Bonnie Scotland

[Arthur Little]

Is anyone here from Oban? Tobermory?

Oban lies approximately 100 miles west of *Perth, and can be reached quite comfortably within 3 hours driving time [from *HERE] amidst beautiful ... ever-changing scenery. In fact I bought my first wife's engagement ring there.

Caledonian MacBrayne operates a regular passenger/car-ferry service to the Western Isles ... including the Island of Mull (of which the small town/large village, Tobermory is the capital) throughout the summer season ... although the service tends to be curtailed somewhat from late October through to February/March (depending on the weather and tidal conditions) at that time of year.

If you should decide to avail yourselves of the one-hour sail to Mull (once the boys are a little older) it would be well worth your while leaving the car at Craignure (the ship's first port of call) and undertaking the 30-mile coach journey to the hamlet of Fionaphort, where there's a much smaller ferry terminal linking with the tiny island of Iona ... historically the site where the Irish monk, St Columba, landed in the year AD 563 (or thereabouts) and introduced Christianity to Scotland. There is a restored Abbey here, with an adjoining burial ground where former Labour leader, John Smith is interred - alongside ancient Scottish Kings & Queens.

Thanks, Ann, for initiating this excellent thread.

[Ann07]

Oban lies approximately 100 miles west of *Perth, and can be reached quite comfortably within 3 hours driving time [from *HERE] amidst beautiful ... ever-changing scenery. In fact I bought my first wife's engagement ring there.

Caledonian MacBrayne operates a regular passenger/car-ferry service to the Western Isles ... including the Island of Mull (of which the small town/large village, Tobermory is the capital) throughout the summer season ... although the service tends to be curtailed somewhat from late October through to February/March (depending on the weather and tidal conditions) at that time of year.

If you should decide to avail yourselves of the one-hour sail to Mull (once the boys are a little older) it would be well worth your while leaving the car at Craignure (the ship's first port of call) and undertaking the 30-mile coach journey to the hamlet of Fionaphort, where there's a much smaller ferry terminal linking with the tiny island of Iona ... historically the site where the Irish monk, St Columba, landed in the year AD 563 (or thereabouts) and introduced Christianity to Scotland. There is a restored Abbey here, with an adjoining burial ground where former Labour leader, John Smith is interred - alongside ancient Scottish Kings & Queens.

Thanks, Ann, for initiating this excellent thread.

WOW! Really Arthur nice we went inside some of the jewellry shops ...we spent few days in the town i enjoyed the pancake and lovely fish and chips and bought some stuff for myself cant help it really Your Myrna is very lucky Thanks for that wonderful info Arthur

We went to Isle of Mull ...to Craignure then Tobermory( Balamory coz James wants to see the colourful houses) with CaledonianMacBrayne we all enjoyed it What a lovely place

Seriously I love Scotland there is something in it I love the place oh dear me

My father in law always spends time in Oban and other places.
We will definitely come back there with the proper waterproof gear suit for the weather

[aromulus]

including the Island of Mull (of which the small town/large village, Tobermory is the capital)

.

Only in Scotland they would call a town after a womble......

[GaryFifer]

Only in Scotland they would call a town after a womble......

Makes you wonder where the names come from though. Are there swans near the sea in Swansea? It seems to do with Scandinavian and Norse history. Have a look at this aromulus.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/whatsinan...es/intro.shtml

Example: Mold??

The English name for this town comes from the French, mont (hill) and hault (high).

The high hill is the Bailey Hill near the centre of Mold on which the Normans built a castle, a dominant feature of the town's landscape.
There is a parallel between the meaning of the Norman French, Mold, and the Welsh name, Yr Wyddgrug.

[aromulus]

The high hill is the Bailey Hill near the centre of Mold on which the Normans built a castle, a dominant feature of the town's landscape.
There is a parallel between the meaning of the Norman French, Mold, and the Welsh name, Yr Wyddgrug.

Well I never....

Lived in Mold for years and never knew that....

Next time I see the old welsh biddy I will call her a liar because she told me that Yr Wyddgrug meant "The heather"...

Which admittedly grows in pletiful quantities and colours around there....