Ireland and Scotland June 2015

Monday, June 8th
✈️flight left DFW at 1:15 on time to Atlanta.  Atlanta flight to Dublin left right before 9 with on time arrival in Dublin.  First class was very nice with good food, good service and we both were able to sleep a bit.

Tuesday June 9th

Arrived a little after 9 am.  Luggage off quickly and no hassle at Dooley car rental.  It did take a while for the shuttle to pick us up but they took us right to the car.  Loaded the GPS and headed for Donegal.  The GPS was not taking us on the  route we wanted so had to enter each small town separately.  Route took us through  the lough lakes near Enisskillen, stopping at the Coole Castle which is one of Ireland's finest Neo-classical house, allowing visitors to glimpse what life was like in the homes of the Earls of Belmore.

 Castle in Enisskillen which is situated beside the River Erne was built over 600 years ago by the ruling Gaelic Maguires.

Next stop was the Caldragh Graveyard on Boa Island which dates from the early Christian period (400-800 AD).  The graveyard contained two Janus statues. Both of the figures were badly damaged when they were first found.  They have been placed beside each other on unrelated pillars in the graveyard. Both of the stone figures are accepted to be the likeness of pagan deities. 

Arrived at the B&B Rossmore around 4:30.  The B&B is beautiful and our room was huge!  Owners Geoff and Jackie were very hospitable.

After a small rest time. We went into Donegal.

Dinner was at the Olde Castle Bar.  I had seafood chowder and Mussels.  The mussels were as good as two years ago.  Greg had rack of lamb which was the special. Back to the room for a much needed bath and early to bed.  Two long but no hassle days.

Wednesday, June 10th

We both ordered the full breakfast this morning.  The puddings were much better than we had previously, but neither of us ate it all.  Our day started with us heading toward Kellibegs to see the Slieve League but we missed the road and had to back track.  Road was much better than the description and we were glad we rerouted to see the view of the cliffs. Slieve League is a mountain on the Atlantic coast. Although not as famous as the Cliffs of Moher, Slieve League's cliffs reach almost three times higher.  

The next stop was at the town of Andara followed by the Rosses which was a bit disappointing. Views were not spectacular and the area is very populated with new homes.  After lunch we traveled through the Bloodey Forelands and then to Dunfanaghy (a small town, former fishing port and now commerical center for County Donegal) and last stop Horn Head peninsula with beautiful views of the cliffs.    We back tracked to Donegal

and had supper at Dom's Pier 1.  Greg had snapper and I had pork medallions, both were excellent.  After dinner we stopped at the Reel Inn for drinks and Irish music and dancers.  Very traditional and entertaining.

Thursday, June 11th

For breakfast we both had eggs and bacon.  Chatted with a couple from Colorado that was finishing their tour today.  The day started at Glenveagh National Park with a castle from the 1800's and beautiful garden grounds.  The tour of the castle has over an hour wait so we only viewed the gardens.

We then went to Letterkenny and toured  the Fanad loop.  The scenery was much more dramatic today, with many ocean views.  The farthermost point at Fanad had a large lighthouse which was first lit on March 17th in 1817.

Most of the towns did not have shops that were opened and we struggled to find places to eat lunch. We seem to be here a bit before the tourist season.  Finally ended up eating around three at Downings Bay hotel in Downing.  The hamburgers were huge so we didn't eat again.  We saw Castle Doe toward the end of the day.  It was open to the public with no cost.  The castle sits on a small peninsula, surrounded on three sides by water and a moat.  The structure consists of high walls and a four story tower.

The day ended back in Donegal but it was after 6 and only one store open. We went back to Dom Pier 1 for a drink and then purchased beer/coke and chips at a convenience store and came back to the room.  The sun was still warm so we sat outside and ate our snacks.  This is the view from the B&B.

