My 2018 Scotland Trip, you're never too old

Having spent the entire month of September in Scotland and constantly sending photos and info to friends on facebook I realized that I still had so much to share when I got back home to the US. It was an incredible trip unlike any other I can recall just for the sheer number of experiences and places we visited, meeting up with family and old boyhood friends and meeting so many new friends. What I intend to do now is write a series of blogs on my website to go through the highlights of this trip.

John and Billy McGee with Carl (June 2016)

I must admit that at my age, nearly 75, I thought this might be my last visit to my homeland but after the trip was over I am anxiously looking forward to many more. Let me explain. Two years ago while visiting Scotland I was playing golf on the Whinhill Golf course and met up with the McGee brothers, John 76 and Billy 68 and myself being 72. They helped me out finding the flag for the eighth hole, I believe it was. The course is hilly, and you can't always see where the flag is that you're hitting toward. I ended up finishing the round with them, and we had a great time. I contacted them again this time and we played another round of golf. We're all still going strong

Ross & Dot with Carl

 I also met a couple of new friends, Ross and Dot in “The View”, a restaurant and bar in the Cloch Caravan Park, in Gourock. They had just gotten married earlier in September, and both at age 75. Had a good sing-a-long with them and others in the bar that evening.

 I met up with my oldest friend in the world, Leslie McMahon; friends since we were 9 years old from school and cubs and scouting days. I called him, he was out jogging but could meet him later in the day while he played table tennis. We eventually met up twice more at the RAFA club for drinks and a music session where I met more old new friends or is that new old friends. I was progressively feeling younger as time wore on.

Carl with Leslie McMahon

The trip started Friday August 31^st until September 30^th. I was accompanied by my good friend Susan Engard who by the way has been my sound and recording engineer for most of my CDs and among other things has been a great friend for almost 30 years. My wife Dory could not take the time off this time of year due to her work commitments and another couple who had planned the trip with us had to cancel out at the last minute almost. So it was just the two of us, consequently it was easier to decide what to do on a daily basis.

I will make this short and sweet for now but in upcoming blogs and facebook posts I will detail more of the trip bit by bit. Highlights include visiting Killiekrankie, the Pitlochry Highland Games, the town of Pitlochry itself, the Blair Athol distillery, Blair castle, the Falls of Bruar, the Birks of Aberfeldy, 5 music sessions in pubs across Scotland, the Isle of Arran, standing stones and that’s just to name a few. 30 days of pure fun, with each day starting off with a good Scottish breakfast of either porridge or haggis, black pudding, Scottish bacon, eggs, beans with tea or coffee and ending each day with good single malt Scotch whisky, Glayva and Scottish beers like Tennents, McEwans or Arran beers.