2006: Switzerland, Scotland, and London

Part 2: Scotland and London

Sunday, July 23, 2006  Arrive in Aberdeen, Scotland

I left Zürich this morning, flying to London.  I had hoped to be traveling to northwest England to meet my 2nd cousin, Allie, but she is ill, so  I'm implementing "Plan B".  There has been very little planning in this plan. I'm hoping to see Macduff, Scotland, on the northeast coast. My grandfather was born and raised there, on a small farm. I have photographs of the place and also some picture postcards of Macduff, taken around 1910. Grandpa left Macduff in 1912 at the age of 20, to settle in Calgary, Edmonton.  My grandmother was also from this area, but I have no records or photos of the area.  I do know that she was raised in New Pitsligo and that she enlisted in the army during WWI right here in Aberdeen. 

I arrived at Heathrow Airport, and managed to find my way to the other terminal for flights within the U.K.  Heathrow is a huge, aging airport, and not at all comfortable. I arrived in Aberdeen, Scotland, at sunset, about 10 p.m..  I gather my luggage and look for a cab.  There's a line of cabs, but the first one has no driver, so I just wait. Eventually, the car moves up towards me and the driver hops out.  Oops, I didn't notice him sitting on the right.  He had been waiting for me to come to the car.  Ugly American, needs to be pampered; can't walk 20 steps to the cab. 

The hotel has no room available on Monday or Tuesday night;  they're having some kind of convention, and the clerk tells me that all of the local hotels are full. He says that, if he were me, he would go to my room and grab a  phone book and start calling around for a room for the next 2 days.  But, he's not me.  I was tired and just wanted to go to sleep.  I decided that, if I'm going to be homeless tomorrow, I need some sleep, and I need to  be able to communicate with the rest of the world, so I charged my cell phone, my laptop, and my PDA (it has my complete address book on it).  My camera batteries are already charged.  And I went to bed.

Monday, July 24, 2006   Macduff, Scotland

This morning when I woke up I checked all of my batteries, making sure that they are all fully charged, as I didn't know where I'd be spending tonight, or even if I would have electricity. I grabbed  a phone book, as the night clerk had recommended,  and started calling local hotels for a room for tonight and tomorrow night.  It wasn't looking good, as they truly were all booked.  I noticed that the local phone book listed a couple of hotels in Banff, which is Macduff's next door neighbor.  I looked further and found that there were also 4 listings for Macduff!  I hadn't really considered looking there since it is so small.  I called one number, and they had no vacancy.  By this time, I was actually becoming a little afraid of what the next two nights would bring.  I had a room reserved in London for Wednesday and Thursday nights and I was returning home on Friday night, so tonight and tomorrow are the only issues.  But they're looming pretty large.  After a couple of calls, I hit the jackpot! I found a room in a hotel / restaurant / B&B near  the wharf in Macduff.  I was so excited!  I told the owner that my grandfather was from there and I was so happy to be able to stay there.

The next issue this morning was the logistics of actually getting to Macduff.  I took a cab to the bus station in downtown Aberdeen and arrived a few minutes before the  bus  to Macduff and Inverness arrived.  My timing was good, and the day was looking much brighter.   The bus ride was very pleasant - I was entertained by a young German Shepherd on his first bus ride.  He was having a great time.  On the seat, under the seat, looking out the window, and at neighboring passengers.  I really enjoyed the fact that in Europe, at least in Switzerland and the U.K., dogs are allowed in many more places than they are in the U.S.  My Rusty would have loved this.  I was missing her.

The scenery was mostly rolling green hills, with lots of wild pink penstemons  growing everywhere.  We went through the little village of Turiff, which is the home of some of my ancestors, and that was a bit exciting for me, and then, we came over a hill and as I looked down, I could see the coast with a little fishing village.  I knew I was in Macduff, my grandfather's hometown.  I was so excited that I got off the bus when we hit the main street, near the water.  There was a huge smile on my face;  it wouldn't stop.  Then, I looked for the hotel.  I knew it was on this street, since its name was The Waterfront Hotel.  I soon discovered, after lugging my luggage down the street,  that it was located directly across the street from the bus station.  Wow.  That would have been convenient. I never seem to do things the easy way.

