What's your Tuesday plans?

[JudyJB]

I have been to Urquhart Castle, and it is still beautiful, though a bit busier. There are still thousands of empty and gorgeous places in Scotland. One place I love is Orkney, which is north of scotland. VERY empty drive there and even ferry ride is nice. There are stone circles 800 years older than Stonehenge on Orkney and you can walk right up and touch them and are very likely to be the only person there! Also check out this 5,300 year old neolithic site. https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see- ... ge-p247671

And more on Orkney: https://www.visitscotland.com/blog/orkn ... of-orkney/

Another of my favorite places in scotland is https://www.islayinfo.com/

One solution to crowded planes is to fly British Air and get their Economy Plus seats, which are the equivalent of US first class seats, and a lot cheaper. When I went to the UK from SFO last spring, it would have been roughly $1,000 regular economy and $1,400 economy plus. It was more than worth the extra $400. I did make my reservations 9 months in advance. Economy Plus seats are two-across instead of three, and you have a leg rest and a lot more space. If you get a window seat, you get a cabinet next to you that you can put your laptop and purse in or whatever.

And a really BIG secret. Did you know that you can bring water bottles that are frozen? As long as there is no liquid, you can take them through security. I have water bottles that can freeze and have started doing this.

[Redetotry]

Anne, that must have been an amazing experience to remember it so clearly. You would have loved the summer class my husband taught in Scotland for over 15 years. It was for art and photography students but anyone could go and several older people signed up for the class. They spent 3 weeks at a castle called Hospitalfield which faces the North Sea in Arbroath. They mostly toured the area and immersed themselves in the culture and history. they went to the big annual county fair. They also went to Orkney and spent a few days. It was a life changing experience for many. Here is one link to the castle. https://www.visitscotland.com/info/see- ... d-p1018001. It is mentioned in several books as it was a popular place for well known artists and musicians to go.
I never went but sometimes I would go to Ireland and visit friends who were former students. The last time I went to the Cliffs of Moher I cried. Where you used to be able to walk out on the cliffs and gaze at the sea with no one else around, they had built a huge visitors center and you had to go through a turn stile thing to walk up with hundreds of others. I stayed in the coffee shop and sent my niece up to see it.