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Scottish Skeins & Skerries
Tour, 2004 May 21st to June 6th, 2004 with Joyce James, CTC
Read a report from a previous participant on this
trip.
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New Tours for Scheduled 2005 |
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| Join us for our eighth memorable trip through the scenic beauty and historic charm of Scotland. |
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Highlights of the 2004 Scotland Tour
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Day
1: Friday, 21 May Departure from Canada and United States for flights to Britain.
Day 2: Saturday, 22 May
Arrival in Scotland where we will be met by our private coach and taken to our
hotel in Edinburgh. The afternoon will allow time for a rest or an
initial exploration of this scenic, historic city.
Before evening dinner, we will meet for an informal reception, your opportunity to meet fellow tour members and to learn about our plans for a memorable visit to Scotland. British Heritage Passes and maps of Edinburgh will be distributed at this time.
Calum Macnee of Rabbie’s Tours will join us to give advice and details about options for your free day in Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Calum’s cordial presence at our reception has become something of a ‘tradition,’ and he will be pleased to answer your questions about Scottish history, daily life and geography of the area.
Day 3: Sunday, 23 May
Free day. A chance to explore Edinburgh on your own or to join a tour. Your
tour escort will be available if you would like company on your walk in the
city. In past years, Calum has taken those who are interested to gardens,
castles and general touring, especially designed for the interests of our group.
Day 4: Monday, 24 May
After
breakfast at the hotel we fly on Scotland’s national airline, Loganair, to the
Shetland Islands, landing at Sumburgh Airport at the southern tip of the
mainland.
En route to our hotel in Lerwick, Shetland’s capital, we will stop for lunch at a small restaurant overlooking St. Ninian’s Isle, where a collection of Pictish silver was discovered by a local schoolboy in the 1950’s.
After checking into our hotel in Lerwick, we will visit the shop of Jamieson & Smith (the Shetland Wool Brokers), located next to the hotel. Oliver Henry, known as ‘the wool man’ will give us an introduction to the fleece of the Shetland sheep breeds, and the friendly, knowledgeable staff will be ready to help you to select yarn for our group project.
Day 5: Tuesday, 25 May
Your morning will be free. No doubt you will wish to explore the pleasant
shopping area of Lerwick, with its numerous small shops, well-stocked bookstore
and outstanding museum.
After lunch in town (where there are many restaurants to choose from) our coach will be waiting to take us to the western part of the mainland and a visit to Sandness, home of Jamieson’s Spinning Mill. There will be time for a tour of the mill and an ideal chance to choose from their extensive line of knitting yarns and woven yard goods.
Day
6: Wednesday, 26 May
This morning we will first visit the Crofthouse Museum, where people made
their home until the late 1950’s. The next popular stop is the studio of
Wilma Malcolmson, acknowledged as one of the best sources of machine and
hand knitted garments in Shetland. Wilma’s choice of colours is unparalleled.
Before lunch we will visit the home of basket maker, Jimmy Work. Mr.
Work’s talents are widely recognized and he has promised to have a supply of his
baskets on hand for purchase. His unique knitting baskets are in high demand.
Lunch
today will be at Da Haaf Restaurant in the Shetland Fisheries College
in nearby Scalloway, the first capital of Shetland.
In the afternoon, we will visit the Scalloway Museum and its special ‘Shetland Bus’ exhibition. Local knitters will have items for sale in the small museum shop.
On our way back to the hotel, we will stop at the farm of Andrew Nicholson to see his award-winning sheepdogs at work. Andrew has represented Scotland at international competitions.
After dinner, you may wish to visit Isleburgh House for an evening of crafts and traditional live fiddle music.
Fair Isle: As an option today, take the short flight to Fair Isle, depending on weather and availability of seats. Lunch will be arranged at the Fair Isle Observatory and a walk with a local ranger. In addition, you will be able to visit the small museum of knitting.
Day 7: Thursday, 27 May
Another free morning to explore Lerwick.
