Travelogue (Scotland/ London) - Part 4
Day 5 – 29th April (Wed)
9am
It was time for us to leave Portree and head back to Edinburgh. En route, we made a brief stop at Eilean Donan castle (admission costs £4), where it was used as one of the sets on “Highlander”. I was only able to take photos of the exterior as photography within the premise was prohibited.
Following which, Karen drove us to a higher ground to have a better view of the castle.
After a while, we proceeded past the 5 Sisters of Kintail and made a lunch break stop at Fort Augustus - one of the popular towns that sat along Loch Ness.
The weather was chilly but Emily, Emma and I decided to bring our food outdoors, beside the Caledonian Canal and enjoy the scenery before us. As they had already prepared their lunch before our departure from the backpackers’ inn, I went in search of my lunch alone and chanced upon the shop below that sold very fresh and crispy fish n chips. Yummy!
We also made a brief stop at Pitlochry, a small Victorian-styled town, for a cup of hot chocolate. But since it was past 5pm and most of the shops were closed, I didn’t manage to really shop or explore around.
Nearing Edinburgh...
When we finally reached Edinburgh, I felt kinda sad as the wonderful tour had come to an end and it was time for all of us to say goodbye. We gave each other a hug, a wave and finally a smile before we each went away on our separate ways. I was really glad that I had joined the tour as I had made so many fond memories. Perhaps one day, we will meet again…
Day 6 – 30th April (Thurs)
Started the day by looking around for an Internet café to book and print out my ticket to London. But after searching high and low, I realized that most of the Internet cafes in Edinburgh did not have printers. Thus, I decided to try my luck at the local library. And viola! I struck gold. As I was a cheapo traveler who wanted to save as much money as possible, I checked myself into the cheapest fare, and the earliest travel date was on 1st May.
After finalizing my ticket, I made my way to The Elephant House – the café which was said to have given J.K. Rowling the inspiration on Harry Potter. It was situated close to a university and had a steady stream of students and young working adults. The food’s ok but cost a little bit more when compared to nearby eateries which were targeted at the school crowd.
Location: 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN
Having filled my stomach, I went on to explore…
The Museum of Childhood (free admission but donation was much appreciated) along High Street…
Past the shop that sold X’mas-related items whole year round...
Bought fudge and Scottish traditional butter tablet from the most established fudge-maker in edinburgh (which I kinda forgot I had them in my luggage until it went stale by the time I recalled having bought them)...
And headed back to St Christopher’s inn (the backpacker hostel that I had checked into) for a short rest before heading out to the annual Beltane Fire Festival (online booking cost £5) held on Calton Hill in the evening.
I was there on the hill from around 8pm but the festival begun only at 10.30pm. By then, I was freezing on the hill and trying very hard to stay agile (standing on a boulder and balancing myself for a better view whilst holding my camera and making sure that others nearby don’t come bumping into me). What followed after the opening ceremony was that the performers broke into smaller groups, spaced themselves out on the different parts of the hills so that the crowd could break into smaller groups to view the respective performances. However, the performances took quite a while to get started and the crowd was simply too big for me to get a really good view. In the end, I decided to ‘abandon’ the festival and made my way down the hill, along with many others who were freezing like I was.
All in all, I didn’t quite enjoy the festival as I thought I would. Perhaps it would have been a better experience if there were lots more performers and better scheduling of the performances. But for those who like to have a beer in hand and chat away with friends on the hill, it may still be an event to look forward to.
Day 7 – 1st May (Fri)
9.45am
Turned up at the steps of Rabbies again. This time round, it was for the one-day Da Vinci Code and the Scottish borders tour (which cost £23).
First stop – A look at Scott’s View from a higher ground; where you could easily spot the Tweed Valley and the Eildon Hills…
Followed by a visit to the Wallace Monument...
And a stopover at Melrose for lunch.
As I had a bit of time to spare during our stopover at Melrose, I took the chance to visit the Melrose Abbey remains (admission cost £4.68 after special tour group discount). According to Wikipedia (yes, I’m quoting again as I’m too lazy to type out every single note I took :P):
“Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbo or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland (open all year; entrance charge). The ruins of Melrose are widely considered among the most beautiful of religious houses in the United Kingdom, being especially notable for a wealth of well-preserved figure-sculpture, and its architecture is considered to be some of the finest in Scotland.
The east end of the abbey was completed in 1146. Other buildings in the complex were added over the next 50 years. The abbey was built in the form of a St. John's cross. A considerable portion of the abbey is now in ruins, though a structure dating from 1590 is maintained as a museum open to the public.
