CONTRASTS - Andrew Carnegie, Edinburgh, English Headlines Scotland July 14, WTRD 38

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Today, we start a 30 day contract with our rental car company. Either by rental service, national law, or insurance regulations, we could not rent a car for 45 consecutive days.  The car we picked up in Dover must be returned in Edinburgh for another.

From Saint Andrews we drive back to  Edinburgh, but not without a little sight seeing along the way.  We hope that our car exchange at the airport will go without a hitch as we had not wanted to return to Edinburgh on the day that there was a large scale anti-Trump protest.

We stop at the birthplace of Andrew Carnegie, a penniless Scottish emigrant who came to America with his family as a youth.  With his brilliant mind, industriousness, and moral compass pointed in the right direction, he made his fortune in America becoming the wealthiest man in the world and then returned his wealth through philanthropy to noble causes.  His story is inspirational.  We would be so much better off in the world if there were more heroes like this.  Andrew credited his mother, education,

and his wife for becoming the man he became.

Andrew's father was a weaver and had a small scale at-home business weaving fine linen.  Apparently due to a dire economic situation in Scotland, the advent of industrialization of weaving, and the senior Carnegie not being an astute businessman, the family finances collapsed.

Fine Linens

Humble Beginnings

 By selling the loom and borrowing some money for passage, the family emigrated to America.

Upon reaching America, Young Andrew got a job with a telegraph company as a runner.  He soon applied his mind and keen ear to translating Morse code without writing it down.  He was also able to translate private "secret" codes.  He soon became indispensable to his employer.  When his employer, Mr. Scott, accepted a job with the new railroad industry, he took Carnegie with him.  He mentored Carnegie, paid him in railroad stock, and encouraged his own investing.  Andrew became a successful stock holder.

Andrew Carnegie chose to use his new capitol to start his own business furnishing materials for the building of railroads....rails, engines, sleeping cars, etc.  His steel industry grew quickly.

 While building his industry, Carnegie kept in mind his responsibility to pay back and to pay forward.

Eventually, Carnegie sold his steel industry and became the wealthiest, most socially responsible men in the world.

Having known poverty, emigration, the importance of education, opportunity, and the kindness and encouragement of a mentor, Andrew Carnegie who had always be generous, became a full time philanthropist, developing free libraries, funding endeavors in science, music, and education (including the Sesame Workshop and Sesame Strreet).

How fortunate for America that immigrant Andrew Carnegie came our way.   He is a prime example of how our country benefits from those who come poor and desperate come our way.  They of all people know how to pay back their opportunity with generosity and to help others, unlike those who have never known financial adversity, insecurity, and honest hard work.

Visiting Carnegie's birth place and museum, we were inspired.  By contrast, when we reached Edinburgh Airport and perused the headlines in the numerous UK newspapers, we became dejected by the antics of another very wealthy and spoiled individual who happens to be the president of America.

How is it that the majority of Americans who did not vote for this man are now being held hostage and in contempt for believing in freedom and justice for all. This is not FAKE news. Only we as voters without privilege and wealth, but with working brains, must work to distain lies and propel truth and justice over greed and irresponsible power.   It's been a day of contrast and tears.  America, where are we going?  My mother would have said, "To hell in a hand basket."

Worrall Travel R's in Scotland

Goodbye St. Andrews - Hello Inverness July 15 WTRD 38-39

Goodbye St. Andrews - Hello Inverness ScotlandWTRD 38-39

Saturday, July 14

We returned to Inverness after exchanging our car for a brand new British Mokka ECO with only 7 miles on it!  Love the smell of a new car, and it is much nicer than the one we had.  While driving to Edinburgh and back to St. Andrews, we decided to re-listen to Diana Gibaldon's first book of the Outlander Series.  We had enjoyed numerous hours on Worrall Wind while sailing and later while traveling in our land Yacht to her books.  If you are not familiar with his series, it is essentially a time period historical fiction, where a young English woman who served as a field nurse during World War II visits an ancient Druid sight in Inverness- Scotland, and through the magic of the stones travels back in time to 1745 prior to the battle of Culloden  It is an epoch adventure and love story.

We had never seen the Television series Outlanders, but when we returned to our accommodations we were able to watch the first episode of the first series with Amazon prime which would help to set the stage for our visit to Inverness.

Sunday, July 15

On Sundays, the St. Andrew's Old Course is not played.  Instead it is open to the public to walk and for grounds keepers to nourish and repair.  The Open starts next week, so the workers were busy getting ready.  We walked from start to finish on the old course, fascinated by the rolling bumps, hills, canyons, bunkers, and impossibly narrow fairways with really ROUGH roughs on the sides.  We calculated that we would have spent more on lost balls than on the green fees had we played.

Sand Martins nesting in this bunker

This Crow Better Watch Out!

 We finished our walk of the Old Course by 10:00 am.  It was time to check out of our accommodations and head to Inverness.

Our first stop on our way to Inverness was to the Highland Folk Museum, an outdoor museum of buildings from the 1700s to the post world war II era.  We were most interested in the oldest of the thatched roof buildings that were apparently used in the tax collection scene in the Outlanders series.  We haven't seen anything more than the first episode, for us this would be a preview of what we now look forward to seeing.

Basically, the people in the 1700's lived a hard subsistence life in peat smoked, thatch roofed, rock walled, dark abodes...and this was the middle class!  

We walk to the historic buildings

The doors are shaped to accommodate the cows who share the living space.

We can only imagine how depressing it would be to live in one of these huts, especially during the long dark days of rainy winters.

Our second stop of the day was to the real MacKenzie Castle, referred to as Castle Leoch, in Outlanders, but is the Castle Leod in real time. This castle was not used for the film.   The Earl and Countess of  Cromartie open their home only 25 days a year and personally lead us around.  We arrived 15 minutes before the castle closed for a  month.  It was drizzling outside, and the place was empty.  I think most people were watching the World Cup Finals between France and Croatia.

We enjoyed our private tour.  The castle is in three parts, the ancient building from the 1700's, the Victorian Section, and the Edwardian section.  The Mackenzies live in the Edwardian section which is their private residence.  We toured the ancient castle including the dungeon, and part of the Victorian section.  Most of the grounds and castle are in need of restoration that I doubt the current day Mackenzie's could afford.

We arrived late in the day in Inverness. Our accommodations are in a lovely old home. Our host is a delightful and interesting woman.

We heated up some dinner in the microwave, drank some red wine, and snuggled under the featherbed as it drizzled outside.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's in Inverness