Scotland – mmm-yoso

Edinburgh (2022) – St Giles Cathedral, Dinner at Wedgewood, Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, and Breakfast from the Edinburgh Larder

November 6, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel

After checking out the Museums and Greyfriars Kirkland we headed back up to High Street. There was one more stop to make before we took a break in the action. Our trip would not be complete without a visit to what is considered Scotland's most important church, St Giles' Cathedral.

IMG_2937_02 And though we had passed the Cathedral several times a day, and even checked out the gravesite in the parking lot, we had yet to actually enter the cathedral. We were looking for a time when it wasn't too crowded and at this moment the place was fairly empty.

As you would figure for a church that is one, located in Edinburgh, and two, been around since 1124, there are a ton of stories and artifacts. Like, for instance that three-legged stool to the upper right. It's called a "cuttie-stool".

Here's the story:

Indeed St Giles has quite a tumultuous history. It was established as a Catholic Church and then came the Reformation and John Knox. Things were changing. It is said that the statue of the Patron Saint Giles was stolen and "drowned in Nor Loch". In 1559 the Lord of the Congregation, led by John Knox marched into the St Giles and took over. John Knox preached in St Giles for the first time….there was a "new sheriff in town". After a brief time when the Roman Catholic party retook the church and the Treaty of Berwick was signed, St Giles once again became a Protestant Church on April 1st, 1560! Whew……all of that in just a year!

If you you want more on the history if St Giles, this is the Cathedral's official website's history page.

Me, I'm just gonna enjoy some stained glass.

It was a fun stop.

We headed back to the apartment and took a short break before heading out to dinner. Unlike the previous evening tonight's dinner locale was close by, a place named Wedgwood The Restaurant.

It was a quaint little restaurant serving modern, seasonal cuisine, that gives you a "wee tour of Scotland".

We started with the amuse and a bit of "bubbly".

And some very tasty bread.

We weren't very hungry, so we went with three starters and a main to share.

Like just about all the seafood we had in Scotland, the Treacle Cured Salmon was delicious.

Treacle Cured Salmon - Wedgewood Edinburgh

It really didn't need all the soy and yuzu sauces; though the pickled beetroot was a nice touch.

The Laurencekirk Duck Breast looked lovely but was a bit on the dry side.

Laurencekirk Duck Breast - Wedgewood Edinburgh

We didn't care for the fennel which was quite strong in flavor and overwhelmed the dish.

The Missus enjoyed the Charred Midlothian Wild Leek.

Charred Midlothian Wild Leek Potato Creme Fraiche - Edinburgh

The wild leek had a nice mildly sweet almost pungent-garlicky flavor. The creme fraiche added a bit of mild acidity and richness. The potatoes had a nice starchiness and this was a good dish overall.

I was looking forward to the Avon Valley Roe Deer Loin and Venison Haggis.

Avon Valley Deer Loin Venison Haggis - Wedgewood Edinburgh The lean deer loin had a nice, moist toothsomeness, had been seared and seasoned nicely. It wasn't overly gamy, but you could tell it was venison. The jus was wonderful, not overly rich, and went well with the delicious potato pave. Loved the celeriac puree, but that round ball of venison haggis was super mild in flavor. It did have quite the gritty-grainy texture though.

Overall, a nice meal, great service.

Wedgwood The Restaurant
267 Canongate
Edinburgh, Scotland

We decided to go ahead and do our after dinner stroll and headed back to the Royal Mile. And of course we passed…..

We took a look at another placed we had passed oh, so many times on this trip, Deacon Brodie's Pub. It was such a nice evening, we thought we should do the "tourist thing" and grab a pint!

I went and ordered a pint; the Missus grabbed a table outside, and we watched all the happenings on the Royal Mile.

Like this guy with the owl and what looked like a television crew.

There's always something going on!

Deacon Brodies Tavern
435 Lawnmarket
Edinburgh, Scotland

We then headed back to the apartment.

Well, it was still early, so we decided to do some shopping and wandered along the various side streets.

We found a leather shop. My belt had taken a beating, so we walked in. The folks were awesome. They were closing in 20 minutes, but he selected the leather, belt style, and sized it for me. They'd be open at ten the next morning, they'd get it ready by the time they opened and I could pick it up then.

Somehow we ended up at Canongate Kirk.

With a statue of Scottish Poet Robert Fergusson "strolling" in front of it.

And of course Canongate Kirkyard, yet another cemetery surrounds the church.

What really kinda freaked us out was that there were apartments right next to the cemetery and the units overlooked the graveyard; not sure I would want to live here.

After this, we decided to call it a night and headed back to the apartment.

We slept well. Our flight wasn't until 5pm and the owners of the apartment said we were welcome to stay until one.

We took it easy in the morning. For breakfast we decided to do a takeout order from the very popular breakfast and lunch spot that was on the next block up from the apartment. I went and placed a takeout order and the Missus and I went to pick up my new belt which was ready. Man, the service here was awesome.

We then walked on back to the Edinburgh Larder to pick-up our order. There always seemed to be a line here.

We actually picked up our order from the "Little Larder".

It was the Hash Breakfast, which was enough for both the Missus and I.

Nice poached egg, sweet corn, wonderful red potatoes, smoked haddock, which was a bit too much for the Missus. The Chermoula Dressing was nice; a bit of nice cilantro tones, mild garlicky flavors, quite herbaceous.

We finally had a chance to avail ourselves of the generous amount of coffee pods in the apartment.

The Edinburgh Larder
5 Blackfriars St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

We left the apartment at around 1230 and walked on over to Princes Street and caught the tram to the airport. We made it in good time and were now getting excited about our next stop. It was back to Paris!