At 2:00 p.m. an optional bird cruise with Shetland Wildlife Tours is available. The cruise visits the Noss National Nature Reserve with its cliffs, caves and seal colonies. This is an ideal opportunity to see the many bird colonies and is accompanied by noted ornithologist, Dr. Jonathon Wills. Jonathon’s new boat, Dunter III, has an underwater TV camera. The cost is approximately ₤30.00 per person.
Day 8: Friday, 28 May
Today’s activities have been a highlight on previous tours!
This
morning we will visit Weisdale Mill, home of the Shetland Guild of
Spinners, Weavers & Dyers for a private viewing of their current exhibition
(title to be announced later) and an opportunity to view their extensive
collection of Shetland knitting--both lace and traditional Fair Isle.
After lunch we will meet with members of the Guild for tea and a demonstration of their traditional knitting techniques. They will bring along several spinning wheels and their knitting belts, and will also show us how to ‘dress’ a shawl.
Before returning to the hotel, we will visit the workshop of Shetland Jewellery to see their distinctive silver and gold jewellery, based on traditional Shetland and Nordic designs.
Fair Isle: Another chance to visit the island of Fair Isle. Please see Day 6 for details.
Day 9: Saturday, 29 May
Morning at leisure for last-minute shopping or sightseeing.
Before the short flight to Orkney, we will visit the archaeological site of Jarlshof plus Sumburgh Head and a chance to see the puffins and other seabirds which nest there.
After dinner at our hotel in Kirkwall, your tour escort will present an overview of the various islands and their individual sites of interest.
Day 10: Sunday, 30 May
This
is your free day on Orkney--there are many choices available and you will
have no problem filling your day. Ferries operate to several Orcadian islands
with their distinctive attractions. Some initial suggestions:
Shapinsay - The residents of Balfour Castle offer a tour of the gardens
and a meal in the castle. The island is small and there are many sites of
interest which you can easily see by walking;
Sanday - the largest of the islands in the North Isles chain, with many
sweeping beaches and bays and archaeological sites. There is much to see and do
on Sanday-- you may want to take a ride on the Sanday Light Railway,
Britain’s most northerly passenger-carrying miniature railway; visit the
Orkney Angora Craft Shop, which sells items made from the angora rabbits on
their farm; stop for tea at the Bressigarth Tea Room before catching the
ferry for the return journey to Kirkwall.
Westray - the route from Kirkwall follows the old Viking sea route, and
the Orkneyinga Sagas (tales of the Viking occupation of Orkney) paint a
picture of Westray during the early 12th century. Ruins of buildings
erected hundreds of years ago give one an idea of the rich history of the area,
plus the Heritage Centre, and walks to see the many wildflowers and sites of
interest for birdwatchers.
If
you prefer to stay on the mainland: visit the shops in Kirkwall; the
stunning St. Magnus Cathedral, founded in 1137; Tankerness Museum;
the informative tourist office. In past years there has been an exhibition and
sale of Orkney crafts.
Another suggestion is to visit nearby Stromness (available by public bus or rental car) the historic port and former port of call for the Hudson Bay Company ships during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Day 11: Monday, 31 May
Today is a Bank Holiday and some venues on the mainland may be closed, however
our Scottish Blue Badge guide will take us on a memorable day tour,
starting with the archaeological sites of Skara Brae, a Stone Age village
dating from 3,000 B.C., and Maes Howe, reputed to be the finest chambered
tomb in western Europe and built before 2700 B.C. We will also visit the harbour
at Scapa Flow, the Churchill Barriers and the Italian Chapel,
and our guide will give us the historical perspective of these important sites.
