Grand Finale (still hoping for a few photos from the team....)

Our last day! Hard to believe it has been a MONTH! We began today with a breakfast at the Victoria Hotel and headed to the newly completed hospital in Kirkcaldy, where we were given a tour of the new biomass energy facility. A bit of a vocational day for the engineers in the group and just general interest to me and Ben. Emily begged off with my blessing. The redundancy in the engineering, especially because this was a life sustaining facility, was amazing to me.
We returned to the Busby's home for a lunch and some final packing and were driven to the airport hotel. We had a brief break and rejoined as a group to head off to Edinburgh for our last evening together. We ate at the Dusit restaurant (thanks, Jay, for the suggestion), and then hopped into several pubs, including the Bon Vivant and Jekyll & Hyde. A good time was had by all.
I hate long and sad farewells, so, we said our quick goodbyes and headed off to bed. Each of us had a different departure in the morning and our focus was on "moving on". Home for some (Casey and Emily), Scotland's famous golf courses for Jim, friends homes in Europe for Ben and, for me, the arrival of my wife, Kay, so we could begin our 2 weeks in France!
Bon Voyage to all and my warmest THANKS to all involved in our very successful Group Study Exchange!
Bob McClenathan

Nearing the end (a late post)

So, it has been a few days since my last blog. In fact, the GSE has concluded. Nevertheless, I have decidedd to complete the blog with a couple of more notes. This note has to do with Thursday, our second to last day. We began with our presentation tot he Kirkcaldy Raith Rotary Club. They were very attentive and supportive of our talk and they seemed to enjoy it. Upon completion, I suspect there was a collective sigh from the team as we ahd just wrapped up our obligatory schedule of talks. I know I was relieved!
We need to express a group "Thank You" to Jarlath and Dawn Busby, who generously opened their home to our GSE team during their own vacation. They allowed our team to be together for our last couple of nights and it was "quality time" as far as I was concerned.
My own "vocational day" was cancelled due to inclement weather. It allowed me to read, and to pack and reorganize my gear (and, truth be told, I had no interest in venturing out into the cold rain).
We had a very nice evening at Jo's, with Alex, Robert, Tracy, Jay, and Norma. Thank you guys for your hospitality!

Blair Castle and transfer day

On Wednesday, we went to Blair Castle. This huge white castle is open to the ppublic and we were able to walk through and admire the ancient armor, the many weapons (like swords, pole arms, firearms, and cannons), the fine china, antiques, and the paintings of the various Dukes of Atholl through the years. It was a grand place and bespoke of the vast wealth of the family in days long past. On the grounds, we saw some red deer, both hinds and a stag.
We returned to Pitlochry for lunch and a bit of shopping before our transfer to Kirkcaldy Raith. Our new hosts met us for dinner at a local hotel and the food was fantastic. We have also been granted the opportunity to stay in the same house as a group, a very welcome chance at this point of the trip. We are grateful to Jarlath and Dawn Busby for their generosity and trust.

Last full day in Pitlochry

This report is for Tuesday. We had some free time with our individual hosts. Mine took me to the local hydroelectric dam, where we watched the salmon jumping and saw the fish ladder. I also went to Robertson's, a store where I purchased some fine amber liquids to savor at home.
We rejoined and, as a group, gave our presentation to the joint clubs of Pitlochry and Aberfeldy. I think it went very well again. Everyone has given us great accolades regarding our presentation.
In the afternoon, we were given a tour of the Edradour distillery, the smallest in Scotland. Our kindly, but, feisty tourguide let us see many casks of whisky, let us taste a couple of them, and described the whole process to us again. She pointed out that the water for this distillery is the best in Scotland. That is true at each of the distilleries, I think.
Dinner was light finger food with our hosts. Just so everyone knows, if you have a TON of "light finger food" it is NOT a light meal. We washed it all down with various tasty beverages. We really had a nice time and I want to say "Thank You" to our hosts, Graham and Wendy Huggins (I really hope I got that right! because they really got the party right). Anorher special thanks is in order to Emily's host Jenni Moncrieff and her husband, who own McNaughton's, a fine shop in Pitlochry. They brought many pieces of authentic apparel, as did a couple of other hosts, to allow the GSE team to wear an ensemble of kilts and accessories (like the sporran and jacket and socks with flash). I gotta say, we looked HOT! I am sure no one will post those pictures on the blog (hint, hint).

Vocational day in Pitlochry

Great job describing yesterday's activities, Ben. Thanks. I won't add anything there (although I added the fact that we had PIZZA for the first time in a long time!).
Today, I am reporting the activities for our vocational day here. As I have described, my vocational days are more sightseeing or golfing or whatever. My hosts, Bill and Barbara Bright, took me to Loch Tay to see the reconstructed Crannog. This structure, which can be entered and examined by visitors, is built on stilts on the loch. There is a nearby underwater archaeological excavation in which they are uncovering bits and pieces of this type of structure, thought to be 2000 years old or more. The reconstructed crannog includes a mini museum and heritage site where there is a tour and demonstrations of weaving, woodworking and daily living activities contemporary to the time of these stilted dwellings. It was well worth the trip.
Following this visist, we traveled towards "Queen's View" overlook over Loch Tummel. In keeping with the idea of early man's dwellings, we stopped to hike to a 1700's era earthen roofed stone village, where cattle herders watched over their herd. A small community of maybe 4 or 5 huts, these housed a few families up on the slopes above the Loch. After our lunch at the shop near the overlook, we took our scenic photos of the Loch at a time when the clouds lifted enough for us to get a good view. On the way back to town, we stopped at the Garry River Bridge, where some people bungee jump. That is not for me! Cheers!

Aviemore conference and arrival in Pitlochry

Ben Doyle:

We had a very full weekend at the district 1010 conference in Aviemore. Friday evening was an excellent dinner seated among the various Rotarians, followed by an Abba tribute band. On Saturday, two rotarians from the northern Inverness club were gracious enough to drive us up to Loch Ness. Our luck has continued to hold, as the weather was incredibly pleasant during our visit. We took a large ferry across Loch Ness to an island that held Urquhart castle. With sections of the castle dating back to the 12th century, some of it had fallen into ruins, but learning the history and walking around the castle grounds was phenomenal. While we were on the island, a traditional Scottish wedding was beginning, so we also were able to see the wedding procession. After returning to Aviemore, we had a formal dinner and masquerade ball, followed by music from the popular cover band called Waterfront. Also in attendance was our own district governor, Dennis Zubler. Everyone had donned masks for the event, and without spoiling the details, Dennis's mask was quite a hit (pictures to follow).

This morning, the five of us gave our presentation for district 1010. Though now presenting to a much larger audience, our speech was delivered without a hitch and was very well-received. Following a walk into the resort town of Aviemore, we got lunch at a local cafe. Brick oven PIZZA! Afterwards, we met our next hosts and traveled to the small, rural town of Pitlochry. We are all quite excited for the opportunity to see the Royal Marine concert tonight, and then for our various vocational activities tomorrow.

Transfer to Aviemore

Friday was a day of transfer to the District 1010 annual Conference at the mountain resort town of Aviemore. We met at a local cafe in Crieff for a coffee or tea (or hot chocolate for me) and headed to Perth to be met by those "volunteered" to drive us to Aviemore. Lunch was at Bruar, a popular shopping destination, and then on to the hotels. We had a nice evening, scattered about the various tables, sharing tales of our experience so far with the district conference attendees. After dinner, we adjourned for some drinks. All in all, a relaxing day so not much to report. Thanks to "some" of the team for getting their vocational days documented in the blog. Others: it is your turn at bat....