Reminiscing: Travels with my mother - In The Bonnie Land

A Memory of Travelling with My Mother - In The Bonnie Land

Bottom line, my mom loved to travel. When I reflect on her travelling over the years that fact becomes apparent, and she managed to cover a fair bit of ground over the years.  .

It was 1977, the Year of the Royal Silver Jubilee in the United Kingdom. We had already decided that we would head 'over the pond' to do a little sightseeing, and also to introduce her to 'the family of aunts and cousins' in Ireland whom I had met a few years previously. For me, it was also the first major trip where I was in charge of all of the planning - sort of rite of passage.

The plan was she would fly in to Scotland, and I would meet up with her at Prestwick Airport when her plane flew in from Canada. I had targeted Prestwick for that Saturday morning arrival all of my trip. I had my first foray onto the continent, and made my way back to the UK. Of even greater significance, I had picked up a rental car in Central London, and made it out of the city without incident. As well, I survived an accident (not my fault) in the Cotswolds. The woman who sideswiped my car as she careened around a bend in the road with her 'uppity ways' would seem like a character out of Downton Abbey.

The plane landed. I met mom. We were off. Although I was prepared to take a room at the nearby B&B where I had stayed the night before, Mom was ready to go. Scotland, lay before us. She could sleep in the car, or hang in until later that day.

We skirted around Glasgow and headed north. Before long we found ourselves on the shores of Loch Lomand. It doesn't get much more Scots than this.

Memory: The bagpiper playing on the shores of the Loch. Well, maybe it does get more Scots than just seeing Loch Lomond.

Further north we passed Loch Ness. While we searched for a sighting of the elusive Nessie, we never did find her.

By the end of the day we had made our way to Inverness. We stayed in a lovely townhouse that was a B&B. Mom quickly became a fan of B&Bs as they tend to be a great place to stay, and also let you get to know people, both local and fellow travellers.

Sunday morning we headed out to the east along the North Sea. Out to our left was an endless expanse of water. To the right were the highlands of Scotland. We made our way through many little seaside towns before ending up in Aberdeen.

Memory: The gray of the 'Granite City' of Aberdeen. Also, being Sunday, good luck finding shops open, and even restaurant choice was limited. After all it was "the Lord's Day".

Our next day took on a 'royal' air. We drove inland to Balmoral and down to Dundee. We were in awe of the remoteness of the land - endless barren hills. We quickly learned that sheep have the right of way in Scotland. Numerous times we stopped to let them cross the road, and passed by them grazing on the sides of the roads.

There were no signs of the Royals around Balmoral. Seems to be my usual luck. When in London, the Royal Standard is never flying. The same in Windsor, and Balmoral. Hmmm, do you really think that they leave town when they know I am coming?

Memory: The heather growing wild on the hills giving a purple hue to the hill. And, lest we forget, the sheep.

Leaving Dundee, the next stop was St. Andrews. Yes, I saw the golf course, but did not play it.

Finally, we ended up in Edinburgh. What an awesome city. So much to see.

Memories: 1)Sheep! In the city! Grazing on the hills up to Holyrood House and  Edinburgh Castle. 2)The Royal Mile on Princes Street in Edinburgh.

It was time to say good bye to Scotland. We headed back to Prestwick to catch a plane. Next stop, Belfast, to meet up with the Irish aunts and cousins which is a whole other story.

Memory: Strict security, by 1977 standards, at the check-in at Prestwick. Northern Ireland was still in the midst of 'the troubles'. By current standards it was nothing too out of the ordinary.

As I reflect, I am so glad I did this trip with my mother. While these trips are no longer possible, I am glad that I have many fond memories of this and other trips.