Our last full day in Scotland is in the books, and tomorrow we’ll be finishing the second portion of our 20-day adventure in Great Britain and Ireland. It;s trip we’ve always hoped and dreamed we could make one day. We hope you enjoy coming along with us vicariously!

The exploration began with a guided tour.

We began at George Square, named after King George III, which boasted an impressive collection of statues and monuments, including those dedicated to Robert Burns, James Watt, Sir Robert Peel, and Sir Walter Scott.

On to imposing Glasgow Cathedral, a splendid example of 12th century Gothic architecture, dedicated to St. Mungo, the patron saint of the city. Next door was the Glasgow Infirmary, known to have produced many a medical missionary, including David Livingston.

We enjoyed seeing many fine Victorian buildings, made with local red sandstone, and the regenerated area around The Clyde, which is famous for its shipbuilding industry, birthplace of the Queen Mary and countless other ocean liners.

We particularly enjoyed the largest example of a terre cotta fountain known to still exist. Note the statues dedicated to India, Australia, South Africa, and Canada.

We spent the afternoon devoted to a glorious tour of the amazing Stirling Castle. At the Ancestor Center at the Castle, I did find out that the “Larimore” surname is Scottish.

I also learned:

The Ulster Scots migrated to Ireland in large numbers both as a result of the government-sanctioned Plantation of Ulster, a planned process of colonization which took place under the auspices of James VI of Scotland and I of England on land confiscated from members of the Gaelic nobility of Ireland who fled Ulster, and as part of a larger migration or unplanned wave of settlement.

Ulster Scots people emigrated from Ireland in significant numbers to the American colonies, later the United States. Scotch-Irish (or Scots-Irish) is a traditional term for Ulster Scots who emigrated to America.

My family story is that three brothers (James, John, and Hugh Larimore) immigrated from Dublin, Ireland, in 1760 and immigrated through Philadelphia. I’m hoping to learn more in Dublin next week. Beyond that, the castle itself was amazing and its history was incredible (google it, also).

A brief rainy stop at the Battle of Bannockburn Monument (google it), we saw displays about Robert the Bruce’s victory over the English that resulted in him eventually being crowned King of Scotland. Don’t miss the part about Bruce vs. Sir Henry de Bohun.

We bussed back to Glasgow and after a delicious dinner of Sunday Roast (google it also), we went to bed early in preparation for taking a ferry across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland tomorrow.

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