* more panorama photos have been put up on our panorama page !

Ian : Before the trip to Holland, we were showing our lovely friend Tim around Glasgow and beyond, so here are a few highlites ...

* Reminder : click on the photo to see the full size version.

Tim visits the nurses chapel at Glasgow cathedral and offers
up a prayer for more good will at christmas holiday leave time.

We went to see New Lanark. (see our earlier blog trip)

Tim spies something nasty in the observatory.

The Charles Rennie McIntosh designed 'House for an Art lover'

Cafe for an art lover

and Tim and Ian went off to drive around the highlands (the north) . . .

first we stop in Stirling and the Wallace Monument.
( William Wallace - you know, Mel Gibson with mud )

to the Palace of Scone (pronounced like spoon)
Funny little guide man inside tried to convince us that
'the stone of scone' never did get taken to London at all -
they'd given them a phoney stone in the first place !

our hotel in Inverness - capital of the Highlands

Tim - mad with excitement about Loch Ness.

Wherever you go in the Highlands ... SHEEP are watching !!

Eilean Donan castle - as seen on countless shortbread tins !
a little disappointing in that most of it was rebuilt in the 1920's
but what a location !

Eilean Donan puts the viking boat out for a spin regularly.

... and then leaving the mainland across the bridge to the Isle of Skye ...

Yes, July and sunny ... but still bloody COLD !

We could've easily missed this most amazing bit of history except for Tim's eagle eye
catching the word 'iron age' on the sign ...

This recently uncovered souterrain was the store house of the iron-age.

Once inside, with the aid of the torch that's left hanging on the gate,
I couldn't stand up. They must've been very short.

We travel to the bottom of Skye and stay in a very swish hotel which is
close to Knock castle ruins - which is now my most favorite place in Scotland !

the remains of Knock castle - possibly my favorite place in the world !

and the next morning, get the ferry back over to Mallaig

Great timing ! The Jacobite steam train passes (on it's way between Fort William and Mallaig)
as we start driving down the west coast back to Glasgow.

communing with the highland cows (who have an embarrassment of hair).

Somewhere in the highlands.