Next up in our Braw Tour Stories is a private tour that really meant a lot to us and also to our wonderful guest, Linda.
Linda was traveling to Scotland for the 22nd International Handbell Symposium in Aberdeen, but she also wanted to use the opportunity to trace her family history. Her ancestors had emigrated from Ireland to Scotland in the 1850s, and old census records had helped her identify towns, streets, and addresses in Lanarkshire connected to her grandfather and great-grandfather, some dating back more than 150 years.
Linda knew many of the original homes would be long gone. As she joked before the trip, her brother had asked her to photograph the parking lots that had probably replaced the old miners’ houses. What mattered was having the chance to stand in her ancestors’ footsteps and visit the places where her family had once lived.
She sent her research to her tour planner Leah, who used it to create a personalized two-day tour, with private driver-guide John helping Linda track down the old locations once she arrived.
Linda’s Itinerary
Day 1:
Collection in Edinburgh – Airdrie Town – Coatbridge – Bothwell – Blantyre – Hamilton – 45 London Street. – Larkhall – Drop-off in Glasgow – Dinner at the Butterfly and the Pig with Leah.
Day 2: Collection in Glasgow – Mass at St John’s Kirk – Scone Palace – Highland Cow & Alpaca Experience – Stonehaven – Drop-off in Aberdeen.
Day 1: Following Linda’s Family History Through Lanarkshire
Linda was collected by John from the Apex Grassmarket Hotel in Edinburgh and traveled through Airdrie, Coatbridge, Old Monkland, Bothwell, Blantyre, Hamilton and Larkhall.
The addresses she had uncovered included places such as Merrystone Square in Coatbridge, New Street in Hamilton, Springpark Place in Blantyre, and Meadowhill Rows in Larkhall, to name a few.
Linda even visited St. Patrick’s Church in Coatbridge, a particularly powerful stop because it was where her great-grandfather was christened! She later discovered the church had only been built five years before his christening.
With many of the old streets and buildings long gone, finding addresses from century-old census records wasn’t easy. John helped narrow down the locations, allowing Linda to see where her grandfather and great-grandparents grew up.
As Linda later told us:
“I was able to see where my grandfather and great-grandparents grew up. The houses were all gone and replaced by a hospital, garages, and apartments for the elderly, but I enjoyed seeing the areas where the members of my family had been.”
Dinner with Leah in Glasgow
Linda’s time with her tour planner, Leah, went beyond planning the tour logistics. After working together to turn Linda’s family research into an itinerary, the two got on so well that Linda invited Leah to join her for dinner.
At the end of her first day, Linda met Leah in Glasgow, where they had dinner at the Butterfly and the Pig. Leah recommended the steak pie, a much-loved Scottish comfort food, and they both ordered it while chatting about their planned home improvements!
There was also a missed opportunity involving dessert.
The couple at the next table had ordered sticky toffee pudding, another Scottish favorite, but Linda and Leah were simply too full to manage one themselves. Leah suggested Linda make sure she tried this classic dessert later in Aberdeen, because as far as Leah was concerned, you can’t leave Scotland without trying sticky toffee pudding!
Linda did eventually encounter sticky toffee pudding again at one of the Handbell Symposium lunches. However, she reported that it looked nothing like the version she had seen at The Butterfly and the Pig. She also got to try another Scottish dessert at the Symposium Gala Dinner: cranachan.
We know Leah absolutely loved helping Linda trace her ancestors, and she was thrilled to meet up with her in person to share a lovely meal.
“It was wonderful to connect Linda with her family history, and introduce her to some of our delicious grub!”
Day 2: Perth, Scone Palace and Highland Cows
The second day was less about family research and more about giving Linda a chance to enjoy some very different Scottish experiences.
After leaving Glasgow, Linda traveled to Perth for the 10 am Mass at St. John’s Kirk, followed by a visit to Scone Palace.
Then came one of the experiences she would particularly remember: meeting the Highland cows and alpacas at Newton Farm. Linda got the chance to brush one of the Highland cows and even persuaded John to briefly have a go himself!
An Unplanned Afternoon in Stonehaven
One of Linda’s favorite memories came from an unexpected stop. After leaving Newton Farm, she realized she hadn’t eaten since early morning, so John suggested stopping in Stonehaven.
A local recommended Molly’s overlooking the beach, but by mid-afternoon they were only serving tea and cake. Linda didn’t mind. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, with families enjoying the waterfront, and she took photos of the beach and colorful hanging baskets as they walked through town.
A few days later, those photos became an unlikely conversation starter at the International Handbell Symposium. At the Gala Dinner, Linda discovered that five people at her table were from Stonehaven. She showed them her photos and told them about her afternoon at Molly’s, while they shared stories about the town, including how local volunteers plant and maintain its flowers.
A spontaneous stop for a late lunch gave Linda an unexpected connection with five people she had never met before. As Linda put it:
“A chance afternoon walk by the beach led to a unique and congenial dinner conversation.”
Looking Back on Linda’s Tour
This was only a two-day tour, but it had a very personal purpose.
Linda didn’t come to us with a list of Scotland’s most famous attractions. She came with census records, family names and addresses dating back to the 1800s.
Leah turned that research into an itinerary, while John helped refine the locations on the ground until Linda could stand in the areas where her grandfather and great-grandparents had once lived.
The tour also left room for experiences that had nothing to do with genealogy: brushing a Highland cow, dinner with Leah, steak pie in Glasgow and an unplanned afternoon beside the sea in Stonehaven.
For Linda, it was exactly the kind of personal experience she had hoped to find.
“My tour that you arranged greatly exceeded my expectations! You and John gave me the perfect two-day tour.”
We were delighted to hear how much Linda enjoyed her two days with us. This tour meant a lot to our team too, especially having the opportunity to help Linda reconnect with her family history and visit places that held such a personal connection.
