And to mark the Irish national airline carrier’s opening of a new route to the capital of the Scottish Highlands we trust some will claim that they have seen the Loch Ness MonstAer.
Only there is no such creature, and there I’ve said it, although there are no shortage of fluffy merch toys.
As we found out on a visit to the Loch Ness Centre where the Son and Heir left the glove puppet soothing toy he carried everywhere.
Among all the other Nessies.
Of course, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was the fabled Loch Ness Monster which put Inverness and its environs on the tourist map.
When, in fact, word of the beauty of the Scottish Highlands had long been known.
From forays from friend and foe alike over the century.
With no less a chronicler than Samuel Johnson waxing lyrical about its beauties on his 1775 A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland.
Walking in Boswell and Johnson’s footsteps
Witchcraft: Macbeth country
Johnson commented on the diction of the Invernessians, to this day praised as close to ‘Queen’s English.’
Saying ‘The soldiers seem to have incorporated afterwards with the inhabitants.
‘And to have peopled the place with an English race.
‘For the language of this town has been long considered as peculiarly elegant.’
Johnson and Boswell were much taken by Inverness Castle, reputed home of Macbeth, and a particular fort nearby.
‘It was no very capacious edifice, but stands upon a rock so high and steep, that I think it was once not accessible.
‘But by the help of ladders, or a bridge.
‘Over against it, on another hill, was a fort built by Cromwell, now totally demolished.
‘For no faction of Scotland loved the name of Cromwell, or had any desire to continue his memory.’
All of which will be music to newbie Irish visitors to Inverness.
With the famously warty religious zealot no friend of our Celtic cousins either.
When we got our Erse kicked
Castle in the Aer: Inverness Castle down below
Today’s Inverness Castle may be different than the one B&J visited but you’ll still be able to take in the atmosphere on your visit.
Johnson goes somewhat off track though here.
With the kind of demeaning and belittling descriptions of the Invernessians which would have him cancelled today.
Although he helpfully reminds us that the Highlands and Islands is the home of the Gaelic or Erse language.
And stop giggling there at the back.
‘There is I think a kirk, in which only the Erse language is used, he notes.
‘There is likewise an English chapel, but meanly built, where on Sunday we saw a very decent congregation.’
Go West
Spooky: Traitors Castle
B&J seemingly don’t linger in Inverness, preferring to get on their journey to the remote Hebrides.
Saying: ‘At Inverness we procured three horses for ourselves and a servant, and one more for our baggage, which was no very heavy load.
‘We found in the course of our journey the convenience of having disencumbered ourselves, by laying aside whatever we could spare.
‘For it is not to be imagined without experience, how in climbing crags, and treading bogs.
‘And winding through narrow and obstructed passages, a little bulk will hinder, and a little weight will burthen.’
Bonnie Prince Charlie’s last stand
Battle weary: Charlie at Culloden
Why B&J chose not to visit the site of the last battle on British soil, at nearby Culloden in 1746, we never learn.
Although it might still have been too raw.
But you can, and learn about the fate of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and how he too fled to the Western Isles.
And because you can still board the greatest plane ever built without shelling out a fortune, we mark 50 years since its inaugural flight and how it’s always been Concorde by a nose in Scotland.
Which you can board, and enjoy, for just £14.50 of your Earth money.
And see how the other half lived, and flew, back then.
It wasn’t inevitable, of course, that Scotland would house a Concorde, in this case Golf-Bravo Oscar Alpha Alpha, the first of her kind to go into service with British Airways.
Since her maiden flight in January 1976, she has flown 22,768 hours and 56 minutes, landing 8,064 times and going through 6,842 supersonic cycles.
Concorde’s most dramatic journey
Circle of life: Your co-pilots
In almost 25 years of service, she traversed the globe, touching down in New York, Paris, Bahrain, Miami, Calcutta, Auckland and Barbados.
Its most dramatic journey perhaps though was one where it never got off the ground.
When G-BOAA took to the water instead.
On an unforgettable week-long journey from Heathrow to a bunch of fields east of Edinburgh.
