Scotland August 1995 - Travel Log by Holly and Star

Saturday 8/19

Arrive Glasgow, get rental car, Star's Psycho drive to Forte Crest hotel, SHOWERS!!!!!!! Walk to the Central hotel, find an ATM, wander down to SECC convention center and then dinner at the Belfry.

Sunday 8/20

Woke up much better so shower + lots of walking + going to sleep just a bit early local time is the best for jet lag. Breakfast at the hotel then drove to the Heavy horse center just past Perth on A90. Toured Edsell Castle, spiff gardens. Saw the Brown Caterthum (old, old old, older then white hill fort) stones on hill covered with heather. Saw the White Caterthum (old as or older then Pict hill fort) many stones in ring on hill. both of these are long climbs and should probably be not advised for the weak hearted. If you are only going to do one, do the white. Dunnottar castle, not able to get in but AMAZING!!! WOW!!! Roller coaster was hard to find but found it Codana's. Holly put feet in North sea, saw things with tail fins (dolphins?) Stopped at Drum Castle, castle closed but toured grounds, liked the old part of the castle, saw a hedgehog!!! Decent gardens, had to stop with a name like drum. Would have seen the ENTIRE A-93 from Aberdeen to Perth except it was DARK and TWISTY and High with patches of FOGGY and SLOW but fortunately no rain. Survived because Star is a Goddess and she earned her SPECIAL driving merit badge and a free gift thing.

Monday 8/21

Much better breakfast, checked star out of the forte crest. Visited Glasgow Cathedral, very catholic for all that its Protestant. Basement white chapel with 'knight' feeling. Walked to St. mungo's Museum, amazing place, lots of art (Dali original), lots of comparative religion stuff. Drove to Sterling and visited Sterling Castle, needs a little work, but it'll do, willing to offer 2 for it. Went to Portcullis Pub for lunch, yum. Saw Star pyramid, still don't know what it is. Martyr's Monument, they have no heads, they should have heads. Climbed Ladies's Rock and went by Holy Rue church. Wallace Monument, Star wimped out climbing up, Holly could see a standing stone in a field that was erected in 800's when scots defeated the picts. Star was very brave but monument was very tall, very high, very stone. Drove to Scone palace, castle was closed but we toured grounds and saw Moot Hill, maker of kings, we also saw many Peacocks, Peahens, and young Peathingies. Star checked into the central hotel, room one was non-smoking with a broken toilet, room two had no A/C and no tub and was VERY small. Went to Pizzaland for dinner, tried to call work but no touch tone phone in the Central hotel.

Tuesday 8/22

Separate (with different potatoes) breakfasts and got on road. There was traffic inbound on the M8 at 9:30. Drove towards Edinburgh and stopped to see Cairnpapple, henge dating from 2000 BC with burial sites dating up to 100 AD. Much more impressive then the Caterthuns. Saw pillar on nearby crag from there and stopped at The Knock, which had a map of surrounding hills. Drove to Edinburgh, drove up the tourist mile, finally parked. Walked to witcherary, no room at inn. Took Whisky Tour, and of course bought some whisky. Toured Edinburgh Castle, had super amazing tour guide. It has a really great War Memorial and a cool great hall. I think we have pretty much decided that stirling is the better home for us. Wandered down tourist mile, ate at Fuel stop (Cheeze'n'cow) bought silly things. Ran into Brandy and Sunshine while walking to car, and run into Jim Landis on Royal mile. Stopped at 'to go' fish and chips for dinner.

Wednesday 8/23

Breakfasted and met, and stared towards stirling. Stopped at Dunblane to see the cathedral that we had seen from the M9 but we saw Dunblane Cathedral which was great and the Dunblane war memorial (WWI) never could find the church we saw from the road. Drove to Doune and saw Doune castle (or Castle Anthrax as it was called in Monty Pythons Holy Grail) A small castle, pretty but not really what we need. Stopped at Doune Motor Museum. Star went in and really enjoyed going and not staying to long, Evan and Holly enjoyed the cafe. Drove through trossacks, stopped at church of Scotland in the trossacks. Continued driving and pulled over to see a piper busking by the side of the road. Stopped in Aberfoyle at the Scottish Wool center and didn't buy holly a Murray tartan blanket, cause there wasn't any. Outside we tipped another piper. Drove down 1 land road with passing places and had to stop to let other people pass. Stopped at Gartocharm, near Loch Lomand and had lunch at the Hungry Monk, definitely recommended. Stopped at Ballock to see Ballock castle and country park, not much of a castle but the grounds are nice. Ballock itself is a subdivision nightmare. Went to Dunbarton Castle, very up, wow, very up, two peaks, Star climbed them both, wow up. Drove to SECC and registered for the convention, walked in, were directed to registration, smooth, NO LINES, got bus ticket for the duration of the convention. Dinner BIG MAC's at McDonalds. Jeremy Bloom stopped by to drink some single malt and chat.

