Back home, great trip.
Spent the last fortnight in GB.
A couple of days in Portsmouth at the Historic Dockyards, and a short week in Dornoch, Scotland for a charity golf event and some sight seeing.
For those of you with an interest in Naval history, a couple of days in Portsmouth in a true bucket list addition.
While the HMS Victory was spectacular, and is rightfully the main draw of the area, the HMS Warrior is a technological marvel and if one has an interest marine engineering, is worth a full half-day if not more. You are given pretty much free ranging of the machinery spaces (as well as the rest of the ship) and to see what was done in the 1850s regarding the engine room and (surprisingly to me) the fire room was simply amazing. I cannot do it justice with words, but the sophistication of the technology of 170 years ago is truly inspiring.
The Mary Rose is finally open to full viewing after 35 years of preservation, and is extremely well done. Walking into the museum/conservation building is walking into a ghost ship that has preserved a unique picture of naval life from 500 years ago. It was informative and extremely interesting, but more than anything, it was a truly moving experience.
HMS Victory is all one would expect it to be. Walking the decks upon which Nelson fought and died; crouching through the gundecks where 32 pounders, 24 pounders, 12 pounders, and 100s of sailors fought, lived and died two centuries ago takes one back to that era, commiserating with the harshness of the life, yet celebrating the foresight that preserved it for us today.
Dornoch, Scotland is home to the Royal Dornoch Championship Golf Course. Routinely rated the 2nd best course in Scotland behind the Old Course, but roundly recognized as a better and more beautiful course. It was a joy to play, and I will be back next year. We watched the Highland Games, which was on a tour stop in Dornoch this past Friday. Quite an event, and the carnival atmosphere was infectious.
Placed fifth in a charity golf tournament on Saturday. Was invited by a friend here in the states that played it a few years ago. A tremendous golf course; true links golf with epic scenery and the challenges one hopes to see when playing in Scotland. As noted above, we will be back.
A lot of good Scotch whiskey, or as they call in Scotland, whiskey.
Stayed in the Dornoch Castle Hotel which has an incredible selection and is located next to the Dornoch Cellars, which as a selection that defies adjectives.
If one enjoys golf on the best course in Scotland, and one wishes to sup the best whiskey in Scotland, a stop in Dornoch will not disappoint you.
Glad to be home, but is was a trip I will not soon forget.
A couple of days in Portsmouth at the Historic Dockyards, and a short week in Dornoch, Scotland for a charity golf event and some sight seeing.
For those of you with an interest in Naval history, a couple of days in Portsmouth in a true bucket list addition.
While the HMS Victory was spectacular, and is rightfully the main draw of the area, the HMS Warrior is a technological marvel and if one has an interest marine engineering, is worth a full half-day if not more. You are given pretty much free ranging of the machinery spaces (as well as the rest of the ship) and to see what was done in the 1850s regarding the engine room and (surprisingly to me) the fire room was simply amazing. I cannot do it justice with words, but the sophistication of the technology of 170 years ago is truly inspiring.
The Mary Rose is finally open to full viewing after 35 years of preservation, and is extremely well done. Walking into the museum/conservation building is walking into a ghost ship that has preserved a unique picture of naval life from 500 years ago. It was informative and extremely interesting, but more than anything, it was a truly moving experience.
HMS Victory is all one would expect it to be. Walking the decks upon which Nelson fought and died; crouching through the gundecks where 32 pounders, 24 pounders, 12 pounders, and 100s of sailors fought, lived and died two centuries ago takes one back to that era, commiserating with the harshness of the life, yet celebrating the foresight that preserved it for us today.
Dornoch, Scotland is home to the Royal Dornoch Championship Golf Course. Routinely rated the 2nd best course in Scotland behind the Old Course, but roundly recognized as a better and more beautiful course. It was a joy to play, and I will be back next year. We watched the Highland Games, which was on a tour stop in Dornoch this past Friday. Quite an event, and the carnival atmosphere was infectious.
Placed fifth in a charity golf tournament on Saturday. Was invited by a friend here in the states that played it a few years ago. A tremendous golf course; true links golf with epic scenery and the challenges one hopes to see when playing in Scotland. As noted above, we will be back.
A lot of good Scotch whiskey, or as they call in Scotland, whiskey.
