Sea Pines Lagoon

When I stay on Hilton Head Island, I indulge myself in at least eight hours sleep (sometimes ten…) and wake completely refreshed. Although the dog was in kennels back in Edinburgh, I still enjoyed an early morning stroll – more of a power walk since I was not forced to stop at every tree and lamp post!

In spring, even at 7.30am, it is hot and humid. Works up quite a sweat which can be promptly cooled by an unexpected lawn sprinkler!!

Blue Heron, Sea Pines

Most of the communities in Sea Pines are situated around a lagoon which attracts a range of wildlife activity. Each morning my walk was refreshing and the sounds of the birds a good alternative to Forth One.

There was always something to grab my attention, from the rabbits munching alongside the paths to the blooming magnolia trees – the scent at times was almost overpowering. 

Baby Alligator

Daily I scoured the lagoon for alligators. This is the reason small dogs are kept on a leash as apparently quite a few have gone missing. Not only did I spot a healthy six footer but also a baby gator. 

Now I’m back home in the Scottish capital, wrapped up in layers and stopping at every lamp post – but at least I don’t need to watch out for sprinklers or Copperheads!

On Facebook? View my Hilton Head album 

More information on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
http://www.hiltonheadisland.org/

One of my favourite haunts in London is Bleeding Heart Yard, so-called following the grotesque murder in 1676 of Lady Hatton – her body was found in the courtyard “torn from limb” with her heart  “still pumping blood on to the cobblestones”.

Bleeding Heart Logo

Charles Dickens speaks of the yard’s gory history in his novel Little Dorritt, whose family lived there.  The Yard is now home to Bleeding Heart Restaurants, a selection of different buildings offering a Tavern, Bistro, Restaurant and the Crypt.  Thankfully the only hearts in evidence are the paper ones on the butter dishes!

The Tavern is at the corner of the Yard and worth stopping in for an ale, first started trading in 1746 and was restored in 1998.  The Restaurant is in cellars below the Yard and looking on to the centre of the courtyard is Bleeding Heart Bistro.  The restaurant is only open Monday to Friday so for my weekend London visits I was pleased to learn the Bistro has extended its opening hours to include Saturday for lunch and dinner – recommend booking well in advance.

The Bistro on a summer Saturday evening was bustling, with a great ambience, both indoors or out.  The service is impeccable with a French flair and the menu varied with a  choice of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes accompanied by an extensive “fine” wine list.

The waiting staff move slickly from table to table ensuring diners are provided with the utmost attention and we are entertained by the performance of the ‘special for two’, a 32oz prime rib – cut and served at the table.

What is truly amazing was the price of dinner – best value dinner I’ve ever experienced in London,  so splash out on one of the excellent wines.

Tower Bridge, Thames, London

Next morning, walking along the Thames south bank, Dickens makes another appearance.  No real surprise as many of Dickens’ novels include some aspect of the Thames.  Charles Dickens Our Mutual Friend begins with a scavenger and his daughter pulling a dead man from the river near London Bridge, to salvage what the body might have in its pockets.

The area of Butlers Wharf , now with a host of  riverside restaurants, cafes and luxury apartments, was a notorious slum in the early nineteenth century.  In Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, the setting for Fagin’s den was based on one of the warehouses and the evil Bill Sykes met a grisly end in the muddy Folly Ditch.

New Concordia Wharf, South Bank, London

Most of the early buildings were demolished by 1860 and replaced by Victorian buildings, many of which have now also gone.  New Concordia Wharf remains and as the wooden entrance gate opens and out steps a smart suited executive attached to his iPhone – I am quickly returned to the 21st century!

Details:

Bleeding Heart Restaurants
Off Greville Street
Hatton Street
London
EC1N 8SJ

W: www.bleedingheart.co.uk

Nearest Underground Station: Chancery Lane or Farringdon

Sunshine hitting the west fascia of Gosford House

Probably the most stunning venue to open in the Lothians in the last decade, and certainly the most exclusive I’ve been to for a BBQ!