 

I quickly unloaded my stuff and headed outside, camera in hand.   I had copies of 5 postcards with pictures taken here in the early 1900s, and also a wonderful panorama taken from the wharf, looking back at the town.  They were my grandfather's  and I was intent on duplicating the shots, if possible.  The village is really small, and doesn't look as though it has changed much at all since the old photos were taken. The harbor dates back to 1783. The buildings are all made of stone. There are 3 major landmarks:  the lighthouse, a large stone rook overlooking the town, and the little kirche  on the hill.  I also brought a copy of a letter sent to Grandpa many years ago by his favorite cousin, Jeannie, who resided in Macduff all of her life.  The letter described a headstone created in 1871 for Grandpa's grandfather, William Duff Hackett, in memory of 7 of his children who died, I believe, of tuberculosis.  The headstone was said to be located in the graveyard of the Scottish church on the hill.  My cousin, Allie, had also sent me an email with a transcription of the headstone.  

I spent the afternoon exploring and taking photos, and trying to re-take some of Grandpa's photos. I had some luck, but the weather turned gray.  I was able to  check out the pier and shipping yard, the main street, Shore Street.  I  also checked out the church on the hill.  It's closed during the week, so I couldn't go in. That was a huge disappointment.     After that, I called it a day.  

My room at the inn is quite small, unbelievably small, in fact, with a single-size bed.  It does, however, have a bathroom, recently remodeled, which is quite nice.  The view from the window is the church on the hill.  

I had dinner downstairs at the hotel restaurant,  a Scottish dinner, consisting of  an appetizer called cullen skink and a main course of fried haddock.  "Skink" is soup, and cullen skink is a smoked haddock soup.  The skink was ok; the fried haddock was good. The owners are very nice, although the guy's thick Scottish accent is too much for me.  I hardly understand a word he says.  I understand most people, though, so I don't think he's from around here. My grandparents both had lovely accents, probably diluted by their years in Canada and the U.S.  I always loved listening to them, and I still love to hear a good Scottish accent.  

Tuesday, July 25, 2006  Macduff

My breakfast this morning consisted of scrambled eggs with a large slice of smoked salmon.  The salmon was quite overpowering.  The salmon they serve here is caught in the nearby Deveron River. 

Today started out much sunnier than yesterday, so I headed out early and re-traced my steps from yesterday, trying to get some more colorful shots of the waterfront. Then I went out on the jetty, trying to locate the spot  where my Macduff panorama had been shot.  I located the spot, but it appeared that the photographer must have stood on a ladder.  Looking behind me, I saw  some steps built into the sea wall.  I climbed the steps and found the exact spot!   Holding onto a lamp post for balance, I attempted to  reproduce the shot, using multiple shots of the scene, since I don't have a panorama lens.  Later, I merged the 6 shots into a panorama.  It's amazing how little the place has changed over the years.  I'm pretty sure the original panorama was shot in the 1920s or later.  Unfortunately, the original photo has been stored rolled up for years, so I was unable to get a good scan of it, but here it is:  

  

and this one's mine.  Click on either to see enlarged versions of both, plus a B&W version of mine.   

Some months ago I had  used Google Maps to locate my great-grandparent's home at 15 Buchan Street, in Macduff.  The address was not found, and in its place on the map was a golf course, so I did not traipse up the hill to Buchan Street.  I did find the home at 34 Market Street, where Grandpa's cousin, Jeannie, had lived.  My cousin, Allie, also had grown up there.  I knew that the old family home that Grandpa knew at Seaton Croft no longer existed, and I could find no one who knew where it once was.   This was Jeannie's home:

As I walked along the jetty, I realized that Grandpa, and probably his father, and his father, and his father, had each probably played as a boy on this  very spot. Grandpa was a carpenter.  When he first emigrated to Alberta in 1912, at the age of 20, he went to Slave Lake, and was part of a team that built a river boat. Later, he would build houses, entirely by himself, all over San Diego County. Little tiny houses. I had always assumed that he had learned carpentry as a young man in Canada, but now that I know there is a shipyard in Macduff, I imagine he learned the trade as a teenager, growing up in Macduff.  

