Our lovely weather didn't last. It rained all day on Wednesday. Fortunately, most of our day consisted of driving. First stop was Glenfinnan to see the railroad trestle used for a steam engine that still runs. This scene was used in the Harry Potter movies and is a popular stop for tourists. We had to hike up a hill to see the train come along the viaduct. It would have been lovely except for the cold and wet and midges. I had my umbrella with me so I was somewhat protected from the rain, but the midges liked being under the umbrella with me. I got to the top of the hill but decided not to stay, even though the train was due momentarily. So I went back to the car and waited, then "stole" Christy's picture.
On the other side of the hill we climbed, looking the opposite direction was a monument erected to the battle that had taken place in this valley in support of Bonnie Prince Charles.
I couldn't help thinking as we experienced all these beautiful spots: "How sad that in all this beauty, so much bloodshed, unrest and strife had taken place."
Thursday, June 14
We woke in the morning to gale force winds and rain. We left our cozy cottage and were on our way in spite of the storm. All that rain produced some significant waterfalls down all the high hills.
We were in the car for quite a while, but eventually came to Loch Lomand...stopped to take some pictures then drove on to Stirling Castle. Loch Lomand is long (24 miles long) and narrow, so it felt like we were driving beside it for a very long way. We finally found a spot to park and get out to take pictures and explore.
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| The bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomand |
We spent a lot of time at Stirling Castle because it was so huge and rich in history.
"Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest
and most important castles in Scotland, both historically and architecturally.
The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, …and is surrounded on
three sides by steep cliffs, giving it a strong defensive position. Its
strategic location, guarding what was, until the 1890s, the farthest downstream
crossing of the River Forth, has made it an important fortification in the
region from the earliest times.
Most of the principal buildings of the castle date from the
fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A few structures of the fourteenth century
remain, while the outer defenses fronting the town date from the early
eighteenth century.
Before the union with England, Stirling Castle was also one
of the most used of the many Scottish royal residences, very much a palace as
well as a fortress. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at
Stirling, including Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1542, and others were born or died
there."
Scotland loves using the red lion and lots of unicorns in their tapestries and art work.
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| The Queen's bed |
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| The Queen's desk |
We had a delightful guide at Stirling Castle who explained the history and functions of the different parts of the castle. It was fun listening to her thick accent.
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| Robert the Bruce with Christy and me! |
Two of Scotland's most famous battles took place at Stirling. In 1314, Robert the Bruce led the Scots to victory over the English. He was greatly outnumbered by the English, but was successful because of his military genius.
Friday, June 15
We arrived back in Edinburgh Thursday evening so Friday was spent exploring the city. Driving the streets is a nerve wracking experience: they're narrow, some are cobblestoned and there are lots of roundabouts. Narrow streets don't stop 2-way traffic or huge sight seeing buses. In the earlier part of the week, driving through the country, there was less traffic and the people were generally gracious with our touristy driving. The city was a different matter and was more like driving in Philadelphia or any large city with lots of traffic and people in a hurry. Being honked at, though, does not help you drive better. In my opinion, it only exacerbates the problem, because now, you're not only doing the wrong thing (according to the one who honked), but you're adding anxiety to the mix.
Edinburgh is a very old city, even what they call the "new town" was constructed in the mid-late 1700's. The buildings reminded us of down town Philadelphia, built in rows right against the sidewalks (no front lawns), made of stone, 3-4 stories high.
And above the town is the imposing castle. The day we were there, it was mobbed with tourists.
The castle was impressive and awesome but harder to enjoy because there were so many people...long lines to see everything. We did persevere, though, and stood in line to see the crown jewels. (no pictures allowed)
Holyroodhouse was next on our agenda. This is England's royal (currently Queen Elizabeth II) residence when they visit Scotland on official duties. I didn't take a lot of pictures of these buildings because it was raining but this hedge was so impressive. We determined it was made of beech trees, trimmed to perfection.
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| the tree trunks were so thick - obviously ancient |
The castle gardens and greenhouses were fun to explore.
And to top it all off, they had a cafe there so we could sit in out of the rain and enjoy a "cuppa" tea/coffee with some Scottish shortbread. The girls enjoyed testing various flavors of tea, but I loved a "cuppa" mocha.
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| ruins of the Abbey |
Saturday, June 16
It rained all day which didn't stop us from walking all over town. I was still wearing flip flops and my feet were cold and wet all day. The sidewalks were slippery and I had to be very careful not to slip and fall, but at least my blisters weren't hurting.
Our first stop was the royal yacht, Brittania. Most of that tour was inside the yacht, although we did walk outside on the decks at several spots. The living space of the royals was quite nice - fit for a queen.
From the yacht we hopped on a bus to go to the botanical gardens. Some of the gardens were inside under roof, but we still had a lot of walking around outside.
Back in the city, we ran into a gay pride parade, but it was a peaceful mob so we popped into and out of shops continuing our hunt for souvenirs to buy. We happened upon a street magician and watched his show. Then we had our dinner at a pig roast restaurant called, "Oink, Oink!" To finish out our Scottish food experience, we went looking for a place that would provide us with the deep fried Mars bar. Yes, it's Scottish and believe me...it's decadently delicious. I'm sure it's right up there with Turkish Delight!
By the time we decided to call it a day, the buses had stopped running for the day. It was still raining, and since it was a very long walk back to our flat, we hailed a taxi. The price wasn't that bad, and we had an interesting conversation with the driver. He was asking us all kinds of questions about America which we didn't mind answering. But when he started talking about politics, I decided it was time to change the subject and asked him about England's royals. Fortunately, he took the bait until we arrived at our destination.
It was so good to get out of my wet flip flops, soak my feet in a hot tub, then get into slippers for the rest of the evening. After we arrived "home," the sun came out.
Sunday, June 17
Since our plane wasn't leaving till 5:00pm, we were able to fit in one more sight seeing adventure by going to the Tantallon Castle. This castle is mostly in ruins, thanks to Oliver Cromwell, sitting high on a promontory opposite from Bass Rock. This rock is the nesting site for 150,000 gannets every summer. We could see the tiny white dots flying over the rock and ocean but they didn't show up in the picture.
As always the castle was impressive, even in its ruins. We were able to climb to the top, but being so high gave me butterflies in the pit of my stomach. I can understand why they built those castle so high... you're able to see for miles around up there. I guess the builders weren't afraid of heights!
And so ended our Scotland trip. It was such a nice break for me, away from the routine and stress of my life and all I deal with every day. I also immensely enjoyed being with Christy and the girls. We had such a good time together, and I came home relaxed and at peace with my situation.
It's hard to believe it's already two weeks in the past, but I have a lot of pictures and memories that will keep me going for a long time. It was kind of the Lord to give me this gift.
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