The menu tonight was okay. We both had the beef with black olives. I do not usually choose the beef option, but I was glad I did tonight. It was very tender.
We listened to the first set of the Ocean Bar band and then went to the main stage for tonight’s show – “Silent Magician”. He did his whole magic act with only mime and sound effects. I thought it was a cute show. Chuck was not impressed and left early.
One last set of the Ocean Bar band and the evening was done.
In 2019, when we visited this port, we took a HAL tour to a distillery and to John O’Groats, the northern-most part of Scotland. Today we had no specific plans.
There is very little around the port to see. We took the free shuttle to the nearby town of Thurso. We could have walked the 2 to 3 miles, but the weather was ever-changing, so I was not ready to be caught in pouring rain.
Thurso was a lovely little town. We strolled around the town and over to the shore. Kids were playing in the surf. Brrr.
We admired the cute houses and talked to a resident planting her flowers.
We went to the museum. Quite a collection of Viking artifacts.
We walked the path along the river. People were friendly and one guy let us play with his cute dog.
We spent a couple of hours there and then got back in line for the return shuttle. There had been two shuttles running but one of them must have gone on a lunch break because it took a long time for the shuttle to get back from the ship. We should have walked. However, it was a nice day in town.
Once we got back to the ship, it was low tide, so the gangplank was very steep. They had to let people off the ship one at a time so they could go slowly down the ramp. Then we were allowed to go up and it was like climbing a hill.
We got back for a late lunch and then a lazy afternoon watching the scenery from the balcony. Had to be cold out there paddle boarding. I have to keep reminding myself that it is Summer here.
FLOWERS from THURSO
Travel Trivia
Scrabster/Thurso, Scotland
Situated within walking distance from the port of Scrabster, Thurso is the northernmost town on the British mainland, and the second largest town in the Scottish Highlands.
Scotland Scrabster’s/Thurso’s history stretches back to at least the era of Norse Orcadian rule in Caithness, which ended in 1266.
In 1649, the Irish, led by Donald Macalister Mullach, attacked Thurso and were chased off by the residents, headed by Sir James Sinclair. One of the locals, a servant of Sinclair was said to have killed Mullach by “cutting a button from his master’s coat and firing it from a musket”.
Such is the character of the waves here in Scrabster that surfing is a popular pastime among the locals. Competitions held at Thurso East, one of the beaches in the region, have attracted some of the best surfers in the world.
The ship rocked and rolled last night as we made our way
through the North Sea. I was happy that I slept through most of it. As poor as
the weather was yesterday, it was a beautiful day today – sunny, breezy, and in
the mid-50’s. Our tour today was a Holland America tour called “End of the
Road: The Old Pulteney Distillery and John O’Groats.” I was up at 6:00 and
breakfast was delivered at 7:00. Our tour was to meet in the Showroom at 8:45
with a departure at 9:00. The process went smoothly and we were on the coach
bus a little after 9:00.
We docked at the port of Scrabster which is a harbor, ferry
and fishing port and industrial business center near the town of Thurso in the
far north of Scotland. Technically, we were still in the Highlands but the land
much flatter than yesterday. As we drove toward the town of Wick, we could see
large plots of land with thousands of sheep on them. The farmers have to mark
their flock with a color as the sheep tend to wander away into other herds.
Looks like a blotch of spray paint on them.
James was our driver and Donald was our tour guide. We had a
representative from Holland America along to be sure we didn’t have any issues
on the tour. It wouldn’t be Scotland if we could not see how Scotch Whisky is
made. We were not allowed to take pictures in the facility but they did have a
nice visitor center for pictures. We were divided into 2 groups and Chuck and I
were in the group that would tour first and then have a “wee dram” to taste.
The other group would taste first and then tour. Given the narrow steps and
high places we walked, I was glad we were in the first group.
The distillery was established in 1826 in the name of Sir William Pulteney (who died in 1805). The distillery was the most northerly on the Scottish mainland and was quite inaccessible, except by sea, when established. Barley was brought in by sea, and the whisky was shipped out the same way. Characteristics of the whisky are attributed to exposure to sea air during maturation.
The distillery closed in 1930 due to declining trade after the local parish enforced prohibition laws but re-opened in 1951 when the vote was rescinded after the law was abolished. It is now owned by Inver House Distillers.
We saw the process from the grains used to make the whisky to
the barrels where they age the whisky. The smells and heat from some of the
areas could make you light-headed. I thought it was interesting that they get
some of their used barrels from Kentucky distilleries. They don’t make a lot of
whisky but the ones they make have won national and international awards. Its
21-year-old single malt was named World Whisky of the Year in 2012. I didn’t
even know there was such a competition.
I did not care for their regular whisky but they had a
sweeter version that I liked better. Erin was our tour guide through the plant.
Her husband works there as an assistant manager. They have a small production
staff but it functions with 3 shifts. One of their perks for working there is a
bottle of whisky per month. And I thought having vision insurance was a nice
perk. They tend not to lose employees – the one with the least number of years
had 17 and the one with the most had 35.
