Birmingham

The picture's not very interesting, but how I got there and what I did is a longer story. Wait a moment, you say, what happened to Glasgow, you wrote that you visited it? Well evidently I didn't think it photogenic enough. I have a hazy memory of a less attractive city than Edinburgh. Certainly I don't remember any landmarks.

I had a ticket for a microomputer exhibition given to me by the business contact back in the Lulworth Cove post. I took a sleeper from Glasgow, arriving at the break of dawn, hence the photo. Which reminds me, on London to Edinburgh journey I was asked by the conductor before retiring if I wanted tea for breakfast just before arrival. I hadn't even realised that this was included in the fare. It came in china cup with a couple of biscuits. I'm sure that this custom of yore is long gone and now passengers have to get their own breakfast from the dining car or a vending machine. But you probably get more choice. Such is progress.

Microcomputers were the hottest thing at the time. They were just starting to be put to use in offices. It may have been this exhibition or another where I came across a letter generator. The idea was you gave it a list of names and it printed out form letters with the names in appropriate places. The demo prompted for a name. Being the impish rascal that I am, I typed in Twithead. (My usage predates Twitter, by the way.) The microcomputer obediently printed out: Dear Twithead, Thank you for your enquiry, etc. etc. I made my escape before the booth staff got curious about the hilarity in the area of the microcomputer.

Fort William

From Inverness I went to Fort William on the western coast of Scotland. I don't see a train link so it's quite likely that this route was served by railbus and the photo of Urqhart Castle in the previous post was taken from the bus. Despite being a small settlement of about 10,000 people, Fort William is still the second largest in the Scottish Highlands, after Inverness. That tells you something about Scottish population distribution..

I stayed at the Glen Nevis Youth Hostel, which appears to be still there, as the website mentions a history at that site going back to 1933. I probably walked the 3 or 4 km from the town. I remember that it was rainy so I had to take out my raincoat, and also noting from the signs that the same road would take me to Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. I wasn't going to scale the mountain but hoped that I might get a glimpse of it. No such luck.

Fort William could also have been the starting point for destinations further north on the west coast but this was as far as I planned to go. I would be turning south to Glasgow afterwards.

None of the pictures here have sufficient local detail to allow me to easily identify where or when they were taken, so we'll just have to enjoy the scenery.

Inverness and Loch Ness

Inverness (Mouth of the River Ness) is the starting point for exploring Loch Ness and points southwest. It was a pretty place as this photo, probably taken from the slopes of a park, of the river and town shows.

I signed up for a day outing with a local tour company. A cheery Scotsman came around in a people mover van to pick up a bunch of hostellers including me. We drove along the river until it became Loch Ness and stopped a few km down the road to examine the water.

Loch Ness is the largest freshwater body in the Great Glen Fault. It's very plain to see on a map, as if a giant knife had sliced Scotland. The water is very murky and this allows the myth of a Loch Ness Monster to persist. No one in the party really expected to sight Nessie but it gave a little frisson to the outing.

It was a moderately strenuous climb to high ground. The day started off sunny, but it still felt cold due to the wind and our exposed vantage point above the loch.

During the walk our guide regaled us with tales about the loch, information about local flora, and general Scottish history.

At the lunch stop, the guide produced a thermos container holding a haggis, and recited Robert Burns' poem Address To A Haggis before giving each of us a small portion. There was more conventional lunch fare provided in the form of sandwiches and tea.

These are the ruins of Urqhart Castle, probably taken from a moving vehicle as I don't have any recollection of exploring the grounds.

Aviemore

I wanted to see the Scottish Highlands and I saw that Aviemore was reachable by train and had a youth hostel so that was all I needed to make a stopover there.

From the reflections in the picture this would have been taken from the train.

Aviemore is known for winter sports, but also receives visitors in summer. I recall there was a group of school kids staying there, and they had also organised some activities for them including a film evening. I did some walks in the area and it was a charming town but there wasn't much else to do but appreciate nature.

The Aviemore railway station is where the Strathspey Steam Railway branches out. At the time I visited, it started from an auxiliary station a little further north and only since 1998 has started from the main station.

I don't remember if I took the trip on the nostalgic stream train or not, but anyway I have these pictures of the old engines. 

Perth

No, not the antipodean city, the original Perth in Scotland.

From Edinburgh it's a dramatic crossing across the Forth Bridge, spanning the Firth of Forth. Though opened back in 1890, it still has the second longest single span for a cantilever bridge, and is a symbol of Scotland. Naturally, the photographer being on the train, the picture is not of the rail bridge, but of the adjacent Forth Road Bridge, which is also impressive.

Perth was a pleasant little city to break the journey to the highlands. I don't remember much of it though. In this view down the main street the spire under renovation probably belongs to St Matthews, and is a distinctive contribution to the city's skyline.