Edinburgh (2022) – Surgeons’ Hall Museums, National Museum of Scotland, Union Brew Lab, and Greyfriars Bobby

November 5, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Caffeine Fix, Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel

**** Not much food in this one; but it has some of my favorite sights/stops from this trip!

Our last full day in Edinburgh would be a busy one. There were several places I had on my "list"; things I just had to see. We headed out from our apartment on Blackfriars Street away from the Royal mile. We enjoyed this change of pace, less tourists, less crowds. And, you never know what you'll come across in Edinburgh. I saw this and decided we just had to turn down Niddry Street South.

You just never know what you'll see……

"He Who Is Without Mathematics Shall Not Enter". I guess they'll never let me in here, eh?

Our destination was the Surgeons' Hall Museums.

Which consists of an amazing Pathology Museum and a Museum of the History of Surgery and Dentistry (ouch).

We were blown away by the collection, if you're interested in Medicine (looking at you RD!) and especially surgery and pathology this is a must visit.

Sadly, photos aren't allowed, but this photo somehow jumped into the Missus' phone.

Good lord! There are some "interesting" items in the collection including William Burke's (Remember Burke and Hare) death mask and a pocket book made from his skin!

We'd go to the Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine in Paris on this trip as well, but it doesn't even come close to this Museum!

Surgeons' Hall Museums
Nicolson Street
Edinburgh, Scotland

Well, after the Surgeons' Hall Museums we were feeling a bit peckish……you know what I mean?

Right around the corner on the way to our next stop was a coffee shop that served light dishes named Union Brew Lab. This craft coffee shop was just down the Missus's coffee nerd alley.

The location, right around the corner from Edinburgh University was perfect for this shop as we saw students, remote workers, and such.

I got a cold brew (of course).

The Missus got something or other that came in it's own pot and a sand timer!

But what really caught the Missus's attention was the Avocado Toast with Smoked Salmon and Dill.

Like almost all the smoked seafood we had in Scotland, the smoked salmon was so good. Perfectly smoky, great meaty texture, wonderful with mashed avocado, on a nicely toasted sourdough. So basically, this is where the Missus first enjoyed avocado toast, and Boulenc made it an obsession.

Union Brew Lab
6-8 S College St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

After our light "brunch" our next stop was just a short walk away.

The huge National Museum of Scotland. Admission is free!

The museum's collection spans 5 floors with areas that cover history, technology, science, world cultures, and so on. We decided to pare down our visit and find the areas we were really interested in.

For me, it was finding Dolly the Sheep, the world first cloned sheep. Before Dolly, it was thought that cloning a mammal was impossible from an adult cell. Did you know that "Dolly" was named after this Dolly?

Dolly advanced our knowledge and in her own way was a pioneer. And as is often the case with pioneers there is risk. Dolly was euthanized at the age of six because of progressive lung disease. But she contributed much to mankind.

We were also visited the Kingdom of Scots Gallery in the museum, where there were some interesting items on display.

That beastly item above is called "the Maiden" and you know what it was used for right?

There was a lot to see. We were easily confused by the all the Roberts, Duncans, and James in the lineage of Scottish Royalty. I can't say we've got things straight now, but the displays in the museum helped…..a bit…I hope I don't get tested on it.

National Museum of Scotland
Chambers St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

I was really looking forward to our next stop. It was basically just a minute or two away from the museum. The statue of Greyfriars Bobby.

Much like Hachikō in Tokyo and our own Bum the Dog, the story of Greyfriars Bobby is the stuff of legends. Much like the story of Hachikō, the story of "Bobby" is one of true loyalty. In abbreviated form it goes as follows. In 1850, John Gray, a gardener, and his family moved to Edinburgh. He was unable to find work as a gardener, so he became a night watchman. Bobby became his companion for those long nights. John Gray caught tuberculosis and died of the disease on February 15th, 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard. Bobby being the loyal companion, refused to leave the side of "partner" and would stay at John Gray's gravesite. Even though the keepers of Greyfriars Kirkyard tried to remove Bobby on many occasions, but to no avail. Eventually, they built Bobby a shelter and he remained loyal to his companion until his death in 1872.

Baroness Angelia Georgina Burdett-Coutts was so moved by Bobby's story that she asked the City Council for permission to erect a granite fountain with a statue of Bobby placed on top. And that's that you see above. The inscription on the stature reads:

"A tribute to the affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars Bobby. In 1858, this faithful dog followed the remains of his master to Greyfriars Churchyard and lingered near the spot until his death in 1872."

Of course, there's a tavern called Greyfriars Bobby's Bar right across the street. And of course there's the Disney movie as well. And if you check out the statue of Bum the Dog at the Horton-Davis House you'll find a statue of Greyfriars Bobby there too. Remember, Edinburgh and San Diego are sister cities.

Greyfriars Bobby is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard which is right down the lane, so we decided to take a look. Greyfriars Kirkyard is also supposedly the most haunted graveyard in the world as well. So of course we had to check it out.

Greyfriars Bobby is buried just inside the gates of the Kirkyard. Instead of flowers people leave sticks for the little fella'.

His master John Gray is buried nearby.

I know, it would make sense for Bobby to be buried next to his master….but dogs (or any animal for that manner) cannot be buried in consecrated ground. So Bobby actually got prime territory right at the entrance to the cemetery!

We took a stroll around the cemetery and had the good fortune of not running into anything "strange".

And I think many folks would be interested to know that there's a Harry Potter connection with Greyfriars Kirkland as well.

From here we strolled back to the Royal Mile.

We had one more stop before taking a short break.

Thanks for stopping by!

Edinburgh (2022) – Dinner at Restaurant Martin Wishart

November 4, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Edinburgh, European Restaurants, Fine Dining, Memorable Meals, Scotland

We had wanted one blow out meal during our stay in Edinburgh. So after doing some research and then trying to hunt down reservations I came up with Martin Wishart. Even though the one Michelin Star restaurant was in Leith, almost 2 1/2 miles away, we could always catch a cab if we desired. Of course, as things ended up we walked both ways. It was a fairly pleasant walk. Leith was once Edinburgh's seaport and had fallen into disrepair following World War II. But during the early 2000's, the neighborhood has been revitalized and with the mooring of the Royal Yacht Britannia and the conversion of the Ocean Terminal into a shopping center, along with artists, musicians, and designers moving into the area it has been ranked as one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. Well, we walked on over and the place seemed quite mellow on this Saturday night, we were probably in the wrong area, but we kind of enjoyed the relaxed nature of things.