For the first time in its 200 year history, Gosford House opened its doors as an exclusive use venue earlier this year.  Located less than 30 minutes from Edinburgh, it is an easy and scenic drive from the city along the A1 or the coast road to Longniddry, East Lothian.

Driving through the gates I almost stalled the car as the imposing neo classical mansion, designed by Robert Adam, loomed ahead of me.  But what completely took my breath away was the two tiered marble entrance hall with double staircase, elaborate fireplaces, colonnades and a superb collection of artwork.  I have never seen anything like this, not even in the movies… although that will soon change as Gosford just recently hosted a 10 day film shoot.

After a champagne welcome we were directed to three rooms – for dinner, drinks and dancing.  Jug of Pimms in hand we headed onto the balcony for lobster and steaks accompanied by a cold seafood buffet of langoustines, mussels, shrimp, salmon and trout.

When it comes to the food, over 35% of the produce is sourced directly from the estate from free range chicken and eggs to roe deer, wild boar and lamb.  Following that, as much as possible is sourced within East Lothian and all the meat is butchered on site at the Gosford Farm Bothy Shop where everything from specific cuts of meat, sausages and burgers are produced – ideal for the large BBQs!

Magnificent Marble Entrance Hall at Gosford House

The balconies can hold over a 100 guests and on such a clear summer evening you could see over the extensive lawns and trees to Edinburgh Castle – 20 miles away.  As darkness fell my breath was again taken away with the millions of stars which filled the sky – just far enough out of the city to escape light pollution.  Actually just far enough to feel I had entered another world of Lords and Ladies or even Gosford Park…

Details:

Gosford House
Gosford Estate
Aberlady
East Lothian
EH32 0PY

T:  01875 870 808
E:  rob@gosfordhouse.co.uk
W:  www.gosfordhouse.co.uk

Also on Gosford Estate:

Craigielaw Golf Course – award winning links golf course

W:  www.craigielawgolfclub.com

Green Craig – 5 star exclusive use property sitting on the shores of the Forth

W:  www.greencraig.com

Loch Lomond - view to Loch Lomond

Set on the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, Cameron House has been transformed from the relatively tired hotel we stayed at several years ago, into one of the best we have experienced in Scotland.

We stayed with an extended group of family and friends and found the staff and venue perfect for a surprise 50th birthday get together.

Our room was spacious and well equipped but several simple additions such as a little carton of fresh milk on the tea & coffee tray, a fine selection of toiletries and free wifi were much appreciated.

Cameron House Hotel - Classic Bedroom

We had dinner in a quiet private area of the Cameron Grill and breakfast at the Boat House.  The food was very good, not exceptional, but if you want a real fine dining experience, it is available at a price in the Martin Wishart’s Restaurant.

We found staff excellent throughout the stay and of those we spoke with, they were all local!

Our only minor frustration was during check out, as a queue formed at 11.00am and took 20 – 30 minutes to clear. Each member of our group had minor errors with their bills but they were dealt with politely and efficiently by the staff at reception.

We will definitely return sooner rather than later.

Details:

De Vere Cameron House
Loch Lomond
Dunbartonshire
G83 8QZ

w:  www.cameronhouse.co.uk
t:  01389 755 565

We stayed at Loch Fyne Hotel for a couple of days in June, en route to the Islay Ferry.  The hotel is located above the shores of the Loch and just outside the small town of Inveraray.  This is a popular stopping point for visitors and coach parties with attractions being Inveraray Castle, Inveraray Jail or for sampling Loch Fyne oysters.

Flagpole Viewpoint, Crarae Garden to Loch Fyne

To bypass these hot spots we visited the peace and tranquility offered at Crarae Garden, managed by the National Trust for Scotland. Crarae is described as Britain’s Himalayan Glen and is an informal garden of exotic trees and shrubs, planted by three generations of the Campbell family in a gorge carved by the cascading Crarae Burn.