Aisle be looking after you: In-flight entertainment
Concorde was loaded onto a specialist barge, the Terra Marique, at the Thames port of Isleworth.
And sailed up the Thames and north,.
Before being rolled ashore at the British Energy jetty at Torness, East Lothian.
The pipes are calling
Pot of gold: In East Fortune
She was then guided by members of 39 Engineer Regiment’s 53 Field Squadron (Air Support), with a helicopter hovering overhead.
Before, in true traditional Scottish style, was greeted by two pipers on arrival.
Which is a little bit extra.
And not what you’d get at any of the four Concorde sites in England.
From their regular visits up to Caledonia to showcase their beautiful country and to share Scots-Swiss stories.
Our Alpine amis describe Scotland’s largest city as ‘combining Victorian architecture with modern culture, a vibrant music scene, and a rich football tradition.
And a Joyeux Noel to all our pets and why a dog is for Christmas with Aer Lingus.
All animal lovers will know the challenges of transporting their creatures great and small at this time of year.
And our first-born, Celtic the Cat, would travel up in the back of the plane with a wee sleeping jag to help him with the journey.
Not that he would have needed it as he would sleep on Herself’s lap on the motorway into work in Berkshire back in the day… don’t tell!
Things are looking up: Wee Celtic
We’ll all have our tails (sorry) about how we reunite with our pets or bring them home.
And just like us they don’t like waiting in a tailback on the motorway.
Which, and don’t shoot us here, is why short-haul flights are often the answer.
Puppy heroes
Christmutts cheer: With Aer Lingus
Our friends at Aer Lingus certainly know how to look after our furry friends.
As can be seen here with Aer Lingus cabin crew member Pedro de Barros giving a warm welcome to Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland’s superhero puppies.
Or Rocket, Hulk and Phoenix to their friends, as they checked in at Dublin Airport today.
The three golden labradors, who are just 8 weeks old, were flying with Aer Lingus to Brussels.
Where they will begin specialised training to become life-changing assistance dogs for autistic children.
Aer Lingus worked closely with Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland, a Cork-based charity dedicated to providing assistance dogs to families of autistic children.
To ensure the pups travel safely and comfortably.
That’s a brood
Donegal doggies tale: With my Dear Old Dad
The puppies are part of a record-breaking litter of 15 golden labradors born in Co Tipperary in October to Labrador parents, Omma and Mango.
Which in Grandpa McNulty’s day wasn’t unusual for country folk, as he was the youngest of 15 in the Donegal townland of Brockagh.
The pups, nine male and six female, are all named after superheroes.
And I’m thinking here that my Grandpa’s poor mum was something of a hero herself.
Over the next two years, the adorable litter will transform from playful pups into expertly trained companions.
And they’ll offer independence and support to children who need them most.
To sing Galway Bay, just before the bells on Christmas Day.
All on video as part of the They Gave the Walls a Talking exhibition to showcase the diaspora.
Which Shane of course did more to champion than most.
Singing Galway Bay
Bing sings: The voice of Christmas
It was one-such Irish emigrant Dr Arthur Colahan, native of Fermanagh but reared in County Galway who wrote the much-loved song about the City of Tribes while living in Leicester.
Making Galway Bay at one point the biggest selling record of all time.
Ain’t that a Shane: Shane MacGowan
And you can’t get better Christmas cred than Bing and Shane a double act we’d have loved to have seen.
And we’ve even come up with the perfect collab… Eiretale of New York.
While Aer Lingus will fly you to the Big Apple with pre-clearance out of the Oul Country and we found a sample return flight from €566.76 for next month.
Which I do after the Son and Heir drained my Czech licquer with his pals on one of the occasions we left him with a Free House.
And he defensively told me that he would replace it after thinking that I would be duped by him and his Daft Pals leaving just a dribble at the bottom.
So if it’s Pittsburgh or Prague, Montpellier or Santiago be sure to get on board and get those stickers on your suitcase.
To show off, of course, but also to ensure your luggage stands out on the carousel.
