Welcome Home!

Welcome home!
By now most of you will have been back in Lynchburg for at least a few days, though some of our number are still traveling in Europe!
I just wanted to say a few words following our tour of England & Scotland over the last two weeks.
We certainly were fortunate to enjoy such great weather throughout almost the entire tour, & I was particularly proud of my nation's cuisine, presented in so many excellent meals in diverse restaurants & hotels.  But the most important element of a great tour is the travelers themselves, so thank you all for your wonderful company:  your cheerfulness, flexibility & fortitude made this a great tour that I do hope you enjoyed as much as I did.
I hope to have the opportunity to travel with you all again some time.
Best wishes & safe travels,
Declan

August 10th: The Bonnie Bonnie shores of Loch Lomond & Mighty Stirling Castle

After a pleasant evening in Glencoe, our final day in Scotland dawned, cloudy but dry.
Today's itinerary took us from the Highlands back to Edinburgh, via two of Scotland's most popular sights:  Loch Lomond & Stirling Castle.
First though we drove through Glencoe again, enjoying some of the most beautiful scenery in Great Britain along the way.

Out first stop was in the charming village of Luss, home to streets of wonderful cottages & a few odd tourists...

From Luss we enjoyed a cross-loch cruise across the waters of Loch Lomond to the Trossach hills at Balmaha.  We were the only passengers so had an unexpected private cruise, though some of us almost missed it in the quest for 10:00am scones & cream!

From Balmaha we continued our journey, making our final sightseeing stop of the tour at Stirling Castle.
Home of the Stuart dynasty for centuries, Stirling Castle was historically one of Scotland's most powerful fortresses & played host to many of the nation's greatest historical figures.
For our visit we took a guided tour then had lots of time for lunch & to visit the many sights including the Renaissance palace, recreated kitchens, etc.

Our hotel this evening was outside Edinburgh, close to the airport.  So after checking-in & freshening-up we continued into the city center to enjoy a final hour of shopping/enjoying the city, then our last supper together in Scotland.
Tomorrow morning everyone departs on different flights, with the first departures from the hotel at 4:30am!!!

August 9th: Loch Ness & Glen Coe - Monsters & Massacres

Driving south from Inverness towards Glencoe today, our journey took us alongside the shores of Loch Ness, so it was time for a little monster hunting!
We began our day with a visit to the Loch Ness Monster Exhibit & Center, learning all about the reported sightings & many theories of the world's most famous monster mystery.

Could Nessie be a long-surving dinosaur

A sighting!!!

Just a few minutes from the Nessie 'museum' we made another stop, at the atmospheric ruined Urquhart Castle.
Destroyed deliberately by Scottish & English forces to avoid it falling into the hands of Jacobite rebels in the 1700s, Urquhart Castle overlooks Loch Ness so is a prime Nessie-spotting location as well as a historic monument.

Today's ultimate destination was Glencoe.  One of Scotland's most beautiful valleys, the glen was also the scene of Britain's most notorious massacre.  Nowadays it is a destination for both history buffs & nature lovers & after some rain at Urquhart Castle the day cleared-up again for everyone to enjoy a walk in Glencoe.

Welcome to Wang Ping Travel.

Tonight's overnight hotel was The Ballachulish Hotel just a few miles away.
Located in a grand old building & a newer annex, the hotel enjoyed stunning views over two lochs from its 'Feasting Hall'.  After dinner we enjoyed coffee in the great residents' lounge, the perfect end to another great day.

August 8th: Clava Cairns, Culloden & Cawdor Castle

We began our full day of exploring the Inverness area with a visit to the Clava Cairns.
After all the adults (myself included) failed the "Is the gate closed?" test we spent 30 minutes discovering this intriguing prehistoric site in wonderfully peacfeul surroundings almost entirely to ourselves.

Our next stop was just a few minutes drive away, having passed it on our way to the Clava Cairns.
Culloden Batliefield is the site of the last pitched battle fought on British soil, in 1745.
A modern visitor center with excellent museum tells the tale of this pivotal battle, then we were free to wander the battlefield itself.

From Culloden it was just another short drive to our final sightseeing stop of the day, Cawdor Castle.

In his famed Scottish play Shakespeare identifies Macbeth as the 'Thane of Cawdor', & although this is not historically accurate, the Macbeth connection is just another great reason to visit this impressive castle with spectacular grounds.

From Cawdor Castle we returned to Inverness, arriving with plenty of time left to explore Inverness itself before dinner tonight in a locally-owned eatery on the banks of the Ness River.