We were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant. Service was friendly and professional, though the timing of the dishes was inconsistent as there were a few long waits between dishes. The Sommelier though, was outstanding! He helped the Missus pick Her tasting as if he read Her mind and totally understood Her taste and preferences.

The Missus and I decided to go with the three course "Market Menu" and each had one of the two choices available for the three courses. That way we could taste one of each item available on the menu.

Things started with some delicious bread and the four course amuse bouche featured beetroot and crowdie, cod roe and fennel, potato and smoked egg yolk, and horse radish and celeriac.

The highlite was the smoked eggyolk and potato, the flavors of each component seemed so intensified

The Sea Bream Tartare was nice though nothing really special.

Having both the strong flavor of lemon and the brininess of capers was a bit much. The soy foam was fine. The fish had been perfectly prepared and marinated though, the texture was a perfect creamy toothsomeness.

The Roasted Veal Sweetbread was an amazing "earthy" and textural delight.

The sweetbread was perfectly fried, crisp coating, creamy interior, slightly earthy and mildly sweet with a hint of offal sharpness. The flavors of the morels added another luxurious layer of earthiness with a nutty finish. The broadbeans finished things off nicely along with the wonderful jus.

Another dish that was perfectly prepared was the Roast Peterhead Skatewing.

The Sauce Grenobloise, featuring brown butter, capers, and good acidity went well with the creamy but mild flavored skate wing. There were a couple of escargot thrown in that really didn't add anything to the dish in our opinion. Loved the confit tomatoes which added a deep acidic fruitiness to the dish. The artichokes were surprisingly creamy.

The Roast Saddle of Dornoch Lamb was wonderfully gamy and meaty, if a bit on the dry side. We loved the rub and sear on this.

This version of Pomme Salardaise, basically garlic potatoes with a good amount of fat, was almost like a creamy croquette. Speaking of croquette, that's a wonderfully porky and crisp fried pork belly on the bottom left which almost looks like one, doesn't it? The asparagus was crisp, fresh, and mildly sweet. The jus featured thyme which was used judiciously and didn't interfere with the overall flavor of the dish.

For dessert the Missus chose the Passion Fruit Creme Fraiche Tart.

Which She enjoyed saying it was both refreshing and quite rich.

I chose the Cheese Course (an extra £10 supplement).

I wish I took notes on the cheeses. That bleu was fabulous! And like I mentioned earlier the Sommelier was fabulous. When I asked for a "Spot of Port" to go with the cheeses, he selected an amazing Tawny that was perfect with the bleu!

We took the macaroons and "stuffs" to go because we were "stuffed".

The Missus enjoyed these during the rest of our stay in Edinburgh.

Overall, professional but not stuffy service. A bit slow and off in the pacing as the evening wore on, probably due to staffing. The Sommelier was amazing.

Restaurant Martin Wishart
54 The Shore
Edinburgh, Scotland

We then hoofed it back to the apartment. Even though it was a Saturday evening things were pretty quiet as we walked back which was unexpected, but we enjoyed.

We had one more full day in Edinburgh, and we'd try to make the best of it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Edinburgh (2022) – Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh Farmer’s Market, Statue of Bum, The Golden Mile, and Cheese From I.J. Mellis

October 22, 2022 mmm-yoso Cheese, Edinburgh, Farmer's Markets/Night Market, Markets & Grocers, Scotland, Travel, yoso-silly

**** Not much food in this one. Though if you like to see a San Diego connection and castles and such, this post might be for you. I'll try to keep things as brief as possible

Our two whole days in Edinburgh would be fairly full. I know that a visit to Edinburgh Castle is pretty much a must and since we'd be in Edinburgh over a weekend, I made sure to get tickets for the castle online with an entry time of right when they opened at 930.

One good thing about our AirBnb on Blackfriars street was its location right off the Royal Mile. So the walk was pretty easy.

We walked past places that would become all too familiar during our short stay in Edinburgh, like the St Giles Cathedral, which we'd visit the following day and the distinctive former Tolbooth Church, which is now a building known as the "Hub".

We were going to be early for our reservations, so we hovered off Castle Hill onto Johnson Terrace, before heading up the steps to the entrance to the castle.

I'm glad I booked tickets online as we got to go right on in and didn't have to wait in line. I also received a guide to Edinburgh Castle for free. As there were really only a couple of places in the castle complex that I wanted to see, we kind of just made sure to see those, like the crown jewels (where photos aren't allowed), we just went to those places and stopped whenever something caught our attention.

Because of where folks gathered, our first stop was below the Great Hall; the Prisons of War.

The vaults below the Great Hall and Queen Anne Building were first used as a prison during the Seven Years' War and by the end of the war held over 500 prisoners here. The vaults became a prison again during the American Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars.

The Missus did think that they ate pretty well based on this display.

And of course, there are the stories; like the one I read about when a prisoner tried to escape by hiding in a dung cart. Unfortunately, the cart was emptied by being tipped over the walls and the prisoner supposedly died. Which, according to this post may or may not be true, the post also notes that the ghost of this prisoner still haunts the castle where you smell, well, you know what, while the ghost tries to push you over the walls of the castle.

We visited the Great Hall….

Took in the view from the Argyle Battery.

And when we got to Mons Meg, well, I totally forgot to take a photo because it had a view of one of the places I had wanted to see, the Edinburgh Castle Dog Cemetery.

Which was established in 1837 as the burial place for regimental mascots and soldier's pet pooches.

We took "aim" from Dury's Battery.

