The intrepid travelers at the Scottish Textiles Showcase in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Members of the Hudson-Mohawk Weavers’ Guild went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to learn about the textile heritage and industry of Scotland in May 2022. Delayed from May 2020, this trip was long-anticipated. The original idea came from Guild member Cecilia Frittelli, who visited Scotland in 2018 and immediately knew she needed to share this amazing place with other textile enthusiasts. Cecilia and Guild member Nancy Sharples spent several years planning this trip, with assistance from Kitty Bruce-Gardyne of the Scottish Textiles Showcase and logistics help from Grant Wilson of AE Chauffeurs Ltd (AEC). The result was simply amazing: a trip no one will ever forget. We will recap the trip in a series of posts. Read on to learn more about the textiles of Scotland!
Day 1. Sunday, May 8, 2022: We land in Edinburgh early in the morning and have the day to ourselves to visit the many sights of this beautiful city before our group dinner at Howies Restaurant.
Some travelers enjoy fine weather at the lovely Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. It features a spectacular beech hedge, a tulip vista, and espaliered fruit trees in flower. There is a wonderful alpine garden, an interesting trillium collection and even a big clump of terrestrial orchids. Plus a lovely garden café. Others visit the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which is the Queen’s official residence in Scotland, towering Edinburgh Castle at the other end of the Royal Mile, or just walk the length of the Royal Mile and take in the atmosphere. The group dinner at Howies Restaurant is where we get our surprise: haggis is tasty! Many in the group also enjoy sticky toffee pudding for the first time. It’s very sweet, but yummy.