It was still light out at 10:30 pm.  Hard to go to bed!  Our only hiccup today was putting unleaded fuel in the car instead of diesel.  Greg caught the mistake quickly and put less than 1/4 of the tank.  We have not had any problems so far so fingers crossed that it's not a problem.  In the end it was not an issue.

Friday, June 12th. Inishowen Peninsula

Greg had scrambled eggs with bacon and I had the sweet pancakes with chocolate and bananas.  Mine was different but good.

First stop was the Beltany Stone Circle at Raphoe.  We had to walk a bit straight uphill but it was worth the stop.  The path was very pretty.The Stone Circle is one of the finest stone circles in Ireland, It is thought to be older than Stonehenge and contains 64 standing stones out the the original 80 stones.  It is believed that the people of this area worshipped Baal, the sun god, and ruler of nature. The main ceremonies were performed at the summer solstice.  A sacred fire was lit in the center of the circle which represented the stars and the fire of the sun god Baal. 

Next stop was the ringfort, Grianan of Aileach, thought to have been built in the 6th or 7th century, although there is evidence that the site was used before the fort was built.

We made the loop through Greencastle which was a resort and fishing port, seeing castle ruins here as well

and had lunch at a very local place (Green's - sit in or take away).  We both had fish and chips which was very good but a lot of food.   Malin Head which is the northern most land in Ireland was the next destination.  Scenery was impressive.

The Donagh crosses in Cardonagh were outside a church right in town.  The crosses belonged to an early Christian monastery founded by St Patrick.

The drive across the Mamore Gap had great views on a very high, winding road!

Dinner tonight was at Harbour Restaurant.  Greg had the fillet and I had pizza.  Food was good but very $$$.  Somehow Greg was served three different lettuce salads!!  We visited the Franciscan Abbey in Donegal after dinner. The Abbey was built in 1474 and abandoned in the early part of the 17th century.

Saturday, June 13th Yeats Country

Day didn't start well.  I left a lipstick tube in a pair of pants and ruined three of Greg's best golf shirts when we had laundry done.  Not good!  At breakfast, Greg had scrambled eggs and I had fried eggs.  We both had bacon and toast.  This was our last day in Donegal, so we packed, paid our bill, said goodby to Geoff and Jackie and headed on our way.

First stop was the loop out to Mullaghmore followed by the loop to Gleniff.  Both were very scenic, especially Gleniff.

 Next stop was Lissadell, however, didn't stay because they were having a Yeats birthday party and there was tons of people pouring in.  Next stop was Drumcliff where we saw Yeats grave and a High Cross, both at the Protestant church right in town.

After Drumcliff,  headed to the waterfall at Glencar.  It was well marked and an easy walk up to the waterfall.

Stopped at the tea room for a drink to go and headed to Manorhamilton.  It is a sea port with a castle ruin in town. The castle was built in 1634 by Sir Frederick Hamilton by the English government. The land had been stolen from the O'Rourkes, the ruling clan. Hamilton was a very unpopular overlord and faced constant rebellions before the castle was burned in 1652.

Lunch was at a sports bar in town and we were the only customers.  I had a baked potato and Greg had a chicken ciabatta with curly fries.

After lunch we visited to Parke's castle.  We watched the rest of the film that was showing and then walked around the castle. The castle sits on an idyllic setting on the banks of the Lough Gill  and is a plantation era castle.  Built in 1610 by Roger Parke on the site of an earlier 15th century castle. 

After looking at a map of the area we went to Dromahair and finally found the abbey ruins.  We parked and the path up to the abbey was a pretty walk along a river.

Next was Sligo Abbey in Sligo which was built originally in 1253 but was destroyed in 1414 by a fire and then destroyed again in 1595 during the Nine Years' War and once more in 1641 during the Ulster Uprising.  The friars moved out in the 18th century. It was restored in the 1850's

 The Carrowmore Cemetery which was a huge find of Dolmans.  This site is one of the 4 major passage tomb sites in Ireland and is one the largest megalithic tombs in terms of the number of monuments found.  It is also among the oldest used passage tombs, the earliest date approximately 3700 BC.