 

They drive on the wrong side in Scotland, but I'm not driving, so no problem.  Well, not quite.  As  a pedestrian, even though I look both ways, it can be dangerous because I'm looking at the wrong lanes.   It takes a while to get used to.

There is a large old structure looking like a castle turret up on one of the hills overlooking Macduff.  I was curious, so I climbed the trail and was pleased to see that it was a war memorial, dedicated to the men of Macduff who had served in WWI or WWII and lost their lives.  There were no Hacket's there, although I know of 2 uncles who served in, and survived, WWI.  I did find a couple of Chalmers, Grandpa's mother's maiden name.  I took photos so that I would have the names for further research of my family tree.   I have no info on my great grandmother's family, so maybe this will lead to something.  The presence of the WWI monument in my original panarama would indicate that it was shot after WWI.  

After this, I headed down the hill and over to the church.  It's a beautiful location, with the church and the large graveyard on the hill overlooking the towns of Macduff and Banff, the Deveron  River separating them, and Moray Bay.  Today is a beautiful day.  I decided to try to find the family grave marker.  The graveyard is on a hillside, and I went up and down each row, looking at every grave.  Many of them were more than  200 years old.  Some were crumbling, becoming illegible, while others were covered in lichen.  It was a very warm day and it was very tiring going up and down the hill.  And then I saw it!  In the middle of the old cemetery, about 200 feet up from the church. I couldn't believe my luck and that it actually still existed.  And it was still legible.   I had first seen a transcript of the headstone many years ago when my Mom asked me to make copies of it for her.  That was maybe 20 -25 years ago.  I kept a copy for myself since I found it so interesting.  I still have it.  

I sat down by the marker, and the tears began to flow, slowly at first, and then full-stream.  Tears of joy.  I was totally overwhelmed by the moment.  After a bit, I called my brother in Washington to tell him  I was sitting on a hill overlooking the town of Macduff, and I was in front of our great-grandparents' and great-great grandparents' grave.  I was calling from the grave.  He wasn't aware that I was going to Scotland, so he was pretty surprised.  This discovery was definitely the highlight of my day.

The headstone  says:
1871
Erected by Patrick Duff Hacket
Seaton of  Cullen  Macduff
In Memory of His Children

Margaret died 11 April 1845
aged 14 years

Mary Helen died 15 May 1866
aged 14 years

Patrick died 1 June 1866,
aged 22 years

James died 19 December 1870,
aged 6 years

Margaret Gordon died 6 May 1877
aged 15 years 

John died 27 October 1882,
aged 19 years

Peter died 22 December 1888
aged 19 years

Jane Hall, wife of Wm. Hacket died 21 March 1922
aged 88 years

Patrick Duff Hacket
died at Seaton Croft, Macduff 14 February 1896
aged 2 years & 1 month

Agnes Chalmers, wife of Alex Hackett,
died at 15 Buchan Street, Macduff,
17 April 1931, aged 80 years

and the said Alexander Hacket
died at 15 Buchan Street, Macduff
28 July 1932, aged 81 years

A smaller stone was added:
In loving memory of Agnes Hacket
1875-1932

Patrick Duff Hacket was my great, great step-grandfather, and Agnes Chalmers and Alex Hacket were my great grandparents.  Agnes Hacket was one of their  daughters, who was living with them in their later years; perhaps she lived with them her whole life.

After this, I continued on my exploration of the area, walking back to to the shore and heading toward the little neighboring town of Banff.  The River Deveron runs in between Macduff and Banff, into the Moray Firth.  I had a postcard with a photo taken up on a hill, O'Doune Hill, overlooking the wonderful bridge crossing the mouth of the river.  So, up the hill I went.  Apparently, the trees have grown a lot in the past 90 years or so, as it was difficult to reproduce that shot. I had another photo taken from O'Doune Hill that I couldn't reproduce because it was taken from private property, so I took it from the botrtom of the hill. I continued on towards Banff and went to see a Scottish castle, Duff House.  I arrived at closing time, so I was unable to tour it, but I enjoyed strolling the grounds.

