We made it all the way home on Thursday the 26th of September. We fly out of Seatac Airport (Seattle) which is a good five to six hour drive from our home in Colville. Since we were traveling with Josh and Laura we find it easier to drive to their home the day before our flights and drive and park at the airport with them. Our flight home from Scotland arrived Tuesday evening and we would be in no good shape to then drive the 6 hours home so we spend another night at Josh and Laura’s before we attempt our final drive home. There were dust storms predicted on our route home for Wednesday so we put off our travels home for one more day and had a very nice drive with great weather conditions on Thursday. Taking the extra day made it possible for us to see Katie and Andrew, too, which was good.
Looking back I see that I covered our flight and arrival to Scotland well here. I even had the energy to post a few details on our first full day which was Saturday the 14th of September here. From here on out in Scotland the days were full of activity and I had no energy to put words together or match those words up with photos. Our internet connections were slower and slower, too. Some of our days and the events and experiences we had deserve a post all to themselves. I might be done with my Scotland Travel Journal by November!!
Our lodgings in Glasgow were at Native Glasgow. The central location worked well for us.
A photo for any Dr. Who fans out there.
On Saturday September 14th we had breakfast reservations at The Ivy for 8:30 and their webpage said we should dress ‘smart’. We dressed as smart as we could and walked over to the restaurant which was very close to our hotel. It was a wet and drizzly beginning to the day.
After breakfast we walked over to George Square to catch a hop on hop off bus.
George Square is named after King George III. Laid out in 1781, today Glasgow Square is home to the headquarters of Glasgow City Council, and showcases an important collection of statues and monuments, including those dedicated to famous scots such as Robert Burns, James Watt, Sir Robert Peel and Sir Walter Scott. It is also the square where people gather for major events and to let their voices be heard, aka protest.
Our first hop off spot was St. Mungo’s Cathedral (Glasgow Cathedral).
This medieval cathedral is thought to have been built on the site of St Kentigern’s tomb and marks the birthplace of the city of Glasgow.
My people looking up in awe of this amazing structure.
One of my interests in this trip to Scotland was gleaning information connected to the Reformation and the Covenantors of Scotland like John Knox, George Wishart, Patrick Hamilton, The Two Margarets, Jenny Geddes, and others. We would learn much about the early martyrs of the church throughout our stops in Scotland.
This stone reads…
“Here lies the corps of Robert Bunton, John Hart, Robert Scot, Matthew Patoun, John Richmond, James Johnston, Archibald Stewart, James Winning, John Main, who suffered at the cross of Glasgow, for their testimony to the covenants and work of reformation, because they durst not own the authority of the then tyrants, destroying the same, betwixt 1666 and, and 1688.
Years sixty six, and eighty four,
Did send their souls home into glore,
Whose bodies here interred ly,
Then sacrific’d to tyrrany;
To covenants and reformation,
‘Cause they adheared in their station,
These nine, with others in this yard,
Whose heads and bodies were not spar’d,
Their testimonies, foes to bury,
Caus’d beat the drums then in great fury
They’ll know at resurrection day,
To murder saints was no sweet play.
I love the eagle lecterns in the United Kingdom.
The Unicorn and the Lion (Scotland and England), the Thistle and the Rose.
We looked up a lot but it was also good to look down on the amazing floors.
Stand Sure is the inscription on the Sword.
The Crypt of St. Mungo’s was another layer of amazing architecture.
The weather outside improved and we decided to make the journey up behind the cathedral to view the Necropolis and specifically the monument to John Knox.
This is already way too long of a post and I will save the Necropolis for another day. Thank you so much for journeying along with us on this most amazing experience we enjoyed. Thank you to Laura for sharing all her photos with me. All my posts will be a mix of both her photos and mine.
Thanks be to God for His amazing goodness to us in our travels.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 