And explored the National War Museum.

Where along with the memorabilia and paintings of soldiers like Lieutenant James Irving above, we saw this.

That's Bob the dog who was the Regimental Pet of the Scots Fusilier Guards, 1st Battalion, from 1853 – 1860. According to this site:

"The regiment adopted Bob when it was based at Windsor in 1853. A year later he accompanied it to the Crimean War where he distinguished himself by chasing cannonballs at the Battle of Inkerman. In recognition of his courage, he was awarded the special silver medal attached to his collar."

We also visited the Royal Palace. Edinburgh Castle was the principle royal residence from the 11th to the 17th century, so many familiar names resided here.

Upon glancing upon the Scottish and British Royal Coat of Arms, I noticed something.

The Unicorn, the national animal of Scotland is wrapped in chains. I was wondering why and came across this.

We'd been exploring for a couple of hours at this point and things were getting crowded.

We headed out of the castle and down Johnstone Terrace.

But instead of heading East and back to the Royal Mile, we headed west. It was Saturday, which is when Edinburgh's Farmer's Market took place, so we walked on over to King's Stables Road to check out the Farmer's Market.

It wasn't a very large farmer's market, at least on this day. But the Missus did find some soap She loved. And folks were really friendly and nice.

Edinburgh Farmers' Market
NCP Castle Terrace Car Park
Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland
Saturday 9am – 2pm

I had another ulterior motive for heading in this direction. I was looking for a specific statue with a San Diego connection.

Near the end of King's Stables Road is a church – the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert.

And nope, this has nothing to do with the church's cemetery.

But right along one of the walls is a familiar statue. Do you recognize it?

Yes, it's Bum the Dog! I had done a post on the statue of Bum and his story back in June and mentioned an Edinburgh link.

This explains it. Edinburgh and San Diego are sister cities!

I considered this "mission accomplished" for the day. We decided to return to our accommodations.

Instead of returning by heading around Edinburgh Castle via Princes Street Gardens, we decided to make a U-turn and head back via Castle Terrace and Victoria Street, then head back via the Royal Mile.

We ran into a craft fair on the way back.

And did some shopping and browsing on the way back. We stopped in at a cheese shop I had on my list; I.J. Mellis and I ended up getting a sampler pack for our lunch back at the apartment.

Once back on the Royal Mile, I went looking for some rather obscure things. Like this one.

Apparently, this is the sight of the last public execution in Edinburgh. It is also said that Deacon Brodie, was hung somewhere near here. And to pile on with the irony, remember in this post I mentioned that Deacon Brodie designed the gallows that would be used to hang him. Kitty-corner from here sits Deacon Brodie's Pub!

Right before St. Giles Cathedral is this mosaic heart.

This is the Heart of Midlothian, which has quite a backstory. Everything I read said that folks spit on this a lot…..so perhaps it's not the best place to stand on and take your selfie????

Speaking of St. Giles Cathedral.

Well, we'd be visiting the following day, but there was something I wanted to see….in the parking lot.

John Knox founded the Presbyterian Church of Scotland and was a leader of the Scottish Reformation. John Knox was buried in St. Giles cemetery. Well, you may say that St. Giles has no cemetery. Because this is prime real estate, those in St. Giles cemetery were (supposedly) moved in the 17th century. But John Knox was (supposedly) not moved. So, if you'd like to find John Knox's grave it's in parking stall 23….

Yes, for real. On this day there were no cars parked in that stall, so I managed to get a photo. What's the saying? "Reality is stranger than fiction."

As we were walking along the Royal Mile I saw a couple of these structures.

These are Wellheads. This was the source of water for folks in the Old Town until the mid-1800's! Yikes!

We got back to the apartment. The owners were amazing as they had stocked the fully functional kitchen with coffee, cereal, bread, and such.

Because we had our "blowout" dinner in Edinburgh scheduled for this evening, having some bread and the cheese we picked up the I.J. Mellis made sense. I'd actually wanted to get stuff from the actual cheese monger, but they were super busy so I just went with a prepackaged sampler which was fine.

The blue cheese was especially good. I'll make sure to check them out again if I'm ever back in Edinbugh.

I.J. Mellis Cheesemonger
30A Victoria St.
Grassmarket, Edinburgh, Scotland

Next up, dinner at Martin Wishart. And yes, they'll be much more food in that post!

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) – Dunchraigaig Cairn, Nether Largie Standing Stones, Inveraray Castle, and Dinner at Monteiths (Edinburgh)

October 12, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Edinburgh, Scotland, Travel, yoso-silly

**** This is a long one! So, if you're not interested in mysterious stones, castles and such, you can go ahead and scroll down to the food.

We had a great time on Islay, from the Scotch tastings, to the wonderful sights and people, it was a trip we'll not soon forget. But in was now time to head back to Edinburgh. We must have been more tired than we thought…or perhaps our hearty breakfast got the better of us? Both the Missus and I took a nice nap on the ferry back to the mainland.

Since, we were returning rather early in the day, Sean had a couple of stops planned for us. The first two stops was in the Kilmartin Glen area.

We parked in a small designated parking lot and crossed the road where Sean led us to this pile of rocks.

This is Dunchraigaig Cairn. In case you're not sure of what a cairn is, it's basically a pile of stones used as a marker, be it a burial site or to identify a path, or some other purpose. Dunchraigaig Cairn had its first documented excavation in 1864, though it said to have been "badly robbed". It was a very impressive cairn.

IMG_2712_b

Many photos I've seen of this cairn show the entrance, or cist open. On our visit it was closed and I was rather glad, because in 2021 the first Prehistoric Animal Carvings ever found in Scotland were discovered here! Pretty awesome huh?

Our next stop made our day. You know how the Missus and I love the mysterious and unknown, right? Well, after parking we were walked over to a group of standing stones in sort of an 'X' formation.

Whoa, these are the Nether Largie Standing Stones.

