Here is a link to photos from the first bit of the trip England 2011

Today London is forecasted to be the hottest day on record for October, 30 deg, but we are not in London we are in Oban and we are in for rain, rain and more rain.Today we are off to Carlisle in Cumbria, it is going to be a bit of a meandering journey and a long drive but it should be fun.The first attraction on the trip is Loch Lomond unfortunately it is rainy with low hanging cloud which obscures the lovely views over the Loch, it would be a great drive on a sunny day, next we are off to Stirling, the castle is covered in low cloud, we…

Wet. It has been raining most of the night, but luckily it has eased and after a hearty breakfast we head off for a walk along the river, over the bridge, and around the castle. Today we are off to Oban and so it off along the lochs we head.Loch Ness is first on our trip and it is a nice trip through light rain that finds us Nessy spotting down the loch, next it is a short drive, crossing the Caledonian canal several times, to Loch Lochy. Mmm thoughts of Michael Palin run through my head as we drive along the calm water.Fort William is shrouded in mist and…

Another sunny day greets us as we rise and think of the highlands. Today we are off to Inverness and we are bathed in sun light as we cross the fourth bridge and head for Perth. Last time I was here I journeyed to Aberdeen but this time I am heading to Inverness via the Grampians. First stop is Perth a lovely town on the river Tay, I have to stop for petrol, and the current price seems to be around 1.30 pounds per litre.We head out of town and head for Pitlochy which is situated on the upper part of the river Tay, it is a picturesque little village…

Yes another sunny day, perfect for walking and so it is off to Calton park to have a look over the city, the climb to the top is rather steep but the view is well worth it. The weather is taking a turn and the wind has picked up and is blowing a gail. Our morning is spent exploring the area around princess street and then back to the car for lunch and to put more money in the machine for parking.The afternoon is spent in a walk up the royal mile to the castle. The mile is full of buskers, most likely left over from the comedy festival and…

Well it is time to point the car north and head for Scotland and today is another sunny day, after taking a walk around Warkworth and a closer look at the castle it is off to Alnwick and then Bamburgh for lunch and more castles this part of Northumberland coast is castle heaven. After having a nice lunch in Bamburgh it is of onto the motorway again heading north.Next stop the border, and the obligatory photo shoots and goodbye Britain hello Scotland.It is a smooth drive into Edinburgh and the hotel is found with ease, we are lucky to get the last park at the hotel. Tomorrow the walking begins.

Well another sunny day and a great day for a walk around York, so off into the morning air we go heading for the Minster. It is a short stroll to get there and the minster is still undergoing it’s restorations, after a lap around the minster we head into the twisting streets for a quick explore before heading to the Mickelgate entrance to the wall. York is one of the only towns left where you can still walk around the complete walls of the city. The height of the walls gives great views over the city and is really easy strolling.With York covered it is off to Gothland, or…

After spending the morning continuing our look around Lincoln it is time to hit the road again this time bound for York. I have decided to take a slightly indirect route so as to drive over the Humber bridge. The first surprise is the Humber bridge is a toll bridge, so it is a scramble for coins, turns out the toll is 2.70.The bridge looms large as you drive around the sweeping bend, a very impressive sight. It is 2.2 klm long and is currently the 5th longest single span suspension bridge in the world, you get a fantastic view over the river as you drive across.After crossing the bridge…

Well today finds us heading to Lincoln, first stop is Kings Lynn a small village at the mouth of the Ouse river, the town has a nice church and the river is very wide and largely tidal. After a quick look around it is off on the road to Lincoln, Lincoln has the 3rd largest cathedral in the country and it doesn’t disappoint it has towers climbing to 252 feet and it use to have a wooden spire topping out at over 500 feet, this made it the tallest building in Britain until 1965. Lincoln also has a nice mot and bailey castle and the guided tour was very well…

Well today is Saturday and it is our fist day without definite accommodation for the night, I am hoping for a cancelation and I have arranged to be able to leave the car in the car park for the morning, time will tell if we are lucky, but maybe the title gives the answer away. We have booked in to do the tour of the cathedral, our plans are changed when our 10:45 tour turns into a 12:00 tour. It turns out to be friends day at the cathedral and there are lots of things going on, a special concert by a string section, catered lunch for invited guests and…