I am finishing up the itinerary for this year's Celtic Invasion of County Mayo, Ireland. It's a good time to finally take a look at last year's invasion. I kept a daily journal with lots of short bullet points so that I could be sure to remember everything as it happened. So let's get started.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

We got a notification on Wednesday morning that our flight to Venice was delayed.

The plan was to fly Venice, then go over to Glasgow. Originally, we only had two hours between landing in Venice and flying out. Now we had just one hour to get through customs and get to our gate…with kids.

I called the airline to look for other flights. No luck. We decided to let fate take its course.

The flight went smoothly. Kenzie said she would never go to sleep. But she did around her normal bedtime. I, on the other hand, had more trouble. Kenzie was in the seat next to me. So I was her bed rest.

We got off the plane in Venice. Fate was with us. We told attendants we had a short connection. They were amazing. They helped us get to the next airplane in less than 30 min. We were amazed. We made our flight and arrived safe and tired in Glasgow.

We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant with the slowest service ever. Well, it was Italian. Heh.

Got backed to the hotel. Kids were literally bouncing on the beds. As soon as they settled down for a minute, they were asleep.

Friday, June 3, 2022

I spent most of the day with my friend Steve. We walked down to the riverside. After our walk, we went to the shopping street to pick up a portable hotspot. I was unsuccessful.

We then walked to the Necropolis to meet up with Gwen and the girls. They loved it. And What a view!

We finished up the evening at a pub with a sign in the window for Innis & Gunn. Turns out Innis & Gunn also make a lager. It was ok. We found a few delicious beers before we headed back to the hotel to crash.

Tomorrow the Celtic Invasion of Loch Lomond officially begins.

Saturday, June 4, 2022

The trip started off a little rough. We were supposed to get three nine-seater vans. The day before the invasion, Enterprise called to tell me the vans wouldn’t show up. Would three 7-seaters work? With 21 people to transport… Possibly.

Come Saturday morning, I learned the answer was no.

They only had TWO 7-seaters with not enough trunk space for 21 invaders plus a 5 seater with lots trunk space. In the end, we had to get a fourth car.

We made our way to the beautiful Scottish village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. It was as pretty as advertised. I just wish we had more time to explore.

Instead, we got lunch and headed to the pier. We boarded a boat for Cruise Loch Lomond and spent a relaxing afternoon on the water.

It was already three in the afternoon and an hour-long drive to Ormidale Estate. We grabbed some coffee and hit the road.

I like starting my trips with my pasta dinner. It’s my secret sauce. It’s not really much of a secret. The biggest secret is it’s a delightful meal and everyone can help out. It’s a wonderful way to come together as a group.

It usually involves everyone going to the store as well and enjoying the fun international shopping experience. But we were tight on time. So Gwen went to the store with a couple helpers while I prepared the kitchen.

Everyone got involved, cutting onions, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, preparing salad and green beans, some helped with dishes, and most everyone had a drink when Gwen got back from the store.

The dinner was fantastic as usual. People were happy and cheerful. I finished up the evening with a set of fun songs, before crashing far too late.

Sunday, June 5, 2022

We ate a light breakfast. Then we drove to Benmore Botanic Gardens. They are some sculpted gardens just outside of Dunoon. It was sort of like our first big adventure.

The group separated as we explored at our own pace. The kids were with me and Gwen. I guided Kenzie on how to make a music video. Tho we haven’t finished editing the video.

The weather was, as requested, perfect. There were giant trees, and beautiful Rhododendrum‘s and other blooming flowers. It was just stunning!

Their gift shop was really nice too. Even with my family here, who I usually shop for, I found myself evaluating gift shops for the best possible items. And they had a good one.

We drove next to Dunoon. The plan was to have lunch, explore the town, and maybe even visit the castle.

However, the town was dead. I’m not sure if that was a Sunday thing or a festival type thing.

I started getting worried as we walked through the town. Nothing was open.

Eventually, we heard some music. A punk band was playing in the distance. We followed the sound and found a restaurant that was near the famed Victorian pier.

We ordered some food. I got Indian food, Lamb Bhoona, and tried the local beer. It was a lager, not my favorite but not too bad.

The music was quite fun though. It took me back to my punk days in college.

The first band finished their set. They were called Anavrin. It was fun music. The first song I heard lacked a good chorus. But after that it was pretty solid throughout.

Fifteen minutes after their set ended, a young kid of about 15 years old came into the pub where we were eating and sat down. I saw him go inside to order. I stalkingly followed him. He was just finishing up an order of a couple of non-alcoholic drinks.

I swooped in and offered to pay for his drinks. He was one of the band members of Anavrin. He was very shocked and grateful by my offer.

