Photos and the City

Tag: travel

  • Oban – An t-Òban

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    After my little boat trip, it was time to explore the Scottish Capital of Seafood further. Oban’s history dates way back to the mesolithic times. “Evidence of early cave dwellers has been found in several locations in the center of Oban, coincidentally at Oban Distillery – around which modern day Oban grew.” (Old Oban)

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    From being the hub “Kingdom of Dalriata: the kingdom of the Scotii tribe, the seed from which the Kingdom of Scotland would grow.”(Oban History) in the 6th century to be of lesser importance when the center of power moved more inland in the 9th century to become the periphery of the Scots kingdom in the 11th century when the Western island where in the hands of the Vikings, who dominated the sea.

    The MacDougall family, who were of Viking descent, turned their backs on the Vikings in 1263 at the time of the battle of Largs, in which Scotland wrested back the Western Isles from the Vikings, and at the same time established themselves as one of the most powerful families in Scotland. The MacDougalls were to develop Dunollie Castle (formerly Dun Ollaigh) in the 12th century as one of their primary strongholds, which it remained until 1746 when they relocated to nearby Dunollie House. The neglected castle fell into ruins, which are all that exist today. (Oban History)

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    The modern Oban grew around the distillery which was founded in 1794. Until Victorian times Oban remained a quite fisher village when in the 19th-century steam ships started to use it as a stopping point between Glasgow and Inverness along the Caledonian and Crinan canals. Oban became a ferry port. The railway arrived in 1880 and Victorian buildings started to pop up along the coastline. In 1887 the construction of McCaig’s Tower(how it is called today) started as a private project of banker John S. McCaig.

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    The old carriage way to  Dunollie Castle starts right next to this cottage and follows the horseshoe shape of the bay. The castle and Dunollie House were already closed when I arrived but the view was still beautiful!

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    An t-Òban, meaning “little bay” in Scottish Gaelic, and to this day it is an important Gaelic center and hosts the biggest Gaelic cultural festival, Royal National Mòd.

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    I had planned to get a little bit freshened up in my B&B and then walk to McCaig’s tower to enjoy the sunset (around 23:00) but the lounge at the Blair Villa was so cozy and comfortable, that I didn´t make it out again. If you ever stay in Oban, I can´t recommend it enough – it feels like home (and a little bit like traveling back in time) – and the view over the bay is amazing!

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  • Glasgow – Necropolis

     

    I think it was around half past 6, I was already pretty exhausted (and a little bit wet, which I didn´t mind after the heatwave back in Vienna) but still, there was the one “thing” I didn´t want to miss – the Victorian cemetery Necropolis, up on a hill next to the Cathedral of Glasgow.

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    In 1650 the Merchants’ House bought the land, part of the estate of Wester Craigs, now known as the Glasgow Necropolis. As the west side was rocky and not able to be developed it was subsequently planted with fir trees and became known as Fir Park. However, in 1804, the Scots Firs in the park started to die and were replaced by mainly elm and willow and the area became a Victorian park and arboretum. In 1825 the foundation stone of the John Knox monument was laid in Fir Park. (Friends of Necropolis)

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    In 1831 the idea of transforming Fir Park into a Père Lachaise kind of cemetery was set into action by advertising a competition for the conversion in the newspapers. David Bryce of Edinburgh and his brother John Bryce of Glasgow won the first and second price, but the actual work was done by the landscape gardener George Mylne.

    So far the parish church had been responsible for burying the dead but with fewer people attending church, alternatives were needed. The laws were changed and “burial for profit” allowed. The Cemeteries Act was passed in 1832 and Necropolis officially opened in 1833.

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    This burial ground was always intended to be interdenominational and the first burial in 1832 was that of a Jew, Joseph Levi, a jeweller. In 1833 the first Christian burial was of Elizabeth Miles, stepmother of the Superintendent, George Mylne. After 1860, the first extensions east and south were to take up the Ladywell quarry and in 1877 and 1892/3, the final extensions to the north and south-east were constructed, doubling the size of the cemetery. (Friends of Necropolis)

    Over the years 50.000 burials have taken place and 3500 tombs have been built.

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    Even on such a dreary day, it was lovely to walk around Necropolis, even if you don´t have that soft spot for beautiful cemeteries like I have.  The view towards the city and cathedral isn´t too bad either.

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    Necropolis is laid out like an informal park, the path slowly goes uphill to the summit where the (predated) John Knox monument is surrounded by larger monuments.

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  • Glasgow – City Center

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    Some of the first things I noticed about Glasgow were all those bridges, some in use some others not anymore, beautiful abandoned buildings waiting to be woken up again and a lot of stunning murals all over the city.

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    After a short stop at my Airbnb room to get some rest, it was about time for the next tearoom. Still raining and tea is always a good idea. The Willow Tea Rooms at 217 Sauchiehall Street opened in 1903 and are currently under renovations to be opened again in 2018. Just before the turn of the century Kate Cranston, a local businesswoman and daughter of a tea merchant, had the idea

    of a series of “art tearooms”, venues where people could meet to relax and enjoy non-alcoholic refreshments in a variety of different “rooms” within the same building. This proved to be the start of a long working relationship between Miss Cranston and Mackintosh [architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh]. Between 1896 and 1917 he designed and re-styled interiors in all four of her Glasgow tearooms, often in collaboration with his wife Margaret MacDonald. (The Willow Tearooms)

    I had my afternoon tea at the tea rooms at Buchanan Street, which were first built and designed in 1896 by George Washington Browne, Mackintosh designed the murals on the interior.Mackintosh’s trademark high-backed chairs made their first appearance at the existing rooms at  Argyle Street in 1898.

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    Named after King George III George Square is the principal civic square in Glasgow. Surrounded by beautiful (and probably important) buildings you´ll find the City Chambers on one side. They are supposed to be stunning inside but were already closed when I walked by.

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    glasgow, scotland, uk, rain, travelThe McLennan Arch

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    Back at the River Clyde I had walked about 18km around town at this point and decided that The Riverside Museum designed by Zaha Hadid had to wait for my next visit to Glasgow – I was done for the day!

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    Later in the evening, the sky cleared up – view from my Airbnb room.