Alexander II and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. The embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is also said to rest on the abbey's grounds, while the rest of his body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey. In 1812, a stone coffin that some speculated was that of Michael Scot the philosopher and "wizard", was found in an aisle in the abbey's south chancel.
It is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. On one of the abbey's stairways is an inscription by John Morow, a master mason, that says: "Be halde to ye hende" (Keep in mind, the end, your salvation), which has become the motto of the town of Melrose.”
Next stop - Rosslyn Chapel (admission cost £7.50)...
Photography within the premise was forbidden so I ended up taking photos of only the facade. If you noticed, there was a steel canopy and repair structure on the exterior. Apparently, these were already in place in 1997, before “The Da Vinci Code” movie was made. So what Hollywood did was to construct a replica of the façade and placed it right in front of the actual building when they did the shoot.
Aside from this interesting anecdote told by the chapel guide, she also mentioned that the only unaltered location scene was the part where Tom Hanks walked into the chapel and towards the entry of the stairway. Anything beyond the entry to the stairway, including the chamber underneath, was actually in-studio shoot.
And the mark (or the clue to the Holy Grail) that Tom Hanks supposedly found on the wall of the stairway, was actually a piece of sticker stuck onto the actual building walls within prior permission from the chapel owner. Although they had since took the sticker down, it still left a faint mark which the chapel guide now called it the “Hollywood mark”.
Apart from Hollywood fiction, there were other actual pre-existing myths about the chapel that added a layer of mystic to it. For instance, it was revealed during one of the underground scan that an underground chamber as tall as the chapel did exist directly beneath it. Some of the stories circulated included the burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs, the hiding place for mummified head of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail and even the treasure of the Templars. But no one knew what actually lies beneath as the Sinclairs family (who owns the chapel) had disallowed any execution of the site.
And not to mention the story behind the apprentice pillar that stood within the chapel. According to Wikipedia:
“The "Apprentice Pillar", or "Prentice Pillar", gets its name from an 18th century legend involving the master mason in charge of the stonework in the chapel and his young apprentice. According to the legend, the master mason did not believe that the apprentice could perform the complicated task of carving the column, without seeing the original which formed the inspiration for the design. The master mason travelled to see the original himself, but upon his return was enraged to find that the upstart apprentice had completed the column anyway. In a fit of jealous anger the mason took up his mallet and struck the apprentice on the head, killing him As punishment for his crime the master mason's face was carved into the opposite corner to forever gaze upon his apprentice's pillar.”
There were many other stories and explanations told by the chapel guide on the carvings, but it kinda slipped my mind for now. Perhaps it’s best for you to make a trip down to see and hear it for yourself.
Around 4pm
Back onto the streets of Edinburgh. But carrying my luggage around could be a real chore. So I ran into the Edinburgh bus station and parked my luggage in the lockers. Of course, it wasn’t for free. You need to pay a fee and it varied depending on the size of your luggage.
Having making sure that my luggage was safely secured; I went off to do some last minute shopping and to grab a bite. Along the way, I bumped into Nanna and we talked for a while before we parted ways again.
10pm
Finally boarded the National Express coach (which cost me £29) bound for London. Thank goodness I had two seats to myself and there was a toilet on board. But somehow or rather, I kinda had this feeling that the driver didn’t clean the toilet properly as there was a stench that filled the coach throughout the entire trip. I sat as far from the toilet as I could but believe me, it was pretty unbearable and I had to kinda hypnotize myself into thinking that everything was ok.
1am
Darn! There was no avoiding it. Had to use the toilet. But hey! The door refused to open no matter what! The kind Samaritan (aka the unfortunate soul) who was sitting beside the toilet tried to open it for me as well, but it just simply refused to barge. Apparently, the previous user had unwittingly locked the door when she came out. Arrrrrrrrrrrgghhhhhhh!!!!! Could things have gotten any worse?
2.30am
Controlling…
3.30am
Finally it was time to make a half-hour stopover where the drivers could change shifts and the passengers could stretch their legs, head to the toilet and off to grab some food or drinks. As expected, I made a mad rush for the toilet. Followed by a trip to the nearby convenient store for a cup of thick, hot chocolate to keep myself warm.
4am
Back onto the stinky coach and continued my ride to London… zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
9am
It was time for us to leave Portree and head back to Edinburgh. En route, we made a brief stop at Eilean Donan castle (admission costs £4), where it was used as one of the sets on “Highlander”. I was only able to take photos of the exterior as photography within the premise was prohibited.