An hour later, he went in again to get a drink. I bought him another round and told him to keep making music.

The second band was so enjoyable, we looked up who was coming up next. Saw a band named Dead Irish. They were a Dublin trad punk band. So some of us decided to go to the festival.

The band was just like we hoped. They were a lot of fun. No music yet, but I asked them to record an intro for the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. They introduced show #566 Irish All the Way.

We drove back to the Estate for a short break. Then we headed to Tide & Thyme in Tignabrauich. The restaurant was a small room. We had the place pretty much to ourselves.

I had fried calamari and whitefish for my starter. I wasn’t quite in the mood for fried food. But it was tasty.

My dinner meal was Crab and King Prawn spaghetti with garlic, chili, and cherry tomatoes. I could not get enough off it. It was incredible.

I finished the evening back at the estate with a game of darts and a whiskey.

Monday, June 6, 2022

Woke early to go for a run around the state. Instead, Steve and I ended up climbing a hill. We saw Loch Riddon at the top.

After breakfast, we drove to Inverarry Castle. We finally found a proper castle.

It was still a livable castle. There were lots of relics and swords, paintings, and tapestries. They had a good gift shop with lots of little trinkets for kids. We have gifts for friends back home.

The lunch was delightful. It was at the tea room. I had soup and a small sandwich, avocado, beet root and radish. I don’t really like those last two. I decide try it anyways. It was delicious.

Afterward, I headed out to the Woodland Trail behind the Castle with my family. It was a lovely romp through the woods. There were awesome hulls of buildings, what looked like a destroyed chicken coop, and lots of gigantic trees.

We stopped at Fyne Ale Brewery on the way back to the estate. The beer was pretty hoppy. Not my favorite. That was okay. I was wiped and napped while the rest of the crew had some beers.

We drove back to the estate to relax. Inara beat me at two games of air hockey. Then Kenzie beat me at one game.

Dinner was served by Shellfield Farms. Their business is next-door to Ormidale. Food was fantastic. I had some of Inara‘s salmon croquettes. I also had my own beef dinner. It to was delicious.

We finish up the evening with some music and a small session. I played a set. Then some of the invaders sand songs and played the whistle.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Tuesday usually the day for the Big trip. It’s a little longer with lots more little sights to see, and maybe a slightly different type of travel.

We left an hour earlier than usual. The plan was to cross Loch Fyne from Portavadie to Tarbert, then head to the Kilmartin Stones.

We left a little late, but made the ferry in plenty of time. It was a pleasant ferry over.

We headed straight for the Kilmartin stones arriving in about 40 minutes. Again, what a gorgeous day. Kilmartin is rich with prehistoric stones. There were also a couple cairns there. We took a couple group photos in front of them.

We drove next to the town of Kilmartin to visit the viewpoint and have lunch at Lucy’s food truck. The toastie was surprisingly fantastic.

Carnasserie Castle was our final stop. We found parking and hiked up the hill to the castle.

We drove back to Tarbert. We were back earlier than I anticipated. So we stopped in town and I let folks loose. Some went to see the ruins of Robert the Bruce’s castle on the hill. I joined a small group of invaders at The Corner House for a pint of Caledonia’s Best.

Caledonia’s Best is a smooth Guinness-like beer, though lighter colored with a great flavor. It’s kind of smokey with a bitter taste on the end.

We parked and waited for the 5 o’clock ferry. A couple of older women were quietly sitting in the Loch water. I was jonesing for water. I took of my shoes and walked in. It felt cold, but amazing. Especially down my back when my friend Steve threw a rock in the water behind me. It splashed all up my back.

It was a nice ferry ride. We drove back to the estate for some down time before our dinner back at the Portavadie Marina restaurant.

Dinner was just fantastic. I drank a Highland margarita. I started with three beautifully cooked scallops. That was followed by a gorgeously displayed lamb and ginger crème brûlée. Spicy!

Wednesday, June 8, 2022

We had a late start on Wednesday. It was raining when we left for Carrick Castle. I was hoping the weather would clear up a little bit. It did not.

Carrick Castle is a beautiful building. But we couldn't go in. It was under construction. With the rain coming down, we only spent about 20 or 30 minutes outside taking pictures before we decide to leave.

We drove back the way we came and stopped for some coffee and a light snack. It was already 11 AM when we got to the Boatshed.

The rain picked up. I had to squash all of the original plans I had for the day. Instead we drove back to Inverarry.

Most of the group went inside the Inverarry Jail. They got to see some punishments over the centuries. I, on the other hand, went to taste Loch Fyne oysters with another invader. We sat across the Loch and chatted about Celtic music.

We made it back and picked everyone up at about 2:45. Our next stop was the Strachur Smiddy Museum. This museum was one of my favorite places of the trip.