Thursday 8/24

Delany panel, straight perspective. Ran into mark, carrie, norman, vlad, ica, drew, drew, patrick, chad... Opening ceremonies, Sex in RPG panel, KC2K party took extra supplies up to star's room for next party.

Friday 8/25

Breakfast, Telling stories and story telling with Jane Yolan. Talked to Elaine from Australia, Queer Vampires with Tanya Huff, jane Yolan reading from Here there be Angles. Dinner with Erik, Tracy, Evan, Star and Lunatic at an Italian place, Holly had dinner with Vlad. Wandered the parties

Saturday 8/26

TV/TS panel, Tanya Huff Koffeeklatch, The iconography of Scotland with Katherine Kurtz, Delaney GOH speech, Post Nuclear families with Jeanny Daley O'Cain from alt.poly, Mascarade, KC party

Sunday 8/27

Triple Marriages, Con running workshop with German Panelists (you must get visa's for all your members), Jane Yolan Koffeeklatch, Dinner with Erik, Tracy, Holly, Evan, Star, Lunatic at the Round Tundra, sex in fandom panel, Michigan party

Monday 8/28

Zelazny remembered, love and rockets, closing ceremonies, Chinese dinner with Holly, star, Evan, lunatic, Helen Parker, and David Means. packed and moved star's suitcase to holly's room. Sunshine's party.

Tuesday 8/29

Met at Forte Crest at 7am, dropped Helen and Evan at airport. Drove to Invanary, stopped at Invenary castle. Home to Duke and Duchess of Argylle, great grounds, nice house, very impressive armory but not very 'castle-ish'. Got in big boat that ate the car to goto Islay. (Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry) On Islay we tried to find fingallan castle and gave up in a cattle yard. Then we drove to Bowmore and checked into the Lockside Hotel, where they knew who we were when we walked in the door. Drove out to try to find Mcattern Castle and failed again, had dinner at the hotel.

Wednesday 8/30

There is a map of Islay on the ceiling of our room. At breakfast we learned that there are only 4000 people here on the island which is about the geographic size of Champaign/Urbana (but more up and down). Drove south to LaPhroig, but we were early so we continued south to Kildalter chapel and cross, really impressively old. Went to LaPhorig got the manager's tour and received small bottles of 10 year. Got to taste some 1995 LaPhoirg. Tired to drive to Mull of Oa and the American monument, saw it and managed to get near it but never quite there. Bowmore distillery tour, bouncy tour guide, silent season (not producing) talked to Christen Logan and she told us about the rest of the island but we decided to nap and drink and dinner at the hotel (AMAZING Scallops) had a 1964 Black Bowmore (sherry cask) and a 31 year old Admore (WAY Peat) Ran into the same German guy at LaPhroig, Bowmore and the hotel and had a nip with him at the bar.

Thursday 8/31

Morning ferry back to mainland. Auchindrain township open air museum. Drove on to Alloway, near Ayr and the Burns Monument Hotel. Found the amusement park but it was closed. Dinner at Brewer's Fayre (sort of ponderosa with a bar)

Friday 9/1

Breakfast and off to Lock Doon castle on VERY scenic roads. Past Blairquhan and Collcairn castles which are private residences. Saw Crossraguel Abbey, ruins of a cluniac Monastery. Much of the abbey remains. Drove past a random ruin. Stopped at Calzean castle and park and toured the castle, has a cool stairway and they are doing much reworking. Newer castle (1777), went by deer park and petted deer, even on face. stopped at Dunnure castle, ruins on sea of 15-16th century castle in a new little town. Stopped at Wonderwest world - AHHHHHH?!?!?!?! British white trash meets bad seaside resort park. Very scary. Went on roller coaster and pony trek (at a slow walk) on the beach. Drove towards Largs, but made an executive decision to stay at the seamill hydro as they have a Jacuzzi (well cold but they also had sauna and steam room)

Saturday 9/2

Ate breakfast and drove to Largs. Went to Vikingar! and learned about Vikings, actually a pretty cool exhibit. Went to Kelburn castle and country park, which has a really cool secret forest and spiff waterfalls, and we took a real horseback ride (cantering on the moors) and we saw John Leather, the falconer. Great place. Drove on to Glasgow through the Viking fest and saw Mike jittlov filming the street as we drove by. Checked into the Forte Crest Airport hotel and dropped off the rental car.

Sunday 9/3

Many airports and planes. Met Eric from Ohio who was playing magic in the lobby. Ran into Brandy, Sunshine, Tara and Kay on the plane.