently not in their power. The flight to Reagan departed on time, and the AirCanada folks shuttled me to an airport Sheraton to spend the night.
Monday Breakfast in the hotel (courtesy of AirCanada), then back to the Montreal airport for an early afternoon flight to DC. Arrived around 4:30, caught the Metro to Greenbelt (chatting about bridge with a guy I met on the train), then walked from the Metro station home, arriving at about 6:30.
