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Newsletter #39 - March 11 to 18, 1960 |
| Newsletter No. 39 March 11 to March 18, 1960 Mailed from Paris, France 3/24/6O Received in Philadelphia 3/29/60 Greetings: Today [March 12] was certainly a hurried one as we had an early breakfast and were on the road by 7:30 AM. We drove through Ireland today as if we were being chased as we wanted to catch the ship at Larne by 4.30 PM. It is the latest cars will be taken aboard even though they do not sail until 6:50 PM. Our reason for wishing to sail today was there would not be another ship leaving for another two days and we did not wish to stay in Ireland that much longer because the weather is terrible. We drove in rain most of today and went through many small Irish villages but only one was of real interest. It was Limerick, a city near Shannon Airport and in the Shannon Valley and River area. Here we saw the Castle of King John and the ruins of a 6th Century Abbey and a lovely Cathedral. Some of the other towns we passed through were Ennis, Gort, Athlone and Cavan. Ireland has very little traffic and often for miles we met no cars but you cannot make very good time on their narrow winding, curvy roads. We feel we saw most of Ireland's top scenic spots and we are now very anxious to explore the sights of Scotland. Ireland is one country I do not feel I'll have to visit again as we were really unimpressed with its countryside. We are now safely back in Scotland after a delicious meal aboard the ship called "Princess Margaret" and a much smoother trip than on the way over. Our fare round trip to Ireland, which included the car, was $64.00 and although we are glad we saw this island we feel it was money foolishly spent just to kiss the "Blarney Stone" as its other attractions left us cold. Perhaps the bad weather had something to do with our poor opinion of Eire. We probably should have stayed for St. Patrick's Day but I wanted to be in Edinburgh for a flower show instead. Today [March 13] we saw many interesting sights and places. We first drove along the Scottish coast to Girvan and then Turnberry situated on the sandy Turnberry Bay, which is noted for its motor racing and its golf course. Nearby we visited a beautifully situated Castle on Culzean Bay which has gorgeous grounds very well landscaped, a swan pond and a view of grandeur from any angle. The first two floors of the Castle were furnished and open to the public and contained furnishings from the Adams Period as well as Louis XIV and XV, Chippendale, Queen Anne, Hepplewhyte, Victorian, etc. and also contained some very famous paintings. The top part or third floor of this exquisite Culzean Castle has been presented to our President Eisenhower as a Scottish residence and he has been there several times. (I am sure this Castle has one of the most picturesque settings I have ever seen.) We next visited the quaint village of Alloway where we saw the Robert Burns Cottage which is now used as a Museum and is a simple thatched roofed home where he was born in 1759. About one mile from this cottage we saw the Brig O'Doon (bridge aver the Doon River) which he wrote about in his Tam O'Shanter poem. This is a lovely stone arched bridge in a beautiful area where a handsome monument of Robert Burns has been erected. Burns was Scotland's greatest poet and this area of Scotland is called Robert Burns Country. In the city of Ayr, a popular holiday resort and seaport, we viewed the "Tam O'Shanter" Inn, an old thatched building associated with Burns and the bridges of many of his poems. After leaving Ayr we drove along Scotland's Western Coast for another 100 miles and viewed many lovely vistas and striking scenery until we arrived at the thriving seaport and industrial center of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. Glasgow is on the River Clyde |
and many famous ships such as the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth were built at shipyards on this river . In Glasgow we saw their tremendous Glasgow University which is situated on Gilmore Hill and consists of many large old castle like structures of great antiquity. We also saw the Glasgow Cathedral, a magnificent structure, the Art Gallery and Museum and the ancient mansion known as Provand's lordship on Castle Street. Today [March 14] we left Glasgow in fog which made photography impossible and such a shame as their ancient outstanding buildings are most unusual. (This same heavy mist was in the city yesterday when we arrived so we'll have no pictures of Glasgow's charm.) We drove through the cities of Clydebank and Dumbarton end were soon on the shores of Loch Lomond where we drove along its sylvan banks for at least 40 miles. This celebrated lake is beautiful but our weather was gray and cloudy with light rain during the entire trip. We also drove along Loch Leven and saw Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles; our entire trip today was among lovely forests and mountain