Following a Kilt Through Scotland
by Nell Raun-Linde Scotland — a land of rivers and lochs, of barren rocky hills and green valleys, of crumbling abbeys and castle-fortresses on crags and sea cliffs. My first foray into this land north of England started in Glasgow and ended there, twelve days and 1500 miles later. Our group of six writers traveled […]
On the Trail of the Black and Whites
by Cherie Clement Summer has ended, the nights are drawing in and the majority of tourists are in annual hibernation, so now is the time to enjoy the sensory delights of many parts of the English countryside. My husband likes driving and taking photos whilst I love exploring somewhere new, so it was in total […]
Visiting Brontë Country: an Exceptional Experience
by Lori Henry The Brontë sisters have been a fascinating curiosity since publishing their work under the genderless pseudonyms Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell in 1846. Respectively, Charlotte, Emily and Anne went on to write some of the most well loved novels of their time. Emily’s Wuthering Heights smashed purist morals with its rough language […]
London’s Favourite Haunts
by Jane Cassie He’s dressed from head to toe in raven black and melds seamlessly into the pitch-dark night. In one hand is an umbrella that doubles as a cane. In the other, is a flashlight, waiting to come to life. Timing is everything, and when the nearby bell of St Andrews begins to toll, […]
Titanic Belfast – Birthplace of the Titanic
by Irene Butler From a distance it is likened to an immense iceberg glinting in the sun. As we near the edifice its appearance takes on the angular shape of four massive ship prows, each facing a different direction. Both perceptions are befitting this monument to Belfast’s maritime history and to Titanic Belfast being the […]
Trekking Around the Wild and Mysterious Shetland Islands
by Jamie Ross I sit on the stone wall that protects Burrastow House from the sea, looking out over Vaila Sound. The beautiful twilight Shetland sky of the Summer Dim is blood red, and reflects off the shimmering ocean waters. “Back home we have a saying, red sky at night, a sailor’s delight,” I say […]
Day Tripping from London to Oxford, UK
by Chris Millikan A day trip from London to Oxford suits avid walkers like us. Hopping an early train from Paddington Station, we arrive in this esteemed city of spires within 1-1/2 easy hours. A university town since the 13th century, Oxford ‘educates’ us with historic sights, starting with its University. At first we’re surprised […]
London: Prince Henry’s Room: 17 Fleet Street EC4
by Anna Marie Benton The guidebook stated that there was not much worth looking at in London’s Chancery Lane. When the courts were open, one could see the bewigged barristers, or there was the original Twinings Tea, the oldest continuously run shop in the City. With a lazy Saturday afternoon to wile away, and the […]
Pageantry and Tradition at Windsor and Eton
By Chris Millikan Pageantry and tradition await us just thirty-minutes away from Paddington station. During an easy day trip from London, my husband, daughter Jessica and I hop an early train and spend an enjoyable day sightseeing in both Windsor and Eton, two historic English towns. Windsor is best known for its castle, perched above […]
A Thoroughly English Day Out in Little Known Norwich
by Anna Bright Surrounded by hell-bent footsteps and a blur of grey scowls, we ducked onto a suddenly peaceful train, to escape the insanity of rush hour London for an altogether more green and more pleasant part of the land. I heard a keen rustle of waterproofs as an American couple behind me fished out […]
Climbing The Stairs Of Time in St Paul’s Cathedral
by Jane Cassie It feels like we’re heaven-bound while trekking up the stone stairwell that spirals from the ground floor of St Paul’s Cathedral to its glittery cupola dome. And although we’re only halfway there, I’m ready to throw in the towel. Sure, I was forewarned to lace up my Rockports when exploring London’s tourist […]
Bears, Brothels and Bards – London’s Bankside
by David Elliott I’m standing on a narrow, cobbled street in London, looking up at a blackened corpse hanging in a gibbet. This guy must have done something pretty diabolical, like steal a loaf of bread, or perhaps he even insulted the Bishop. It was probably the latter, because the Bishop’s palace is just a […]
Romanticism is Alive – If you can find it – At Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher
by Erin Wiggins Shaver My husband and I met in an American Irish pub, over the ubiquitous libation that is well known in the U.S. as the Irish Car Bomb. Five years later we finally experienced the real deal—on our honeymoon, no less—seeking the allure, merriment and mystique we’d always associated with the fabled Emerald […]
The Isle Of Arran – A Wee Scottish Treasure
by Caroline M. Jackson An eclectic group of passengers at the Ardrossan ferry terminal boarded the top deck of the Caledonian Isles as we prepared to cross the Firth of Clyde to reach the Isle of Arran. Dubbed ‘Scotland in Miniature’, the island is studded with craggy mountains, bracken-clad moors, beautiful beaches, castles and a […]
Abbotsford: At Home with Sir Walter Scott
by David Elliott For anyone who loves Sir Walter Scott, Abbotsford is a place of pilgrimage. I arrived there on a drizzly afternoon in early September, crushing sodden leaves underfoot and tightening my scarf against a gale. The ground was like a sponge, and dark clouds that could have been painted by Constable rolled across […]