It’s a magical place with winding paths climbing through a dark canopy of firs and pines, with a riot of colourful rhododendrons and magnolias. The walks are well marked, each reflects the elements and adopts the colour of the ancient Tibetan prayer flag – yellow for earth, green for water, red for fire, white for air and blue for sky.

The steepest route is the white “Plant Hunter’s Trail” , along a ridge providing magnificient views over the Garden and Loch Fyne. It is worth a detour to the flagpole viewpoint for a seat and of course the view!

Closer to Oban, just below the summit of An Cnap,  sits Arduaine Garden.  This is another NTS garden and set in a vast landscape of coastline, sky and sea scattered with islands. The garden has a more formal style with borders, lawns and gravel paths.  There are three ponds teaming with tadpole life and water-lilies, surrounded by bright blue poppies and giant cos lettuce leaves.

The Heron Pond, Arduaine Garden

The Road to the Sea path runs from the bottom of the Glen where there are many rhododendrons and ends at a shoreline with views to Asknish Bay. For a hilltop view, walk up through the shelter of trees
to The Viewpoint – you can see for miles up and down this rugged coastline where the Sound of Jura points to the open sea.

You could spend many hours getting wonderfully lost in this 20-acre garden and the Loch Melfort Hotel at the entrance, provides an ideal place to refresh over lunch or afternoon tea.
Details:

Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa
Shore Street
Inveraray
Argyll, PA32 8XT
t:  01449 302 980
w:  www.crerarhotel.com/lochfyne

Crarae Garden and Arduaine Garden
National Trust for Scotland
w:   www.nts.org.uk

15th Hole at Highland Links "Tattie Bogle"

No matter where you travel in the world, you will find strange and unusual names, often reflecting culture connections and history.

On a recent trip to Nova Scotia, I visited Highland Links, a course rich in Scottish tradition and built on a magnificent coastal setting within Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  The course was designed by Stanley Thompson, the great Canadian architect.

Of Scottish parents, Thompson’s design approach strikes a chord with the links of Scotland, which respect the natural landscape.  What he called his “mountains and ocean” course stretches out into the Clyburn Valley for 9 holes before making the turn for the clubhouse.

Thompson hired a Scot, Ken Gullan (a native of Gullane!) to give the course “a definitive links look”.  Gullan travelled along the Cape Breton coast, transplanting sea-reed grass to some of the seascape holes at Highland Links. 

Gullan also continued the Scottish tradition of naming all 18 holes, giving tags that described the landscape of each hole – Mucklemouth Meg, Tattie Bogle, Cuddy’s Lugs and Heich O’Fash, which aptly illustrates the “heap of trouble” surrounding this short par 4.  The long narrow 7th hole, a 570 yard par 5 called Killiecrankie, even resembles the long narrow Pass in Perthshire – and with a double dog leg it was apparently a tortuous drive!

Fossilized dinosaur bone

Then this summer travelling from Colorado to Utah I stepped back in time to the land of the dinosaurs!  Looking for an overnight stop I drove down Brontosauras Boulevard, took a left at Stegosauras Freeway to Plateosauras Place, then on to Triceratops Terrace and Brachtosauras Bypass before ending up on Tyranosauras Street!

The nearby Dinosaur National Monument provides one of the best snapshots of Jurassic dinosaurs found anywhere in the world and protects a large deposit of fossil bones of creatures that lived nearly 150 million years ago.  On a short hike I spotted fossilised fragments of leg and vertebrae encased in the rocks.  It’s one thing to see Dinosaur Bones and fossils in a museum, but to actually see them how they are found was amazing!

However months later, I haven’t found anything to beat shop names in Cedar City, Utah – “Aunties Bloomers” next door to “Breakin’ Wind”, a florist and a kite shop!

Highland Links
Ingonish Beach, NS
B0C 1L0
W:  www.highlandlinksgolf.com
T: 00 1 902-285-2600

Dinosaur National Monument
4545 E. Highway 40
Dinosaur, CO 81610-9724
W:  www.nps.gov

For some Highland hospitality, a hefty dose of fresh air and whisky galore, head three hours north of Edinburgh to Speyside, in the North East of Scotland between Aberdeen and Inverness. The drive is through dramatic scenery with a striking change of landscape passing Dunkeld and Birnam. The road begins to climb, the hills and forest come in to view – take a moment… deep breath, exhale and begin to unwind.