The central stone is the largest and covered with lichen. It has cup like indentations.

The outlying stones are aligned in northeast to southwest, so perhaps to mark the solstice or something of that nature?

Just Googling "Nether Largie Standing Stones" will deliver you a wealth of theories; everything from a tool to predict the solstice and eclipse, to burial rituals, to this being a ball court! You gotta love it!

And if that wasn't enough; our next stop was very impressive……

That's Inveraray Castle, home of the Duke of Argyll, who is chief of the Clan Campbell….which means all Campbell's in the world!

It was quite stunning, walking down the path to the castle.

This really looks like something out of a movie, doesn't it? Touring the estate, the Duke of Argyll and family still occupy part of the structure, was very impressive. The foundation stone of the castle was laid in 1746 and the castle has gone under renovations after two fires. After the fire in 1877, the third floor and the four conical roofs were added. In 1975 another fire engulfed the castle.

What was probably the most impressive room of the castle is the Armory Hall, with its huge collection of weaponry. The ceiling of this hall is 21 meters – that's almost 69 feet high and is said to be the highest ceiling in all of Scotland!

Of course the thought of being in here when a earthquake hit and getting impaled by one of the pole-arms entered my head…..

The Salon was a very nice room.

It is said that Lerner and Loewe actually composed some of the songs from My Fair Lady at this piano while staying at the castle.

This is the Drawing Room.

This is the Victorian Room, located on the first (second floor in the US) floor.

Of course every castle has at least one ghost, right? Inveraray is noted to have several. The most well known one occupies the MacArthur Room. It is said that a young harpist was murdered by the Duke of Montrose's men in 1644. The the ghost of the harpist is attached to this bed, must be one heck of a bed! And according to the legend, when a family member is about to die you will hear the music from a harp coming from this room!

And there's the "Grey Lady" often said to be the ghost of a former kitchen maid who can only be seen by daughters of the Duke of Argyll!

Nothing like some good "Obake stories" for the month of October, right?

I also enjoyed touring the kitchen in the basement.

Which was last used in the 1950's.

The grounds of the castle are immaculate.

And there must be hundreds, if not thousands of stories…..

That millstone above is said to be cursed.

This was a enjoyable stop!

Sean got us to our AirBnb in Edinburgh in perfect time. The flat was fantastic, just meters from High Street, but still fairly quiet.

Soon enough, it was time for dinner. We originally had dinner reservations at Forage & Chatter, but the restaurant cancelled our reservations a week before the date. Luckily, I managed to get reservations at Monteiths, which was just around the corner from where we were staying a few days before we arrived in Edinburgh. Like Devil's Advocate, Monteith's was located in a Close. In case you are wondering what a "close" is.

And of course Monteiths is located on Monteiths Close.

The restaurant serves "modern" Scottish cuisine and cocktails. Serves was friendly and efficient. The restaurant was a bit on the dark side so please forgive the photos.

We started with the Beef Tartare.

There was what seemed to be shaved cured egg yolk on this though it didn't add much to the dish. The beef was tender and if a bit coarsely chopped. Nice clean flavors overall.

We also got the Smoked Duck.

The duck had a nice smokiness to it and was on the toothsome side, but still quite tasty. The goat cheese added a bit too much acidity for our taste.

The Potato Dumplings, Wild Mushroom, and Truffle.

Nice mushroom flavors, mild truffle, and the potato dumplings, which were pretty much gnocchi were really rubbery.

The best dish of the evening was the Hot Smoked Salmon.

The salmon was wonderfully smoked, good balance, just enough salt. I wasn't sure about the Hazelnut Bearnaise sauce, but the rich creaminess, along with the herbaceous tones really balanced out the smokiness of the salmon. The nutty buckwheat pancakes was a nice accompaniment as well.

Overall, a decent meal and the staff was very nice.

Monteiths
61 High St.
Edinburgh, Scotland

After dinner we headed out for a stroll. I thought we'd head up Calton Hill As we headed up, we saw Old Calton Cemetery, something I had on my "list" of things to see. The Missus humored me and we decided to check the place out.

That obelisk is the Political Martyrs Monument. There's even a American Civil War Memorial, with a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Sad to say that photo didn't come out.

Quite a few notable folks are buried here.

Man, look at the dates!

Man, if these tombstones could talk….the stories that could be told.

Instead of heading up Calton Hill, we decided to head on back down. The view was very nice.

We walked down the stairs….

IMG_2807_02

Then crossed over Waverly Station. Took took a short walk down the Royal Mile. Before deciding to head back to the apartment and call it a night.

Of course we got to Deacon Brodie's Tavern before we decided to turn around. And here was yet another story. You gotta love this one!

"He had designed the gallows that were to eventually seal his fate." Can you say ironic?

Scotland (2022) – More Meals at the Port Charlotte Hotel

October 7, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

We had some extra time on our hands after visiting Bunnahabhain and Bowmore Distilleries, so Sean drove us back past Port Charlotte to the southwestern tip of Islay and a quaint little village named Portnahaven. It as a quite peaceful and sleepy, with a population of 150….we saw not a soul during our visit.

There was a little seaside trail called "Rathas nan Iasgairean" and you know the Missus and trails, right? It was a short and pleasant walk.

On the drive back to Port Charlotte, Sean, knowing that the Missus was charmed by the "Heilan' Coos" stopped a couple of times so the Missus could take some photos and "ooh and aah" over them.

They didn't seem to care about their paparazzi moment….

We got back to the hotel and decided to take a stroll. We headed up the road in the northerly direction.

Past the Loch Indaal Lighthouse.

And past Saint Kiarins Church.

Completed in 1899.

And on up to the Kilchoman War Memorial.

There's a bench and table nearby with the following tag.

From here we headed back. Though we took a short detour up one of the side roads. Because who could resist the adorable sheep and lamb…..

Unlike the "Coos", the sheep seemed a bit curious…..

