There's no more Scottish an image than that of a castle surrounded by swirling mist, and most of Scotland's castles ooze a colourful and turbulent history ... the stuff of swashbucklers, legends and ghost stories. All the classic imagery can be found in abundance: secret passageways, spiral staircases, dungeons, haunted rooms, four-poster beds, old oil…
We walked back to our lodgings simply wondering if a better day could be had – anywhere. And already tomorrow was beckoning
We crossed over the stone causeway connecting the mainland to St. Michael’s Mount, just as the tide waters were beginning to lap at its seaward foot. We decided to walk along the beachfront to Penzance. It looked about five km on our map. All along the beach, as far as we could see, there were…
With St. Michael’s Mount on the horizon, a grand walking tour awaits
Penzance! Already associated in our minds with the famous Gilbert and Sullivan 1879 operetta The Pirates of Penzance, it’s also the last town of any size on the southwestern tip of the British isles. I was alerted early on by my Cornish-born grandfather to its magnificent white sand beaches, mild, sunny weather, and a human…
There are plenty of Irish storytellers to guide you through a tapestry of intrigue, battles, and years that were, by turn, lean, hungry and ultimately triumphant.
Long tales and reimagined truths create a theme for your journey through Ireland set on a stunning backdrop of rugged coastlines and emerald foliage. There are plenty of Irish storytellers to guide you through a tapestry of intrigue, battles, and years that were, by turn, lean, hungry and ultimately triumphant. Two kings briefly raged a…
Channel Islands were only British territory occupied by Nazis
In Guernsey’s darkest hour, Canadians rushed to help. Today’s visitors to this lively, lovely Channel Island, just off the Normandy coast, can’t help but be reminded of that. The Channel Islands were the only British territory to suffer Nazi occupation during the Second World War. For German leader Adolf Hitler, the islands – which include…
And one Calgary hotel helping you keep up your fitness resolutions while on the road
Your news feed has no doubt been peppered with lists aimed at inspiring your travel choices in 2019. But here’s a list that speaks to what many Canadian travellers hold dear: good value. Travelzoo, an international publisher of exclusive offers and experiences for 28 million members, has curated a list of six diverse destinations around…
London’s National Gallery exhibit offers rare glimpses into the artist’s examination of the play of light on human structures
One of the great things about being a retired museum and art gallery CEO is that you know most of the basic tricks of the trade. For instance, you can get a very quick gauge of an exhibition’s successes and high points by talking with the gallery security staff. So as soon as we had…
As our minibus pulled to a stop, I felt suddenly that my grandmother’s love of the Highland landscape was surrounding us all
I count myself lucky to have had a Scottish grandmother. She was a Graham of Montrose, and came from humble beginnings. I remember her describing something called a byre, and explaining that her mother lived in a crofter’s house with the cattle. From the moment I learned this, I have wanted to travel to northern…
Displaced from their homes, many citizens of the Orkney islands ended up in Canada working for the Hudson Bay Company
The Standing Stones of Stenness on Mainland, the main Scottish island of Orkney, date back to approximately 3,100 BC. Stonehenge, to put the Orkneys in time perspective as a Neolithic parent to western Europe, was constructed from 3,000 to 2,000 BC. What was it about these outpost islands that attracted the earliest agriculturalists to their…
Part 1: A Scottish contribution to Canada’s Arctic genome can be found in the deep history of these remote islands
When you hear mention of the Orkney islands, off Scotland’s northeast coast, what do you think of? For me, they conjure up a northern vision of Orkneymen, the founding of the Hudson’s Bay Co. on May 2, 1670 (I still recall this date after wearing hundreds of HBC clothing labels over the decades), the Arctic…