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Sabbatical 2010: Trip to Staffa Isle

The Isle of Staffa is just a bit north of Iona. It is a geological oddity in that it is made up of giant rock crystals. It is related to the Giants' Causeway off the coast of Northern Ireland. The rock formations are fascinating. There are also two massive caves in the side of the island facing Iona. The larger is Fingal's Cave, supposed home of the hero of an 18th c. Scottish epic poem. The cave is full of color and sound, which inspired Mendelssohn to write his Hebrides Overture. We took a wee boat out, an hour's ride, spent an hour on the island, then an hour back. The captain pointed at the cave when it was in sight and said to me, "That's where you'll be singing today!" I was taken aback! But he was right. Several of us sang hymns inside the cave.

Sep 27, 2010

Photos: 81

Sabbatical 2010: Oban and Mull - on the Iona trail

To get to Iona, I took a train from Glasgow north to Oban, then a ferry from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull, a bus across Mull, then another ferry to Iona. Coming back was the reverse. On the way up the weather was beautiful, really spectacular. On the way back it was a driving rain and stiff wind, making the trip less fun, except I now knew half the people I was traveling with. All these pics are from the nice day. There are a few of the return trip in my album "Phone Pics from the UK" on facebook and me.com. I may port them over here.

Sep 25, 2010

Photos: 92

Sabbatical 2010: Iona, Scotland

When I started planning the UK trip, several friends and colleagues said, "You ARE going to Iona, aren't you? You HAVE to go to Iona!" Well, I didn't know much about it, so I looked it up and decided, yeah, I should go to Iona. I am so glad I did! More like camp for adults than a conference or retreat or education event, living among the Iona Community (not the village) is an exercise in ... well, Christian Community. Eat together, study together, work together, worship together, live together -- does that sound familiar? Iona is a beautiful place with deep spiritual roots. The pictures capture some of the former. Hopefully, my blog will express some of the latter.

Sep 25, 2010

Photos: 134

Sabbatical 2010: Glasgow, Scotland, Coming and Going

24 September saw the breaking of the Fellowship, as it were. Molly headed back to the States, Dad and Clare stayed on in Cullen, and I headed off for a week at Iona. To get there I took the train from Aberdeen to Glasgow, where I spent the night. At the end of my Iona week I spent another night in Glasgow before my flight back to the States. These pictures are from those two layovers. The parts of the city I saw were full of striking architecture and history, as well as lots of hip, fashionable people who were rushing busily wherever they were going. I really enjoyed it!

Sep 24, 2010

Photos: 56

Sabbatical 2010: Alloa, Scotland

Leaving from St. Andrews, we proceeded west to Alloa in Clackmannanshire. While doing some genealogical research, I found a branch of the family that, in the 16th and 17th centuries lived in and around Alloa. Yeah, that's the 1500s and 1600s! The names were Paterson, Harrower, and Mastertoune (and variants on each). Well, we didn't have any plan of where to look, but Dad found the town War Memorial where we found both Patersons and Harrowers. We later found more at a cemetery just out of town. There was an old church cemetery in town, and while we could have gotten a key to get in, everyone was getting tired and Clare wasn't feeling well, so we gave it a miss. Nevertheless, we have some evidence that both family names were present in the area, albeit long after our direct ancestors.

Sep 23, 2010

Photos: 65

Sabbatical 2010: Edinburgh, Scotland

Molly and I took the train to Edinburgh for the better part of a day (ScotRail is great!). Strolling along the ancient streets and "closes" of the Royal Mile, we saw countless shops and restaurants and two of the majors - the castle and St. Giles High Kirk (where John Knox preached and led the Scottish Reformation). We gave up before reaching the Holyrood Palace, but passed the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Cannongate Kirk, and the World's End Pub.

Sep 22, 2010

Photos: 144

Sabbatical 2010: St. Andrews, Scotland

We made a trip to St. Andrews where we stayed with Eric and Margaret Brown, who were absolutely marvelous hosts! While there we took a stroll on the Old Course, until we got chased off, and then took in some of the Reformation sites -- the monument to the Martyrs, the bishop's castle, and the old cathedral. Molly and I took a day to go to Edinburgh from St. A, but that's another album's worth.

Sep 21, 2010

Photos: 120

Sabbatical 2010: Dornoch, Scotland

I've never driven 2.5 hours to go to church before, but it was worth it! The Rev. Susan Brown, pastor at Dornoch Cathedral, is a truly gifted minister in a truly beautiful setting. She was also celebrating the 25th anniversary of her ordination, and we were honored to have luncheon with her family and friends at the Royal Dornoch Golf Club. Rained all day, but the worship, company, and food were all delightful!

Sep 19, 2010

Photos: 63

Sabbatical 2010: Loch Ness, Scotland

After a lovely time at Dornoch, we turned south to see Loch Ness, because how could you be that close and NOT go to Loch Ness? Unfortunately, it was late on a Sunday, so everything was closed, and it was pouring rain! Nevertheless, we got to see the famous Loch and Urquhart Castle. Wait, what is that moving out in the water....?

Sep 19, 2010

Photos: 43

Sabbatical 2010: A Flight from Belfast to Aberdeen

Like it says, we flew from Belfast, NI, to Aberdeen, Scotland, on flybe airlines in a high-wing, turboprop plane. I had the window, so you get to join the aerial adventure!

Sep 17, 2010

Photos: 15

Sabbatical 2010: Cullen, Scotland

We stayed in Cullen for our first week in Scotland at the summer home of Ian and Muriel Purdie. These pictures include the drive up from Aberdeen (after Molly arrived from London!), miscellaneous scenes around town and along the wee harbor, and at the Auld Kirk churchyard, not necessarily in that order.

Sep 17, 2010

Photos: 120

Sabbatical 2010: Northern Ireland - County Armagh

George joined us again as our guide to Co. Armagh, the place recorded in Butler Co. History 1895 as the home of Joseph Douthett before his emigration. We went first to the Argory in Dungannon, an 1820s manor home on the Blackwater River, and the opposite of the Anderson and Dunn houses we had seen. Later we went to St. Patrick's Church of Ireland Cathedral and the Armagh County Museum, both in the city of Armagh.

Sep 16, 2010

Photos: 83

Sabbatical 2010: Northern Ireland - County Londonderry

We drove from Lisburn up through Antrim and out to Coleraine in Co. Londonderry, where reportedly Douthetts arrived from Scotland and left for America, although we haven't really found evidence of that. From Coleraine we went along the north coast toward Ballycastle. We stopped at a scenic overlook and at the Giants' Causeway, which was closed for the day. We skirted Ballycastle and returned to base (after getting lost on the outskirts of Belfast!).

Sep 15, 2010

Photos: 66

Sabbatical 2010: Northern Ireland - County Down

Pictures from our explorations of County Down, NI, UK, with George Holland, on 14 September. George had done a lot of research, and found the homesteads of John Anderson and Mary Dunn, my gr-gr-gr-grandparents. So we followed the trail in Killyleagh, where they likely were married, to the Anderson farm in Derryboy and the Dunn farm not far away, and to a gravestone in Killinchy with several family names.

Sep 14, 2010

Photos: 144

Sabbatical 2010: Butler, Pennsylvania

I took daughter Meredith along for a visit with my Dad. We all went to see some of the important family history sites and cemeteries, including the Brownsdale cemetery and the old David Douthett farm. Lots of pictures of the dear departed, or rather, their grave stones.

Aug 22, 2010

Photos: 85

David Douthett
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