This evening picture was taken from the youth hostel slightly out of town. Looking at the current description, it seems to have changed to a summer hostel, using the student residences of Perth College. I got warmer vibes in colder Scotland compared with big city London. The Scots have a strong sense of identity and you definitely feel that you are are in a different country this far north.

Edinburgh

The plan was to do a circuit of Scotland starting in Edinburgh, moving on to Perth, then to Aviemore YH in the Cairngorms NP, up to Inverness, within striking distance of Loch Ness, southwest along the string of lochs to Fort William and ending in Glasgow.

In this rather gloomy photo you can see Salisbury Crags at the far right.The perspective suggests that it was taken from Blackford Hill.

This is the east tower of the Royal Observatory on the hill. The two young men in the photo are a couple of Austrian backpackers I struck up a conversation with. I corresponded with the touseled hair Christian for a couple of years then visited them in Graz on my second tour of Europe en route for the US.

This is Princes Street, taken in the vicinity of the eponymous gardens and looking towards the Balmoral Hotel in the distance. At the time it was called the North British Hotel.

Note that it's wet. Scotland is like that, you have to be prepared for inclement weather even in summer. A postcard I saw made fun of this. First frame, cartoon captioned Scotland in Winter depicting a meadow with miserable looking sheep. Second frame, cartoon captioned Scotland in Summer, depicting the same meadow with the same miserable looking sheep.

Another funny postcard was captioned How the Bagpipe Was Invented. Subcaption: Short-sighted Scotsman mistakes his cat for a musical instrument. Poor cat.

I also visited Edinburgh Castle.

Probably a view looking down the start of the Royal Mile.

At the other end of the Royal Mile is Holyrood Palace, the principal royal residence in Scotland.

London 2

Continuing my walking exploration of London, I visited Covent Garden Markets.

The interior of the market. I understand it's since been spruced up and is now a swanky tourist destination. A pair of performers is entertaining the crowd.

Probably in the Soho area.

A search for Melanddi shows that this was probably one of their shops in the Carnaby Street area, which was home to many fashion and apparel retailers.

These half-timbered buildings look Elizabethan, don't they? But it seems that the timbers are too straight, they are actually Victorian. A search shows this to be on Great Marlborough Street, and is now a Liberty's department store. (I have a feeling I might also have been looking for names used in Monopoly.)

It took me some effort but finally I've identified this as Oxford Circus. The picture was taken from the southeast corner of the intersection of Oxford and Regent Streets. The conical spire in the distance belongs to All Souls, Langham Place and was key to identifying the location. The building with the curved façade is nothing special. I probably thought I should have a photographic record of Oxford Circus.

As the sign says, The White Hart, Drury Lane. But why did I take a picture of it? Perhaps because my guide book said that it was the oldest licensed premises in London. I was to return many times to the theatre district to see plays, especially if there were cheap matinees or cut price bargains, including of course The Mousetrap, and possibly the farce, Noises Off. Cats had opened the year before but was still too popular. I saw that in Toronto a few years later.

This shot of Piccadilly Circus was taken the night before but it seems a good one to end this day. 

After this I started my Britrail pass and journeyed to Scotland.

Lulworth Cove

Right in the middle of my London photos were two of a coastal location. How did I get there, and where was it? Eventually it came back to me. I had been asked to visit a possible business contact in London. My contact had taken me on a day trip in his car. But that still didn't enlighten me where he had taken us.

I asked around and eventually the consensus was Lulworth Cove in Dorset on the south coast.

Well, that made it worthwhile digitising my slides. So I have been to places that I never realised. It really is a fine landform, and a interesting geological formation. In the photo what seems to be afternoon mist is descending.

Many thanks to Jackie and members of Walking Forum UK for the assistance in identification.

London 1

To be honest very little about my first visit to London stands out in my memory and is conflated with another visit two years later. I passed through London a few times this trip so there will be multiple posts.

I visited all the usual tourist sites. This is St Paul's Cathedral of course.

The Barbican Centre with fountains. It seems it had only been inaugurated a few months before.

No, I did not attend a posh afternoon tea. This is inside Madame Tussauds. The people in the foreground are real spectators.

The royal wedding was the year before so of course there was an exhibit for it.

Piccadilly Circus. A shot of these neon signs at night has been used in countless cinematic works as shorthand for London after dark.

Nelson's Column, not far from the Circus. I didn't bend it; it's hard to stand far away enough to get an undistorted picture.

My best guess for this location is further west on Oxford Street and that building with the flags on the roof is Selfridges. Evidently I was doing a walking tour. Must have felt it was time for a photo.

Buckingham Palace with the Victoria Memorial.

Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, with Waterloo Station to the east across Westminster Bridge.

Thus endeth my walking day tour of London from east to west.