Following which, Karen drove us to a higher ground to have a better view of the castle.
After a while, we proceeded past the 5 Sisters of Kintail and made a lunch break stop at Fort Augustus - one of the popular towns that sat along Loch Ness.
The weather was chilly but Emily, Emma and I decided to bring our food outdoors, beside the Caledonian Canal and enjoy the scenery before us. As they had already prepared their lunch before our departure from the backpackers’ inn, I went in search of my lunch alone and chanced upon the shop below that sold very fresh and crispy fish n chips. Yummy!
We also made a brief stop at Pitlochry, a small Victorian-styled town, for a cup of hot chocolate. But since it was past 5pm and most of the shops were closed, I didn’t manage to really shop or explore around.
Nearing Edinburgh...
When we finally reached Edinburgh, I felt kinda sad as the wonderful tour had come to an end and it was time for all of us to say goodbye. We gave each other a hug, a wave and finally a smile before we each went away on our separate ways. I was really glad that I had joined the tour as I had made so many fond memories. Perhaps one day, we will meet again…
Day 6 – 30th April (Thurs)
Started the day by looking around for an Internet café to book and print out my ticket to London. But after searching high and low, I realized that most of the Internet cafes in Edinburgh did not have printers. Thus, I decided to try my luck at the local library. And viola! I struck gold. As I was a cheapo traveler who wanted to save as much money as possible, I checked myself into the cheapest fare, and the earliest travel date was on 1st May.
After finalizing my ticket, I made my way to The Elephant House – the café which was said to have given J.K. Rowling the inspiration on Harry Potter. It was situated close to a university and had a steady stream of students and young working adults. The food’s ok but cost a little bit more when compared to nearby eateries which were targeted at the school crowd.
Location: 21 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EN
Having filled my stomach, I went on to explore…
The Museum of Childhood (free admission but donation was much appreciated) along High Street…
Past the shop that sold X’mas-related items whole year round...
Bought fudge and Scottish traditional butter tablet from the most established fudge-maker in edinburgh (which I kinda forgot I had them in my luggage until it went stale by the time I recalled having bought them)...
And headed back to St Christopher’s inn (the backpacker hostel that I had checked into) for a short rest before heading out to the annual Beltane Fire Festival (online booking cost £5) held on Calton Hill in the evening.
I was there on the hill from around 8pm but the festival begun only at 10.30pm. By then, I was freezing on the hill and trying very hard to stay agile (standing on a boulder and balancing myself for a better view whilst holding my camera and making sure that others nearby don’t come bumping into me). What followed after the opening ceremony was that the performers broke into smaller groups, spaced themselves out on the different parts of the hills so that the crowd could break into smaller groups to view the respective performances. However, the performances took quite a while to get started and the crowd was simply too big for me to get a really good view. In the end, I decided to ‘abandon’ the festival and made my way down the hill, along with many others who were freezing like I was.
All in all, I didn’t quite enjoy the festival as I thought I would. Perhaps it would have been a better experience if there were lots more performers and better scheduling of the performances. But for those who like to have a beer in hand and chat away with friends on the hill, it may still be an event to look forward to.
Day 7 – 1st May (Fri)
9.45am
Turned up at the steps of Rabbies again. This time round, it was for the one-day Da Vinci Code and the Scottish borders tour (which cost £23).
First stop – A look at Scott’s View from a higher ground; where you could easily spot the Tweed Valley and the Eildon Hills…
Followed by a visit to the Wallace Monument...
And a stopover at Melrose for lunch.
As I had a bit of time to spare during our stopover at Melrose, I took the chance to visit the Melrose Abbey remains (admission cost £4.68 after special tour group discount). According to Wikipedia (yes, I’m quoting again as I’m too lazy to type out every single note I took :P):
“Melrose Abbey is a Gothic-style abbey in Melrose, Scotland. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks, on the request of King David I of Scotland. It was headed by the Abbo or Commendator of Melrose. Today the abbey is maintained by Historic Scotland (open all year; entrance charge). The ruins of Melrose are widely considered among the most beautiful of religious houses in the United Kingdom, being especially notable for a wealth of well-preserved figure-sculpture, and its architecture is considered to be some of the finest in Scotland.
The east end of the abbey was completed in 1146. Other buildings in the complex were added over the next 50 years. The abbey was built in the form of a St. John's cross. A considerable portion of the abbey is now in ruins, though a structure dating from 1590 is maintained as a museum open to the public.
