Forfar, Scotland. It's beautiful...

Hi Everyone

Well I finally made it out of York, thank goodness. I caught a train to Edinburgh and then one to Dundee. The scenery was really beautiful. At Edinburgh the train filled up with a heap of Scots men, they were really loud and they scared the hell out of me. Not because they were threatening in any way, but because they talked non stop and I couldn't understand a bloody word they said. Honestly it was just sounds, and the odd f word thrown in, which I understood quite well... fancy that!! Anyway I was really worried then, I thought what if Sheonagh talks like that, I won't have any idea what she is saying!! It was really frightening.

Sheonagh (pronounced Sheena) and her husband Ali (short for Alistair) met me at the station, and they are wonderful, they speak way different to the train folk, thank the lord!! I don't get everything and I have to ask them what some things mean, but mainly it is fine. Sheonagh and I talk none stop, much to Ali's horror. She is just as nice in person as by email. They have a lovely home in Forfar, you can Google Earth Forfar to see what it is like, it is lovely though, take my word for it.

Yesterday Sheonagh took me to a castle in Glamis, pronounced Glams (apparently you ignore the i, though Sheonagh denies that, but you do) It was brilliant, it is where the Queen mother grew up from the age of 4 until her marriage, with intermittent living in their other castles of course. The amount of photo's personal effects and memorabilia on display was incredible, it was really something. We took the guided tour and I was very lucky to have two guides, as Sheonagh had been there before, many times... So when the guide was telling us something, Sheonagh would whisper in my ear, "I'll tell you the other version later." and hers was always way more interesting!! It was a really good day. We roamed the grounds after the tour and it is really remarkable to know you are walking in the same steps as Mary Queen of Scot's, the Queen Mum, the Queen and many other historic figures, both now and from the past. I loved it. We had lunch in the palace restaurant, which is the old kitchens and the stoves there were massive, unbelievable how big they were. But they tell us that the Old Pretender arrived one day with 60 to 80 men and asked to stay the night, so I guess when that many unexpected quests arrive you really do need big ovens... 60 to 80 unexpected quests, I think I would pass out and I doubt my little oven would cope. The castle is still the home of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, I think they are up to the 17th Earl at present. They even own the local village and all the farms in the area, so all the farmers are called tenant farmers and have to pay rent to the current Earl. Imagine that!!

We took the bus back to town and Ali picked us up, we then went out to dinner in a local Australian restaurant called Kookaburra's, really lovely setting and really great food, it was almost like home. They had large wood carvings, a kangaroo, Koala, crocodile and feeding the croc a fish, none other than Steve Erwin. Yep, large as life. It was an experience. They also had a live Emu and apparently some Wallabies, but I did not see them. It was a great place.

Today Ali and Sheonagh are taking me to Torryburna and Dunfermline, the old ancestral villages of my Fathers maternal side. So I shall be walking where they once walked. We will visit the churchyards etc and see what we can find on the Penmans. I am looking forward to that. It is raining here and rain is forecast for the rest of the week, no wonder the place is so green. But rain aside it is a really lovely place and I am having a ball. Sheonagh and Ali could not be more kind, I am really grateful to them for having me here.

I will leave you with some pics I have taken, I hope you enjoy them

Cheers

Lones


Glamis Castle


Another view


Part of the gardens


Village of Glamis (forget the i, remember?)


Pub in Glamis village where we had afternoon tea