Where Would You Go?

If staying in Inverness take the train to Kyle for stunning scenery. If in Edinburgh visit Jupiter Artland Garden to the west of the city.
 
Hi,

That reminds me, one of the closed down railway lines was reopened and runs from Edinburgh through the Borders. It should be great as we often drove beside the disused trackbed and wondered why the fools shut it and why no heritage group had tried to reopen it.

If it's of interest then start here:-

https://www.scotrail.co.uk/scotland-by-rail/borders-railway

But - a big but - do a bit of research into fares as buying from abroad as a visitor to Scotland might get better value. Train fares in the UK are dreadful and buying them is confusing. For example, under 60 miles to London cost me the same as London to Brussels in Belgium by Eurostar...

Regards, David
 
I don't have a lot of experience with rail travel in Europe but during my visits to Great Britain I have always found rail travel super. I wish we had a better system here in the US.

I purchased my rail passes from Edinburgh to Inverness and Inverness to Glasgow a couple months ago.

And last year while doing the C2C I could not believe how someone was smart enough to actually put a train station in the Manchester Airport. I wonder if we here in the US would have been that smart.
 
It's difficult to believe it could be worse...

There was a time when you could get off the train, walk a few yards and be on the ferry at (say) Newhaven and then on arrival in France get off the ferry and walk across to the train. Alas, them days is gone...

The train companies seem to be aping the air travel people in jamming in as many as possible and supplying strange food. This old fool can remember the "Flying Scotsman" in the 60's and the Midland Pullman and so on from the 90's. Luckily there's the heritage raitways but sometimes it makes you sad to remember how it was.

Anyway, enjoy Scotland and bring back lots of photo's for us to see.

Regards, David
 
Well, Scotland is five days away. My wife and I are both looking forward to lower temperatures, rain and greenery which will be a nice break from the desert Southwest. We are still having temps of 95 degrees (35 C) and very little green here in El Paso even though we are over 4100 (1100 meters) above sea level.

Have been told the Whisky Experience in Edinburgh is worth a visit (I am a scotch fan) while the wife is looking forward to her first long distance hike while staying in a nice B&B every night. We are looping Loch Ness from Inverness during the second half of our trip.

Even though I have seven M mount lenses from 25 to 135, I really don't want to haul them all. I am having a hard time deciding between 25/35/90 or 25/50/90. I could also throw in a fast f1.1 or f1.2 but don't see the need with the ISO capabilities of the MP240.

Presently, it will be the MP240 with 25/50/90 and letting the wife use the Fuji X70. And I am thinking of a stop at Ffordes to check out a Leica IIIf or some other screw mount Leica as I have never owned one.

Thanks for all the info and advice on Scotland. I am thinking February, 2019, for my next trip and my wife has never been to Asia. So, SE Asia including Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, India or Japan. Or, South America. So many choices.
 
Thanks for the tip on walking highlands but I have been a member for five years. I will check out the other references.
 
After watching Biggest Little Railroad, I'm thinking about Scotland too.
Enjoy your trip.


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Should travel to some Southest Asian countries like Thailand or Philippines.

The scenes, street food ... are amazing!
 
I've been to Finland in 2006 for 10 days, when it was still cold there.
Now, with global warming it's tropic.

I've studied Finnish for one year in evening class too. Really nice and funny language to learn.
However, my life got too busy the day I met my wife, and didn't finnish the Finnish class later on...
These days, I had some coworkers from Finland and I liked to hang out with them in my breaks to drink a coffee. But after saying hello in Finnish, I always switched to English.

I'd like to share my photos here, took with a Nikon F401, to get you warm already:
https://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1902113

I'd like to go back one day to Finland. PRKL !!
 
Italy, Sardinia: not the coast but the interior. And not during summer.
or the small vulcanic Aeolian Islands, a few miles north of Sicily. Avoiding touristic times. But they are small, not place for long hiking :)
again a small island in the south of Italy: Pantelleria

Very different from the nordic places you have already been!

robert
PS: but a trip in Alaska is in my dreams...perhaps and day...
 
Well, I just returned from Scotland last night and like my previous trips to the UK it was wonderful. My wife loved it. As a quick recap we spent a few days each in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness and then spent 8 days hiking around Loch Ness on the Loch Ness trail and Great Glen Way staying in b&b's each night.

Again, it was my wife's first trip to Scotland and long distance walk. Even with a cold she loved it and wants to go back. It rained on us and temperatures never got much above 60 but she is from Alaska (leaving tomorrow for 3 months in Anchorage) and enjoyed everything (me, I like it a bit warmer).

The only excitement photographically was the loss of my Fuji X70. I loaned it to her and she thought she lost it. Well, we found it at the bottom of her pack after walking all day in the rain so she might as well have tossed it into the loch, it was so wet! I am hoping it may come back to life but not holding my breath. The MP240 worked great (it should for what it cost).
 
Welcome back, glad you both enjoyed yourselves.

Gentle heat, meaning the top of the computer and so on, might just cure the X70's issues. I has worked with a mobile that fell in a river and a watch for us. Anyway, I'll wish you luck.

Regards, David
 
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Glad you had a great trip!

I did the West Highland Way with everything on my back, and my feet still hurt. I’ll go back and hike like you did next time. Did Absolute Escapes handle the gear movement from place to place?
 
Absolute Escapes handles some of the transfer themselves but Loch Ness Travels handled the part of the hike on the Great Glen Way. We were really impressed with the quality of all the b&b's booked by Absolute Escapes (offices in Edinburgh).
 
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