Saturday 30 April 2011

Scotland Tour Day 8 - Loch Lomond to Edinburgh

9.45 am.  Just had a delicious full Scottish Breakfast. My first cooked breakfast on the whole tour. I will need it. It's going to be a long day and a late night. Going from Culag Lochside Guest House, Luss on Loch Lomond to Balloch, Stirling and from there to Edinburgh. In Edinburgh I'll visit the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill.

View of Loch Lomond and the seaplane from my room at Culag Guest House
Just when I wanted to go for breakfast, I've seen the Loch Lomond seaplane landing right outside the B&B.
Of course I grabbed my camera and rushed downstairs to take some pictures. They've refuelled and the engineer did a bit of posting for me too! We've started chatting. Dave, the pilot said "Come on, hop on, we're going down Cameron House, get someone to pick you up from there". Stupidly I didn't ask how far that was. I just declined, saying I'm not really into flying. Regretted it as soon as they took off. What an "adventure" that would have been... and the shots I could have taken. When I checked on the map I've seen that Cameron House Hotel is only a few miles down the lake. Couldn't have easily taken a taxi back to the B&B.

Loch Lomond Seaplane at Culag Guest House, Luss, Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond Seaplane at Culag Guest House, Luss, Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond Seaplane at Culag Guest House, Luss, Loch Lomond.

Seaplane taking off by Culag Guest House, Luss, Loch Lomond.

11.30 am. Wondering around the shores of Loch Lomond in Balloch (map).

Balloch, Loch Lomond.











3.00 pm. In Stirling (map). Having just a quick wonder around the high street and up to the Castle. Must admit that I didn't go all the way up to see the Castle... getting anxious to get to Edinburgh in time and am not inspired to take pictures for some reason. Must come back and spend more time here. It's such a lovely city. Still managed to get some shots.

Stirling, Scotland.
Stirling, Scotland.

Stirling, Scotland.

Stirling, Scotland.

Stirling, Scotland.

6.30 pm. At Biddy Mulligans pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh. Having a beer and a breather.

Dropped off hire car at the airport, took the Airlink bus to Edinburgh Waverley, picked up Beltane tickets at The Hub (very long queue) and pulled luggage up and and down the hills of the city.

This is Leigh and Joanna. They are in Edinburgh to celebrate Joanna's mum's birthday. Somehow we got chatting and they've invited me to join their party! But I had to check into the hostel first before I could hit the town. Two really nice girls... and how lovely is that to invite a stranger to their party?

Leigh and Joanna at Biddy Mulligans Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh.

Cycle rickshaw drivers by Biddy Mulligans Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh.

Cycle rickshaw drivers by Biddy Mulligans Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh.


8.30 pm. After freshening up at the hostel I'm making my way to the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill. Taking some more pics of Edinburgh on the way.












9.00 pm. At the Beltane on Carlton Hill in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh’s Beltane festival originates in the Scottish and Irish Gaelic pre-Christian festival of the same name.
The name itself is thought to have derived from a Gaelic-Celtic word meaning ‘bright/sacred fire’. It was held to mark and celebrate the blossoming of spring, and coincided with the ancient pastoral event of moving livestock to their summer grazing.... 
It was a celebration of the fertility of the land and their animals. The main traditional element which was common to all Beltane festivals was the fire which gave it its name. All the fires of the community would be extinguished and a new, sacred ‘Need Fire’ was lit by either the village head or spiritual leader. From this source one or two bonfires were lit, and the animals of the community would be driven through or between them. It was believed that the smoke and flame of the fires would purify the herd, protecting them in the year to come and ensuring a good number of offspring. The inhabitants of the village would then take pieces of the fire to their homes and relight their hearths, and dance clockwise around the bonfires to ensure good portents for them and their families. Source: http://beltane.org/about/beltane/



9.30 pm. The show starts and I can't see anything but the crowd. And some selfish people blocking the view even more. Never mind... makes for good pictures too.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.
  
At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

9.50 pm. Finally getting some glimpses of the procession.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland. The May Queen going towards the "Blue Man".

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.
At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

At the Beltane Fire Festival on Carlton Hill, Edinburgh, Scotland.

11.30 pm. Well, what can I say about the Beltane. It was awesome! Photographically very challenging though.. it was pitch black apart from the torches... my camera batteries done a good job. So many times I had to trigger the flash before I eventually got a picture.

When it was almost over I bumped into a guy sitting in front of me. We've started chatting. He was there for the 13th time. His name was Michael and he lives in Edinburgh. He explained to me Beltane and it's background. He knew all about it. Then we've had a nice conversation about a lot of things and talked for quite some time. I really enjoyed that.

View of Edinburgh at night from Carlton Hill.

Leigh, chap, me, Irish chap.
0.15 am. On my way to the hostel I bumped into Leigh and Joanna again on North Bridge. We walked together to a the Filling Station on Royal Mile where we chatted to a bunch of guys they've met on the night. I can remember one Irish fellow telling me to visit Ireland... but must go to the west, don't bother with Dublin. There was another chap called Theo (I think) from Chile.
Took some pics and had a really good laugh with them all.

Leigh and Joanna with "forgotten his name" chap at the Filling Station, Royal Mile, Edinburgh.

Leigh and the Irish chap.

Irish chap and Chilean chap at the Filling Station, Edinburgh.

The night draws to an end in Edinburgh.


A perfect Good-Bye-Edinburgh shot.

1.00 am. Time to say good night to Edinburgh and goodbye to Scotland. I'm off home to Bournemouth tomorrow. But watch out Scotland. I will be back soon.


Click here to see the map of the whole 8 day tour

Tour Itinerary: Edinburgh – Spittal of Glenshee (Cairngorms) – Nethy Bridge (Cairngorms) – Inverness – Inchnadamph (Sutherland) by Loch Assynt – Ullapool – Torridon – Applecross Peninsula – Loch Ness – Glen Coe – Loch Lomond - Edinburgh


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