The Flight of the Saltire

**B. Somm** · 26th March 10, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Ancienne Alliance

The town of Chamonix in itself is a splendour :

Do you recall what the story is behind this statue?

Originally Posted by Ancienne Alliance

Robert, what tartan are you wearing? I've never seen it before and I really like it! I also got a kick out of the inner pocket on Alex's kilt! What a neat idea!

Great pictures and it looks like you all had an enjoyable time! Thanks for sharing them!

B.

**Ancienne Alliance** · 26th March 10, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by B. Somm

Do you recall what the story is behind this statue?

Robert, what tartan are you wearing? I've never seen it before and I really like it! I also got a kick out of the inner pocket on Alex's kilt! What a neat idea!

Great pictures and it looks like you all had an enjoyable time! Thanks for sharing them!

B.

For the statue, please check out this link :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Balmat

For the Tartan, I am wearing an "old and rare" Culloden muted Tartan.

Best,

Robert

**Livingston** · 27th March 10, 08:01 AM

Beautiful pictures, Robert. One of these days....

Hopefully the Saltair will be able to make it to Colorado some day. All of its travels have somehow managed to miss all of us here.

**B. Somm** · 29th March 10, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by Ancienne Alliance

For the statue, please check out this link :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Balmat

For the Tartan, I am wearing an "old and rare" Culloden muted Tartan.

Best,

Robert

"Muted" tartan? I wonder what the non-muted version looks like!

Either way, it's a neat looking tartan!

Thanks for the link on the statue as well!

B.

**cessna152towser** · 26th March 10, 04:37 PM

Wow, Robert, you have certainly been very busy uploading all these photos.

Here is the Saltire about to lift off from Geneva airport earlier today.
The Saltire has now landed in Hawick,Scotland. It is touching to be honoured with the responsibility of caring for the wee Saltire for a few days as she continues "To Travel in Friendship". Watch this space for her next adventures.

**cessna152towser** · 28th March 10, 11:10 AM

On reading the Saltire's log book, one entry leapt out at me. In June 2009, our sadly departed friend Craig (RetroRed) had taken the Saltire to Sedona in Arizona. At that time I had never heard of Sedona but the following month I met Leslie from my clan society at the Edinburgh gathering and she had connections with Sedona. I told Leslie about xmarksthescot and she joined under the username LAScotwoman and she has since developed new friendships with xmarkers based in California and Arizona. She informed me of the Scotster website which I then joined and through which I met new friends here in Scotland. So when I went on a hike with Scotsters Alan, Fiona and Jill it seemed appropriate to bring the Saltire along to meet them and to tell them how the Saltire had, in this round about way, brought us together in friendship.

The Saltire rested in a sheltered spot in the lee of a dry stane dyke. The lassies attempted to raise their saltire flag but were thwarted by the wind.

We did some bird watching and visited Newark Castle.

Later in the day the Saltire went to Ferintosh Guest House in Dumfries.

Among Pour1Malt's guests at Ferintosh were xmarkers Chas, DoublewoodDave, EnglishBloke, Niblox, Paul and Starbjkrus so a few signatures went into the Saltire's logbook.

**cessna152towser** · 28th March 10, 11:16 AM

The Kilted Rabble.

Group shot with the Lassies.

On the stairway at Ferintosh

DoublewoodDave and his friend from Australia.

The wee Saltire was tempted by a bottle of Laphroaig single malt.

The Saltire completed a busy Saturday by visiting Pour1Malt's whisky collection.
Sunday's exploits to follow shortly.

**cessna152towser** · 28th March 10, 11:28 AM

On Sunday morning the Saltire was invited on board this ex military Catamaran patrol boat at Kingholm Quay, Dumfries. The skipper jovially informed us that this was the Scottish Navy's first ship!

The Saltire was keen to follow the River Nith to the coast and to....

Caerlaverock Castle

Spring has arrived and the ice has melted from the moat.

The Saltire joined in the group shot.

Afterwards the Saltire visited Robert the Bruce's cave.

The cave is in a cliff face beside the Kirtle Water at Kirkpatrick Fleming.

The entrance to the cave.

The Saltire in the cave, where Robert the Bruce had watched the spider spin its web seven hundred years ago.
That's all for today folks.

**piperdbh** · 28th March 10, 11:47 AM

Wow! What a thread!
I don't know which picture I like best. Thanks Robert and Alex for posting all these. I think I'll go through them all again.

**cessna152towser** · 29th March 10, 12:57 PM

Only yesterday I had made the observation in this thread that shortly after RetroRed had taken the Saltire to Sedona, a whole series of new friendships for xmarkers had been spawned. So on my way to meet Starbjkrus at Carlisle this morning, with the wee Saltire in the car beside me, I was amazed to discover that I was being followed by a vehicle whose registration plate appeared to read SEDONA. I let him pass, and yes indeed there was SEDONA spelt out in close proximity to the wee Saltire!!

I met Starbjkrus at Carlisle and we took the wee Saltire on the train...

...deep into England, to the small market town of Settle, in North Yorkshire.

A blurred shot of Dee (Starbjkrus) and myself with the Saltire in Settle Railway station.
Who can photoshop a kilt onto Dee?