As we were getting ready to leave we saw this:

After leaving the Dolmans we arrived at our B & B in Ballina, the White Stream house.  The room is much smaller, smells of paint, but host was a sweet older lady (Adrienne).  We had dinner at Dillons based on recommendation of Adrienne.  It was very crowded, very good, and for the first time I felt under dressed.

Sunday, June 14th

Breakfast was eggs, bacon, sausage and toast. We said goodbye to Adrienne, paid the bill, and headed out.  First stop was Rosserk Friary, one of the best preserved of the Franciscan Friaries in Ireland and built around 1440..

Next stop was Ceide Fields, the most extensive Neolithic site in the world and contains the oldest known fields.  The development of the Ceide Fields was around 3500 BC.

We went through the info center but not out to the fields.  After watching the video we went across the street to see the views of the cliffs.

Next we headed out to Achill Island.  Along the way we passed through the Bally National park.  The pink and yellow blooming bushes were really abundant.

On Achill Island we went all the way to Keel.  A really nice beach.  Weather was sunny and lots of people here.  We ate lunch at the Bayside Bistro.  I had a sandwich and Greg had soup and sandwich.   We walked down to the beach after lunch.

Next stop was a castle at Newport.  It was called the Rockfleet castle but was really a tower house and one of four castles owned by Grace O'Malley, also known as the pirate queen.

Close by was the Burishoole Abbey, founded in 1470.  It was very interesting with a nice setting.

We then headed to the Woolen Mills in Foxford.  I bought a t-shirt for a friend and a mohair blanket for me.  Our next stop was the castle at Rosscommon.  It was free and right by a city park.  The castle is said to be the finest example of an Anglo Norman castle in all of Europe.

The B&B tonight was in Athlone where we are staying at the Corraclor B&B.  Hostess Eilene was very helpful and we headed into town to eat.  The pub she suggested was Murphy's Law but they did not serve dinner after 6 on Sunday so we ate at My Melody Restaurant.  Greg had chicken Parmesan and I had cheese tortellini. 

Monday, June 15th

Breakfast was good with a pleasant conversation with Eileen.  We both had eggs and bacon.  After breakfast we headed to Clonmacnoise Abbey which was built in the 500's AD.  It was very well preserved with 2 Celtic crosses.  However, the site, once you entered was not well marked.

 Birr Castle  was built in Medieval times.  The current owners Parsons have lived here since the 1670's.  The house was not open to the public but the grounds were.  We walked around for about an hour.  The telescope was the largest telescope at one time for over 70 years and they are in the process of refurbishing it.

We stopped at the Tullamore Dew Heritage Center but only went to the store.

Next stop was the oldest distillery in Ireland ( J Lockes or Kilbeggan).  Here we did a walk through tour and tasting.  We had lunch before the tour at the cafe where we both had soup and sandwich.

We then headed across the country to the Battle of the Boyne.  The battle was in the 1600's and William of Orange took control of Ireland from James II.

A short drive to New Grange.  Luckily we arrived in time for the last tour of the day.  Newgrange is a passage tomb from 3200 BC that is still intact and we were able to go into the tomb. The most impressive stone is the highly decorated Entrance Stone.  On the winter solstice, as the sun first rises, the passage way is filled with light.

In Dublin, checked into our hotel (Crowne plaza by the airport), and returned the rental car.  The van driver was nice and brought us back to our hotel.  We had dinner in the hotel, repacked our luggage and did some planning for tomorrow.  I took a nice soaking bath since it was the first tub that I had for over a week.

Tuesday, June 16th

Up early to check out and head to the airport for Edinburgh.  Shuttle was right on time and easy drop off and check in at Air Lingus.  Greg had breakfast in the airport.  Gates are not posted until 1 hour before flight but luckily our gates was a close walk.  We had to get on a bus and ride to the plane. It was a turbo prop but flight was uneventful and we walked right out of the terminal after collecting our luggage.  The walk to the car rental was looonnnggg.  Our car was an E220 Mercedes with navigation and more bells and whistles than the our personal car.  Collision coverage would be over £1000 for the week.  We spent quite a bit of time on the Internet and phone making sure our Visa card provided coverage.  What a pain!

