"Left to Live" - A 23-Day Motorcycle Adventure Around UK and Ireland...

[TravisGill]

Day 19 - Tue, 11 Sep:


250 km of riding today as we continued around Scotland on the east side from Elgin, to Dunnottar Castle, and ending the day at St. Andrews Holiday Park. BTW, the weather is much nicer here than in the Highlands.


Covesea Skerries Lighthouse overlooks the campground.


Covesea Skerries Lighthouse was built in 1846 and deactivated in 2012.


We enjoyed a good breakfast as the campground. The hostess was so nice we decided to leave a small tip. Does leaving two pounds as a tip negate the two pounds of breakfast we just ate?


Since the Scottish invented golf in the 15th century we decided it would be fitting to play a round of golf. Does mini-golf count?


Got to hit it through the yellow mountain. By the way, I boogered a hole so bad that Chantil won the match by four strokes.

On our way out of the town of Elgin we stopped by the Cathedral. It was a nice morning and a great time to take some great pictures of an interesting landmark.


Fragments are all that remain of the large rose window of the Elgin Cathedral.


A decorative metal fence surrounds the entire cathedral grounds.


The Elgin Cathedral was established in 1224, but multiple attacks and fires over three centuries have left it in ruins.


There is a fee to visit inside the fence, but we felt like we had seen enough from the outside.


Next door is a Biblical Garden with some nice tile mosaics.

Our next stop was Dunnottar Castle. Just before reaching the parking area, I noticed another fellow motorcyclist pulling out of the parking area and then riding on the right side of the road. No worries, except we are in the UK where you ride on the left! No drama, as I was slowing, he recognized he was on the wrong side and then quickly drifted back his side of the road on the left followed by a sorry gesture. He must be from mainland Europe.


Dunnottar Castle (Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear, meaning "fort on the shelving slope") is on a rocky cliff overlooking the North Sea.


It was harvest season, so the fields were laden with golden wheat.


The ruins of Dunnottar Castle can be seen on the picturesque cliffs.


Fields of gold!


Some of the fields were freshly harvested with wheat straw still in bails.


The fields, sea cliffs, and sea breeze all created a memorable afternoon of hiking.


We hiked about 1.5 miles to the Stonehaven War Memorial which was designed by local architect John Ellis to look like an ancient structure.


The names of eight First World War battles are inscribed around the crown of the structure: Gallipoli, Jutland, Marne, Mons, Somne, Vimy, Ypres and Zeebrugge.


Looking back at the Dunnottar Castle.






This castle definitely has some incredible views!


Although it just ruins there is a certain beauty to these rock walls.




Squire, a UK based lock company had been in business since 1780.


Moss covers hard rock paths inside the castle walls.


A unique castle for sure and one of my favorites of the few we visited in Scotland.

In many ways this was my favorite castle of our trip. I think it was the lack of crowds, the walking trails around the castle, the incredible seaside views, and the great weather that all came together to make it one of my favorites.

We continued onward to the city of Saint Andrews…


A somewhat famous (does 5000 facebook followers make one famous?) cat named Hamish McHamish walked the streets of Saint Andrews. Hamish died on 11 September 2014 (oddly our visit was exactly four years later) but lives on through this statue dedicated to his life of wandering around a city who loved him.


We wandered around the streets as well looking for a place to eat.


We settled on a out-of-the-way restaurant called The Vine Leaf. It had a nice quite atmosphere with soft jazz music playing during the dinner hours.


The food was also presented well! I’ve never has Crab baked with cheddar served in a sea shell before. The seared salmon, chili, coconut milk, coriander, rice noodles, pakchoi was also well made. Unfortunately, we just didn’t think the food was that great tasting or flavorful.

After dinner, we rode though the medieval street of the city before rolling into camp at the St. Andrews Holiday Park.

Tomorrow, we continue our adventure south around the Firth of Forth with the forecast is calling for clear skies!...

