Roothy123, question about Belfast?

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I have read on your previous posts that your cruise stopped at Belfast. I am on the Nautica next July and we are in Belfast from 12 noon to 8 pm. I really wanted to book a private tour to the Giant's Causeway.

 

How did you get there, and what hours was your ship in port? Was it worth the effort to see it?

 

Also, how did you find our your ship wasn't docking in Cobn for Cork? I am waiting to figure out what to do here.

 

Thanks a lot, I appreciate all your tips.

 

Judy

[orchestrapal]

I have read on your previous posts that your cruise stopped at Belfast. I am on the Nautica next July and we are in Belfast from 12 noon to 8 pm. I really wanted to book a private tour to the Giant's Causeway.

How did you get there, and what hours was your ship in port? Was it worth the effort to see it?

Also, how did you find our your ship wasn't docking in Cobn for Cork? I am waiting to figure out what to do here.

 

 

Did you check out the Ports Section of CC? You'll find so much more information there.

[tanny18]

I have read on your previous posts that your cruise stopped at Belfast. I am on the Nautica next July and we are in Belfast from 12 noon to 8 pm. I really wanted to book a private tour to the Giant's Causeway.

 

How did you get there, and what hours was your ship in port? Was it worth the effort to see it?

 

Also, how did you find our your ship wasn't docking in Cobn for Cork? I am waiting to figure out what to do here.

 

Thanks a lot, I appreciate all your tips.

 

Judy

Check out Black Taxi tours for a tour to the Giants Causeway. Yes it's worth the trip. We were there last September - ship was in port from about 8 am. and sailed about 6...Arlene

[roothy123]

Sorry, I didn't see this until now. It's a bit late to respond, but just in case someone else wants to know this info:

 

We were in Belfast from noon to 8PM after a day and a half at sea to get down from Norway.

We had arranged a trip to the Giants Causeway with 4 other people. The vendor was City and Causeway Tours, and they have a website. Our driver was Michael. The price, for 6 anyway, was reasonable, and we could basically customize a tour. I felt it was worth it, and loved the Causeway. At least one other person I talked to didn't like it that much, however, so I guess it's hard to say whether it is worthwhile or not. We also saw beautiful countryside, Dunluce Castle, the twisty trees from HBO's Game of Thrones fame, a viewpoint for Carrick-a-Rede bridge, some of the murals in Belfast (very interesting) and a few other sights in Belfast. We were back at the ship by around 6:30, which is what we had planned. My photos are at www dot pbase dot com /roothy123 if you want to take a look.

 

I usually google port sites to see who else is docking with us in each port. That's how I found out about the Cobh/Ringaskiddy docking location. Both places are considered Port of Cork, and listed under Port of Cork's web site. English is the universal language for ports, so you'd be surprised how many ports you can easily google just by putting "port" before the name of the place you're going! There is also another site that lists all ports and who's docking each day, but I tend to just do it the long, hard but more accurate way of googling each port.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Thank you so much. Our cruise is next July, so plenty of time. We dock the same as you did, 12-8, in Belfast. Most tours start in the morning, so good to know about this one. I will check out your pics.

 

By the way, last year you were on a Baltic cruise about a week ahead of me, so I found all your questions and answers very helpful.

[roothy123]

Well, here's more info/advice: I don't do too many private tours, but I definitely thought the one to Giant's Causeway with C&C was worthwhile. However, there WERE a few bus trips I looked into as well, and obviously they were a little cheaper. When I contacted them, however, they said they would only be running a trip (large van) if they got 16 people, since we didn't get in until noon. While I probably could scrounged up enough interest to do that, I was not willing to take the chance of missing the Causeway, so I looked at private tours. I posted a review on Trip Advisor if you're interested. I think the reviews are listed under Bushmills rather than Belfast.