And the views walking back to to the main road were amazing.

The air so fresh and crisp, the grass so green…..

We got back to the hotel and I saw Sean having a drink at the bar, so I decided to join him while the Missus freshened up. Sean knew the owners of the hotel and one of them was tending bar on this evening. Sean mentioned the Missus's love of really peaty Scotch and the gentleman pulled a bottle of what he called the "most peaty" and it was still sealed. "No one dares drink this….." It was a brand named Octomore. He told Sean he's open it so that we could have a whiff. When he took the seal off, the cork just blew off the bottle! It was hilarious. And man, it smelled like I'd been rolling around on the floor of a cigar factory!

Soon enough Sean had to take leave and the Missus joined me for dinner. We just got a table in the bar area this time.

Of course we got the oysters.

And the Mushrooms….

Just like last time.

I also ordered the Fish and Chips to share.

It was a bit overdone for our preference and on the drier side. The potatoes were awesome though.

When dessert arrived……

I had an idea! I asked the owner if the Missus could have a "wee dram" of the Octomore and even though he looked at me in disbelief he gladly obliged.

We paid and took the dessert and drinks out to the front area of the hotel, after all "smoking is illegal in public enclosed spaces in Scotland, and the Missus got Her Octomore…and more!

I could see the owner peeking out the window seeing if the Missus would actually drink the stuff; which She did. It was quite funny.

We enjoyed watching folks taking their evening stroll from the al fresco table…..

It was just a perfect end to the day!

The next morning we had breakfast before we headed on back to the mainland.

The Missus had loved the Smoked Kippers I'd had the day before so She ordered that with some poached eggs.

Meanwhile, I went for it and ordered the Full Scottish Breakfast….which was no joke….

It had Baked Beans, good texture but a bit too sweet for my taste, Stornoway Black Pudding, good, a bit gritty, the acidity from the grilled tomato and the lovely fried potato scone really tased good together. The smoked back bacon was quite meaty though tender if a bit on the salty side. I wish the pork sausage was actually Lorne Sausage, but you can't have everything, right? I enjoyed the mushrooms with the toast. And of course a sunny side up egg. Whew……..of course this was going to hold me until dinner!

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

As we headed on out, Sean turned the music on and the perfect song, one from the days of my youth came on:

"Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain
Still take me back to where my memories remain
Flickering embers growing higher and higher
As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre
Oh, mist rolling in from the sea
My desire is always to be here
Oh, Mull of Kintyre"

Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney and Wings.

A perfect way to end our stay on Islay.

It was time to skedaddle.

Of course we still had most of a day ahead of us and Sean had a couple of stops prepared!

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) – Breakfast at Port Charlotte Hotel, Bunnahabhain and Bowmore Distilleries, and Lunch at The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant (Islay)

October 2, 2022 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Distilleries, Scotland, Travel

On our first full day in Islay, we got up early, and decided to take a short stroll around Port Charlotte.

It was a charming town.

We headed back to the hotel for breakfast.

I saw something that I've always wanted to try on the menu.

It's hard to go wrong with any smoked fish in Scotland and the Missus ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon with Poached Eggs.

There was a bread, dairy, and cereal station available. The salmon was quite good and the eggs perfect.

I had always wanted to try Kippers and here I finally had a chance. I ordered the Loch Fyne Smoked Kippers.

Man, with the fried potato scone, this was so good. Deeply savory, wonderful smoked fish flavors, perfect salt. A squeeze of lemon to help cut the richness and we were good to go. The Missus had a taste and was sold. In fact, She would order this the next morning for breakfast!

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

As usual Sean was on time for our pick-up. One of the benefits of having a private driver/tour is the flexibility. We found that doing three tastings in a day was a bit much for us and asked Sean if he could cut it down to two for this day. Which was no problem.

The first stop was just a quick one. Ardnahoe Distillery was fairly new, opening in 2019. Sean had never been there so he asked us if we'd like to take a look.

It was very modern and sleek looking. It was a nice stop to stretch our legs a bit and the Missus enjoyed all of the portraits of Her favorite animal; the Highland Cow….which they call "Heilan' Coo".

The next stop was Bunnahabhain Distillery. It was quite a drive to the distillery.

Our visits on this day revolved around tastings, though we were given an short walking tour of the distillery.

Bunnahabhain Distillery is known as the most remote distillery on Islay. We were told that the village of Bunnahbhain was created to actually house the distilleries employees! Their Scotch is also unique as they are known for their unpeated Scotch Whiskey.

When it was time for our tasting were were each given an impressive "tasting kit"!

There was no way the Missus and I would finish one each; so we split one and brought the other home, which I gave to "FOY" JeffP.

The Missus thought this a bit on the overly "sweet" side; while I really liked the 18yo and the Amontillado Cask versions.

We had quite the drive to our next destination; Bowmore and Sean made a stop at a wonderful ceramic shop named Persabus Pottery which the Missus loved.

She ended up buying a beautiful looking cup

And it looks like cats are loved and most welcomed here!

It was about a half hour drive to the town of Bowmore. Which, after staying in Port Charlotte, and visiting the distilleries and villages seemed like a big city (it's the Administrative Captial)….with a population of…..700!

We made a quick stop at the pharmacy, before heading off to Bowmore Distillery.

The Visitor Center seemed a bit more fancy than the other tasting rooms. And instead of a tour there was a video presentation. Bowmore was the first "legal" distillery on Islay, founded in 1779.

Which came with 2 free tasters of our choice.

It's nicely balanced, with nice fruity tones.

After this tasting we stopped for lunch at the The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant. We'd eaten quite a bit for breakfast, so the Missus and I went with some smaller, starter items.

The Missus enjoyed Her Stornoway Black Pudding.

Which was fairly crumbly, but pleasant to eat, quite moist, not overly "iodiney", and nicely seasoned, perhaps a bit on the salty side, which made it go good with the poached egg.