[TravisGill]

Cracking write up & excellent picture taking skills - thanks for sharing... The Buccaneer you inspected is an ex RAF S2B version - and that one is one of many I worked on whilst they were flying from Lossiemouth... Happy festive season - looking forward to your next installment

Steve T

Steve, Thanks for the kind comments and all the information of the Buccaneer. A happy festive season to you as well. Day 19 published today with the hopes of finishing 20-23 before the end of next week...

[TravisGill]

Day 20 - Wed, 12 Sep:


Only 170 km of pavement today; Mostly because we slept in and spent a good part of our day at the Kelpies (B) and (C) Edinburgh. We finished the day at Drummohr Holiday Park (D)

It felt good to sleep in today. The shower was especially nice this morning. We got on the road around 0930.


We enjoyed some of the less traveled roads this morning.

It wasn’t too long before we noticed a roadside place called Blacketside Farms. It looked inviting with plenty of people inside the restaurant and shop. Must be something good inside...


There were lots of fresh vegetables – fresh from the earth.


But we were most interested in the berries!


I ordered some french toast with fresh berries and powdered sugar along with an apple juice. First time I’ve gotten apple juice in a glass bottle.
Blacketside Farms was a great start to our day!

Our next stop was The Kelpies. If you don’t know what these are then you’re not alone – neither did we before planning this trip. Once you see pictures though you’ll want to see them for yourselves.


Crossing the Firth of Forth via the Kincardine Bridge.


For someone who loves modern architecture and sculpture, this was high on my list of things to see in Scotland.


The park where the Kelpies are located is quite relaxing with its large grass fields and nearby canals.


The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland. These Clydesdales are modeled after two horses named Duke and Baron. The final sculpture is 30-metre-high and was designed by sculpture Andy Scott.


A close-up of Duke’s eye and the stainless-steel cladding.


Looking from the inside out. You can see the steel frame and some of the 928 unique stainless-steel skin-plates.


Baron stretches his head up to the sun.


Duke bends down to the earth.


Close-up of the cladding plates.


The unique shadow of Baron that is cast against a grassy field.


The “sun” portion of a large stone and metal plaque which reads “Stretch up your long necks to face the sun.”


There is also an attached visitors center with the Kelpies modeled using Lego bricks.


The walls and a monitor tell a bit about the history of this region.


A drawing area for kids with coloring pages and crayons and colored pencils. I’m guessing Owen is probably Scottish!


A monitor displayed how the model and then life-sized structure was built and then fabricated on site. As you can imagine, something this large, takes time to build and assemble.


View of the Kelpies from the visitor’s center. As you can see, by way-too-many pictures, we enjoyed our time here.

[TravisGill]

Day 20 - Wed, 12 Sep (continued…)

We continued along our route and arrived at the city of Edinburg, where we spent the rest of the day.


The central part of Edinburgh is watched over by the Edinburgh Castle.


The oldest pub in town, the White Hart is located on Grassmarket and shares its Victorian architecture with other buildings in the area. Notice the hilarious sign in front of the pub.


West Bow just off the Royal Mile and it’s iconic colorful shops and restaurants.


John Kay’s Shop is a wonderful little store full of globes, airplanes, balloons, and...


...metal toys to remind you of the UK.


A bronze statue of Walter Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, 5th Duke of Buccleuch and 7th Duke of Queensberry, stands above Parliament Square.


Tourists walk over the Heart of Midlothian - A heart-shaped mosaic, formed in colored granite sets. This area used to be the site of a prison where countless executions took place near the mosaic. Sometimes people spit on the heart to show their disdain for the executions that used to take place here.


This church has been the religious focal point of Edenburgh for over 900 years! The present church dates from the late 14th century, though it was restored in the 19th century.


The impressive 117-piece pipe-organ.


Two ornate unicorns, Scotland’s national animal, are depicted on this crest located in the Thistle Chapel.


Some of the ornate details of the cathedral.


The Robert Burns Memorial in stained glass designed by Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjörd.




A bagpiper plays among the streets of the Royal Mile.


The Camera Obscura & World of Illusions seemed like an interesting place. Why not?

