Felt welcome in Scotland

Three friends and I took a thoroughly enjoyable brief trip to Scotland, Jan. 14-19, 2009. Our purpose was twofold: visit St. Andrews University in St. Andrews and spend two days in Edinburgh (where a delightful taxi driver referred to two of us as “Edinburgh virgins”).

The weather was cold, wet and windy, but the Scots were unfailingly friendly and helpful and the sights, beautiful. Even in just-under gale-force winds, Edinburgh Castle was a highlight to us though not to our umbrellas. The two of us who visited Holyrood Palace early on Sunday morning had the rooms to ourselves. Who could ask for more?

In St. Andrews, we found The Inn on North Street (127 North St., St Andrews, KY16 9AG, Scotland; phone 01334 473387, fax 474664) a perfect spot for visiting the university, and we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go. Reasonable rates ($133 per night) and an included breakfast added to its clean rooms and large en suite baths.

In Edinburgh we stayed at the Frederick House Hotel (42 Frederick St., Edinburgh, EH2 1EX, Scotland; phone 0044 131 226 1999, fax 131 624 7064). It is old but very conveniently located to Princes Street, the Royal Mile and public transportation.

The rooms ($111 per night) were clean and warm. Most of the staff were helpful, and all were very friendly and courteous. The included breakfast was very good, had a varied menu and was promptly served at Rick’s, located across the street from the hotel.

On Monday we arrived at the airport in Edinburgh at 7 a.m. for our 9:05 flight to Newark and were greeted with the news that, due to bad weather in New Jersey, our flight had been delayed until 12:45 p.m. The Continental Airlines staff in Edinburgh was very courteous and helpful, even when they told us we would not be able to get a connecting flight out of Newark until Tuesday morning.

This was not good news for three teachers who were due back in their classrooms Tuesday. We ate our voucher-paid-for breakfasts, played Scrabble, talked, graded papers and eventually left for the States.

The flight home was smooth and mostly pleasant. (One flight attendant had an aversion to smiling and snapped a bit too much, but the others were very professional.)

Arriving in the US, we were met with abruptness, rudeness and very little help from the Continental Airlines employees at Liberty International Airport in Newark. We were tired and they were tired too. However, their job is to assist travelers, and we could not help but think that the first impression many people got of the United States that day must have been bleak.

No one can control the weather, but people can control their attitudes. We suggest that Continental employees in Newark look across the ocean for lessons in how to handle a hard day at the airport! The four of us are thankful that those who greeted us in Scotland made us feel welcomed to their country.

JANET WEST

Rock Hill, SC