The Isle of Lewis. The Isle of Lewis and the Isle of Harris are acually just different parts of the same island.

Stornoway, the capitol of Lewis and Harris.

Stornoway harbour.

Many people on Lewis still speak Scottish Gaelic daily.

I'm acually trying to learn Gaelic and I think this says something about going home because the music is playing, something like that.

The local wildlife in busy downtown Stornoway.

A fine example of the fine art of Harris Tweed.

This is the Butt of Lewis lighthouse. Nothing funny about the name.

Around the Butt.

Wild ocean waves.

Natural beauty.

A day at the beach.

Really nice.

Very good.

The sands of time.

I am so photogenic.

A true Scottish delicacy. The most popular soft drink in Scotland.

In a weavers workshop. Where Harris tweed is made

The weaver himself.

Somewhere over the...

No pot of gold, sadly.

I acually saw lots of rainbows on this trip.

Thinking deep thoughts.

A piece of Lewis rock.

The beach is leaking.

Beach formation.

Beach water tunnel.

Callanish stone circle.

This is the biggest of over twenty stone circles on the island.

Very mystical.

The circle dates from the Neolithic era.

Awesome.

Druids not included.

It's amazing that you can reach out and touch the stones.

Rock on.

Rock but no roll.

Feel the magic.

Stone cold.

Original plan of the Callanish circle.

Orkney, off the northern coast of Scotland. More viking than celtic.

The cool thing about Orkney is that on the way to Skara Brae you randonly pass a 5,000 year old chambered tomb and an ancient stone circle.

Modern evidence of the Scandinavian influence on Orkney.

Runes at the Kirkwall airport.

Even their cheese has whisky in it.

Kirkwall's, the only real settlement on Orkney, city hall. Groundskeeper Willy from the Simpsons is from Kirkwall.

Norse inspired art advertising the most northerly Scottish whisky distillery.

The old castle in Kirkwall.

Kirkwall harbour.

St. Magnus Cathedral,Kirkwall.

Inside St. Magnus.

View from the front of the cathedral.

Medieval tower in Kirwall.

Outside the museum in Kirkwall.

Pictish stones. The picts lived in Scotland before the Gaels arrived.

Bog butter. Butter stored in a bog. Delicious.

An example of Norse runes.

Some Norse artifacts in the museum.

Skara Brae. An ice age village that was 1000 years old when the pyramids were built.

More Skara Brae.

My airbnb on Orkney.

Like stepping back in time.

It was amazing to be there.

The really old homestead.

Amazing.

Really cool. Yet another place in Scotland where words fail to describe.

Really you should consider visiting Orkney if you are going to Scotland.

Reconstruction of what the houses would have looked like. They had a bed, a fireplace and a ancient version of a chest of drawers. Humans have always been humans I guess.

While I was there, I was visited by the monster of Orkney aka a rabbit.

Map of Scotland's central belt. This is where most Scottish people live.

This is a notice about social distancing on a Scottish train. It does look like two people about to fight. How very Scottish.

Stirling Castle go boom.

Stirling Castle view.

The 'new' chapel in the castle.

Scottish Royal coat of arms.

The front gate of Stirling Castle.

The banqueting hall where the Kings of Scotland held court.

A very handsome stranger in a Tudor men's bonnet.

Overlooking the town of Stirling.

Stirling Castle, complete with court musicians.

The Unicorn is the national animal of Scotland. This is the market cross in Stirling where the old marketplace was held. Many towns and cities in Scotland have a market cross.

Another unicorn in the Castle itself.

A view of the William Wallace monument from Stirling Castle.

The sorry state of Scottish football.

Statue of Robert the Bruce at the battlefield of Bannockburn.

Another view of Robert the Bruce.

The battlefield of Bannockburn.

Another view of the battlefield.

Scottish flag flying at Bannockburn.

In case you didn't know where you were.

Supposedly the spot where King Robert raised his standard flag before the battle.

What it was all about. Stirling Castle as seen from the battlefield.

George Square, Glasgow. Glasgow is very underrated as a tourist destination.

Putting a traffic cone on the head of the Duke of Wellington is a Glasgow tradition. The city keeps trying to stop whoever does it, they always find a way to 'crown' him again.

Mural to the great Glasgow comedian, Billy Connolly.

Bridge over the rainy River Clyde.

Another rainy picture. This is part of Glasgow Central Station. When there was large scale forced immigration from the Highlands to the south they would meet underneath this. It was nicknamed "The Highlandman's umbrella."

Rainy Art Deco.

Pretty cool fountain in Glasgow.

Rainy George Square that I thought looked like modern art.

This is the Tollbooth Steeple. It is all that remains of Glasgow's main merchant district dating back to the 14th century.

Mural of a modern version of Glasgow's patron saint, St. Mungo. It's based on a story of him bringing his teacher's dead bird back to life

You would never know that this lamp was in Ireland.

The Oconnell Bridge over the River Liffey.

Still no pot of gold.

St. Stephens Green.

This was supposed to be a picture of the Oscar Wilde statue but the bus I was on moved too quickly.

The famous Temple Bar pub. Famous for being touristy, overcrowded, and expensive

The famous statue of Dublin legend, Molly Malone. Guess what part tourists traditionaly rub for luck? I didn't.

The pub where I had the required pint of Guinness everyone has to have in Ireland.

The band in a Dublin pub while I had my Guinness.

It's true what they say, Guinness tastes better in Ireland. It's how they pour it.

The General Post Office where in 1916 Irish nationalists declared independence from Britain.

Memorial garden to all those who died for Irish independence.

The library of Trinity College Dublin. Home of the famous 9th century Book of Kells.

One of the Irish declarations of independence from Britain issued in 1916.

Ancient harp supposed to have belonged to 11th century King Brian Boru.It is not that old but it is 14th century, so not bad.

I would have loved to spend some time reading some of these books.

Even more books.

Whats up top I wonder?

The Trinity College campus.

The very modern Samual Beckett bridge.

The very traditional Ha'penny bridge.

The oldest bridge in Dublin. I think. To be honest I've forgotten.

Dublin harbour.

R2D2 is living in Dublin it seems.

The Irish language is still in use in many parts of Ireland.

Thank goodness it's Guinness.

You have to go here while in Dublin. It's the law.

The scale of the Guinness factory is amazing.

Somewhere over the rainbow.

My last view of Dublin before I flew home.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig.