We had intended to leave Penrith early and zip through to Glasgow to be there for the day, but instead had a leisurely morning and left the hotel around 9:30am.

The first stop for the day was Carlisle – to see the castle of course! Most of the castle complex was still shut down for the winter, but we were able to have a wander round and get a sense of it. This was a very important castle throughout its history – it housed Mary Queen of Scots when Elizabeth I decided she shouldn’t be allowed to roam around as she pleased. It was also important during the Jacobite uprising in the 1700s in Scotland – the castle held hundreds of Jacobean (Scots) prisoners captured by the English.

Carlisle Castle

b

From Carlisle was a very picturesque and somewhat lengthy drive to Glasgow. We arrived in time for lunch, and so went for a wander around town. Glasgow is a big, bustling, ugly place. It’s a city of a million people, and suffers from all the problems of high density living – pollution, people, traffic. It also has high unemployment, and vast towering tenement blocks. It’s not an attractive place, and a stark contrast to the small villages we’ve spent most of our time so far.

It was nice to be able to wander in the hustle-and-bustle for a while – do a bit of window shopping, but we were well done by mid afternoon, and so spent the afternoon and evening lounging in the comfort of our hotel room. Room service, bliss.