 

For a private (or bus) tour to Giant's I would think about:

 

Do you want to go to the Distillery, Carrick a Rede rope bridge, Dunluce Castle (walk inside or just view from outside - which was fine for me?), famous golf course up in that area or just have a lot of time at Giant's? If Giant's, do you want to go to the Visitors Center (we didn't)?

 

Do you want to see or walk the rope bridge? Walking takes a long time, as there is a bit of a walk down there (I'm told) and then a wait in line. We passed on that. We passed on the Distillery and golf course too. Do you want to see the Antrim Coast and its gorgeous scenery? While it wasn't an eye-popping view every minute, or even every ten minutes, it was quite pretty - although you can see a bit of it as you sail close to, and into Belfast. The same is true of Cork, especially with a beautiful lighthouse 30-45 mins. out of Cork Harbor. Some tours go straight up the interior of Northern Ireland and C&C's goes the coastal route, starting above Larne, so if you're into scenery, keep that in mind. Of course, it does take more time.

 

If you use C&C be sure to tell the driver what you want to see in the time you have and also give him an indication of whether you want him to point out a lot of stuff or a little. We were a fairly quiet group and so the driver drove more than talked. However, if you want more info, he will certainly provide it if you ask or he senses you want it! For around $60-70 plus tip we felt the tour was great. The murals were eye-opening in Belfast, by the way. While the whole city is not fighting, there are still occasional "Troubles" going on, and you will sense that if you see the west Belfast area.

 

Take at least a few euro coins to the Causeway. We rode the Giant's Causeway bus (1 euro) back up, which helped minimize our walking and maximize our energy.

 

Other things that might interest you for Isles & Fjords cruise, especially if you are an independent traveler (willing to use public transportation, etc.) and like to see off-the-beaten path things:

 

When coming into the Belfast port, look for the Titanic Museum, dry dock before there, and a small ship called MS Caroline (very old - see my pics for more info). I suspect you'll probably dock where we did (Stormont Wharf, I think, in the Alexandra area) so the Titanic Museum should be visible from the dock.

 

When docked in Portland, go to the top of the ship and look for the chalk horse on the hill.

 

If you are unfortunate and dock in Ringaskiddy for Cork, do not miss the sail-in or sailaway when you pass Cobh. It's quite beautiful from the sea. By the way, Oceania DID arrange a shuttle there (to Cork) for the cruise after ours.

 

When in Weymouth/Portland, find the rowboats across the water to the beach area. It's fun and cheap. Write to the Weymouth tourism office for their booklet, with the map showing "cross river ferry" or something like that.

 

Research Portland and Weymouth a little, including maps of each place. You can probably get those on board from the tourist person who comes on board, but if not, it would be better to go with your own info. I found it a little confusing when I got off the shuttle as to how to get to Weymouth. O. gave us a map of Portland but not Weymouth, and Portland itself is fun, but Weymouth opens a whole new world. Of course, there are other places you might want to visit - Stonehenge, places along the Jurassic Coast, gardens, etc. Staying local was perfect for us, however - and no tour was needed after I researched it to death!!

 

Next summer, google the 501 bus in Weymouth. If it's running (and it almost didn't this year due to budget cuts), take it from the bus shelter near the King George statue on the Esplanade around Portland and Weymouth - fun, cheap, interesting.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

This is terrific information. I love all the research you do and I've learned a lot from you.

 

This is our 3rd and 4th O cruise, we're doing back to back Lisbon to London, then London to London. We never do ship cruises unless we're desparate.

 

Our roll call is almost non-existant at this point, which I've never experienced before. It makes early group planning difficult. I'm focusing on the trips I can take myself without depending on others.

 

Thanks a lot.

 

Judy

[roothy123]

Our Roll Call was pretty quiet all the way up until 3 weeks or so before the cruise, and then a bunch of people signed in and many were looking for a tour group to join. I forget how City & Causeway does their tours, but I think if you only have 2 people it's fairly expensive. However, I would bet that you'd be able to add more people a couple weeks (or more) from the cruise, which would reduce your cost. Maybe Black Cab and others do the same thing.