Craftspeople have not been forgotten, and we will stop at a craft
cooperative in the tiny village of St Margaret’s Hope. Before returning
to our hotel, we will visit Corrigall Farm, a 19th Century farm with peat
fires and even some North Ronaldsay sheep.
| Day 12: Tuesday, 01 June We will have an early breakfast at our hotel before leaving for Inverness, scenic capital of the Highlands. There will be time there for a visit to Hector Russell’s kilt making shop. In addition to an amusing informative presentation of the history of Scotland’s traditional garment and a chance to see kilts being made by hand, the shop carries an extensive line of clothing. Leakey’s, also in central Inverness, is an interesting second-hand bookstore in Greyfriar’s Hall on Church Street. (Members of previous tours found some old knitting books here.) Before our flight in the late afternoon to the Hebrides, our coach will take us to Johnstons of Elgin, to see the many steps in producing luxurious cashmere. Our route travels through the gentle countryside, along the Moray Firth. The forty-minute flight from Inverness takes us to Stornoway and our hotel, on the Isle of Lewis. Ceud Mile Failte….Hundred Thousand Welcomes! to the Outer Hebrides, also called the Western Isles, with its distinctive culture and landscape. Most of the residents are bilingual in Gaelic and English, and signs are frequently only in Gaelic. There is a wide variety of wildlife, picturesque beaches and wonderful scenery, archaeological sites, and of course, the talented hard-working people. |
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Day 13: Wednesday, 02 June
Scheduled for today is a coach trip to the Isle of Harris, actually not a
separate island but connected to Lewis by a narrow peninsula. Joan Morrison, a
very popular guide on the 2002 tour, will accompany us and will enrich our
travels, providing an interesting commentary of the Hebrides with their strong
Gaelic traditions.
Visits we will make:
Weaving shed of Katie Campbell, traditional Harris tweed weaver. Katie
will give us a demonstration, and you can purchase lengths of her woven goods
and yarn;
Margaret MacKay, of Soay Studio, in Tarbert. Margaret will show us her
dye pots and explain the mysteries of the local plants she uses to produce the
remarkable range of colours in her yarns;
Chris and Bill Lawson at the visitor centre called Seallam!, home of the
exhibition, Co Leis Thus? Gaelic for Who Do you Belong To?--a common phrase in
the Hebrides. The Lawsons are welcoming and informative hosts, and have written
books about the genealogy and history of the Hebrides;
Day
14: Thursday, 03 June
This is our day to explore Lewis and Joan Morrison will rejoin us to enhance
our travels on Lewis:
-most northerly point of the Hebrides, the Butt of Lewis, and an
opportunity for stunning photos;
- Callanais Standing Stones, a prehistoric site of lunar significance,
older than Stonehenge, and the most visited site in the Western Isles;
- Borgh Pottery (pronounced Borve) and its selection of quality items
made by local craftspeople;
- Morven Gallery which features paintings by local artists and a
selection of Alice Starmore’s sweaters and designs;
- Blackhouse Museum. A traditional Lewis thatched house;
- Studio of weaver Donald John MacKay, designer of the Isle of Skye
tartan.
Day 15: Friday, 04 June
Before taking our flight to Glasgow, there will be time in the morning for a
relaxed visit in Stornoway--perhaps stop at the civic art centre for
lunch, or just enjoy the view over Broad Bay.
Day 16: Saturday, 05 June
Today is your free day in Glasgow. Our hotel is centrally located, making
it very convenient to visit the many sights of this exciting city. Its
architecture is among the finest in Europe and in 1999, the city was designated
UK City of Architecture and Design. You will no doubt wish to visit the
outstanding collections of the Burrell Collection and the home of
Charles Rennie Macintosh, Scotland’s renowned architect.
Day 17: Sunday, 06 June
After breakfast at the hotel, our coach will take us to Glasgow International
Airport for our return flight to Toronto and connecting flights to our home
cities.
( go to top )
photo credits: Joyce James, Shetland Museum, Scottish Tourism Board, Shetland Islands Tourism
J
o y c e J
a m e s T o u r s
Email:
knitting@joycejamestours.com
Tel: 613-299-7505
www.joycejamestours.com