One of the most pleasurable experiences you can have in the United Kingdom is to take a long train ride. Be sure and get a first class ticket, though. The amenities aren't spectacular, but the car usually isn't crammed and the seats are a little more spacious.
On this trip, my colleague and I took the train from Glasgow to Aberdeen. An example of how this country has mass transit down to an art is thus. The schedule advised the train would leave at 11:41AM. We purchased our tickets and boarded at 11:35. Six minutes later, it pulled away from the station. Travel time was listed as 2 hours, 34 minutes. We arrived at the Aberdeen train station at 2:15PM. Exactly 2 hours, 34 minutes later. We made seven or eight stops along the way. But, when a UK train stops at a station, and you're slated to get on, you better be there. Two minutes later, it's gone. They have schedules to keep and make no apologies if you're late.
This particular train travels east until it reaches the coast line bordering the North Sea. On the way, there is some of the most exquisite farmland you will ever see. There are sheep by the thousands, grazing on the greenest pastures to be found anywhere. Shaggy cows and horses with their blankets are milling about and the odd farmer or two can be seen discing their fields. When we reached Stirling the William Wallace monument could be seen in the not too distant landscape, projecting upward from the tall hill it was built upon in the late 1800's. It's a magnificent, gothic structure that pays tribute to one of Scotland's greatest heros. Right before reaching the coast, rocky hills jut upward in beautiful shapes and sizes, sometimes towering above the roadways that hug close to their sides.
Then, the train turns sharply northward and the sea is just outside the right window of the car. On this day it's mildly angry with white caps coming off six and seven foot waves. It is a deadly mistress and one wonders how the Vikings were able to sail across it in their long boats to raid and pillage the Scottish and British coastal areas. Thousands upon thousands of people have been claimed by its violent waters, but yet it possesses a beauty that is almost mesmerizing. The rocky coast has been splendidly sculpted by centuries of wave and wind, beguiling the traveller with its rugged beauty.
The Scottish people are a hardy folk, most probably made that way by the harsh environment they live in. Many visitors complain of the cold and the driving wind, but it is those two things that help to make this area of the UK so special. To those of us who live in a warmer climate, 45 degrees is cold. In Scotland, it's a heat wave and when the sun comes out, so do the 'Sunshine Susies'. This is a nickname for the ladies that wear their short-shorts, halter tops and low cut blouses when the rest of us are wearing our long johns, coats, hats and scarves.
Finally, the train arrives in Aberdeen...the Granite City. It is truly unique, as there is no other city in the world like it. It would be safe to say that 95% of the city is made from a grayish-blue granite, dug from a massive quarry near the city center. With little sun to speak of, and almost always overcast, it can be a dull place when coupled with the dreary weather and cold stone that rises above the ground forming the churches, houses, businesses and such. But, to me, Aberdeen is a place of mystery, history and is a testament to the ability of man to carve out a livelihood in the most difficult of places. Scotland is a magnificent place with some of the finest scenery you can find anywhere. And, the people are some of the friendliest on the planet. If you ever go there, be sure and grab some fish and chips at Ashvale's. Tell 'em Robert sent you. They have the best haggis and the best haddock in the country. I have been blessed by the opporunity of putting my small footprints there on many occasions. And, I will never tire of it.
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