World Pipe Band Championships

The highlight of Glasgow was the 2014 World Pipe Championships held on the Glasgow Green, a large and beautiful park in the heart of Glasgow. Even for a lifelong Seattleite, the rain was really, really heavy, and the ground was really, really muddy. However, it did not seem to "dampen" anyone's spirits! The atmosphere was jubilant and electric. All ages were well represented, and other than the many umbrellas and raincoats in evidence, no one seemed to care about the rain. At lunch time, people politely stood in line in the rain for ages, then huddled under awnings to eat their steaming fish 'n chips and hot out of the oven meat pies. For me, it was a little bit of heaven to be there surrounded by the sounds of the bagpipes and the sight of so many tartans. Here are two short videos that tell the story.

 

On to the Big City - Glasgow!

We turned in the car in Kyle of Lochalsh and boarded an early train bound for Glasgow by way of Inverness. From the road, the station is non-descript and looks very small. But upon arriving, we found the building housed a museum and gift shop. It was quaint and rich with history, having been established in 1897--read more about the Kyle Railway here. I'll never forget the friendliness of every person I met that morning. From the personnel opening up the station, to the ticket agent and the gift shop clerk, each one was friendly, helpful and genuine. This was true throughout Scotland, without exception, but for some reason, the warmth and graciousness in the early morning at this tiny little station, came to symbolize the wonderful people of Scotland to me.

It took the better part of a day to make our way to Glasgow. Here's a short video clip of the journey.

When we arrived, it was a bit of a shock to be in a big bustling city. We stayed at Hotel Indigo on Waterloo Street, close to Central Station. As with all of the train stations in the UK, this one was photogenic! We found Hotel Indigo to be quite glitzy and a fun change of pace.

Central Station in Glasgow

Inside Central Station (above and below)

Taxis Everywhere

Hotel Indigo