 

We have Lisbon on our "go to" list after spending a few hours there - on the way to the airport from the port on a cruise! Sigh!

 

Enjoy. I have a wealth of info on Edinburgh, Invergordon, Lerwick, Alesund, Geiranger, Dublin, Cork and Portland/Weymouth. If you have questions, just ask!

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I'd be interested in knowing what you did in Invergorton/Inverness. I don't have much interest in the Loch Ness stuff. I found an expensive Scotch whisky tour, but no one to share it with!

[roothy123]

We rented a car and drove down to the madness - Urquhart Castle (fun, but probably not of interest to you - and it got incredibly crowded an hour or two after opening), Loch Ness, and around there. We drove through Inverness, which looked like a nice place. We did not go souvenir shopping in Drumnadrochit, which is near Loch Ness and her "monster" - but the area is still kind of pretty. Fort Augustus and the locks were nice and interesting. The southern route back from there to Inverness was a bit scary to drive - not recommended if you rent a car, but nice if you want solitude. I had hoped to go to Strathpeffer and Beauly, but we were running out of steam when we got back in that area, and decided to call it a day. The rain was a little disheartening, and the whole day a bit disappointing, but certainly there are a lot of things to do around there. I'll attach part of my notes from pre-trip in case they give you ideas. I contacted a number of private tour operators, but in the end decided to rent a car for maximum flexibility.

 

Here are part of my notes; I didn't verify all this stuff, and certainly only did a fraction of it, but maybe it will give you or someone else an idea or two. I would also go to the visitinvergordon.com site for more info. They were very helpful to me.

 

INVERGORDON: Thurs. Aug. 1, 8 – 6 visitinvergordon.com (look for Rosie!)

Ibero Grand Mistral ship with us today (1550 pax; 8 -4). If get up early, may see Cromarty lighthouse (see pic) after coming through channel into Cromarty Firth (or when leave). (Not RIGHT at first, but soon after – in Cromarty, near ferry & houses. Look for dolphins, too.)

 

Look for Rosie & TI hosts at Info Point outside exit gate of Admiralty Pier. Wi-Fi there, too. Have rented car: “Reservation # 6048. Both can drive. Go to blue gate office as you leave pier. Keys can be collected 8-9.30. KENS GARAGE, clare.mackay@peugeotmail.co.uk 55GBP ($85) includes tax & fully comprehensive insurance with liability for 500GBP. Peugeot 5 seaters, manual with full tank; petrol station across road.”

 

Beauly Priory open 10-6; free; village nice. A862 offers more scenic route & avoids Kessock Bridge in Inverness. Lovely coffee/gift shop: http://www.oldschoolbeauly.co.uk. There is winery plus distillery in area. 5 miles south in Aigas there’s fish lift, 10-3, where watch salmon bypass dam with help of technology, but couldn’t find info on it. In Muir of Ord, near Beauly & only 20 mins. from Inverness, there’s agricultural festival (http://www.blackisleshow.info) at Mannsfield Showground – sheep shearing (all day), livestock, etc. Look for schedule & google traffic before leave home – costs13L ($20) to get in! From Invergordon it’s 30 mins. Get on High Street heading SW & bear right onto B817. Turn right toward A9, turn left onto A9, at roundabout take 1st exist, turn right onto B9169, turn left onto A832 & immediately right onto B9169. If reach A862 gone too far. Corner on Square is good place to eat. Check gas in Beauly – nothing between there & Drumnadrochit.