Here are the postcards, with photos from the early 1900s, along with my photos taken about 90 years later (the links to enlarged photos will show the old photo above the new photo, for comparison):

It was about time for dinner when I got back to the hotel.  I walked miles and miles today, for about 10 hours, exploring this cute little town .  Dinner was some really dull tasting salmon.  I never knew that salmon could taste dull - it's one of my favorite foods.  I'd always heard that Scottish cooking is pretty bland. Dessert was banffi cake:  cookie crumb cake with toffee sauce, topped with bananas, whipped cream, and strawberries.

Later in the evening, after dining at the hotel, I told some people about  the grave site and we were chatting. I mentioned that the old house was gone, but a man told me that he was  very sure that my great grandparent's home at 15 Buchan Street still existed.  He said he would take me there in the morning when he and his wife would be heading out of town. 

Wednesday, July 26, 2006    Leaving Macduff 

Yesterday was warm and sunny.  Today it's raining.  I guess it's a good time to leave, as all of my touring is on foot.

I was hungry for a small, continental breakfast this morning, so that's what I ordered, expecting some fruit and a muffin.  What a surprise!  The owner served up a full Scottish breakfast:  bacon, sausage, black pudding, grilled tomatoes, has browns, poached egg, fried mushrooms, baked beans, and toast. Perhaps he has a hard time understanding me, too.  sampled each food as a part of my Scottish heritage, a part  that I do not embrace.

After breakfast, the couple I had spoken to the night before  took me to 15 Buchan Street.  It did indeed still exist.  I took some photos and knocked on the door, but was no answer. There was now a 2nd story, and a bit of a front yard, but it was otherwise recognizable.  I felt like my trip to Macduff was complete.  

Here's now and then:

They dropped me off in nearby Banff to do some souvenir shopping.  There are absolutely  no stores in Macduff that sell even a Macduff magnet or key chain.  I hadn't seen any stores selling tartans, either.   I found some souvenirs, including some small bottles of scotch made in the last, now closed, distillery in Macduff. I also bought a scarf and a wool blanket  in the Stewart clan's tartan.  My grandmother was a Stewart.  

I took a bus back to the Waterfront Hotel, checked out, and stepped into the street and was immediately alarmed by the sound of a very near thunder clap.  The sky opened up and it was suddenly pouring.  I ran across to the bus stop.  A man inside the bus depot signaled to me to come wait inside.  He said the lightning had struck in the street just as I came outside.  Whew!

I caught the bus and rode back to Aberdeen.  I went tot he train station, conveniently located next to the bus depot, and caught the next train to London, leaving on track #9.  This was a 7 ½ hour ride, down the east coast of Scotland and England, traveling through Dundee, and catching a glimpse of the Firth of forth, and Edinburgh, with the famous castle not too far distant. There were lots and lots of rolling, green hills with small farms.  Lovely.

The train was late and we pulled into King's Crossing station, London,  at 10:30 p.m.  I had located my hotel on a map earlier and had determined my route to it using The Tube (underground trains).  When I arrived in London I checked it and double-checked it before catching the train, as they quite running after midnight. I was tired and couldn't afford to the take the wrong one.  I found the Byron Hotel in Kensington with no problem. When I opened the door to my room and hit the light switch, no light came on.  I hit all of the light switches with the same sad result.  I went back to the manager and asked if there was a secret to turning on the lights, other than the obvious light switch.  There was a card attached to my room key chain, and this had to be inserted into a card reader within the room.  I tried that and, voila! A minute later, they went out again.  The card had to remain in the reader for the lights to stay on.  

I'm not too fond of this hotel.  There's mold in the bathroom, and I am allergic to mold.  There's no air conditioning, although the description I had read stated there was.  I couldn't open the windows, as I was on just the 2nd floor, and I felt that would be risky.    