If you noticed; I've been looking for dishes I'd read or heard about during my meals on Islay. And here I got the Cullen Skink.

Basically a smoked haddock cream soup….think of it as a less thick smoky chowder if you will. Actually, I enjoyed the rustic bread the most! This was nice and filling.

The Lochside Hotel & Restaurant
20 Shore St.
Bowmore, Isle of Islay PA43 7LB, Scotland

Sean had noticed that we took a bit on interest in the rather unique looking church in the town. So after lunch we drove on up to Kilarrow Church.

It's quite an eye catcher to be sure. Built in 1767, Kilarrow Church is still used to this day, making it the oldest church still in use on Islay.

There's a cemetery right next to the church that caught my eye.

This is a Commonwealth War Graves site.

I was rather shocked to see many "Unknown" tombstones. According to this website there are:

"36 unknown seamen of the Merchant Navy"

Buried here. Very sad.

We started heading back to Port Charlotte, taking in the views….

Because it was still rather early in the day; Sean had one more stop in mind before dropping us at the hotel!

Stay Tuned!

Scotland (2022) – Ardbeg, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig Distilleries. Dinner at Port Charlotte Hotel (Islay)

October 1, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Caffeine Fix, Distilleries, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

After a nice day in Oban, we headed off early the next morning to catch the ferry to Port Ellen on Islay. It was a bit of a drive and I was quite fascinated with the whole thing as I hadn't ever been on a ferry this large before. I mean the ferry could hold buses and semi's, heavy construction equipment. It let cars in first, then had the cars lifted to the ceiling. I'd ridden the Washington State Ferry several times; but this was much larger.

We were entertained by this pup while waiting to get our van onto the ferry.

It was drizzling a bit and the pooch just wasn't into going to do his business or even a walk. He refused to move until finally; his "Dad" let him back into the car! It was pretty funny. We knew who ran things in this family!

The ferry was quite spacious and well equipped and had several designated areas.

Sean our driver told me to meet him back at the van a few minutes before docking; so we headed out to relax.

We saw the pooch sitting with Dad and eventually napping away in the pet friendly area. It must have been a pretty tough morning! The seats and sofas there were quite comfortable.

After a while, we headed off to the coffee kiosk for a caffeine fix.

There was some pretty comfortable seating here as well.

And the coffee decent as well.

Soon enough we had arrived at Port Askaig…..

Sean had arranged for three distillery visits and we'd be hitting them right in a row.

But first, we stopped here…..

What in god's name is this you might ask? Well, this is what gives Islay Scotch Whiskey its unique character. It's peat, basically an accumulation of decayed organic matter.

The peat is dried, then slowly burnt to give Islay Scotch it's smoky flavor.

And then it was time for our stops. Like many of the tours we do these days…most private or small group, there's just so much information…..I'll just do quick recaps of our visits.

First stop Ardbeg Distillery.

Most of the distilleries we visited had a similar look; the white washed buildings and some had wonderful views as well.

We loved Ardbeg's "mascot"!

We did a tour of the grounds and got a nice history; Ardbeg was established in 1815! We then got a tasting.

Quite peaty; though a good amount of sweetness came thru.

Lagavulin was next. The setting was amazing as there are ruins of a castle right in the bay in back of the distillery. This is Dunyvaig Castle.

We got a nice rundown of the machinery here; some of it unique and almost one of a kind.

The tasting here was quite diverse; everything from really strong with a "bite" to quite peaty. We were told that the pot stills are filled to the maximum at Lagavulin; thus the contact with copper is lower than most other brands creating a unique flavor profile.

The Missus's favorite Scotch is from Laphroaig, so She was looking forward to our visit. And overall, the Laphroaig tour was the most comprehensive as well.

We actually got to go into a malting room.

Saw peat being "burned"…..

And was basically walked thru much of the process.

As for the tastings….well, the Missus still likes Her Laphroaig 10! And perhaps the Quarter Cask. I'm more of a Sherry Oak kind of guy and I had a taste of the 16…oh my!

Looks like some other folk like Laphroaig too!

Perhaps our favorite part of the tour were the "opinion tiles" which detail the love-hate polarizing opinions of the Laphroaig. These are at the entrance of the distillery.

It details at the bottom of the tile details what the person tasted.

My favorite one was…..

There were a group of Frenchmen….wearing kilts and all the gear on a Scotch pilgrimage! Sean went and took photos of them.

You gotta love this place!

Islay was indeed beautiful; the folks warm and welcoming. And the scenery……

But man, we were bushed. Sean dropped us off at out accommodation, the very comfortable Port Charlotte Hotel.

And after doing a bit of research before our trip; I figured that the most suitable meals for us would be in the hotel.

And it would turn out to be a good choice.

We started with 6 Loch Gruinart (local) Oysters.

My goodness; these were so good! Not overly briny; with a sweet-cucumbery aftertaste. We ended up ordering another half-dozen.

The Wild Mushroom Salad was also quite good.

Good earthy flavors; loved the addition of pine nuts added that unique, almost sweet flavor. The truffle oil dressing didn't hurt things at all either.

The Seafood Chowder was interesting; tomato based.

Really couldn't taste much other than the broth.

The Chips were ok.

A bit too dense for my liking.

The Islay Scallops were good, but not seared enough.

Really enjoyed the beets though! Very sweet and perfectly cooked.

And of course, an encore of oysters.

Port Charlotte Hotel
Main St.
Port Charlotte PA48 7TU, Scotland

After dinner we took a stroll.

Port Charlotte was like something from a postcard.

Something that I only thought existed in movies. It was peaceful, relaxed, and we were enjoying things.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) – Oban Distillery and Coast Restaurant (Oban)

September 29, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Distilleries, Scotland, Seafood, Travel

After starting in Edinburgh and making our way past Loch Lomond and Luss, we arrived at our destination for the evening, Oban. While I had read that Oban was quite touristy, we really enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of the town.

