Today I woke up not only a day older, but a year older too. (N.B. Notes for this post were originally written on May 18, my actual birth date, so please hold your birthday blessings until next year or by all means, send belated ones if you feel so inclined. ;) ) I have to admit, it was kind of great waking up on my birthday in a castle. It’s not every day one gets to experience that. Of course, I celebrated with another full Scottish breakfast, complete with another large heaping mound of haggis on my dish. (Note to self – must learn how to make haggis, preferably from a little old Scottish lady I can barely understand.)
Me & The North Sea in St Andrews
Bidding my farewells to Melville, I boarded the bus for another long drive to the highlands of Scotland. Comfortably seated next to my “bus buddy”, who gave me first pick in sitting by the window or aisle since it was my “special day”, we were on our way for our first stop in St Andrews, renowned for being “the home of golf”, and the home of the university where Prince William and his new bride Catherine once studied, met, and fell in love. Upon arrival, I was surprised to see how quiet and charming the town really was. While I wasn’t really expecting a wild and crazy uni party in the middle of the streets, I was expecting to see, well, a little more activity. Perhaps it was because most of the students had completed the school year and were back home, or perhaps it was because the town only has a population of just under 17,000, but there were hardly any people out and about, giving the town a very peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, which I really quite enjoyed. We parked the bus near the famous Old Course of St Andrews and I was once again surprised to see how small the golf course was. Being the home of golf and the oldest golf course in the world, I had envisioned an enormous golf course, with rolling hills, miles of emerald fairway, sand pits, ponds, and all the other features one expects with a grand course, but it was actually quite modest and humble. It did have an impressive view of the North Sea, however, and I wondered how many wayward golf balls were resting in its depths.
Old Course in St Andrews
After admiring the golf course and staring longingly out to sea, I began my exploration of the town. I walked by some of the charming university buildings, passed St Andrews Castle, and visited the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral where I spent much time wandering about in the Cathedral Cemetery. The Cathedral, originally built in the early 12th century was ravaged by storms and a fire and was later reconstructed. What remains now are the ruins of the rebuilt Cathedral dating back to the 14th Century and the serene cemetery which offers glorious views of the sea – a perfect resting place indeed. As I examined the graves I noticed how old many of them were; some of the carvings on the headstones were completely illegible and barely visible after having weathered hundreds of years. Quite a few of the headstones also had carved etchings of golfers and golf clubs, making it evident that this was clearly, and understandably, a passion of many of the inhabitants who were laid to rest here.
St Andrews Castle
Tommy’s Grave – Cathedral Cemetery
St Andrews Cathedral Cemetery
Graves at St Andrews Cathedral Cemetery
After my exploration of the cemetery, my “bus buddy” and I checked out the shops in town. I walked by a very inviting cupcake shop and so stopped in to treat myself to a delicious marshmallow and chocolate cupcake. Yum! Happy Birthday to me! Wiping the frosting off my face and hands, I continued to browse through the many wonderful boutiques and shops of St Andrews and picked up a stunning wool and cashmere scarf. I also spotted a gorgeous tweed and tapestry handbag but left it behind, thinking I would find more of what I was looking for later on. (I am now kicking myself I did not buy it.) Looking at our watches, we noticed we were going to be late getting back to the bus, but directionally challenged as we both were, we began walking in the opposite direction. We asked some of the workmen who were working on the roads how to get back, but ironically, they weren’t actually from St Andrews and had no idea where to lead us. Luckily, I found the tourist information centre and with my trusty map now in hand, I was able to lead us back, once I got my bearings and figured out which way to walk in that is. Once back on the bus and only 10 minutes late, we were greeted with applause and a bit of teasing. I begged forgiveness, asking them to excuse the birthday girl’s tardiness, which they were more than happy to oblige and then they all broke out in song to sing me happy birthday. It was very sweet.
Blair Castle – Blair Atholl
Continuing on, we made another stop in the town of Pitlochry. While some went off for an optional excursion to tour Blair Castle in nearby Blair Atholl, I opted to explore the town as the rain drizzled down on me. I stopped at a shop for some fudge (my lunch) and checked out some of the shops, continuing my search for a tweed hat and a cozy wool sweater, but all the hats were too large for my mutant small head and I kept seeing the same sweater styles over and over again, which I wasn’t very fond of. The town itself wasn’t very interesting either as it’s really only one main street, but I did happen upon the Heather Gems Factory and Showroom, which makes some very unique jewellery out of the heather that blankets the landscapes of the Scottish highlands. After some time in town, those of us who stayed behind drove up to Blair Castle to meet the others. Here, I was greeted by some regal peacocks that were strutting amusingly about the grounds. One even enjoyed posing for me long enough to snap some photographs of him before he bored of me and strutted on.
Sir Peacock
Back on the bus, we commenced our journey to our final destination in Aviemore. The drive was spectacular. Simply gorgeous. Sheep were scattered everywhere, rolling green fields stretched as far as the eye could see, and barley waved in the wind. It was such a magical scene. From our large picture windows I stared out to admire the River Tay, the longest river in Scotland, that was flowing along large pines and through dense forests. The further north we drove, the more rugged the landscape became, with rocky terrain and hills carpeted in wild heather, lingering snow frosting their peaks. The area reminded me of driving up to cottage country in northern Ontario and the geography of the Canadian Shield, and so it felt a bit like home. Finally arriving at our hotel in Aviemore, we got off the bus and I was at once smacked in the face (in a good way) with clean and crisp mountain air and the fresh smell of pine. Even the sun had finally come out to join us. I felt momentarily invigorated after our long journey, but very much welcomed a bit of a lay down and a good dinner. After freshening up, my roommate and I headed down for a birthday drink where I was treated to a throat soothing single malt scotch whisky before enjoying dinner. Soon after, I was ready for a long and restful sleep.
River Tay
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