Dublin–Belfast/Belfast Port, Northern Ireland–Cairnryan Port, Scotland –Through Glasgow–Edinburgh

Northern Ireland is the size of Maryland with a population of 1.8 million people.  Its patron saint is also Patrick.  The capital is Belfast where one quarter of the world’s ships are built.  We spent a very brief time in Belfast which was a disappointment to me as the reason I chose this particular tour was because it was going to Belfast.  Most of the tours do not go to Northern Ireland at all.

 

Belfast City Hall

Interestingly the Titanic was built in Belfast.  The people felt so bad about the disaster that they have erected a memorial to it on the property of their city hall.   (It is not easily distinguished by this picture but look closely.)

Hotel Europa was bombed 22 times by the Republic of Ireland

Scotland is also the size of Maryland with a population of 5+ million people.  It’s patron saint is Andrew.  (Did you wonder why the famous golf course was named St. Andrew’s?  Now you know.)  The highest mountain is 4,500 feet high.  The dominant language is English but there are some 200,000 people living in the highlands who still speak Gaelic and are very resentful of “that new language.”  The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh (pronounced Edinborough.)  The city is built on top of 6 extinct volcanoes.  Balmoral,  the Queen’s summer palace is located two and a half miles north of Edinburgh. 

The Edinburgh Castle, dating back to the 9^th Century is built on two volcanoes.  Just so you can see a comparison here is the picture I took of the castle…

And one from the internet.        

There are many famous “Sons of Edinburgh” including:  John Knox, Protestant Reformer; Sir Arthur Canon Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame; Robert Louis Stevenson, writer of ”Treasure Island” and many others; and probably at the top of the list the famous poet Robert Burns.  But don’t forget Bobby, the dog that stayed by his master’s grave for 14 years, until he himself died.

Door to Robert Louis Stevenson's home.
It is still owned and inhabited by his descendents.

Statue of Bobby

Our first night in Edinburgh we were entertained by Scottish dancers and singers and by participation in the Ceremony of the Haggis, which included reading of the poem by Robert Burns, “Address to a Haggis.”  Haggis is a food dish made from the heart, liver and lungs of a sheep which is encased in the stomach of the sheep.  It is served with turnips and potatoes.  All those who tried it said it wasn’t bad.  I was not one of them however, so I can’t give an opinion.  Our second and final night in Edinburgh was spent viewing the royal yacht Britannia which included a the crown jewels.  The yacht was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and was decommissioned in 1997 because the British Parliament said it was costing the taxpayers too much money.  It was obviously outdated, but lovely and particularly appealing to me as it had many family pictures on the walls and in frames around the rooms, much like anyone would have in their home.