scenery where we saw much snow, but none on the highway. After leaving this mountain area we drove for quite a distance along the scenic lake called Loch Ness and were soon in the city of Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. We arrived in this city rather early so we did quite a bit of sightseeing after we found our hotel. This highland city is very old in history and is at the head of the Moray Firth situated on the banks of the River Ness and has a lovely Castle near the river overlooking the city. On the outskirts of Inverness is the Caledonian Canal and about 6 miles away is Castle Stuart. Tomorrow we plan to go to the extreme northern end of Scotland (if the roads are open) where we hope to see the rugged, wild, sparsely inhabited region of the Highlands. [March 15] The Motor Club gave us the go ahead for driving the 150 miles north to John 0'Groats, we started out this AM rather early as it was 320 miles of driving over narrow, curving roads. We are staying in Inverness another night as there is only one decent road in this area which meant we had to return by the same route. We first drove to Beauly where we saw the ruins of a 13th Century Abbey in the vast Caledonian Forest and then we went on to Dingwall and saw an obelisk and several, monuments. In the town of Golspie we viewed Dunrobin Castle and grounds, in Helmsdale the ruins of the Castle which was the scene of the poisoning of the Earl and Countess of Sutherland, in Berriedale the ancient Castle of Berriedale which was once the stronghold of the Earl of Carthness, in Wick the ruins of Castle Girnigoe and then we arrived at John 0'Groats which seemed like a deserted place in the mist and light rain. From John 0'Groats we drove along the northern coast to Thurso where the United Kingdome's Atomic Energy Authority is established. Along this coast we saw Barrogill Castle which has again reverted to its ancient name of Castle of May and is now owned by Her Majesty, the Queen Mother. Later we drove through the Carthness moors and the wilderness of the Highlands which must be really gorgeous in August when they claim it is covered with purple heather. Today we saw hills, rolling plains and high cliffs facing the North Sea and the Atlantic and in many areas we saw great sandy beaches and interesting sheltered glens and bays. We feel it was a day we will always remember because of the wild beauty of these northern Scottish Highlands. Scottish Castles of which we have seen many, have figured prominently in the ballads, history and literature of this country and many were built for military purposes rather than for homes. Many of their castles have fallen into ruin and those which have not are either domesticated into livable homes or open to visitors at a fee, but the turrets and embattlements still seem to stress their original purpose. After leaving Inverness today [March 16] we drove to Nairn, a well known bathing and golf center on the Moray Firth, and then drove over the Cairngorms, the highest mountain group in Great Britain. From a distance these mountains look flat and uninspiring and more like a plateau carved and rounded by the weather but when you drive over them you realize their height and we were even lucky to drive over them as the passes were almost blocked with snow and were only opened yesterday after having been closed for three months. The mist was quite heavy and it blew almost like a hurricane, but we managed to get through. We saw quite a few skiers in the Grampian Mountains but - 2 -
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have in Switzerland and Austria. Our next place of interest today was Balmoral Castle in the valley of the Dee, which was built for Queen Victoria in the years 1848-55 in the lovely Highland Country which she loved. The Castle is in the Scots Baronial style with a massive tower and several wings and is built of light grey granite which is found in this area. It has been a Royal Residence for almost a century, but only during summer months. Next we drove to Aberdeen which is called the "Granite City" because most of its buildings are made of this stone. It is a large city and has a fishing trade as well as being a paper manufacturing city. From Aberdeen we drove inland again in order to see the famous Glands Castle which is near Dundee on the Firth of Tay. This was the childhood home of the Queen Mother and one of the finest and most picturesque castles in Britain. Princess Margaret Rose was born at Glamis Castle in 1930 and it is the seat of the Earls of Strathmore. In this same area is the birthplace and countryside associated with James Barrie, the novelist. Tonight we are staying in an ancient little Cathedral City beautifully situated in the richly wooded valley of the Tay and from our hotel windows we can watch the swift waters of the Tay River go madly along. The small towns name is Dunkeld and it has a picturesque Cathedral which is quite old and famous. Today [March 17] we drove