Where are they now?
The Gunns seem to be everywhere!
We received this very interesting snippet of news from one of our clan kindreds and Gunn Clan travellers, Kay Gunn.
Don't be put off by the highlands because of its ruggedness. Much fun can be had there by exploring the many castles, gardens, museums, and journeying around by boat trips and train rides.
And what about this amusing article by John Winkler on How Not To Tour Scotland.
Then there are the air travel mistakes to avoid. Read Neil Stelling's story here Do You Make These Air Travel Mistakes?
Back to driving tours of scotland. Steve Hatereley enjoys this form of travel and touring. Read his article Driving in the Outer Hebrides.
Scottish tourism is thriving. I'd like to say that this Clan Gunn site has something to do with it! This is what James Davebnport has to say about scottish tourism in his collection of comments Your Views on Scottish Tourism.
Peter - This is an amusing story for your Gunn travel section. Back in the early 1980's my husband John Gunn & I were part of an orthopedists' golfing tour in Scotland. We did this two years successively. On this particular trip we were in St. Andrews for John & friends to play the famous course there.
On one particular day, we decided to have a walk by the seawall.
Unluckily, John decided to wear a pair of plaid slacks. Ambling along, we crossed the path of an old Scot walking his dog. The man glanced down at John's slacks and was heard to (audibly) mumble as we brushed past him, "bastard tartan!"
This negative comment from an assumed authority on the subject, put my husband in stitches. He could hardly contain himself until we were out of earshot, 'til he burst out laughing!
This is to forewarn Gunns traveling in Scotland, "If you're going to wear a tartan plaid, BE SURE IT'S AUTHENTIC!"
Every time I think back on that incident, it brings a grin to my face!
Kay Gunn
How Not To Tour Scotland
by: John Winkler
You are 12th in line behind the caravan at the front. A slow right hand bend comes up and you drift out to see if cars are coming, but you notice the car in front has edged up to make it difficult for you to overtake.
"Look at that castle over there, Dad,"
"In a minute, son,"
Then your concentration slips and disaster strikes. You took your eye off the car behind and now he has whipped in front of you. The speedo tells you you are doing no more than 45mph. They shouldn't allow caravans really, on these roads. You do this from Edinburgh to Inverness and back down to Glasgow.
Back at the office, "How did you like Scotland, would you go there again?""It was very nice, but we might do something different next year." Yes, well, next year you could always spend a week driving around the M25. Great fun.
To-day Gillian and I toured Scotland the correct way. We started out as usual with little idea of where we were heading.
"South?"
"Ok."
"Stalker Castle for soup and a roll?"
"Why not?"
A ride along the edge of Loch Linnhe, with the mountains of Morven across the water. No traffic. Yesterday's cold front had passed over leaving a cool, clear and sunny day. The air was fresh and you could see for miles down the Sound towards Mull.
"How about taking our little North Shian road the wrong way round?"
"Ok"
Single track road, with hardly any passing places. If you meet a car coming the other way the chances are that one of you will have to reverse, but you'll exchange a wave. Didn't matter, didn't pass any other cars. No one goes there. Except us, of course.
Sun came through the trees from South Shian across the water. Low tide made it look soft and wonderful against the light. "Wonder where the old slipway is, we found it before remember?"
This is where the people, and cattle, used to cross in a big rowing boat ferry 200 years ago when they travelled the down the coast from North to South. Cuts off a days walk round the coast, and many famous people in history have used it. It is about a mile across and the Spring tide flows strongly. Took a bit of rowing in the old days with a crowd aboard. They used heavy, caulked, wooden boats then. No glass fibre.
So we stopped to ask Charlie Moore who was planting some larch trees in his garden. The answer lasted for an hour as we swapped stories of the roe deer in his garden, the old ferry, the new pier restaurant owners in the village, and the evening when he froze in his garden as an otter walked by his feet. The answer included his early days in the Orkney Isles. He might have to go back there because the authorities have stopped his licence because of his diabetes. His neighbours get some groceries for him, but he walks three miles to the nearest bus. Lovely man, didn't sound Scottish at all, but that's the Orcadians for you.
