Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Epic Adventure in Scotland: An Introduction and Conclusion


My friend Jamie and I were very excited to discover that one of our favorite actors was going to be performing in Macbeth in Glasgow.  His name is Alan Cumming, and is most likely recognizable to non-theatre audiences from The Good Wife.  Jamie and I bought tickets and decided to make a weekend of it.  We rented a car (new post on driving in the UK for the first time, coming soon) and headed north.

We learned many things, most of which were obvious, but were overlooked.  One of the most important: if you really want to visit an island that is only accessible twice a day when the tide goes out, and you are on a tight schedule, check the tide times more closely; if using a SatNav/GPS go with a Garmin, not a Tomtom, they are just easier to use and have much better search options; if you are a male and a female traveling together, assume everyone will think you are a couple (not necessarily a bad thing, just be ready for it); do not assume that your English Heritage membership card will not get you into Scottish Heritage or Cwd Wales, that could be a costly mistake; and bring wellies to Scotland if you can, you will need them.

In total, I drove 1,112 miles; stopped for gas four times; was unable to decipher a Glaswegian accent twice; slept in three cities and one town; tried the best whiskey I have ever  had; and ate my third, deep fried Mars bar.

Enjoy!

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