Scotland
Jeez, I love the place! Just back from the annual pilgrimage to the fest/west coast. Short trip this year, but still fitted in a bunch of comedy shows and a fine dose of street theatre in Edinburgh, a stay in Glengarry which included a trip over to Skye, and lunch with the absolutely fabulous Ms Donna Moore in Glasgow on the way home. (Thanks, Doll!)
Common themes at the fest's comedy gigs this year were: how miserable the Scots are (not true); how grasping Heather Mills is (um...), how mean Aberdonians are (a mixed bunch, in my experience), and how Glasgow might be the only place in the world where a burning man could get punched in the head by a man who was subsequently hailed as a hero, at a time when the natives were more interested in actually just getting away to Benidorm on their hols than indulging on the war on terror!
It has occurred to me to ponder that if it were possible to encapsulate the effects of the various areas of Scotland in pill form, it would very likely be possible to either cure or cause most states of existence.
Edinburgh, in festival mood, is the ultimate feelgood formula - Es are good. Very good indeed. And it don't slide too much post-fest, to be honest. Go any time you get the chance. Have dinner at Mamma's on the Grassmarket at least once while you're there. And check out Rose Street, George Street, and the Oxford Bar. And Coda, on Bank Street. Fopp ain't there now (don't get me started) but for music lovers, Coda is pretty cool.
West coast is the chill-out zone - provided you don't veer up the wrong side of Loch Ness, that is. (That would be the side with Drumnadrochit - easily recognised because it's the side of the loch that flashes on and off.) Other than that - Foyers, Plockton, even little old interbred Skye - it's heaven. Plockton turned out to be where Hamish Macbeth was filmed, the lovely Eilean Donnan castle was used in the early sequences of Highlander. But don't let that put you off. They're stunning. And Inverness has a cracking second hand book store, Leakey's on Church Street. Mint!
Aberdeen would be the 'going round in circles' experience; it has the one way system from Hell. I've never been there yet without getting stuck - I feel like Alice through the bloody looking glass.
Then there's Glasgow. I'm not sure how to categorise it. The first time I went, five or six years ago now, I was struck by the fact that there were more Big Issue sellers than pipers on Sauchiehall Street. I haven't spent anywhere near as much time there as I'd like to. I haven't had so much as a sniff of the Rennie Mackintosh House, for example, although I have delved into the Lighthouse (met Robbie Coltrane in the lift) and the Tenement House. I've also dropped my room keys down a drain (guesthouse near Ibrox, when I should have been going to Celtic Park anyway) and seen Billy Connolly at the SECC.
But what it all boils down to, I guess, is that I head there whenever I get the chance. And if you have the chance, or if you're debating whether it's worth the bother - go. You won't regret it. And if you don't like the weather - stick around for ten minutes or so.
Common themes at the fest's comedy gigs this year were: how miserable the Scots are (not true); how grasping Heather Mills is (um...), how mean Aberdonians are (a mixed bunch, in my experience), and how Glasgow might be the only place in the world where a burning man could get punched in the head by a man who was subsequently hailed as a hero, at a time when the natives were more interested in actually just getting away to Benidorm on their hols than indulging on the war on terror!
It has occurred to me to ponder that if it were possible to encapsulate the effects of the various areas of Scotland in pill form, it would very likely be possible to either cure or cause most states of existence.
Edinburgh, in festival mood, is the ultimate feelgood formula - Es are good. Very good indeed. And it don't slide too much post-fest, to be honest. Go any time you get the chance. Have dinner at Mamma's on the Grassmarket at least once while you're there. And check out Rose Street, George Street, and the Oxford Bar. And Coda, on Bank Street. Fopp ain't there now (don't get me started) but for music lovers, Coda is pretty cool.
West coast is the chill-out zone - provided you don't veer up the wrong side of Loch Ness, that is. (That would be the side with Drumnadrochit - easily recognised because it's the side of the loch that flashes on and off.) Other than that - Foyers, Plockton, even little old interbred Skye - it's heaven. Plockton turned out to be where Hamish Macbeth was filmed, the lovely Eilean Donnan castle was used in the early sequences of Highlander. But don't let that put you off. They're stunning. And Inverness has a cracking second hand book store, Leakey's on Church Street. Mint!
Aberdeen would be the 'going round in circles' experience; it has the one way system from Hell. I've never been there yet without getting stuck - I feel like Alice through the bloody looking glass.
Then there's Glasgow. I'm not sure how to categorise it. The first time I went, five or six years ago now, I was struck by the fact that there were more Big Issue sellers than pipers on Sauchiehall Street. I haven't spent anywhere near as much time there as I'd like to. I haven't had so much as a sniff of the Rennie Mackintosh House, for example, although I have delved into the Lighthouse (met Robbie Coltrane in the lift) and the Tenement House. I've also dropped my room keys down a drain (guesthouse near Ibrox, when I should have been going to Celtic Park anyway) and seen Billy Connolly at the SECC.
But what it all boils down to, I guess, is that I head there whenever I get the chance. And if you have the chance, or if you're debating whether it's worth the bother - go. You won't regret it. And if you don't like the weather - stick around for ten minutes or so.
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6 Comments
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Comment by Julie Lewthwaite on August 22, 2007 at 10:31pm - Oooh, that sounds wonderful! Yes, please!
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Comment by Donna Moore on August 22, 2007 at 10:26pm
- Brilliant. I won't see the e-mail until I get home as we are banned from webmail! Do you fancy homemade cheesecake for when we get home on Friday night?
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Comment by Julie Lewthwaite on August 22, 2007 at 10:18pm
- Lunchtime-ish, I should think, and I'd love to stay at Casa Donna - thanks, honey. Am braced for a severe attack of bathroom envy. Can't wait to see it! Have emailed...
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- Excellent! You're staying at Bijou Casa Donna with its brand spanking new bathroom I hope? When will you arrive?
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Comment by Julie Lewthwaite on August 22, 2007 at 9:03pm
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Billy's the business - gotta love him! But are you sure it wasn't you who kicked that bloke in the nuts? Not just avoiding publicity, are you? Just something your mam said, coupled with your own admission about being a superhero...
And yup, I'm coming back up north on Friday. Looking forward to it - should be a lark!
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It was lovely to see you too dollface.
As Billy Connolly said about the terrorist attack, and the have-a-go hero "Good old Glasgow. If I had to pick a city in the world where I could depend on one of the locals to kick a man who was on fire, it would always be Glasgow. That really had to hurt - 90% burns and sore bollocks..." :o)
I'm with you on FOPP. I miss it loads.
See you Friday for Ray's do I hope!
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