Craigellachie Hotel

Just set back off the road in the village of Craigellachie is a dazzling, white country house – the Craigellachie Hotel. Built in the 1800’s and beautifully refurbished, retaining all the original charm. It is an idyllic setting and my room overlooks the River Spey to the Craigellachie Bridge, Thomas Telford’s famous iron bridge opened in 1814. 

Within the hotel is the award winning Quaich Bar which has the most extensive display of whiskies I have ever seen – 700 different single malts at the last count! They have even been exhibited in New York, Chicago, Paris, The Hague, Osaka, Limburg, Berlin and Leiden. Tastings are available – but which one to choose? Apparently selecting your birth year is a popular method but that may depend how old you are… several whiskies are over £100 a nip and currently the most expensive is £275! 

Quaich Bar - Craigellachie Hotel

To clear a dull head in the morning, walk a section of The Speyside Way, one of four official long distance routes in Scotland. This passes directly in front of the hotel and I take up the recommendation of a taxi ride from the Hotel to Ballindalloch, 12 miles away, to then walk back. It is an easy walk and well signposted, following the route of a disused railway line. Many signs of the railway era remain from bridges to small stations but little evidence of the tracks, now covered with grass and forming the footpaths.

This is malt whisky country and along this section of the Way are several opportunities for refreshments, Glenfarclas Distillery at Ballindalloch, Cardhu and Tamdhu at Knockando and Aberlour. The smell of malting in the air is clearly distinguishable and the golden nectar certainly puts a spring in your step!

Craigellachie Hotel
Craigellachie
Speyside
Banfshire
Scotland
AB38 9SR
W: www.craigellachie.com
T: +44 (0) 1340 881204
E: info@craigellachie.com

Speyside Way
W:  www.speysideway.org

Distilleries
W: www.scotchwhisky.net

“Welcome to the home of the Rankin Family” announces the sign outside Mabou, on the appropriately named Ceilidh Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

I am on the hunt for The Red Shoe Pub, bought by the Rankin family in 2005 and a great local entertainment spot, with occasional performances by the musical sisters – tonight their cousin is playing the fiddle.  The pub is located on the main street with a distinctive red shoe sign.  A ceilidh is held here every Sunday and is the highlight of the week but even for a midweek night it proves to be the hub of the town and social centre.

Order a Keith’s Light Ale and scallop pasta.  I recognise several other diners, including Bob Scott, manager of Glenora Distillery, who I met earlier in the day and sampled some Glen Breton while he recited poetry.  The distillery made me feel at home as its exterior reflected Edradour in Pitlochry with its white buildings and red door.  Here, I really feel like a local – only been in town 5 minutes and have met more new acquaintances than I would out on a Saturday night in Edinburgh!

I learn of the origin of The Red Shoes – adventurous shoemaker Angus D. MacEachern of Glendale, Cape Breton, stained a pair of shoes a bright crimson with Sherwin-Williams paint. These were the inspiration for a reel by fiddler Dan Rory.  Johnny Gillis of North East Mabou, came up with the name ‘Red Shoe’ as a tribute to Dan R for his contribution to music and culture.

The locals chat about the Gaelic culture and enthuse about Celtic Colours, the annual international music festival which takes place in communities all over Cape Breton from early to mid October, after which everything closes for the season – including the pub which doesn’t reopen until June! So what is there to do here in the winter and spring??  Apparently drink, dance, play music and be merry in each others home.

The Red Shoe Pub
11573 Route 19
Box 94
Mabou, Nova Scotia
B0E 1X0

T: 902-945-2996

E: info@redshoepub.com
W: www.redshoepub.com

Celtic Colours Festival
W: www.celtic-colours.com

Penguin Colony near Simon's Town

Nestled in a sheltered cove between Simon’s Town and Cape Point, is an African Penguin colony.

