Day 5

We were picked up by a shuttle service to transport us to our car rental company after sharing breakfast at our hotel.  Our driver was a sweet man, but we could not understand a word he was saying.  We signed a few documents, shared proof of our USA drivers license and were on our merry way.  How exhilarating it was to be on the "wrong" side of the rode and car.  Shifting our "manual" with the left hand is particularly disorienting.  In the first few minutes of driving through dizzying roundabouts to get out of Glasgow was frightening!  We followed our printed directions towards Dalry to meet Sheena Harling, Gavin's 6th cousin removed at "The Cross" in front of St. Margaret's Church.  Upon meeting Sheena, we sat and had a coffee at a wee coffee shop across from the church and got to know one another.  We talked about her childhood in Dalry on a dairy farm, Gavin's ancestors and the loss of traditional Dalry businesses such as farming and weaving to a changing economy.

After sharing a cup of coffee and trying our first Tattie Scone (a potato pancake), we hopped in our car and followed Sheena about 15 minutes out of town through narrow, rural back roads to Knockendon Farm where Gavin's great, great, great, great Grandfather, James Archibald (1763-1824) was likely born.  We were greeted by fluffy white sheep and rolling green hills to the sea.  Just then, the sun came up and we paused to take a few photos with each other.  

We continued our journey from Knockendon Farm to the sea town of Largs, stopping at Finns Fish House for lunch.  There we ate some freshest oysters we've had along with bowl of Cullen Skink (a smoked fish, potato and cream soup-mmmmm!) and a local beer that was divine!  It was one of the best meals of our lives!  In part because the chef and owner built the oyster farm and talked with us about his experience/process of farming oysters and fish locally).  We felt excited to be so close to Largs and Wee Cumbrae Island, the center of so much Archbald family history.

Once in Largs, we boarded a ferry with Sheena to Cumbrae Island to visit a museum that included an exhibit on Marry Ann Woodrow Archbald's (1762-1841) life, journaling and paintings that described her life on Wee Cumbrae Island in the late 1700's before she immigrated to America.  Marry Ann is Gavin's great, great, great, great, great (again, give or take a great) Grandmother.  

Back in Largs, we checked into The Carlton Guest House and met the owner, Maggie Thorpe who arranged our private boat to Wee Cumbrae for Day 6.  We quickly got ready for dinner and walked into town to meet up with a few local relatives at a dinner arranged by Sheena.  There we met up with Sheena, Jim Archibald, and Mary and Robert Gillan (distant cousins of Gavin's).  Both Jim and Robert are retired dairy farmers and Mary is an painter who previously specialized in ecclesiastic and heraldry embroidery.  We had a great time talking about family history, politics, dairy farming and our careers.  We look forward to visiting Jim at his farm on Day 7.  We are so appreciative to have had this wonderful day with Sheena and company and will remember this experience for years to come.