I had planned on having approximately 2 days in London, but, because I switched  to my plan B and the train took all of Wednesday,  I have just one day.  At this point, I'm pretty tired, and one day in London  should be more than enough for me.

Thursday, July  27, 2006  London

With just one day to see London, I headed out early, caught a quick breakfast, and bought a 1-day Tube pass.  I took the train to a station near Buckingham Palace, just in time to see the changing of the guard.  Some of it.  Several thousand other people had the same idea, and it was difficult to get a good view of it.

After that, I visited the Victoria Memorial, and then walked down the street, by St. James Park, towards the river. you can rent beach chairs in the park, and there were quite a few people utilizing that opportunity. The sun was out and it was a warm day.  There's a nice view of The London Eye from the park. I had a good tour of the art museum, probably staying longer than I had time for because of the nice, cool air conditioning.

There are lots of  those little box-shaped London cabs, and upper decker buses, and red phone booths.  And lots of English pubs. In fact, I had lunch and a Guiness in one of those inviting little pubs.

 

 I walked through Admiralty Arch, and headed across the Thames to ride the London Eye.  The Eye is like a huge ferris wheel, with 32 tram cars, each capable of holding about 25 people, instead of the little bench seats for 2.   Great views of London! It took 30 minutes to complete the revolution.  I bought a combination ticket for the Eye and also a river cruise on the Thames.  Very enjoyable. Also a great place to start a sight-seeing tour of London.  You can get the layout of the city from the view from the Eye, and can learn of a lot of historical places on the river cruise.  Too bad I wasn't staying long. The riverfront is a fun place to just meander.  Lots of people having fun, including a number of street performers.  I crossed back over the Thames at the Westminster Bridge, grabbing a couple of shots of Big Ben.  As I crossed the bridge, the sun dissolved into a heavy torrent of rain. I wasn't carrying my umbrella, but I, of  course, was carrying my camera.  I discovered that the newsstand at the east end of the Westminster Bridge carries Mary Poppins style umbrellas, for a mere 10£ .  Currently, 1£ = $2.11. I bought one (my camera is worth it) and headed over to see Westminster Abbey. It was raining too much to really enjoy, so I just headed back to Kensington. By the time I got there, the rain had stopped. Near the hotel, I  found a nice little Italian sidewalk cafe.  I finished my day with some wonderful grilled salmon and a couple of glasses of wine.  Ahhhh.  A very nice day.

About the water faucets in Scotland and London:  how come the hot water for the tub is on the right, and it's on the left for the sink?

Friday, July 28,  2006   Heading Home

The underground railway is not designed for traveling with a 50 lb suitcase and a laptop. There are lots and lots of steps up, down, and around, to get  from one train to another.   Luckily, at one point, a really nice guy carrying the bag up some stairs for me.  I transferred to the train to Heathrow, which was running late.  The British will never be confused with the Swiss.  Then, there was some sort of problem on the tacks, so we were sent to another station, where we disembarked and waited  quite a while to catch another train that eventually got us to Heathrow.  It took me a full 3 hours to get from my hotel to Heathrow.  Lucky I left early. Then, of course, the plane was delayed.  It was an hour late arriving in London.  Then, after we boarded, they announced that we were missing a couple of passengers and that they were being hunted down.  Then, they announced that they had been found and we would be leaving shortly.  Then they announced that there was a problem with the baggage, and we would be delayed another half hour. Did I mention how much I really enjoyed traveling in Switzerland?   We did eventually leave Heathrow, and, staying just ahead of the sun, flew over Greenland and Iceland and on to Denver.  

This was the most wonderful, fantastic, fun, trip!  More so than I could ever have imagined. Cory was a great host while I was in Switzerland.  I am very disappointed that I was unable to meet my cousin, Allie. I had really looked forward to that.   My Plan B was absolutely awesome, though, so I wasn't struggling to find something else fun to do.  While in Macduff I felt like I was home - I actually saw people who looked a lot like me! I felt connected to my roots.

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