Scotland

September 23-27, 1998

I took the train up from York to Edinburgh. The journey took about 2 hours, so I got in really early, about 11 a.m. That left a lot of the day left to explore and sightsee. After checking in at my B&B, I decided to catch another train up to Stirling.

When we think of Stirling, we think of silver or a football player (think Sharpe). However, when the Scots think of Stirling, they think of a very old and traditional seat of power. William Wallace, he of "Braveheart" fame, even has a monument here dedicated to his fight for freedom from the British in the late 1200's/early 1300's. Stirling is located about an hour northwest of Edinburgh by train in what is known as the Trossachs.The Trossachs are one of the main routes through Scotland to the highlands so it was a very strategic area when Scotland and England were fighting all those wars centuries ago.

Stirling also has a castle and the Guide Friday bus tours. Unfortunately, aside from the castle (which was was main I went to Stirling), I didn't see any of the other historical attractions is this small, but intriguing, town.

I caught the Guide Friday bus at the train (excuse me, Rail) station and rode it about 1/2 hour until we reached the castle. I spent about 2 hours at the castle, a lot of which was under restoration when I was there. As I like to climb around, I was a bit disappointed - not much to climb on. But there was a lot of castle to see, and I saw every darn inch of it I could, blisters and all.

Stirling Castle, Stirling, Scotland

That night, I went on the Mary King's Close, led by Mercat Tours. Mercat Tours actually has a lot of different types of tours, all of which leave from the Mercat Cross (which has it's own bloody history - people used to be nailed to it and left to die many years ago). Ironically, it sits next to St. Giles Cathedral and across the street from some current Edinburgh city offices, the courts I think.

A close is a very narrow lane, off which residences and businesses were located.
When I say narrow, I mean narrow. Sanitation in these places was just a dream. People used to throw their refuse - regular garbage and their sewage - right into the middle and it would ooze down to the bottom of the Close.

Most closes are named after someone who lived there,
so it seems to reason that a Mary King lived on the particular one. Mary King's Close is also reputedly haunted, so I got to hear a lot of stories about lots of other people seeing and hearing ghosts. I did not. But the stories were entertaining and well-presented, and just seeing these old rooms from many centuries past invoked a kind of awe. In America, we just don't have stuff this old.

The next day, Wednesday, September 24, I decided I was spend just in Edinburgh. Edinburgh has much to see and do, not least of which was my Guide Friday tour (have I told you how much I like these tours? If not, go read the York narrative). To catch this tour, I walked about a mile from the B&B over to Prince's Street (aka, The Royal Mile). Not that much fun on four blisters by this point.

I got off at the bottom of the Prince's Street, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This palace has a lot of history tied up with Queen Mary (otherwise known as Mary, Queen of Scots). Her husband, Lord Darnley, apparently killed one of her advisors here (it is rumored that one of her lover's killed Darnley, who did die a few years after the poor advisor).

Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Scots became so disenchanted with Mary that she was forced to abdicate in favor of her son, James (eventually James I of England after Elizabeth I died) and flee to England. Elizabeth I, Mary's cousin, held her in house arrest for about 20 years before she had her executed for treason (apparently Mary decided she wanted Elizabeth's crown if she couldn't have her own). Both Mary and Elizabeth are "interred" at Westminister Abbey in London.

Holyroodhouse was furnished as it might have looked in the 1500's, complete with a replica of Mary's bedroom from that time. I believe the docent said that the bedspread was the original. All I remember was that it was gold. Attached to the Palace are the ruins of an abbey. That, to me, was more impressive than the actual Palace. I guess I just like stone ruins. The gardens were also nicely tended.

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

After Holyroodhouse, I caught Guide Friday over to the castle. Edinburgh Castle. Like Stirling, it sits on top of a hill but at the top of Prince's Street. Even though it's just one mile up the hill from Holyroodhouse, it took the bus about ½ hour to get there. Right before the castle is a large car park (we would call it a parking lot).