Of course, since we were on a private whiskey tour, the first stop was Oban Distillery.

Just to let you know how relaxed Oban was; check out the pooch sleeping belly up in the window across the busy parking lot of the distillery.

Sean guided us in and got us on our tour.

Our guide was a hoot…..with a great sense of humor. He went over the five major Scottish Regions that make Scotch Whiskey and then the Flavour Map.

And then we were off into how Oban makes their whiskey. I won't go into that detail, but you can find a good outline here. Scotch Whiskey uses copper stills. We were told that the copper binds with the sulphurs released during the fermentation process. Thus the liquid produced has a cleaner taste. We were also told during our tours that each distillery has its own design for pot stills.

As for Oban….you gotta love our guide, who photobombed me when I wanted to take a photo of the stills.

At the end we had a sampling. The Missus prefers a more peaty-smoky Scotch; the versions here had a nice bit of almost citrusy-fruitiness to it.

This was a fun first stop for us!

Oban Distillery
Stafford St
Oban PA34 5NH, Scotland, United Kingdom

After freshening up at our hotel we set out to explore a bit and then find some dinner.

Oban was a charming town and we enjoyed the views.

We saw an interesting church from the harbor and decided to walk on over to the Northern side of town past the main road to check out Saint Columba's Cathedral.

St Columbas Cathedral - Oban

If you're interested, here's some good info on the Cathedral.

We then headed back into the city. We went thru a more residential neighborhood before getting to Dunollie Road.

Which turned into George Street where I had a place on my list named Coast Restaurant, which seemed to have the type of menu we enjoyed so we headed on over. It was exactly at opening time; 530pm so we easily got a table.

The service was warm and welcoming; typical of all the service we had in Scotland.

The Missus started with some wine. I got a Isle of Jura 10 Year Single Malt.

The menu itself was divided into two parts; the Light Bite menu, where you could even have some of the starters as mains, and the A La Carte menu. We chose items from both to make out dinner.

The Missus wanted to try the mussels, so we ordered that off the Light Bites menu as a main (£15).

I believe mentioning how amazing the seafood was in Scotland and this was no exception. Sweet, tender, not a gritty bite found anywhere. This was so good.

We also got the Crab Pot (£9.5).

Wonderfully sweet and briny crab claw meat, with a refreshing, if a bit too sweet creme fresh, we enjoyed the baby chard and arugula which helped develop a textural contrast and add earthiness to the dish.

And also the starter of "Hand Dived Scallops" – £10.95.

So sweet, tender, perfectly rare in the center. The smoked bacon added another layer of flavor and smokiness. The tempura samphire tasted like asparagus. This was quite good…and look Black Radish, more than one scallop for almost half the price!

This was a nice dinner. We'd gladly eat here again.

Coast Restaurant
104 George St.
Oban PA34 5NT, Scotland, United Kingdom

After dinner we went for our usual stroll.

There's something about the pace of life here that really made one relax.

Though many places seemed to close early. Folks would pass us on the street and greet us.

We returned to our room and settled in. Tomorrow would be quite a day as we'd be taking the ferry to Islay and visit not one, but three distilleries.

Thanks for stopping by!

Scotland (2022) – The Kelpies and Lunch at The Drover Inn

September 1, 2022 mmm-yoso British/Irish/Scottish Restaurants/Pubs, Scotland, Travel

We felt that we had lost so much time due to the pandemic. During our trip to Scotland, I decided that we'd do a private Scotch based tour with our own driver. Sean, our wonderful driver picked us up at exactly 9 am And we were off. We'd be spending the night in Oban, then two nights on Islay, visiting several distilleries.

But first we had to get there. Sean made a couple of stops on the way to Oban.

The first was outside Fallkirk at a huge park between two canals. There stood two huge and magnificent sculptures of horse heads called the Kelpies. These 100 foot high metal sculptures represent mythical shape shifting creatures called Kelpies which often take the form of a horse or pony. They can also take the form of a human, often a young woman to lure young men to their "fate". More often it would be in the shape of a pony to lure children.

These statues were quite large. To the right is the Missus standing under the nostrils of "the Kelpie". Just think, what a simple booger from that nostril would do!

From here we headed to Loch Lomond considered to be the largest lake by total area in all of the UK.

We took a short break to stretch our legs and admire the picturesque village of Luss.

Luss is a Conservation Village and is quite charming and beautiful.

We walked thru the village and over to the pier which had many memorials on it.

I can imagine how many loved sitting and standing looking out into the Loch or over to the shore…..

We then headed back out……

Our stop for lunch was at a place in Inverarnan, said to be once be the home to outlaws and even the ghost of a small girl named the Drovers Inn.

The Drover Inn, a "drover" is a cattle herder has been here for over 300 years. And while we stopped for lunch….well, many of the "creatures" on display would surely have enjoyed having me for their lunch.

It goes without saying that there was indeed a certain "vibe" to the place.

The pub had quite the menu of comfort dishes and I got to choose something I've always wanted to try. Folks of Scottish heritage that I know or knew would always make fun of the dish.

You basically ordered at the bar….this is very much the pub and soon enough, I got my Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties…..if you need a translation, sheep's "pluck" with oatmeal, onion, and spices, cooked in a casing. Served with "neeps" (turnips) and "tatties" (mashed potatoes). This was quite delicious, even the Missus thought so.

The offal flavor is quite mild, it's quite earthy and savory, tasting like a milder version of morcilla. I really enjoyed it.

The Missus ordered the Venison Stew which was really tough and quite bland.

So, I guess the Haggis won out!

There was a certain charm and sense of humor we found in Scotland that we really enjoyed. It is said that Rob Roy himself stayed here at Drovers Inn…..perhaps he enjoyed the Haggis too?

And hopefully, I'll be getting some good haggis again one day soon!

The Drovers Inn
Inverarnan North Loch Lomond, Arrochar
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park G83 7DX Scotland