 

Glen Affric has moors, scenery, etc. Take A831 south from Struy through Strathglass to Cannich. Loch Affric has a few short walks along loch. The only public road into Glen Affric is single-track road from near Cannich. This road, some 10 miles long, has three car parks at Dog Falls, Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin & at River Affric which is where vehicle access ends. Dog Falls has several well marked walks including short gradual ascent to viewpoint overlooking Hydro-Electric dam at east end of Loch Beinn a’ Mheadhoin. At River Affric car park you can enjoy a walk by river and take in viewpoint at Am Meallan. Parking areas have picnic tables/info panels with details about wildlife, etc. There are public toilets at Dog Falls & River Affric car parks. There’s car park at Dog Falls 4.5 miles from Cannich; can stop for swim & picnic. Glen Affric Bar in Cannich has only ATM around.

 

Glen Strathfarrar is SW of Beauly & unspoiled. Take A831 9 mi. south of Beauly to Struy; follow signs. Nearby estates restrict access to 25 cars, but in general there’s access, but road is ungraded.

 

Strathpeffer has pavilion, very cute church with pointed steeples/roofs, some shops, old railroad station up north off A834 near Dingwall that’s very Victorian with great place (Museum Café) for lunch (especially soups). “Eagle Stone” (follow signs from main drag – but need directions!) is 17C pictish stone. Pump Room on Golf Course Road is open 10-5 with displays. Tulloch Castle is in Dingwall; not too far off highway. Not fantastic but nice. Believe Million Dollar View is east of Bonar Bridge a little ways – Michelin map shows viewpoint on road leading there.

 

Invermoriston on A82 between Drumnadrochit & Fort Augustus is tiny village, tranquil and scenic with photogenic old stone bridge foaming over rapids. Fort Augustus has lock system on Caledonian Canal so visitor boats can enter/leave Loch Ness. TI is in car park next to petrol station & cashpoint Abbey is now homes; not worth time. Caledonia Canal Heritage Center is free. Bothy Bite by canal bridge is reasonable. A worthwhile detour from Fort A is to take B862/852 to Dores, a mostly single-track road that skirts loch for much of length to Dores. It’s more scenic; follows original military road. Best done south to north if have time.

 

The town of Inverness is beautiful with large river running through center. There is cool castle (Inverness) at top of hill which is courthouse & admin offices. It’s pinkish sandstone & has good view of Ness & town plus has nice statue. 50 mins. from Invergordon. Loch Ness is 1 hr. 15 mins. “This season there is major road work in/out crossing Kessock Bridge. This will result in delays.” However, can check Google, select “Traffic” at appropriate times of day to see if green, yellow or red.

Loch Ness monster hunting trips start from Inverness & Fort Augustus.

 

Oceania tour will probably get to Urquhart 10-10:30. Per web site, castle opens 9:30 & costs 8L for seniors. There’s elevator from Visitor Center & can get wheelchair, too. If pay to go in, go to little boat dock before get to drawbridge for picture. Go to nearby Corrimoney burial site before heading back. Local says can’t see Castle from parking lot, but are various places along A82 where you can pull off & take picture. Beautiful view from Grant Tower. B862/852 runs along eastern side. It’s best to make circle of Loch, best done anti-clockwise using A82 from Inverness. (No buses between Ft. Augustus & Foyers). Easiest way to see Loch is tour: Jacobite Cruises (jacobite.co.uk), Loch Ness Cruises & Castle Cruises Loch Ness (12E, generally 10, 11, 12, 2 from Loch Ness Gifts opposite main Drumna car park when take A82). Loch Ness Cruises does 1 hr. cruise past castle from close to Drumnadrochit at various hrs. (see website). Inverness to Drumnadrochit/Urquhart castle takes about 20 minutes (approx 15km). There are also cruises that go up/down loch. Try http://www.visitlochness.net. Check gas – nothing until Beauly! Drumnadrochit TI is in main car park.

