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May 16 - We left St. Andrews and drove through the town before heading to the Scottish coast for the Fife Coastal walk. We started the 6.1 mile walk in the town of Crail then through Anstruther and ending in the active fishing town of Pittenweem where we had a delightful and creative lunch at the Dory Bistro. After lunch we were driven to the Cameron House, a stunning five-star property located on the shore of Loch Lomond. Our dinner was at the Cameron Grill overlooking the lake.
May 17 - 18 - After a hearty breakfast we embarked on a private boat ride on Loch Lomond, the largest loch in Scotland. We ended the ride in Balmaha, a small remote harbor where we disembarked. Our walk was on the West Highland Way, a well known hiking trail in Scotland, and we were accompanied by Emma, a local naturalist, who explained the history of the loch and the on going conservation.
Our day was warm and clear and ended with a delicious picnic lunch prepared by our guides. We returned to our beautiful hotel to enjoy the amenities and views before our last evening where we were entertained by a bagpiper followed by a private farewell dinner.
The final morning was a visit to the Stirling Castle, in the town of Stirling, sitting high about the valley. We walked the grounds and enjoyed the view before our final goodbyes to the other guests. Then we were off to the Edinburgh airport for our flight to London.
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A very tough hike for us today in the Scottish Highlands but we made it and we were lucky to have good weather.
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Kyle explaining some of the sports involved in the Highland Games.
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May 11 - 12 - We arrived in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, in the afternoon and had dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant. After dinner we walked the central area and to the Edinburgh Castle, a spectacular structure perched high above the city. From there we walked the busy Royal Mile and then a nice stroll back to our hotel.
On our second day we went outside the city to Jupiter Artland, a beautiful forest and garden incorporating both three-dimensional sculptures and landforms. We thoroughly enjoyed the respite in nature and ended our time at the venue’s cafe. We returned to Edinburgh for an ice cream and then a rest before an Italian dinner.
May 13 - We started our walking trip with Backroads by meeting the other guests. We took a luxury bus from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands for our first walk on the Heritage Trail beginning in the town of Birnam and ending at a picnic lunch in Dunkeld along the River Tay. It was a beautiful walk along a stream bed, through groves of Sitka Pines and other trees. A delightful first day ending in a well appointed inn called the Darroch Learg Hotel located in the vicinity of the Balmoral Castle, the royal castle in Scotland.
May 14 - After breakfast we took the van to the Balmoral Royal Estate for a peaceful and otherworldly 7.4 mile walk around Loch Muick. The loch or lake is located in a valley surrounded by mostly windswept mountains topped with mist. Some areas were wooded and our lunch spot was at a former lakeside home of Queen Victoria. After our return and shower we walked to the nearby town of Ballater and then rejoined our group at the hotel for a whisky tasting (no “e” in Scottish whisky). Our group had dinner in town at the Fish Shop, a well designed Michelin star restaurant with locally sourced and fresh ingredients, a delightful way to end the day.
May 15 - Our morning excursion was to the location of the Highland Games in the town of Braemar. Kyle, our private guide and game champion told us about the history of each event and then we watched the stone and hammer throw as well as the famous caber (log) toss. Some of the guests tried the shot put and hammer throw.
Afterwards we took the van to the start of our 5.1 hike on the Caterans Trail with an initial elevation gain of one thousand feet. The day was clear and while the climb was strenuous the view of the verdant valley below was worth the effort. It was a long trek to our lunch spot in the garden of a small farm.
We ended the day with a drive to St. Andrews and The Old Course Hotel located on the 17th green of the famous St. Andrew’s Golf Course. We had dinner at the hotel in the Road Hole Restaurant and watched the fog blanket the golf course.
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May 11 - 12 - We arrived in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, in the afternoon and had dinner at a Middle Eastern restaurant. After dinner we walked the central area and to the Edinburgh Castle, a spectacular structure perched high above the city. From there we walked the busy Royal Mile and then a nice stroll back to our hotel.
On our second day we went outside the city to Jupiter Artland, a beautiful forest and garden incorporating both three-dimensional sculptures and landforms. We thoroughly enjoyed the respite in nature and ended our time at the venue’s cafe. We returned to Edinburgh for an ice cream and then a rest before an Italian dinner.
May 13 - We started our walking trip with Backroads by meeting the other guests. We took a luxury bus from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands for our first walk on the Heritage Trail beginning in the town of Birnam and ending at a picnic lunch in Dunkeld along the River Tay. It was a beautiful walk along a stream bed, through groves of Sitka Pines and other trees. A delightful first day ending in a well appointed inn called the Darroch Learg Hotel located in the vicinity of the Balmoral Castle, the royal castle in Scotland.