to the City of Perth, the former Capital of Scotland and at one time the residence of Scottish kings. Here we saw the site of the Blackfriars' Monastery and St. John's Church where John Knox preached his famous sermons against the Roman Catholic Church. Perth is a city of many fashionable homes as is St. Andrews the home of the "Royal and Ancient Game of Golf" on famed St. Andrews Golf Course by the ocean. This city impressed us immensely with its Castle on a rock Overlooking the sea, its fine University founded in 1412 (Scotland's oldest) and its beautiful churches and Martyrs' Monument. Another inspiring place we saw and visited today was Falkland Castle built by the several King James. It was first built by Mary, Queen of Scots father and French mother, Mary of Lorraine and Mary, Queen of Scots was born here. Our town guide at this Castle was very informative and made the place sound so glamorous. About 2:30 this afternoon we arrived in Edinburgh, the Capital of Scotland and an outstanding city situated on a high crag dominated by historic Edinburgh Castle and overlooking the Firth of Forth, the shores of Fife and the distant outline of the Highlands. Edinburgh has been called many things; it has been called Auld Reekie, owing to the smoke which hangs over the city, and it has been called the modern Athens, because of its many Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns and its many buildings that might be mistaken for temples and because of unusual Calton Hill which is crowned by a group of classical monuments reminiscent of the Acropolis in Athens. But to us, regardless of what name you call Edinburgh, it could be considered a tourist's paradise as you pass from picturesque corners to unforgettable views, from lovely gardens to scenes of grim tales of long ago, from ancient churches to modern shop fronts and from historic pasts to a present day Scottish Spring Flower Show which we viewed for about 2 hours in lovely Waverly Market. (We planned to be here today, St. Patrick's Day [March 17], for this annual, event.) This flower show was very nice but does not compare with the annual shows we have seen in Philadelphia and Washington. Today [March 18] is the last day of another newsletter week and we are still in Edinburgh enjoying its many shrines and places of interest. We saw the Scottish National War Memorial which commemorates those who fell during World War I, we saw the old St. Giles Cathedral, erected in the l4th Century with its unusual and ornate spire, we vent to Holyroodhouse which is Scotland's most important Royal Palace and the official residence of Her Majesty the Queen when she is in Edinburgh, and we visited Edinburgh Castle, the most notable landmark in the city. Another lovely area of Edinburgh is the square where the huge and magnificent Sir Walter Scott Monument stands. - 3 -
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Anyone who has visited Edinburgh will also remember "The Royal Mile" which is composed of the Esplanade, Castle Hill, Lawnmarket, Parliament Square, Outlook Tower, High Street, Canongate Street, High Kirk of St. Giles, the Mercat Cross, the Cenotaph, the John Knok House, and, last, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, all being in Old Town in almost a straight line. We left Edinburgh about noon and drove through Southern Scotland into the border country and the beloved countryside of Sir Walter Scott which is a land of green hills, wooded slopes, rolling moors, castles and neat and prosperous little towns and villages lying in sheltered valleys . This is called the Lowlands of Scotland but is really not low or flat and contains very beautiful mountain scenery. (Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland are really southern and northern Scotland) Tonight we are back in England but we must tell you that we enjoyed every minute of our 7 days in picturesque Scotland even though we had 7 days of cloudy, gray, dull weather and we certainly would welcome a chance to return during a summer or autumn to again view the many attractions and unsurpassed views Scotland offers the tourist. In case I forgot to mention the Scotch broom which grows wild in many areas of Scotland and the lovely pines which abound everywhere, they made the countryside quite unique. I sure wish I could send home a Scotch broom plant for every member of my Garden Club as I am sure they would find it quite handy to have as background material when doing some of their floral arrangements. The English Holly in England and Scotland is also very outstanding and the leaves look as if they have been waxed to a high luster. The foliage and green plants on these British Isles are outstanding and prolific and although I am not a covetous person I would certainly like to be able to grow same of the unusual plants I have enjoyed here during these past four weeks. Until I write again next week, we send our regards and best wishes to you all. Fondly, Meredith and Charlotte |