The Camera Obscura was built in 1835. There isn’t much to it really. It’s a dark room with a large table and a beam of light. But wait…

…An image of Edinburgh begins to appear on the table. It’s not a recording. It’s a real time projected image! By today’s standards (of GCI where anything you can imagine can happen on the big screen), it’s not incredible, but in the 19th century this was fascinating stuff.


The views from the Camera Obscura observation deck are pretty good…


The Hub, with its iconic gothic spire is the highest point in central Edinburgh.


Adding a bit of modern architecture to the old town.


The floors below Camera Obscura are where the World of Illusions are located. It was fun to walk around and participate in the interesting exhibits.


A black light made for some interesting photos.


Look closely. This image is actually two female models painted to look like a chameleon.


Illusion Chessboard by Maurits Cornelis Escher. You most likely know him better by his artist name of M. C. Escher.


Glow lamps were fun to interact with. Expect to get a little shock though!


Keith Newstead does some incredible automata all choreographed using a rotating wheel. Amazing! See a video of his sculptures here: https://www.keithnewsteadautomata.com/p ... bind-mice/


Hand with Reflecting Sphere Depiction by M. C. Escher.


Thermal image camera shows why Chantil is always cooler than me. Look how much cooler here face is than mine!

[Spike941]

More fantastic photos. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post. Most appreciated.

[TravisGill]

Day 20 - Wed, 12 Sep (continued…)


Trying something new like these Jelly Slugs candies. Harry Potter seems to be very popular here.


Edinburg is an interesting city that combines the youthfulness of a college city with the old architecture of the 17th century.


An entire neighborhood in Edinburgh is named after Greyfriars Bobby; a dedicated Skye Terrier who spend 14 years guarding the grave of his owner, John Gray, until he died himself on 14 Jan 1872. A drinking fountain was placed in Bobby’s honor in 1873. The sculpture was William Brodie. It’s held up well, even with the century of rubbing Bobby’s nose.


The final resting place for both John Gray and Bobby is in Greyfriars Kirkland.


Well-wishers place sticks in front of the gravestone of Bobby.


Stores are named in his honor as well.


A row of University of Edinburgh buildings caught my eye. This particular building seemed to have something different about it.


Something as simple as white chalk outlines around the original bricks made this building stand out.


More unique patterns among the streets of Edinburgh.


The University of Edinburgh’s Old College Building with its dome stands above fast food restaurants where the students can grab a bite between classes.


Scots seem to have a lot of patriotism for their flag.


A mix of modern with a nod to the original 17th century buildings.


The Scotsmen Steps have connected North Bridge and Waverley Station ever since 1899. Each of the 104 steps received a major overhaul in 2011. Each step is now a different colored marble.


The major marble quarries are all represented from Italy to India, from Belgium to Brazil.


The Royal Unicorn and Scottish flag sit atop of the Mercat Cross in Parliament Square.


The Aha Ha Ha joke and novelties store on Bow Street is hard to miss.


On the night of 2-3 April 1916 two German airships, the L14 and the L22, dropped 23 bombs on Leith and the City of Edinburgh. Seven residents of Edinburgh were killed during the bombings. Today, over 100 years later, our two German motorcycles are parked just a few hundred feet from this location. It’s important that we remember the past such that we are not doomed to repeat the mistakes but it’s more important to move on and create to a better and more peaceful world.

There is definitely A LOT to see in Edinburgh. If we had more time, I think we would have enjoyed the castle and some of the overlooks around the city.

Our camp site for the night wasn’t too far away at the Drummohr Holiday Park.

[Flyfifer]

I have been enjoying your well crafted photos and commentary.

Despite having visited many of the places you have been, multiple times, your rendition has a freshness about it.

I look forward to your finishing sprint.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Your good eye for an image does not desert you.

Are you an artist?

[Alun]

Excellent reports and images Travis. Thanks for posting.

If you're passing anywhere near the ABR office on your trip south feel free to pop in, our kettle is always on.

[Boggs]

Great posts as usual,if youre heading south down the A68 tomorrow be careful just after you cross the border at the Carter bar,some crazy crests on that section.