October 2009 Scotland

(Turnberry Resort)

One of my favorite things about living in London is the ability to take a weekend trip to a new place..and there are so many wonderful, new places for us to explore...but I live with a family of home bodies who are happy to just veg on the weekend...so I push and pull and they are all happy, once we get there.

We spent a long weekend in Scotland, at the Turnberry Resort in Ayr Scotland. We flew one hour to Glasgow then drove one hour...the hotel is stunning and the staff welcoming and helpful.. Here is the view from our hotel room when we woke up - we saw the sea, Ireland, rabbits, pheasants, sheep, dogs, cows and horses..from this window:

In the background is an island called Aisla Craig - an uninhabited island is formed from the volcanic plug of an extinct volcano.

The island was a haven for Catholics during the Scottish Reformation in the 16th century, but is today a bird sanctuary for puffins and other birds.

After a yummy breakfast, the girls and I headed for a walk on the beach..

It was so beautiful and the sea glass was abundant. As it started to rain we thought we could take a "short cut" back to the hotel - disaster - through sandy grassy prickers (nettles) - Meg freaked out and it was quite an adventure....we were blessed with a rainbow which made the adventure more special :)


We enjoyed a falconry display..which is the very old sport of using birds of prey for hunting...we really enjoyed meeting, holding and flying owls, falcons and hawks. The birds would fly onto your gloved hand for food. At one point, they were released into the sky, would circle us at amazing speeds, only to come diving in for food. Our instructor was very knowledgeable about each bird, and was passionate about his sport....very fun.



The girls also got to ride (hack as they say) thought the countryside ..they loved riding by ponds and swans and out over real logs in real woods. It was wet and rainy, but a highlight of the weekend for sure. We left the resort one night to have dinner in an old Inn called Souter Jonnies..an old inn with a thatched roof and lots of charm. In the bar, the tv was on and the Patriots were playing in London...the people in the bar were not interested, and one fellow commented he was surprised they let women play (one player had very long hair)...too funny.

The dialect the scots speak is so very hard for me to understand...lots of nodding politely and wondering, are we both speaking english?

Scotland was amazing..the people charming and wonderful, the scenery magical, pride in their heritage and history was apparent..need to see more of this place..Edinburg next...

Love from the wee wet north