GPS took us right to the B&B, Glenalmond.  We arrived early but our room was ready and we unloaded our suitcases. The room is nice but small with no extra space for luggage.  We are located a mile from the old center so we took off with laundry to find the laundromat.  After dropping off the laundry we headed to the National Museum.  We spent a couple of hours there and probably could have stayed all day.  We concentrated on the history of Scotland.

The museum was closing at 5, so we left and stopped for a drink at  Biblos. I had a Bloody Mary and Greg had a beer.  Our next stop was St Giles Cathedral.  Both of these attractions were free.  The church was very pretty with great stained glass windows.  We managed to get inside for a tour of the Chapel of the Knights of the Thistle.  Once a year the Queen, her family, and the Knights meet in this room to welcome new members to the Knights of the Thistle.  The wood carvings are beautiful.  After the church we started walking back, hoping to eat before picking up the laundry.

We needed to be finished with dinner and back to the laundramat by closing at 8.  We stopped to eat about 6:45 at the Royal McGregor.  I ordered mussels and Greg ordered lamb chops.  Several tables arrived after us and had finished eating and still our food hadn't arrived.  Complained and they said it was taking longer because of the lamb but we saw another table with lamb that ordered after us.  When it came, it was cold and far beyond medium rare.  Greg said forget it and the waitress said they make it right and get the food it right out.  Well, it came quickly because all they did was reheat the same meat.  Long past medium rare.  In the end, no charge  for the lamb and we walked very quickly to the laundry.  We barely made it in time but we did make it.  We walked at a much more leisurely pace back to our room.  I took what may have been the worst shower.  The water was either freezing or scalding, nothing in between.

Wednesday, June 17th

Breakfast.  I had waffles and Greg had fried eggs, bacon and sausage.  We headed out on the bus, stopping at the laundry again.  After dropping off the laundry, we walked to Edinburgh castle.  The castle sits on Castle Rock and is a historic fortress which dominates Edinburgh's skyline. The fortress has been occupied from the Iron Age (2nd century AD) though at last the 12th century and used as a royal residence until early 1600's.  We spent most of the morning there.

As we walked down the Royal Mile we stopped at a pub (Ensign Ewart) for lunch.  After lunch was the Scottish National Gallery which had many painting of the masters as well as Scottish painters.

Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the British monarch in Scotland. It is located at the bottom of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, at the opposite end to Edinburgh Castle.  Holyrood Palace has served as the principal residence of the Kings and Queens of Scotland since the 16th century, and is a setting for state occasions and official entertaining.  Queen Elizabeth spends one week in residence at Holyrood Palace at the beginning of each summer, where she carries out a range of official engagements and ceremonies. The 16th century Historic Apartments of Mary Queen of Scots and the State Apartments, used for official and state entertaining, are open to the public throughout the year, except when members of the Royal Family are in residence.

 Holyrood Abbey was founded in 1128 by King David I.  The abbey church was used as a parish church until the 17th century. 

After finishing our sight seeing, we took a taxi back to our room.  The B&B had drinks available in the drawing room so we had a drink before Greg took the bus to get the laundry. It was on the honor system and you paid for your drinks when you paid your bill.  Wish more B&B's would provide this service.  Dinner was at  Salisbury Arms, which was a short walk.  I think this was our best meal so far.  I had pork and scallops and Greg had venison.  We visited with the couple next to us which was from California.  Shower still sucked!
Some additional pictures of Edinburgh;

Thursday, June 18th

Breakfast.  I had fried eggs and sausage and Greg had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon.  Paid our bill and headed out.  The traffic in Edinburgh was horrible, more going the opposite direction but the worst that we have seen.  Our first stop was the Blackness Castle.  We bought the 3 day pass for castles.  We can see as many castles each day.  We have 3 days out of the next 5 to use the pass.  It paid for itself today.  Blackness castle was built in the 15th century.  By the mid 16th century, Blackness Castle was one of the most advanced artillery fortifications in Scotland.  A century later it fell to Oliver Cromwell's army in 1650.