Back to the cottage half an hour later taking in little Port Appin and its small passenger ferry to Lismore on the way. Total distance travelled? About 25 miles.
That's the way you tour Scotland properly. You don't go past it in a car. You go into it with the people.
John Winkler
http://www.bayviewkentallen.co.uk
About The Author
John Winkler used to be the marketing correspondent for The Times in London. Now retired he and his wife have a pretty period cottage on the lochside at Glencoe in Scotland. They let it out for vacations.
Do You Make These Air Travel Mistakes?
by: Neil Stelling
You're sitting at home thinking about tomorrow's plane journey. Remember last time ? Remember how you felt when you arrived ? Aggravated, stressed, hot, tired, needing a couple of days to recover ? Did you make these mistakes ?
* Packed your luggage just before you left home.
Don't pack your bags a half hour before leaving. You know those vital papers, that book you wanted to read, or even your passport will mysteriously disappear at the last minute. Always pack the night before, and you'll find everything right there waiting !
* Arrived at the airport late.
There's no worse way to start your journey than sitting in traffic a couple of miles from the airport, watching the minutes tick by. Leave early. Expect a lot of traffic and your journey will take extra time. Then you'll arrive at the airport relaxed and near the front of the check-in line. If you get your first choice of seat you'll feel even better !
* Didn't prepare for the plane journey.
* Dehydrated - the air you breathe on a plane is very dry. If you want to avoid dehydration bring a bottle of water with you and sip on it during the journey.
* Air Sick - if you suffer from motion sickness, and many people do, you can take precautions before you get on the plane. It's too late when you've already started to feel sick. Take a motion sickness drug before you get on the plane. Some can make you drowsy, but that's good on a long flight !
* Teeshirt - airplanes can get quite cold, so always keep a jacket or sweatshirt nearby if you need them. Some airlines provide blankets, but don't count on it.
* Arrive lost at your destination.
Okay, you've just landed at your destination airport, and got your luggage back. What do you do now ? No idea. Feel those stress levels rising again ! Before you travel, check out your destination on the internet. Airport 50 miles out of town ? In that case, you don't want to use a taxi if you can avoid it. You should pre-plan your bus or train journey before you leave home.
Follow the above tips and you'll arrive relaxed and stress free, ready to enjoy your vacation or business trip.
by Neil Stelling B.Sc, MBA
Marketing Manager, DigiLectual Inc.
==> http://www.cheap--airline--tickets.com
© DigiLectual Inc. 2004
Driving in the Outer Hebrides
by: Steve Hatherley
When you think of the Outer Hebrides, you normally think of sandy beaches, ancient standing stones and lilting Scottish accents. You don't normally associate the Outer Hebrides with some of the best driving in the British Isles...
I certainly didn't expect to enjoy the driving so much when I visited the Western Isles (the other name for the Outer Hebrides) in Scotland recently.
It certainly isn't speed that makes the roads in the Outer Hebrides so exhilarating. In fact, for much of the time I didn't get out of third gear...
The roads are often single track with passing places. And where they are single track, often there are rocky ditches either side of a surprisingly narrow track. If you are at all in doubt of the width of your car, don't drive on the Outer Hebrides!
If the width of the roads wasn't enough, there are other distractions to keep you busy. The first are sheep. There are several times as many sheep on the Outer Hebrides as there are people, and for some reason sheep enjoy standing around in the middle of the road. Lambs are particularly lively and you have to take care when passing.
The other distraction is the often jaw-dropping scenery. Sometimes it's all too tempting to look at the view when you should be watching the road...
The roads themselves are often sinuous, snaking their way through rugged scenery. You can't relax for a moment when you're behind the wheel in the Outer Hebrides.
Fortunately there isn't much other traffic. And while it's always polite to wave to someone who pulls over to let you pass (and return their wave), you quickly find that everyone waves anyway – even where you don't need to pull over. (One chap painting his fence even waved as we drove past.)
