Posts Tagged ‘Scotland’

National Tartan Day – in Boston

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Peter in his MacLaren tartan kilt

Peter getting ready for Tartan Day


In 1998 National Tartan Day was officially recognized on a permanent basis when the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by companion bill House Resolution 41 which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005. Canada has been celebrating “National Tartan Day” since 1993.

That date commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland’s sovereignty over English territorial claims, and which was an influence on the American Declaration of Independence.

This year Peter was honored to be invited by the British Consul-General in Boston, Dr. Phil Budden, to join him and a delegation from the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Development International to take part in the celebrations at his residence in Boston.

Peter is a Global Scot, an organization that seeks to develop and expand Scotland’s standing in the global business community by utilising the talents of leading Scots, and of people with an affinity for Scotland, to establish a worldwide network of individuals who are outstanding in their field.

The occasion was very enjoyable and provided one of the rare opportunities for Peter to wear his kilt. It also transpired that the Consul is a Sugarbush skier so we are hoping to return the hospitality at West Hill House one of these days!

Links!

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

In addition to telling almost everything we can think about regarding West Hill House and the surrounding area, our website also has some useful links to other travel information.

Check these out for information on other B&Bs around the US and Canada that we can personally recommend, and for information about Scotland.

Almost every guest at West Hill House asks Peter about planning a visit to Scotland, or reminisces about visits already made. If you are interested in Scotland the links provide a good intro to helpful information and photos, but come and stay with us to talk some more…

The photo is of the famous Loch Ness. Click on it to be transported to Scotland!

Scotland 2009

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
Rob Roy's cave

Rob Roy's cave

Crathie Castle

Crathie Castle

Dundee City Center

Dundee City Center

Falkland Palace Gardens

Falkland Palace Gardens

Falkirk Wheel profile

Falkirk Wheel profile

Falkirk Wheel rotating

Falkirk Wheel rotating

It is Homecoming Year in Scotland in 2009, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the famed poet Robert Burns who was born in 1759. We took our first holiday since opening the B&B and spent 10 days visiting in July, mainly to see friends and family, but also to do some exploring. Here are some highlights:

  • A boat trip on the north end of Loch Lomond out of Tarbet.  Most visitors to Scotland’s largest loch tour the south end which has its own beauty, but the north end is more fiord like and quite awe inspiring, particularly on a cloudy day when the hills tower into the dark sky. This is Rob Roy country!
  • Royal Deeside is always spectacular, with its gorgeous vistas and many restored castles to visit. We dropped in at Drum Castle and Crathie Castle, both run by the National Trust for Scotland.  The gardens at Crathie are quite spectacular.
  • A city we have not visited before is Dundee.  The whole center of the city is now a beautiful pedestrian area with a huge selection of shops, cafés and restaurants.  Well worth stopping and spending a couple of hours just walking around. The area is surrounded by lots of multi-story parking.
  • A hidden gem in Fife, just south of St Andrews which is where most people go, is Falkland.  The Falkland Palace which dates to Mary Queen of Scots time is well worth a visit – also National Trust – again with beautiful gardens and one of the few catholic chapels that survived the purges of the Scottish Reformation. The surprise was the gorgeous village itself.  Every building is immaculate and there are flowers everywhere. The village even has a huge parking area hidden out of sight on a side road, which is a plus as many small towns in Scotland have limited parking.
  • And the highlight of our visit this year was the Falkirk Wheel which is a rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It is named after the nearby town of Falkirk in central Scotland. The two canals were previously connected by a series of 11 locks.