After Blackness we went to Linlithgow Palace which is the birthplace of James V and Mary Queen of Scots.

Next to the castle was St Micheal's Church. Built immediately to the south of Linlithgow Palace, the church was much favored as a place of worship by Scottish Kings and Queens. Mary, Queen of Scots was born in Linlithgow Palace on 8 December 1542 and was baptised in St Michael’s Church.

We headed to Dollar with the intent to see Campbell Castle but the only way to get there was a long walk and we didn't think we had the time.  In the end, a wise choice.  In Stirling, we visited the Stirling Castle.  Our first stop was the cafe for lunch which took a while then we viewed the castle with an Audio guide.  Stirling is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally.  The castle sits on top of  Castle HIll, an intrusive crag.  Several Scottish Kings and Queens were crowned here, including Mary, Queen of Scots in 1542.   There have been at least 8 battles at Stirling, the last in 1746 where Bonnie Prince Charlie unsuccessfully tried to take the castle.

After the castle we stopped at the Bannockburn Heritage Center where the Battle of Bannockburn was held.  Scots view this as their biggest victory against the English.  We were disappointed in this museum considering the price of £18.

The Doune castle, built in the 13th century,  was the setting for the Monty Python and Holy Grail movie.  A little disappointed with the audio guide as it didn't tell you the next stop each time, but still a good visit.

We were not going to make it to the B&B by 6 pm as requested,  so we called to let her know we would be late.  As we left the castle, the scenery turned awesome.  We went through mountains and forests, saw snow on the peaks, it was raining and sun shining at the same time.  Stopped several times for pictures.

The B&B was great (Myrtlebank Guesthouse in Ft William).  Huge room with a big bathroom.  Too bad we are only here one day.

The seafood restaurant suggested by the owner was booked, so we ended up at a pub (Grog and Gruel).  I had seafood chowder which was different but good.  Greg had Stag Pie.  Not so good.  We ordered a brownie dessert and they did not charge us for the dessert since Greg didn't eat his entree, which was very nice of them.  Back to the room to replan for tomorrow because we did not preorder the train tickets and they were sold out.

Friday, June 19th

Breakfast only had two choices: full breakfast or cereals.  When we went down there wasn't a place to sit so they came and got us when a table was open.  First time this had been a problem. We both had the full breakfast and then set out for  Mallaig.  We had plenty of time so we went slowly, stopping for lots of pictures.  When we arrived in Mallaig we parked and walked around the small town.

Here we saw the train that we had wanted to take but was sold out.  The train was the same train used in the Harry Potter films.

We grabbed snacks and headed for the ferry.  Reservations were required for the ferry and all went smoothly. After parking the car on the ferry we went upstairs for the ride over.  The trip was less than 30 min.

After landing in Armadale, headed to the B&B (Balmacara Mains).

The gentleman checking us in was a little batty but nice.  He was filling in for the owners.  The B&B is located on a lake and the room was very nice with a large bathroom and even has a tub!  But we are on the back so no views of the lake.  After bringing in the suitcases, we toured the Eileen Doran castle.  This castle is said to be the most photographed castle in Scotland and was seen in Sean Connery's "Highlander" and James Bond "The World is Not Enough".  It has been renovated and furnished to recreate the castle in former times.

Dinner was at the pub in  the small town of Dornie (The Clachan.).  One of our best meals.  I had venison fillet and Greg had langoustines.  They were Huge!

