Interesting. I didn't know that Lime disease was known outside the US
and Canada. I'm on of the few that was vaccinated before the vaccine
was withdrawn.
Chuck Norcutt
On 3/25/2013 1:20 PM, Piers Hemy wrote:
> Who? Me??
>
> You have had some great suggestions so far, Bob - Lochinver, Sand, Raasay,
> Campbeltown, Skye, Islay are all worthy of attention, and all on the west
> coast. Huntly, Peterhead and thereabouts, while not on the west coast, are
> also well worth considering (and I can vouch for your cousin-in-law's whisky
> business, I remember a very pleasant afternoon there!) (but there is no 'e'
> in Scotch whisky).
>
> But logistics are also well worth considering - how many weeks will you
> have? The most important single hint I can offer is that, because of the
> geography, it is not feasible to explore much of the west coast by driving
> along it - there are simply too many (very large) inlets. If you want to see
> Lochinver, Sand, Raasay, Skye, Islay and points between, you will almost
> certainly find yourself based in or around Inverness. Which is on the
> Eastern side! Inverness is not called "the hub of the highlands" by chance.
>
> I will assume that you can decide for yourself whether the cultural and
> commercial attractions of Edinburgh and Glasgow are worth a look, how much
> time to spend there. The issue is the scenic and historic bits elsewhere,
> and how to get to them. Inverness is about four hours from Edinburgh (by
> rail or road), and from Inverness you could get to any of Peterhead, Huntly,
> Lochinver, Sand, Raasay and Skye in a day - you could even get there and
> back, but without stopping for long. I hope that helps to orient you when
> you look at a map, as you might otherwise jump to the wrong conclusions
> based on straight-line distances. I think that speaks of one week being an
> absolute minimum if you want to see anything much up here. But having said
> that, almost anywhere up here *is* worth the trip, and if a week is all you
> have, I can make some specific recommendations should you need them. I
> suspect that with what you have already received, you won't ;-)
>
> Another issue is how to get here - there are international airports in
> Scotland at Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as Aberdeen, all with direct
> flights from Heathrow, and Inverness with flights from Gatwick. If you want
> to make the most of the time available, fly as far north as you can.
> Aberdeen has the widest choice of flights, and would allow you to take in
> Huntly and Peterhead on the way out to the west coast. If you can fly in
> direct from US, you will save 2-3 days 'wasted' in London.
>
> Visitscotland.com claims that you have the following direct flight choices:
> New York to Edinburgh and Glasgow by United
> Philadelphia to Glasgow by United and US Airways
> Toronto to Glasgow by Air Transat, Canadian Affair
> Toronto to Edinburgh by Air Canada Rouge (from July 2013)
>
> Amsterdam is also a hub to use to get to Aberdeen or Inverness.
>
> I wouldn't say there is much to choose between May and September as regards
> weather, daylight or midges, I think it's safe to assume the weather cannot
> be depended upon, but the midges can - although location can be a
> significant determinant of the latter, and where we are - the midges aren't
> (and there is cause:effect at play there). Assume that the west coast will
> be blighted, the east coast not. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_midge
> has a couple of useful links (but it's too soon in the year for them to be
> live) but remember that it's just a nuisance. I assume I don't need to tell
> you about the tick, which can be very much more serious
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease#United_Kingdom
>
> Please feel free to ask for more specific stuff (offlist?) as plans develop.
>
> Oh and the most important of all - great news about Ben!
>
> Piers
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bob Whitmire [mailto:bwhitmire@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: 24 March 2013 15:51
> To: Olympus Camera Discussion
> Subject: Re: [OM] (OT) The Road Ahead
>
> Thanks, Chris,
>
> Already two place names. This is working. <g>
>
> Waiting for Piers to weigh in.
>
> --Bob
>
>
> On Mar 24, 2013, at 7:36 AM, Chris Barker wrote:
>
>> Sounds good, Bob. I'm ready for a meet . . .
>>
>> But I would plan a base in Scotland, somewhere picturesque is not always
> that accessible, but it is fun driving around those roads. We stayed in a
> cabin on the edge of Lochinver a few years ago: we had one day of very high
> winds (so we climbed the side of a mountain in 60kts!) and 10 days of great
> weather.
>>
>> Check the midge season, though. Ask Piers if May is midge-free.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> On 23 Mar 2013, at 19:21, Bob Whitmire <bwhitmire@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> We're also thinking between just riding around and staying somewhere
> different every night, or using the list to help us find two strategically
> located holiday rentals to act as headquarters from which to venture forth
> on day trips. The whole island thing is very appealing, too.
>>>
>>> So, oh you of vast knowledge, is this enough information to elicit
> advice, hints and suggestions? I should add that my cousin-in-law, who is
> like a sister to my daughter-in-law, is married to a Scotsman, and they have
> a whiskey business in Huntly. ( http://www.singlemaltsdirect.com ) It is
> remotely possible that we may be able to spend some or all of our time
> there, thus resulting in massive savings. An iffy proposition at best, but
> not outside the realm of possibility. They spend most of their time in Los
> Angeles, and so could be a perfect thing. (Also, I noticed on a map that
> Huntly is not far from Peterhead, and I must say that Peterhead quickly
> became a MUST VISIT on The Trip. One must have a photograph of one's self
> standing beside the sign that says "Welcome to Peterhead".)
>>>
>>> Of course, meetings with list members would be high on my list as well.
> Should we consider a gathering, with attendees throwing in to rent some
> awesome location in the Highlands for a few days, with wives, SOs and other
> companions included? Good weather: hike around, take pictures, drink, swap
> lies. Bad weather: sit around, drink, swap lies.
>
--
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