This is a restored Smiddy in the town of Strachur. The granddaughter of one of the original smiddys was there. There was a presentation. Invaders got to work the Bellows and hammer a horseshoe. They had a great craft shop. We spent too much money, and they gave us some smiddy cake.

I told the Smiddy people that we were eating at MacPhunn’s Bar and Bistro that evening. They shared the history of the Archie MacPhunn, a cattle thief. He was taken to Inverary Castle and hanged.

His body was sailed back to Strachur. As they were sailing, they saw a sign of movement. His wife literally nursed him back to life with her breast. Thus we was named Half-Hung Archie.

No word whether he went back to cattle thieving.

We finished up the evening in the salon with whiskey and songs. I played a set. Then we opened it up to others. Several invaders sang songs. It was a fun evening!

Thursday, June 9, 2022

We left the Ormidale House at the regular time of 9:30 on our last day in Cowal. There were a few places that looked interesting.

The first stop was to see the Kilmodan carved stones. There was a cute church and a small cemetery just 10 minutes from Ormidale.

Clouds were comforting in the sky. The lighting was wonderful. Sheep baaah’d in the field. A stream trickled just past the fence beneath a crooked tree.

The carved stones were in a small building by the stream. The stones were beautiful. But they looked even more amazing through the phone. The contours popped. Oddly, I didn't take any pictures, just video. It was just a cool experience.

Next stop was MacEwan Castle. We drove a twisty road toward Otter Ferry. We turned left at the end of it toward the stones. But I heard about a delicious restaurant in that town and thought maybe we could see the loch’s edge. We made a u-turn on the narrow roads.

The restaurant was not yet open. But there was a nice shell-filled beach and a pier. I put my feet in the water.

The windy path to MacEwan took us to a sign that said “no unauthorized vehicles”. We drove forward anyway. It started looking suspiciously like a dead end. Luke found info online that it was a long walk with more of a monument than a castle.

We decided to skip that and hope for the best at Asgog Castle.

Google Maps had limited directions to this rarely visited Castle. It suggested we stop on the road and swim, or at least drive on water.

We saw a path on the map and drove down the rocky road to Asgog. We passed a standing stone on the brush.

We found a gate that said “Asgog Cottages – Private”. I walked through and found the castle just past the cottages. I called everyone through.

The castle is much cooler than the couple o’photos online. It’s a lot of rubble. But really cool and on a lake. I would love to stay at those cottages. They were beautiful.

Off we went to Botanica at the Barn.

I saw some nice reviews of this restaurant. But for some reason I thought they just had small sandwiches. It was MUCH cooler than I remember researching.

Located on a farm, the restaurant is beautiful decorated with local artwork. It is adorable. There’s even a wee playground for kids.

And the food?

Wow! I had the seafood bouillabaisse. Outstanding!

We drove next along a circular loop of Cowal’s southern shore. One road had a dead end, but we had a stunning view of the southern tip of Cowal.

It started raining on the way back through Tignabruaich. It was already mid-afternoon. I dropped half the group off. The rest of us drove to Morrison’s in Dunoon to buy whisky to take home. The prices were MUCH better than most shops.

Gwen made a spectacular salmon and chicken dinner to close out the evening.

Friday, June 10, 2022

I woke up at 5 am. I was a bit anxious for the day. We were heading to Glasgow for the conclusion of the Celtic Invasion of Loch Lomond.

I showered and dressed. I packed my bag for the journey.

Next step was to prepare the house for departure. I spent the rest of the morning cleaning up, along with other invaders, once they got up.

We departed the estate just after 9:30. We drove to Dunoon and took the ferry to Gourock. We drove to Greenock and stopped at a Tesco Extra for a light lunch and so invaders could pickup last minute supplies.

Our final visit was to Finlaystone Country Park. I heard the park was beautiful. There are some lovely gardens and a magnificent kids area. My girls didn’t want to leave.

At 2:30, we drove the rest of the way to Glynhill Hotel & Spa. I dropped off the invaders and then drove to Enterprise to drop off the cars.

It was a fantastic trip!

Saturday, June 11, 2022 – Final Notes

I was really happy with how this year’s Celtic Invasion went. We had lots of challenges.

Sure, I wanted to stay in a castle rather than a manor house. But the house was amazing. And Terry, our estate manager, was the best.

The location worked out well. We didn’t have to spend too much time in the car.

I had set lists every night and I took song requests. Plus some invaders sang and played music with me.

The food was absolutely fantastic.

And best of all, I didn’t feel like we were going non-stop. It was like an adventure AND a vacation. That's what my Celtic Invasion Vacations are supposed to be all about.