Scotland is my home

Cawdor Castle- home of MacBeth

A street in St. Andrews

We had a wonderful time in Scotland. We felt an affinity there with the people and the places. It is our history, albeit through the genes and DNA that have gone before us. The funny thing is, after traveling the world and going to all kinds of odd places, Scotland is where everyone looks like us. They are very friendly people also, with an innate openness and loquaciousness that draws the traveler in. Couple that with beautiful scenery, and the country really can't be beat. It is that charming.

We started in Edinburgh (pronounced 'Edinbura', otherwise they know you are a Yank), but left early the next day for St. Andrews and a college visit. It was a beautiful day, filled with a tour and an explanation of the college. it's quite different that US colleges, but you come away with a great degree. The traditions of the university run to hundreds of years old; one being the haunting by a former student that was burned at the stake. We actually saw his image on the top of the gate. It appeared there after his death. No student steps on the spot he was burned until they graduate. Otherwise, failure is a definite option.

We stayed in little country hotels most of our stay. There was no air conditioning, but we didn't need it. I wore a coat a lot of the time. The weather was comparable to Alaska in the summertime. The flowers were beautiful; everywhere the gardens were ones that we can only dream about in Texas. Cawdor Castle was an inhabited castle, and had some of the loveliest garderns we saw. It's also the home of Macbeth (just ask Shannon to quote Shakespeare for you.)