Tour Day 3 & 4 | C Mckeen In Scotland

Tour Day 3

Though tyrants threat,

though Lyons rage and rore

Defy them all, and feare not to win out.

Elizabeth Melville,

Lady Culross, c1578 - c1640

July 24th, 2019	Sometime between the late 1500's and early 1600's this lovely "palace" was built on the River Forth as a house for a local merchant. Stay awhile inside and admire all the details but don't forget to explore the period gardens out back. Take a moment and smell the herbs and if you are lucky you may see one of the resident Scots Dumpy chickens.	Culross "Palace". A bit tight in spots, we got to know each other very well as we squeezed past in the narrow doorways and stairs. It was a good way to get to know my fellow tour travelers though I am still wincing about treading on someone's foot hard enough to make them yelp!	Several episodes of Outlander were filmed in Culross and knowing that, when I came across this lovely room I was tempted to sit and compose a steamy letter to Jamie Fraser.. but the links at St Andrews were calling so back on the coach and down the road we go.	We came to see the past but cannot forget the challenges of the current times and future path. The lovely pink porcine was made to represent the impact Brexit might have on the UK... interesting choices ahead.
And a bird decides what art is. Sometimes we need to look at the smaller picture, look at the details, colors and form. And when you are finished go around the corner of Culross "Palace" to Bessie's Cafe. Have a scone with raspberry jam and a lovely cup of tea.. another form of art.

Tour Day 4

Walking, I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still they say, Watch and Listen..

~Linda Hogan

July 25th, 2019	A short walk down the shore of Loch Tay will bring you to the Crannog Center and stepping back 2,500 years to the iron age. Staffed by an incredible group of talented people who can show you how to carve wood or make fire and don't miss the museum which will hold you captive exploring the fascinating items on display. To my bucket list I have now added a trip back to the Crannog for their Samhain celebration - whose with me?	We were back at the Kenmore for dinner and to be honored with the incredible bagpipe playing of Gillie McNab. The bagpipes call to anyone with Scottish blood, haunting notes will course through your veins for days and there is no one better to bring the pipes alive. I don't remember the food I ate that night but I will always remember the friends around me and the music of Gilli McNab. The evening ended with a pint and some laughs on the patio with a few of the folk from the Crannog. Priceless.	How do you get me to hike? Make the hike be through a dark, lovely forest ending at the Black Linn falls with Drambuie and chocolate for refreshment, that's how. Whisky was the focus of the afternoon with a tour and tasting at the Dewar's distillery, and I was glad to have our coach driver, Grant, behind the wheel.	As the coach rolled into Dunkeld I heard Colin say, "Great British Bake Off".. um, yum, what? Pictured here is my lunch, a pistachio cream filled croissant from Aran Bakery home of Flora, a GBBO contestant. If you get the chance, stop at this lovely, little bakery full of scrumptious goodies but go early as everyone else loves it too.
When our dedicated tour guide Colin found a great little pub in Dunkeld and discovered they were having live music he chased around the town to find as many of us as he could to join up for a listen. That would have been amazing on it's own, good beer, good music, good friends, but we also met the incredibly talented painter, Shuji Uehara. His 'painting holidays' take him around the world doing watercolor sketches of pubs and serendipity brought him to ours.

Tour Day 3

July 24th, 2019

Culross "Palace". A bit tight in spots, we got to know each other very well as we squeezed past in the narrow doorways and stairs. It was a good way to get to know my fellow tour travelers though I am still wincing about treading on someone's foot hard enough to make them yelp!

Several episodes of Outlander were filmed in Culross and knowing that, when I came across this lovely room I was tempted to sit and compose a steamy letter to Jamie Fraser.. but the links at St Andrews were calling so back on the coach and down the road we go.

We came to see the past but cannot forget the challenges of the current times and future path. The lovely pink porcine was made to represent the impact Brexit might have on the UK... interesting choices ahead.

And a bird decides what art is. Sometimes we need to look at the smaller picture, look at the details, colors and form. And when you are finished go around the corner of Culross "Palace" to Bessie's Cafe. Have a scone with raspberry jam and a lovely cup of tea.. another form of art.

Tour Day 4

July 25th, 2019