May 14 - After breakfast we took the van to the Balmoral Royal Estate for a peaceful and otherworldly 7.4 mile walk around Loch Muick. The loch or lake is located in a valley surrounded by mostly windswept mountains topped with mist. Some areas were wooded and our lunch spot was at a former lakeside home of Queen Victoria. After our return and shower we walked to the nearby town of Ballater and then rejoined our group at the hotel for a whisky tasting (no “e” in Scottish whisky). Our group had dinner in town at the Fish Shop, a well designed Michelin star restaurant with locally sourced and fresh ingredients, a delightful way to end the day.
May 15 - Our morning excursion was to the location of the Highland Games in the town of Braemar. Kyle, our private guide and game champion told us about the history of each event and then we watched the stone and hammer throw as well as the famous caber (log) toss. Some of the guests tried the shot put and hammer throw.
Afterwards we took the van to the start of our 5.1 hike on the Caterans Trail with an initial elevation gain of one thousand feet. The day was clear and while the climb was strenuous the view of the verdant valley below was worth the effort. It was a long trek to our lunch spot in the garden of a small farm.
We ended the day with a drive to St. Andrews and The Old Course Hotel located on the 17th green of the famous St. Andrew’s Golf Course. We had dinner at the hotel in the Road Hole Restaurant and then an evening walk into town.
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2024
SCOTLAND
BACKROADS WALKING TOUR
Introduction - We are off on a walking tour in Scotland and traveling with our friends Richard and Susie Weiner. We are looking forward to an interesting and fun time. Before the walking tour we will be spending a few days in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Follow us during the next couple weeks as we share stories, travel ideas and pictures.
May 8 - 11 - Glasgow - We left Los Angeles for our overnight flight to London with a transfer to Glasgow. We are staying at the Dakota Glasgow and after check-in walked the central city with its variety of architecture from different eras.
May 10 - 11 - We visited the University of Glasgow and the exhibit of the Mackintosh House. After reading about the Mackintoshes we spent time in their recreated home with all their furniture and furnishings. The Mackintoshes, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, were early 20th century architects and designers who inspired the Modernist Movement. Their designs included furniture, textiles, wood and metalwork that were simple, functional along with the use of light.
We next visited the Hunterian Museum, a beautiful facility on the campus, that features exhibits of nature, exploration, a variety of 19th and early 20th century medical tools, scientific equipment and instruments. The exhibits were fascinating.
From the University of Glasgow we walked to the Zaha Hadid designed Riverside Museum that features a farrago of late 19th century to mid 20th century modes of transportation and entertainment. There were bicycles, vintage automobiles, buses, locomotives, model trains and beautifully built model ships. There is a recreation of a Glasgow cobbled street lined with bygone shops. We thoroughly enjoyed this well designed museum.
We walked back to the central city and to our hotel for a rest before our dinner at a delicious Asian fusion restaurant.
The next day we walked the city and enjoyed the morning before our pickup to Edinburgh.
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October 21 -26 - In Tokyo we stayed at the Tokyo Palace Hotel, close to Tokyo Station. Our room overlooked the water and gardens of the Imperial Palace and the vast skyline of Tokyo. Tokyo is an overwhelmingly dense city of buildings and people. Moving around the city requires using the subway system with stations that are busy, large and can be a little complex.
During our stay we took a group goyza and ramen cooking class that was informative, fun and finished with a delicious meal. After class we walked the Kappabashi area that has every imaginable kind of kitchen, cooking and even a chopstick store.
We took a three-hour architectural walking tour of the Omote-Sando, an area where many Japanese architects have designed stores for well-known brands of personal and clothing items. The area is pedestrian friendly with many small streets to stroll and enjoy.
We went to two special museums, the What Museum that houses over 600 architectural models that were used for conceptual designs for proposed buildings. The second museum was the Hara Model Railway Museum with over 1,000 model train cars, and more than 6,000 model railway items. There is information how trains developed, constructed and operate. A special treat is the large operating train layout that is a replica of an actual town that is fascinating to observe. The founder spent a lifetime of research, travel and engineering in order to purchase and reconstruct the trains.
Tokyo is a city to meander and take-in the urban landscape of architecture, stores, people and food. We spent much of our time walking, navigating the subway system and enjoying being immersed in the city. Tokyo and the Palace Hotel are memorable of our time in Japan.
We are flying home on Friday October 27 where we leave Tokyo at 5:00 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles on Friday October 27 at 10:50 a.m.
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