About a month before I came to Edinburgh, the annual Scottish Tattoo was held, which lasts about a week. Bleachers were set up in the car park for the shows and pageants, and they were still being cleared away in late September.

I liked this castle because there were a lot of stone stairs and passageways on which I could climb around. I really like it when the old castles have no furnishings; it makes it easier to imagine what it might have looked like way back when, when the castle was new, because I don't have any preconceived notions of how the castle looks now. It also makes it easier to think about all the people who have walked where I walk over all the years.

I obtained an audio tour, which I think had a CD. At the press of a button, you could listen to an explanation of whatever sight you wante; each site had a specific number. It took about two hours to see everything, including the Scottish regalia (royal jewels) and St. Margaret's Chapel, the oldest part of the castle. The castle also had the requisite cannon and a splendid view of the city.

Next door to the castle is Scottish Whiskey Tour. This is an overview of how Scottish whiskey is made, complete with gift shop and tasting, if you so desire. I did not desire. The Scottish Whiskey Tour also had a ride. Not a very fast ride and certainly not any competition for the Matterhorn at Disneyland, but a ride nevertheless. Since my feet were really hurting and I was pretty cold, I decided to turn in early. Not that I went to sleep or anything, just went back to the B&B fairly early, no nightly walking ghost tours.

Urquhart Castle, Scotland

Friday, September 25, I took a day trip to the Scottish highlands. I especially wanted to go to Urquhart Castle. But first, we had to go to the pre-determined tourist spots contracted by the tour company - Pitlochrey (which is a very nice little town), Inverness (we stopped at an outlet store for lunch and "shopping") and then Urquhart.

At Inverness, we were given the option of catching a boat for the ride down Loch Ness to the castle, which I did, or proceed to Urquhart via the bus, stopping at a museum somewhere. Once at the castle, the tour company was a bit skimpy on the time we were alotted; there was hardly enough to get from end to the other before the bus left.

Urquhart Castle, Scotland

Urquhart was great! A castle which I could actually climb in and around, towers with circular stairways,
turrets, ruins, my dream castle. Except for the fact that the British blew it up back in the mid-1600's
after the Jacobite Rebellion to prevent the Scots from using it against the British again. It's amazing
that anything is left. After that, we pretty much drove straight back to Edinburgh, with a stop for about
1/2 hour in Glencoe. I seriously thought I was going to get sick on the ride back to Edinburgh from
Urquhart. We drove on this very windy road for about an hour. Eventually, we got back to Edinburgh about 8 p.m.

I also took a 1/2 day trip on Saturday, with the same tour company and the same driver, down to
Melrose Abbey and Abbottsford. Abbottsford was the home of Sir Walter Scott. Melrose Abbey was very prominant in the 1400's and 1500's, and has very distinctive pink stones. At least, what's left of it
does. It is now in ruins, although a lot of the abbey itself is still standing.

Melrose Abbey, Scotland

I really was disappointed with this tour company. If I had had more guts, I would have figured out a
way to get down to Melrose myself, because then I would have had more time. As it was, I think they gave us about 45 minutes. Not enough time to listen to the CD headset/tour for Melrose Abbey (same concept as that for Edinburgh Castle). Melrose Abbey was the reason I went on this tour in the first place.

Saturday was my last full day in Edinburgh, and I ended it on the Witchery tour, I do not recommend this tour. The guide dresses up like Dracula (at least my guide did), and he has a cohort who follows and "haunts" the tour throughout. You do get a nice book of all the ghost stories told on the tour at the end of the tour, however. I still have mine.

I left Edinburgh bright and early Sunday morning, September 27, taking the train on the trip back to
London. The trip between Edinburgh and London takes about 4 to 4 and 1/2 hours by train. It goes even quicker if your train goes about 80-100 mph, as mine did when it had to sit on the tracks for about 40 minutes and needed to catch up. I believe we actually got in a little early.

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