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A quick tour of tiny Kenmore

The tiny village of Kenmore—little more than the fancy domain of its castle, a church set in a bouquet of tombstones, and a line of humble houses—provided us with a fine dose of small town Scottish flavor. I’m traveling with our Scotland tour and we filled the town’s creaky inn. As a tour organizer, my challenge is to see the big must-see sights in the city and then immerse our groups in the sleepy, more traditional, and—as is so often the case—more enchanting rural and village scene. Kenmore did exactly that for our tour group. Everyone loved it.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Edinburgh — Half of Scotland’s Wonder in One Urban Bundle

Sure, there’s plenty more to Scotland. But Edinburgh is one of Europe’s most entertaining cities. It seems to hold half of the country’s tourists — and for good reason. The Royal Mile, a leisurely and fascination-filled stroll gradually downhill from the castle to the palace, is one of Europe’s most enjoyable sightseeing walks.

p1-royal-mileEdinburgh’s Royal Mile: Hume and St. Giles – The pride of Scotland — from its philosophers (such as David Hume, depicted in this statue) to its very own Church of Scotland (embodied by St. Giles’ Cathedral, home church of the great reformer John Knox) — shows along Edinburgh’s historic High Street.

p2-nat-galScotland is a pint-sized nation, with just five million people. Its culture comes in easy-to-digest packages, like its delightful National Gallery.

p3-charlieAt Edinburgh’s National Portrait Gallery, you walk through history looking all the famous Scots in the eyes. This is the wannabe king, Prince Charles Edward Stuart. Also known as “Bonnie Prince Charlie,” he was clearly a dandy and a lady’s man (as a good percentage of the men of the Highlands died struggling to put him on the throne in the 1700s).

p4-whiskyWhisky is high on the experience list of most visitors to Scotland. While there are plenty of distillery tours, a visit to a fine whisky shop (like Cadenhead’s, at the bottom of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile) offers a chance to gain an education and have a small bottle filled directly from the cask of your choice.

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Scotland Tour, Day 1: First-Night Excitement

Each year we organize and lead about 500 bus tours, and each year I take one of them. This year, Scotland’s up. Taking one of my own tours as a participant (rather than as a guide) is very helpful for many reasons.

I signed up as “Rick Romstad” (by grandfather’s surname, which I think would have been a cool travel writer’s name). But the group had figured me out. (Damn you, Google.) I was struck how, from the first hour, the group and our guide enjoyed a wonderful vibe. So I shot this crude little video, taken even before the lovely food arrived. It captures the energy and eager anticipation as we await our first dinner and kick off 10 days in Scotland together. Stay tuned as I report from the bus as we tour Edinburgh and then head into the Highlands.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.

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Close-up Look at York Minster’s Stained-Glass Revelations

The York Minster is famous for its medieval stained glass. The best window, which fills the east end of the magnificent cathedral, is covered with a giant gloomy photo of what we’re missing while it undergoes restoration. But the good news is that a small exhibit just below the window, called The Orb, shows four of its exquisite panes that have already been restored. These delicate scenes will ultimately end up high above the worshippers — well beyond anyone’s sight. Created and ultimately intended “for God’s eyes only,” for a short time they can be enjoyed by us as well.

If you can’t see the video below, watch it on YouTube.