Saturday, June 20th

French toast for breakfast which was a nice change.  Quick and good.  Today's venture was The Isle of Skye.  The weather was misty and cloudy all day so not the best for viewing or photographs.  We started the loop in the direction of  Portree and stopped for waterfalls and vista pictures.  We also walked up to the castle ruins at Duntulm.  Not much left and it was fenced off.  The castle was built in the 14th and 15th centuries and control  for the castle was caught in the feuds between the MacLeod and Macdonald clans.  We saw our first Wooly Cow.

At one stop we walked down and saw the ruins of Skye Diatomite. Diatomite is a clay-like floury substance, found in certain freshwater lochs and suppling many imerals use in the production of many products, ranging from beverages, sugars, cosmetics, industrial oils and paint.

 The Museum of Island Life was a crofter village.  It was pretty well done.

Next stop was lunch at Uig on the Trotternish Peninsula. We shared a calamari and each had a sandwich at the Orasay Tearoom. After we finished eating,  we visited the Uig pottery shop.  They had some really nice pieces.

Dunvegan castle.  Home of the MacLeods since 1400's.  It is still owned by a MacLeod and most of the castle was open.  It was interesting to see how they had taken a stone castle and made it livable.

Talisker Distillery.  Here we took the 45 min guided tour with a sampling.  We both thought Talisker was very good.

After finishing the loop, we were in search for somewhere to eat and found the Waterfront Fishhouse Seafood Restaurant.  Luckily, we got a table as most were reserved.  I had monk fish and langoustine kabobs and Greg had scallops.  Both were very good.  The restaurant was small, quaint and very enjoyable as well as having good food and service.

Sunday, June 21st

Breakfast.  Greg had scrambled eggs and I had fried eggs.  A different girl waited on us but she was friendly and took care of us quickly.  Greg settled the bill and we were off.  Weather was in the high 60's with drizzle to light rain.  Our drive through Invergarry to Inverness took us through the Glen Shiel and by the Loch Ness.

Urquhart Castle on the Loch Ness was used in the 13th through 16th centuries.  It was mostly ruins today with a trebuchet (sling shot that throws large stone balls at castles).

The Exhibition Centre on the Loch Ness.  Interesting history and certainly told both sides but slanting on the scientific side.

Lunch was at a roadside restaurant.  We both had hamburgers and agreed they were a bit strange. The restaurant was crowded and we sat with a couple from France.  They spoke French and we spoke English, so it was a bit uncomfortable.  After lunch we headed to Culloden Battlefield where the English defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobite Revolution.  Next was Fort George which was built after the Culloden Battle and is still in perfect condition.

Last place today was Clava Cairns which consisted of two passage ways and one ring.  It was free and easy to view.

We tried to go by Cowdor Castle but it was closed and couldn't be seen from the road.  We drove to our B&B (Rossmor) in Grantown on Spey, a lovely B&B with a very nice room.  The host Karen was super friendly and helpful.

Dinner at the Seafield Lodge.  It was strange.  They wouldn't take our order at first.  They seated us at the bar for drinks, but only had one white wine choice and was clueless on making a Bloody Mary.  After our drink, then they took our order while seated as the bar,  Right before the food was served, then they seated us.  I had spaghetti and Greg had a venison steak.  He ordered it medium rare and had to send it back twice, it was so rare.  Mine was fine but a little strange.  We went back to the room, unloaded our bags, mapped out tomorrow's route.

Monday, June 22nd

Breakfast.  Karen asked us to come early because a large group was eating at 8:45.  When we arrived the large group was being served.  It went quickly and food was good.  I had fried and Greg had scrambled eggs.  Somehow the GPS sent us in the wrong direction this morning, so we lost an hour.  We adapted and made a stop at the Glenfiddich store.

We then went to a castle that was on our prepaid ticket but it was closed for renovation.

We got back on track at Monymusk and looked for a 14th century Norman church.  No clue as to where it was located but took pics of two churches.  After we got back to the B&B and looked it up, it was the church with the tower and clock.