Stayed in the Dornoch Castle Hotel which has an incredible selection and is located next to the Dornoch Cellars, which as a selection that defies adjectives.
If one enjoys golf on the best course in Scotland, and one wishes to sup the best whiskey in Scotland, a stop in Dornoch will not disappoint you.
Glad to be home, but is was a trip I will not soon forget.
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Sounds like a magnificent trip, Don!
I would truly love such a trip, as long as I can substitute hunting or even a root canal for the golf![;)]
My wife just returned Monday from a Norwegian Cruise with her 90 year old Father. They were north of the Arctic Circle! They got to see the village her Grandfather came from in 1905.
Welcome home and glad you had a wonderful trip,
Ed0 -
Except for the golf and Scots whiskey, sound like a fine time. Headed that way myself next month. 0 -
Did you have to wear a dress to play?
I am glad you have beaten the health issues you were having and Glad you were able to go and enjoy the trip.0 -
Welcome back to the smoke and hot weather. Sounds like a truly wonderful trip! 0 -
Jealous of Your Tour of the Engineering Spaces! Love that stuff!
Take any Pictures?0 -
quote:Originally posted by mogley98
Did you have to wear a dress to play?
I am glad you have beaten the health issues you were having and Glad you were able to go and enjoy the trip.
The gut appliance thing makes travelling inconvenient, but it is doable, and was worth the effort.
No kilt. I went to buy one a couple of months ago with my family tartan from Ireland, but they were made to order and 3 - 4 months out. Turns out I would have been the only one wearing one, so it was probably best it did not work out.
To Handload - did not take very many pictures. Flash photography was no allowed inside the ships, and better pictures of the exterior are available on line than I could take with my phone anyway. I kind of get lost mentally when experiencing these things, and photographs never do justice to the memories I have, anyway.
To Gearheaddad - It was England and Scotland. I don't know if root canals are available over there. Dentistry still seems to be a low priority. [:p]
To Mr. P - What the hell is going on here? 100+ degrees with a beautiful grey smoke haze wherever you look? On Friday in Dornoch, we had a beautiful sunny morning of golf that was punctuated with driving wind, driving rain, but cleared up and turned into a very pleasant sunny afternoon for the games. Probably what a purist would want when golfing in Scotland.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Don McManus
quote:Originally posted by mogley98
Did you have to wear a dress to play?
I am glad you have beaten the health issues you were having and Glad you were able to go and enjoy the trip.
The gut appliance thing makes travelling inconvenient, but it is doable, and was worth the effort.
No kilt. I went to buy one a couple of months ago with my family tartan from Ireland, but they were made to order and 3 - 4 months out. Turns out I would have been the only one wearing one, so it was probably best it did not work out.
To Handload - did not take very many pictures. Flash photography was no allowed inside the ships, and better pictures of the exterior are available on line than I could take with my phone anyway. I kind of get lost mentally when experiencing these things, and photographs never do justice to the memories I have, anyway.
To Gearheaddad - It was England and Scotland. I don't know if root canals are available over there. Dentistry still seems to be a low priority. [:p]
To Mr. P - What the hell is going on here? 100+ degrees with a beautiful grey smoke haze wherever you look? On Friday in Dornoch, we had a beautiful sunny morning of golf that was punctuated with driving wind, driving rain, but cleared up and turned into a very pleasant sunny afternoon for the games. Probably what a purist would want when golfing in Scotland.
I don't know. When I first moved to this side of the mountains back in '93, I don't recall smoke like this. Yes, we had heat. And I do recall 100 degree temps in July and August, but not all this smoke. Fast forward to when I went back to the west side 2010, and when I moved back in 2013 now every summer we have smoke so thick you can't see your back yard? I guess it's climate change??0 -
Welcome back, Don. I was wondering where you were.
You had a great experience. Thanks for the notes!0 -
Don ? You are right about that historic walk on the HMS Victory...really awesome.
I went aboard her back in the mid 1980s and I also went aboard the Clipper Cutty Sark which allowed me to take pictures of her decks which was helpful in my building a quality 38 inch scale model.
I was amazed at the efforts they take to save these ships for posterity.
I am really amazed that the USS Constitution , Old Ironsides, is still sailable.0 -
I enjoy traveling but its always good to get back home. 0 -
Don, I believe Gearheaded was saying he would rather have a root canal than play golf.
I would rather caddy, then either of those other choices.0
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