We were told that in Scotland “whisky” does not have an “e”
while in Ireland it does have an “e”. This difference in the spelling comes
from the translations of the word from the Scottish and Irish Gaelic forms
(they even pronounce Gaelic differently – Scotland – “Gal-ick”; – Ireland – “Gale-ick”).
Whiskey with the extra ‘e’ is also used when referring to American whiskies.
This ‘e’ was taken to the United States by the Irish immigrants in the 1700s
and has been used ever since.
Erin was a talker and there were lots of questions so the
tour lasted longer than our allotted time. We got back on the bus and our next
stop was “John o’Groats.”
John o’ Groats is a village in the far north of Scotland.
John o’ Groats lies on Great Britain’s northeastern tip and is popular with
tourists as one end of the longest distance between two inhabited British
points on the mainland, with Land’s End in Cornwall lying 876 miles to the
southwest. Our tour guide said many people hike, bike, run, etc. the entire
trail. Our guide did tell us that it is not really the most northerly point
on the island of Britain as that distinction belongs to nearby Dunnet Head but Dunnet Head
is not inhabited.
We got our picture by the obligatory signpost and enjoyed
the unusual sculptures in the area. The big white building in the background of
some of the pictures is The Inn at John o’Groats which was described as the reincarnation
of the iconic former John O’Groats Hotel, originally built in 1875. Also
watched the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea meet in the Pentland Firth – lots of
wave action.
We ate lunch at Sea View hotel there. It was described as a
light lunch which I think of as soup or salad and a sandwich. What we got was a
big plate of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. I was dismayed
because we had scheduled our Pinnacle Grill meal for tonight and I wanted to be
really hungry for it. I ate about half of it. We were seated across from a very
nice Dutch couple who both worked for the Dutch government in Rotterdam. They
only had an hour drive to the port (jealous). I was seated next to Miss Emily,
a very nice lady who is Chuck’s three card poker buddy on this trip. Her husband
was not feeling well so he did not come on the tour.
We made a quick stop at a small Church of Scotland so we could see where the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth (Charles’s Grandmother) attended church when she was visiting Castle Mey, her home when in Scotland. The graveyard also held plots for pirates. They normally were not given a church burial.
Our next stop was the town of Thurso. It was a nice small
village and we were given time to walk around and shop. We wanted to check out
a store called Tesco which had been described to us as the European Wal-mart.
The one we went in was more like a Wal-mart Neighborhood Market as it had
mostly food. All the prices were in Pounds but Chuck said that the prices
seemed good. It was a crowded store so I guess people like it. I understand
that in the larger towns and cities that the Tesco’s are bigger with more of a
variety of items.
On our way back to the ship, Donald gave us a list of Scottish/Gaelic
Expressions that we practiced. Some that I particularly liked –
“Stooshie” – a big disagreement
“Guddle” – a disorganized mess
“Scunnered” – fed up with something
“Slainte Mhath” – good health
“Pure, dead, brilliant” – awesome
We got back to the ship around 4:00 and changed clothes to be ready for our Pinnacle Dinner at 6:30. We went to the Ocean’s Bar first and as we were getting ready to sailaway, we hear bagpipes. I went outside on the deck and watched a bagpipe band and dancers perform for us. They were all children and teens. It was sweet but I felt bad for them as it was cold and windy.
At 6:30, we went to the restaurant. I had the Shrimp Cocktail and the special “filet mignon and lobster ravioli.” I was disappointed that they were not offering the king crab legs. They were not on the menu so I am wondering if they have been discontinued because they got too pricey. My steak and lobster ravioli (two) were good. The Pinnacle is now charging extra for lobster tail. Chuck had the crab cakes and the rib eye. He was disappointed in his steak this time as it was fattier than the rib eye we had last time. He said he should have stayed with the cedar planked halibut. We shared the mushrooms and skipped dessert. The service at the Pinnacle is always very good.
The show tonight was the Chapman Twins – two singers from
England. I was too tired and too full to go to the 9:00 show and Chuck wanted
to go to the Casino so we skipped it.
Got back to the room to find a letter regarding our visit to
Ireland. The ship has to collect the passports of all non-European guests and
they will present the passports to the local immigration officials when we
arrive. We are scheduled to bring our passports to Guest Services tomorrow from
5:00 – 5:20. I sure hate giving up the passports. Glad I have a paper copy.
Tomorrow is another early day. Tonight’s towel animal is a
turkey.
Scrabster Trivia –
Surfing is a popular pastime among the locals.
Competitions held at Thurso East, one of the beaches in the region, have
attracted some of the best surfers in the world.
The town of Wick holds the claim to fame of once being the busiest herring port in Europe in the 19th century.
So many sheepThe Whisky I LikedChuck w/ Miss EmilyQueen Mother’s Special Chair
