This is the log and pictures of my trip to Scotland, 12-25 May 1999.  My special guide was Angus McDuff (for more on me & Angus, please click here).  I took and scanned all the pics myself, please ask before fruing or borrowing any.

Warning: the following pages are graphic-intensive and may take some time to load.

For an index of days/venues, click here.

May 12 (Wednesday), 1 pm (AZ time)

I'm glad I have my notebook, because no one around me could possibly understand the irony of this.  It's too good, too sweet.  I'm on my way from Phoenix to Newark, and the in-flight movie is "You've Got Mail."  Is that hysterical or what?

9 pm (NY time)

Newark Airport isn't wonderful, but it's comfortable.  It just has a feel to it...I could see Connor preferring it over JFK for arrivals and departures.  It's not as big, a lot of people but not too many.  If any airport could be considered "homey," I'd think this'd be it.

The nice man next to me on the flight in (who sounded for all the world like Frank Moran from HL1) kindly pointed out the Twin Towers and Statue of Liberty on the descent, otherwise I would have missed them.  The Statue looked sorta small still from our height, but it was marvelous to realize I was really seeing it.

I'm tired enough that I might actually sleep on the flight.  I'm hoping so, I'll need it.  Almost nodded off at the end of the flight into here, I think it helped just to sit there with my eyes closed.  I'm hoping my early tiredness signals that my body will adjust to the time difference easily.

May I just add that it doesn't help that the check-in guy at the gate looks like Kastigir from HL1?

13 May (Thursday) -- arrival in Glasgow

I didn't feel so bad about craning my neck to see outside when we landed, the guy next to me (who was Scottish) was doing the same thing.  The most noteworthy thing I saw was the tall steeple of a church.  The passport line was short and if you had nothing to declare, they just sorta watch you walk through customs (looking very bored, I might add).  As I walked out into the waiting area with my trolley of bags (managed to pack in 2 suitcases and a backpack), I scanned the area looking for the face I only knew from a picture, and hoping Angus didn't look too different or I'd never recognize him.  I worried a bit when I didn't see a familiar face.  I stood there for a couple of minutes, debating whether to have him paged, when that familiar face showed up in front of me.  We greeted each other warmly. :)  We decided to blow the crowded airport ASAP, and we went out to the car and headed for Glenfinnan.