Favorite British Isles Explorer port souvenirs

[SempreMare]

There is already a great thread for questions and discussion on the British Isles Explorer cruise itself.  

 

I’ve been meaning to start this topic for eons.  I don’t recall a trip where I discovered as many souvenirs that I still value and find truly useful. 

 

Before the cruise, I resolved to NOT buy anything.  I don’t need anything.  I want to focus on people and experiences, not things.  And yet…

 

Here’s one souvenir that I couldn’t resist and am glad I didn’t:

 

What: A Cashmere scarf in blue plaid

Purchased in:  Edinburgh, in a store very close to the tour drop off point.  

 

I love blues.  This scarf has them and it’s so warm!  Scarves like this are not a common find in Texas :).  

Am currently in sunny but cold Stockholm where Viking Homelands begins on Monday.  This scarf is perf! 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by SempreMare

[SempreMare]

So this is less a “souvenir” and more a thing purchased that created a memorable moment: 

 

A small container of Orkney Island milk from a tiny local downtown grocery that I chugged right there on the spot.   For some reason I was craving milk.   Maybe I was slightly low in calcium (Yep, I’ve been to the ER for this reason right after a surgeon accidentally removed 2 of my 4 parathyroid glands eons ago.) 

 

I LOVED the Orkney Islands for reasons I should discuss in that other thread.  Related to the milk,   With grass this lush and cows this happy, I knew the milk had to be delicious.  It exceeded expectations…

 

Things in other photos include: 

- The Orkney Island Westray Wife cheese.   Delicious back on the ship.

- A winter cap that helped me be less cold during sailaway while taking pics from outside the explorer lounge.

- Orkney Beremeal from that same grocery with the amazing milk.  I did not purchase but seeing the photos again reminds me of @Clay Clayton’s discussion of serious grits.  If you are a serious baker and going on British Isles Explorer, it might be interesting.

- Orkney Island Oatcakes.  These I did not like.  I had hoped they would be similar to the Oatcakes I discovered in Seattle sold by that famous downtown Seattle bakery.  Those are amazing.  These were too…. ‘Earthy” vs what I was expecting.  

 

All in all the entire day was wonderful.  I’m still craving that milk.

[loriva]

@SempreMare -- I bought that same brand of oatcakes last September on a British Isles circumnavigation with another cruise line.  I did like them.  But will be in Seattle in July, so you'll need to share the name of the bakery when we see each other next week onboard the Jupiter!  Enjoy Stockholm!!

[katlew]

I'm a knitter & knitting pattern designer, so yarn from Shetland was a big deal for me to get there. I turned the yarn into mittens using Shetland peerie fair isle patterns. For my husband, his best souvenir was the bottle of Highland Park whiskey that he couldn't get in the states and some tasting glasses. 

[Peregrina651]

If you are planning to bring foodstuffs back into the country, here are two USA govt website to check out. https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/know-before-you-go/prohibited-and-restricted-items

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/traveler/intl-travel

[Jim Avery]

Easy to pack.🍺

[daleybread]

Great thread. I strongly agree with all of these picks.

[SempreMare]

Hey there and Thank you @daleybread 

Your posting happened to help me remember the name of the castle I couldn't remember when posting the above.

 

For the port of Dover, I chose the  AM Walmer Castle excursion and PM Sandwich town walkabout.

Totally enjoyed both.  The Walmer Castle was interesting and historic, with a great cafe and place to enjoy tea.  Most importantly ;-),  it has an unmissable gift shop !! 

 

I particularly enjoyed the fact that the gift shop stocked SMALL portions of interesting gin available for purchase.   I especially like Elderflower.  I purchased the Elderflower & Rose,  St. Clements, and the sampler  shown below. 

 

 

 

 

I did not purchase but was intrigued by these 

Damsons?  What the heck are Damsons !?! 

So yes, I can google and found this.

I wish they had stocked a small version of that gin.

Is anyone here a Damson gin fan?   Just curious to hear more about it.

 

I regretted not purchasing that Raspbery preserve.  I was thinking about room in my suitcase, but it would have been fun to try and share with people I met on the cruise.  

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by SempreMare

[dd57]

Damson is a kind of plum.

[uktog]

Any gin made in the area will be a good buy. UK craft gin is a big artisan development in recent years. Both Orkney and Shetland have amazing offerings- and Edinburgh Gin which is a widely found brand has a fabulous rhubarb gin (trust me) 

[Cubs Fan]

I loved everything in the Orkney’s.  There are wonderful jewelry designers with shops there.  The Highland Park whiskeys are available at the duty free shop in Heathrow and in The states too.  It was a wonderful day there.

[Mich3554]

We have got to cram 8 bottles of scotch into our luggage when we go home.  Granted, 3 of the bottles were bought in the duty free store in Indonesia when we were trying to finish up currency we had left.  
 

I get to figure out how to cram 5 sweaters and a scarf into my luggage.  Had any yarn shores been open (we were there on Sunday) while we were in the Shetlands, I’d be figuring how to cram yarn in too.