Ian : The had day finally arrived ! ... but first ...

W A R N I N G !!

The following contains references to the Spanish Inquisition, Spam, parrots and coconut shells.

What follows will only be of interest to very silly people and/or devotees of the Monty Python television series, films, books and cheese. . . . and llamas. well, not the african llama, obviously ...

Having been part of the crowd in high school in 1974 who 'got' the Monty Python sense of humour, I have obviously only been living for this day - the day that I, along with 499 other crazies come together (once a year) at Doune castle near Stirling, Scotland for . . .
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Doune castle, used in the filming of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

a tour of the castle before the lunacy starts.

The courtyard area - scene of the festivities

"This parrot has ceased to be ! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch, it would be pushing up the daisies !"

Lumberjack was the best we could do i'm afraid.

Free facial hair in our sample bags ! ... essential if you want to go to the stoning !

Another lumberjack !

Nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition !!

The Knights who say Nih ! get the soft cushion interigation from the Spanish Inquisition.

Helping Mr Gumby articulate that his brain hurts.

The french Knight telling King Arthur to go away "or I shall taunt you a second time"

At last ! the stoning !! ( there are no women here, are there ?? )

Also in our sample bag was two half coconut shells (of course) for the world record attempt at the longest coconut conga line as we all 'rode' up to the entry gate of the castle. There was a sing-a-long with all of our favorite Monty Python songs, skits performed live, the Python Idol talent competition, best costume award and something we could all take part in (except women) - the stoning !

A very small Black Knight.

The wall from which the French Knight taunted King Arthur.

Well, to those of you who aren't well aquainted with the genre, all this probably meant nothing, but I have to say, being there with all those other lunatics singing 'Always look on the bright side of life' - I was actually tearfull. Seriously, with so much crap in the world and so little 'community', i think comedy and silliness is so valuable and deserves to be celebrated. I guess it's my alternative to religion.
and at the end of the day, it was back onto the bus from Doune to Stirling, and to the train station to get home to Glasgow ...

Stirling train station : renowned through-out the U.K. for it's spectacular botanical displays.

We look forward to your comments !

Ian: well, here we go - our first train trip up into the highlands (which I thought were so-named because of their altitude - not so, it's because of their northerly latitude) and we have with us our friend Brian, a glaswegian who we first met when he was passing thru Melbourne on his way around the world. The five hour trip goes up the west coast ending at Mallaig, gateway to the Isle of Skye and several other bits of land hanging around in the water.


And to help you recognise heather when it appears in later photographs - here's a snap:


Stopped at Fort William : Yes, it was tempting to forcably prise open the doors on the WRONG side of the carraige and squeeze out into the 10cm of space between the train and the brick wall, but we resisted the obvious allure.


Brian hiding behind a Scots Rail cup of tea.

No words needed here I think. Like in New Zealand - stunning landscape, and even more beautiful because of the overcast & atmospheric sky.





Michael: This is the Glenfinnan Monument, surmounted by a kilted Highlander (just barely visible), which commem0rates the Jacobite uprising in support of Charles Edwart Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie). It comes into sight just as the train passes over the Glenfinnan viaduct (of Harry Potter fame!).
Ian: We kept seeing these great houses in the middle of nowhere - very romantic - in a sort of Bronte Sisters way.





Ian: Our lodgings in Mallaig.
Mallaig harbour.
During our walk inland from Mallaig - past a loch, and after getting thoroughly wet socks from the boggy ground. (but well worth it !)




... and before we left Mallaig, a rainbow was presented for us !

The only hurried snap I got of the Glenfinnan Viaduct used in one of the Harry Potter films. A 'Harry Potter Express' steam train runs (expensively) from Fort William to Mallaig most of the year.

Ian: Our local Kelvingrove gallery and Museum re-opened last month after a multi-million pound refurbishment and we went to take a look. So huge is the collection, that we'll have to go back another day to see the other half. Magnificent building ! Aparently Scotlands most visited museum.


This is the 'elephant being chased by a plane' exhibit.

and in amongst the stuffed wildlife and geological exhibits, there's Elvis. A wide-ranging collection for sure !

and some of the installation artwork.

More to come !

We were watching one of the many great tv documentaries about our new home (the U.K.) which told us that this island used to be a tropical forest with huge treeferns growing here and if we wanted proof, to go to Victoria Park in Glasgow, just a kilometer from us, where we found the fossilised stumps of the treeferns.

And here they are ...