Homeland Visit
In May of 1997, Elinor and I travelled to Ireland and Scotland to experience a little of the 'lands of our ancestors'. In 1959 we had travelled in both countries so we were also interested in seeing the differences that nearly 40 years makes.
Several of Elinor's ancestors came from Wexford County, Ireland so we spent some very enjoyable time there. Emigration to the Ottawa valley, Ontario, Canada occurred between 1819 and 1835 so there was not much evidence to be seen in the old parish graveyards except some family names of those who chose to stay. We took the opportunity to see some of the other sights of southern Ireland including the famous 'Ring of Kerry'.
Then on to Scotland where we headed for Mull to see 'our castle'. Fortunately we had exceptionally good weather. Duart Castle does indeed present a beautiful sight as one approaches on the ferry from Oban. We are not experts on 'old castles' but this one seems to be a really good example of a well restored structure, representative of several such buildings from the great days of the clans.
We were fortunate to find 'the Chief', Sir Lachlan, there and had a most enjoyable chat with him. His response to a compliment about the castle was: " You should see it in February in the rain - it leaks like a sieve." Lets hope that our visits and those of many others generate sufficient revenue to help him keep it for the enjoyment of future generations! The displays inside the castle are well worth the time to view them. All of the staff associated with the castle, shop and cafe were particularly friendly and helpful, making this stop on our travels a most memorable experience.