Nobody of us remembers when exactly the idea came up and when exactly we took the decision. We remember that it was at the night of Sissi’s older brother’s wedding last August. We also know that we had already consumed the one or the other glass of wine.
That night Sissi and her younger brother had complained to their aunt & uncle that – when THEY were teenagers – they had never been taken to Great Britain (a privilege that Sissi’s aunt & uncle – who always had loved England – had only granted to Sissi’s older brother when he was 14). And a few drinks later everything was agreed upon. Next summer, Sissi & Franzl, Sissi’s younger brother, Sissi’s aunt & uncle as well as their three (mostly teenage) sons would go to Great Britain.
Sissi’s uncle took on the task of planning the trip – and he did so with great passion. So nearly a year after the decision was taken, all 8 of us where on the plane to Newcastle for a 10-days trip through Northern England & Scotland.
For 10 days we were cruising through moors, dales and highlands. We visited small villages at the coast, ruined abbeys, much less ruined castles and some of the great cities of the British north. History was everywhere. As were fish & chips. And ale & cider. And whiskey, let’s not forget the whiskey.
We tried everything. From haggis, black pudding or even Craster’s kippers for breakfast to reaching new levels at playing snooker. And the weather just added to the dramatic setting. In Edinburgh a Scot told us that “up here” you could have all four seasons in one day. How right he was! We enjoyed every bit of it.
The itinerary (credits go to Sissi’s uncle!):
(Some of) our finds:
The Contented Sole (pub, Eyemouth): great seafood (mussels, seafood platters, etc.) – we had to wait a bit but the food & atmosphere was worth it
Cornhill House (hotel, Biggar): a bit like staying over in Downton Abbey, just that you have to share the premise with a few other guests; nice room, cosy lounge and delicious food
Fox & Hounds Inn (inn & pub, Danby): a very cosy pub with pleasant rooms upstairs and great food (e.g. the Whitby lobster and the king prawns with chilli oil) – probably all in all the best place we did stay in
Day 1: Newcastle – Alnwick – Bamburgh – Eyemouth
Day 2: Eyemouth – Edinburgh – Biggar
Day 3: Biggar – Stirling – Pitlochry – Loch Tummel – Biggar
Day 4: Biggar – Rocelyn Chapel – Melrose – Kelso – Wooler
Day 5: Wooler – Durham – Darlington
Day 6: Darlington – Yorkshire Dales – York
Day 7: York
Day 8: York – Castle Howard – Whitby – Staithes – Danby (Yorkshire Moors)
Day 9: Danby (Yorkshire Moors) – Rievaulx Abbey – Hadrian’s Wall – Newcastle
Sissi and Franzl 