The combination of sinuous, single-track roads with awesome scenery populated by obstructive sheep and polite drivers makes driving in the Outer Hebrides such a pleasure.
My top tips for driving in the Outer Hebrides:
- Makes sure you have a car with a good third gear. You'll send most of your time in third.
- The B8011 from Calanais to Uig Sands on Lewis is fantastic. The beach at Uig Sands is wonderful, but it's worth going there for the drive alone.
- If you have a passenger with you, get them to help by spotting approaching cars. An extra pair of eyes can be invaluable.
And although I have now returned from the Outer Hebrides, I have found that I've brought a little of the islands with me: I'm much more patient and polite than I used to be behind the wheel – and that can only be a good thing.
About The Author
Steve Hatherley enjoys driving in Yorkshire as well as the Outer Hebrides. He is also a fan of murder mystery games murder mystery games (http://www.great-murder-mystery-games.com) and is a founding partner of Freeform Games LLP (http://www.freeform-murder-mystery-games.com)
Your Views on Scottish Tourism
by: James Davenport
Scottish tourism is increasing and this year is aiming to generate £6 billion. Scotland’s Tourism Minister, Frank McAveety thinks this can be sustained long-term so long as public and private sectors work as a single team. We asked for your views.
This year the Scottish Tourism Industry is aiming to generate an annual visitor income of £6 billion. Frank McAveety, Scotland’s Tourism Minister is very positive. He believes that over the next decade, the industry can become one of the leading drivers of economic development north of the border.
Mr McAveety has said that tourism is one of the fastest growing parts of the Scottish economy, and the performance the industry had turned in over the last two years could be sustained long-term.
We asked for your Scotland holiday experiences, we received numerous comments about the good experiences, such as the great hospitality and lovely hotels. You also told us about your bad experiences, including dirty towns and bad food.
Your Comments
Two years ago my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Scotland. We enjoyed ourselves and found the people to be friendly and helpful. We are planning to return again soon, perhaps this Summer.
Richard Fay, USA
We found the Scottish people to be some of the most welcoming, we have ever met. They were patient with my husband’s English, suggested visits and stopped in the street in the rain to answer our questions.
Marie Claire Delmas, France
The tourism industry is performing better, but to ensure visitors continue to visit Scotland year on year there are vast improvements to be made.
Noel Patrick, Scotland
I have travelled the World many times and visited many wonderful countries, I am still astounded at the natural beauty in my own country. It is great that we are working to make Scotland an open area for all to enjoy.
Rory Macregor, Scotland
They could start by being more family friendly. For the cost of 2 weeks in Scotland, I can take my family for a fortnight in France. So where is the attraction? Accommodation owners need to get some realistic prices.
David Norris, UK
The staff are grump, days are rainy, hotels of a poor standard and the food and drink are obnoxiously expensive and generally not very good. Would you choose this or a holiday in the sun? As they say in the USA, "You do the math!"
Stephen Kearney, USA
Scotland is the most magical and amazing place on earth. I think the only thing that needs changing is the midges. My advice is to love it for what it is and don’t make it into what you want it to be. It doesn’t need endless public loos, there are plenty of rocks to hide behind!
Murray Motley, UK
I have just returned from the Scottish Highlands and I can truly say that it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I hope that the rural areas retain their natural charm and beauty.
Steven Kahn, England
You could say I’m a Scotsophile or whatever the term is – I could up sticks and live there. It is in fact an option my husband and I are thinking about for when we retire. Visiting Cape Wrath on a small ferry, is one of my greatest memories – it was an amazing experience.
Dee Hartley, Lancashire
About The Author
James Davenport writes articles on walks, UK walking routes, hill walking UK and Walking holidays UK. He is an employee of http://www.walksandpeaks.bedsearcher.co.uk a company which specialises in Walks, UK walking routes, hill walking UK and Walking holidays in the UK.