 

Per Michelin, Inverg to Drumnach is 1 hr. 35 mins., Urq to Inverg is 1 hr. 10 mins., Muir of Ord to Inverg is 35, Urquhart to Beauly Priory 30 mins., Strathpeffer to Invergordon is 36 mins./18 miles. Strath to Beauly is 21 mins./10 mi. Castle to Ft. Aug is 25, Inverg to Cawdor thru Inverness is 52 mins., Inverg to Inverness to Dunrobin (which is close to Dornach) is 1 hour 17, Inverg to Bonar Bridge (NW) is 45 (winding, steep in parts), Invern to Inverg is 40 if bypass Dingwall (birthplace of MacBeth), Bonar Bridge to Dunrobin is 45, Struie Road in Dornach to Inverg is 35 mins., to Dornach 36, to castle 1 hr. 10., Inverness to Clava Cairns 20 mins., Clava Cairns to Dunrobin is 1 hr. 20, Bonar Bridge to Beauly 1 hr., Beauly to Cannich 32 mins.

 

Clava Cairns: (SE of Inverness): East on A9 & B9006. Turn right at Cumberland Stone then continue for 1.5 meters/1 mile. This impressive site includes 3 cairns, girdled by stone circles & small ring of boulders. Middle cairn was ring-cairn with center open to sky. Two others, now unroofed, had entrance passages leading to burial chamber. Complex is from 4400-2000 BC.

 

Can drive east from Inverness to see Brodie Castle or Cawdor Castle (Shakespeare's Macbeth connections for latter; about 25 mins. apart) & visit Culloden Moor. Or find Dulcie Bridge. Drive from Nairn area to Grantown on Spey via Dulcie Bridge. Fewer miles but still magnificent.

 

Between Inverness & Nairn is Cawdor Castle. Dornach: Eagle Hotel is inexpensive for food; has famous golf course; is attractive & has beach & cathedral. Golspie is attractive. Duke of Sutherland monument dominates skyline. Orcadian Stone Co. has museum (5L).

 

Web sites: Visithighlands.com lochnessexpress.com (shuttle ferry entire Loch Ness; 1 ½ hrs.)

Itinerary planning & accommodation for self drive vacations: http://www.scotlandmadeeasy.co.uk

Look at e-brochures, especially if driving - http://www.visitscotland.com/e-brochures/highlands/

Handy website with lots of info about all things Scottish: http://www.welcometoscotland.com

 

Clootie wells (close to Strathpeffer - also Cloutie or Cloughtie) are places of pilgrimage in Celtic areas. They are wells or springs where strips of cloth or rags have been left. In Scots nomenclature a "clootie" or "cloot" is strip of cloth or rag. Near villages of North Kessock, Munlochy and Tore one mile west of Munlochy on A832, is clootie well at ancient spring dedicated to Saint Curidan (or Curitan), where rags are still hung on bushes/trees. Well was once thought to have power to cure sick children left overnight. Craigie Well at Avoch on Black Isle has offerings of coins and clooties. Rags, wool & human hair were also used as charms against sorcery & as tokens of penance or fulfillment of vow.

 

Transport for all Scotland: http://www.travelinescotland.com/welcome.do Many small places are served by Royal Mail post buses - set off early morning & make loops around area.

 

Midges (“mossies”) disappear if raining hard or windy; attracted to dark clothing. Take Avon.

 

Invergordon: See p-out. Walk from pier to High Street (murals, shops, library) is 5-10 mins. Also, look up hill southwest of Invergordon a little before dock to see monument on Fyrish Hill.

 

Internet: NO wi-fi at library, but available in cafes & Info Point at dock. Public Library on High Street has internet. Get "guest account." Church of Scotland (church with tall spire) has Seaman’s Mission, which sells phone cards & offers internet access to crew members.

 

Food: Castle Restaurant in Inverness sounds basic but good (41 Castle St.; cash). Restaurants in pubs & hotels often are only open 12:30 to 2 for lunch.

 

One person says “Invergordon threw us sail-away concert with bagpipes & drums.”

[bornfreenowexpensive]

Thanks so much. My DH can't drive due to vision issues, so I am the only driver, and I wimp out when it comes to driving in Great Britain and Oz.

 

I will check out everything.

 

Judy