We then went to Frasier Castle but only took pictures. The castle still looks like a family home, containing family portraits, furniture and collections from the Frasier family.

We ate lunch at the Waterfront cafe in Stonehaven which is a port and beach town.  I had chicken fillets and Greg had a club sandwhich.

Dunnotar Castle which was on a headland, basically a huge hill with a deep gorge on one side and the ocean in front.  Again, we took pictures and moved along.

Fettercairn Distillery was our next stop.  We went into the shop at the small distillery. The lady gave us samples and Greg bought a small bottle of Scotch.

We then went in search of the Fanque House which was home to a four term prime minister.  We saw a glimpse but the gate was closed.  GPS said we weren't there yet and kept going.  We ended going in a 7 mile circle which was up and over a summit.  Beautiful scenery, just not where we were headed.

Back on track again, we set off for Crathes Castle which we did view.  It was 14th century redone in the 17th century in Victorian style.  Frescoes and painted ceilings still visible, along with many artifacts.  The main tower was 5 stories tall.

By this time it is late and we head back to our B&B, stopping to take pictures at a couple of other castles.

Our road back was up and over a very high summit.  Temperature dropped to 6 degrees C and lots of clouds and very winding roads.

We had dinner reservations at The Garth based on recommendation of Karen.  It was very good.  We both had pork fillets with mashed potatoes and veggies.  I had potato and leek soup and Greg had a salad.

Tuesday, June 23rd 

Last Scottish breakfast at a B&B.  The host Karen was so personable and we really enjoyed the atmosphere here.  We both had bacon and fried eggs.  Greg ordered haggis and I tried a bite.  Not too horrible!  We had a long drive to our first destination, Glamis Castle, which is the childhood home of the Queen Mother and where Queen Elizabeth's sister was born.  We paid to view the gardens and took our pictures.

We then headed to St Andrews.  It was very crowded because it was graduation day at St Andrews University. 

This is the university that Prince William and Kate Middleton attended and where they met.

We found a parking spot and walked to the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral.

After walking through the ruins we found a pub (The Keys Bar) that served toasted sandwiches.  We both had ham and cheese.  They had free wifi so Greg checked us in for our flights tomorrow.

Back to the car to pay for more parking and off to see St Andrews castle.  The castle was only ruins so we didn't pay the admission, we just took pictures from outside.

British Golf Museum which gave a good history of golf in Britain.

After the museum we walked to the old course.  We were surprised that we could get on the course, especially since the British Open will be there in 3 weeks.  They were already putting up the stands, tents, etc.  We walked up to the 18th tee and down the the green.  Took lots of pictures and then headed to the store across the street.

They were already selling British Open apparel so we did some me-me shopping and some Christmas shopping.  We headed back to the car and decided to have a drink at the bar (The Criterion) across the street before heading to the hotel.  St Andrews was a delightful town and we really enjoyed our afternoon here.

Checked into the hotel (Holiday Inn Express) which we reserved with points and ate in the hotel restaurant.  I had soup and coconut shrimp .  Greg had the shrimp as his starter and then a cheeseburger.  After dinner we filled the rent car up with gas, returned the car to Enterprise and walked back to the hotel. 

Wednesday, June 24th  Headed home

We ate breakfast in the hotel and departed.  Cost £2.50 to ride the shuttle which was the same shuttle for long term parking.  Totally self serve, slow, and then the drop off was still a long walk to the terminal.  After checking in with KLM we received passes to the lounge so we headed there.  One hour before flight leaves the gate is announced.  Our first class on this plane means no one sits between you on a plane similar to Southwest.  Flight to Detroit was much better.  Same seating as the flight over and very good service.  When we landed in Detriot we had to collect our luggage and go through customs. Easy.  Returned our luggage in the same area and back to our waiting area.  Flight to DFW was delayed and we arrived around 10.  Horrible traffic on I-35 and we didn't get to bed until 1 AM.