Surprisingly located in a residential area but the penguins don’t seem to mind. The colony is thriving and from two breeding pairs in 1982 there are now over 3,000. Partly this is due to a reduction in commercial trawling and subsequent increase in the supply of pilchards and anchovies.

These tiny penguins wander around fearlessly – very cute but don’t touch as they have sharp beaks and a tendency to peck. Really you don’t want to get too close as they really stink – and don’t sit on the rocks… they pee fish oil!

A boardwalk to the beach passes close to penguin families, relaxing in bushes and little hollows they have carved in the sand. False Bay and the beaches are stunning. Flat and wind free, which is a rare experience around Cape Town and partially enclosed by granite boulders, some 540 million years old.

The main colony are at Boulders Beach where in large groups the penguins bask, walk, dance, run and splat into the sea bobbing around. “Happy Feet” for sure! They sound happy too – with a donkey like call which is why they were originally known as Jackass Penguins.

Baboons

It’s a day for cuteness – driving on to Cape Point we pass baby baboons by the roadside, performing back flips. Get out of the car to take some photos from a safe distance, on the opposite side of the road. Next I hear a warning shout. Mummy and Daddy, with a mane a lion would be proud of, are ambling down the road on a mission and it looks like I am it! I jump into the nearest car as the baboon lunges against the passenger door, gripping on to the roof and showing me his full set of yellow teeth. After all the animals we have encountered on this trip, this guy was by far the scariest!

The Boulders
Simon’s Town
7995
South Africa
T: +27 21 786 2329
E: boulders @sanparks.org

KELTIC LODGE RESORT AND SPA 

Situated high on a cliff at Igonish, Cape Breton, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. Where else could you find a more isolated, beautiful spot to totally unwind?  

Keltic Lodge & Spa

Room 101 in the historic Main Lodge is so luxurious, I almost don’t want to leave for my spa treatment. I haul myself out of the most comfortable armchair and take the marked trail to the Aveda Spa, about a 5 minute walk.  Front of house is on standby in case I prefer to be driven.   

Aveda welcome me by name and Maureen, the receptionist, tells me I am the only guest for both days – great for me, not so good for spa profits.   

First I am invited on a show round of the treatment rooms, sauna , steam showers and outdoor hot tub. Then Kirsta starts my French Manicure treatment as I sip on cucumber infused water and tells me of her array of unusual pets – a love bird, a cocker spaniel and a seagull!!  The seagull she rescued with a broken wing now lives in her basement – she has the scars on her arm to prove it!  Her father is a fisherman, which means feeding is not a problem and she does take the gull on occasional trips to the beach… 

It is not recommended to get nails wet post manicure so after hand exfoliation, cuticle clipping and nail shaping I am offered use of all the facilities. Permitted to help myself to any sample products in the retail area while a moisture base is made up for afters to reflect my Caribbean treatment scheduled for tomorrow. 

I chose a peppermint scent for my steam shower and armed with products, robe, towels and sandals I have a wonderful cleansing shower and prepare for the final stages of my manicure. Wet hair? I am escorted in to the hair salon – the straighteners are already warming and all hair products, brushes, hair dryer are there for my use.  The service is just amazing – I can’t describe how special and welcome the staff have made me feel. 

Aveda Spa reception

On completion of my manicure I receive a foot spa and have my lips exfoliated and glossed then recline in a chair drinking liquorice tea, gazing out to Cape Smokey rising out of the sea. 

I say my goodbyes – until tomorrow.  Armed with purchases of hair conditioner, humidity wax, body shampoo, nail varnish, foot cream…. maybe not such a bad day for profits after all… 

Address:
Keltic Lodge Resort & Spa
Middle Head Peninsula
Ingonish Beach
Nova Scotia
Canada B0C 1L0

T: (902) 285-2880
E: keltic@kelticlodge.ca
W: http://www.kelticlodge.ca