Alexander II and other Scottish kings and nobles are buried at the abbey. The embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce is also said to rest on the abbey's grounds, while the rest of his body is buried in Dunfermline Abbey. In 1812, a stone coffin that some speculated was that of Michael Scot the philosopher and "wizard", was found in an aisle in the abbey's south chancel.
It is known for its many carved decorative details, including likenesses of saints, dragons, gargoyles and plants. On one of the abbey's stairways is an inscription by John Morow, a master mason, that says: "Be halde to ye hende" (Keep in mind, the end, your salvation), which has become the motto of the town of Melrose.”
Next stop - Rosslyn Chapel (admission cost £7.50)...
Photography within the premise was forbidden so I ended up taking photos of only the facade. If you noticed, there was a steel canopy and repair structure on the exterior. Apparently, these were already in place in 1997, before “The Da Vinci Code” movie was made. So what Hollywood did was to construct a replica of the façade and placed it right in front of the actual building when they did the shoot.
Aside from this interesting anecdote told by the chapel guide, she also mentioned that the only unaltered location scene was the part where Tom Hanks walked into the chapel and towards the entry of the stairway. Anything beyond the entry to the stairway, including the chamber underneath, was actually in-studio shoot.
And the mark (or the clue to the Holy Grail) that Tom Hanks supposedly found on the wall of the stairway, was actually a piece of sticker stuck onto the actual building walls within prior permission from the chapel owner. Although they had since took the sticker down, it still left a faint mark which the chapel guide now called it the “Hollywood mark”.
Apart from Hollywood fiction, there were other actual pre-existing myths about the chapel that added a layer of mystic to it. For instance, it was revealed during one of the underground scan that an underground chamber as tall as the chapel did exist directly beneath it. Some of the stories circulated included the burial place for several generations of the Sinclairs, the hiding place for mummified head of Jesus Christ, the Holy Grail and even the treasure of the Templars. But no one knew what actually lies beneath as the Sinclairs family (who owns the chapel) had disallowed any execution of the site.
And not to mention the story behind the apprentice pillar that stood within the chapel. According to Wikipedia:
“The "Apprentice Pillar", or "Prentice Pillar", gets its name from an 18th century legend involving the master mason in charge of the stonework in the chapel and his young apprentice. According to the legend, the master mason did not believe that the apprentice could perform the complicated task of carving the column, without seeing the original which formed the inspiration for the design. The master mason travelled to see the original himself, but upon his return was enraged to find that the upstart apprentice had completed the column anyway. In a fit of jealous anger the mason took up his mallet and struck the apprentice on the head, killing him As punishment for his crime the master mason's face was carved into the opposite corner to forever gaze upon his apprentice's pillar.”
There were many other stories and explanations told by the chapel guide on the carvings, but it kinda slipped my mind for now. Perhaps it’s best for you to make a trip down to see and hear it for yourself.
Around 4pm
Back onto the streets of Edinburgh. But carrying my luggage around could be a real chore. So I ran into the Edinburgh bus station and parked my luggage in the lockers. Of course, it wasn’t for free. You need to pay a fee and it varied depending on the size of your luggage.
Having making sure that my luggage was safely secured; I went off to do some last minute shopping and to grab a bite. Along the way, I bumped into Nanna and we talked for a while before we parted ways again.
10pm
Finally boarded the National Express coach (which cost me £29) bound for London. Thank goodness I had two seats to myself and there was a toilet on board. But somehow or rather, I kinda had this feeling that the driver didn’t clean the toilet properly as there was a stench that filled the coach throughout the entire trip. I sat as far from the toilet as I could but believe me, it was pretty unbearable and I had to kinda hypnotize myself into thinking that everything was ok.
1am
Darn! There was no avoiding it. Had to use the toilet. But hey! The door refused to open no matter what! The kind Samaritan (aka the unfortunate soul) who was sitting beside the toilet tried to open it for me as well, but it just simply refused to barge. Apparently, the previous user had unwittingly locked the door when she came out. Arrrrrrrrrrrgghhhhhhh!!!!! Could things have gotten any worse?
2.30am
Controlling…
3.30am
Finally it was time to make a half-hour stopover where the drivers could change shifts and the passengers could stretch their legs, head to the toilet and off to grab some food or drinks. As expected, I made a mad rush for the toilet. Followed by a trip to the nearby convenient store for a cup of thick, hot chocolate to keep myself warm.
4am
Back onto the stinky coach and continued my ride to London… zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Labels: Scotland/ London
posted by ikan bilis at 5:52 PM
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