A Rainbow Day in Scotland

This morning began with amazing skies, and I couldn't resist taking a couple of photos prior to our heading out for today's gallivanting adventure.

The sun had just risen

and was reflecting off of the white buildings.  

Isn't it lovely?  Great way to begin the day, for sure!

Our first destination was Blackness Castle, which is just a bit west of here and sits on the Firth of Forth.  I have always wanted to visit this castle, but never seemed to be able to fit it into our schedule on past trips to Scotland.

This castle was first built as a residence for the Crichton family and was originally a port for the royal burgh of Linlithgow. In 1453, it became a castle.  King James V transformed Blackness castle into an artillery fortification.  In later years, it became a prison under Charles II and James II both of who imprisoned many Covenanters. 

I was amazed to see how well preserved this bulwark continues to be.  Walking around the grounds, one could easily imagine how it served its purpose in the 16th century.

Located out on the Firth,  it would have been easy to spot any potential invaders.  And, because of that location, it made for an excellent vantage point for enjoying the vistas.

The weather could not be more perfect for viewing the three bridges in the distance

and the town of Blackness

Here we are at the top of the tower

and, again, on the spot that juts out over the water.

When we first arrived, we were kind of confused by a group of four women, who were posing on their black peugeot, with the castle in the background.  In fact, one asked Amy if she would take their photograph, at which point, all of them hoisted themselves up on the side doors, and stuck their arms in the air while Amy took the photo.  

As we were walking through the castle, I soon was able to solve the mystery behind their enthusiasm, and let me just say,  it had nothing to do with King James V or Oliver Cromwell.

Apparently a scene from the recent series, Outlander, was filmed at this location.  That became obvious when a couple was touring with a guide, dressed in a kilt, and they were commenting on how they hadn't seen Jamie or Clair.

When we were in the ticket office, prior to leaving, I spotted a poster that showed all of the various locations where some of the show had been filmed.  I was amazed to see that Marty and I had seen most of them, (and there had to be at least a dozen mentioned), all prior to the filming. 

Each one of the venues had been fascinating to tour, but now I fear that they are being inundated by tourists fascinated with the show.  Even the proprietor of the B&B where we are staying told us that she has been booked with Canadian and American women, all coming in small groups, to take Outlander tours.

Now, that is fabulous for the local economy, I'll admit.  But I began to fear that the once intimate settings that we had visited would be overrun with Americans who weren't the least bit interested in the actual history behind the castles or landmarks.   I realize that there is actually no harm in people taking a tour in this fashion, except that it does lessen the enjoyment when there are large crowds to try to maneuver around. 

And, this might be going out on a limb, but please....please....PLEASE....if you are reading this and planning on taking an Outlander tour, please take the time to learn the actual history behind where you are.  It is fascinating and, actually, much more exciting than an Outlander episode, which, may I mention, is fictional. (I hope you do realize that.)

Ok, I'm off my soapbox for now regarding that, so let continue regarding this day's adventures.

We took a quick trip to see the Kelpies. The largest equine structures in the world, it took only 90 days to raise the structures made of stainless steel plates.  

They were completed in 2013 and are one of Scotland's biggest attractions.  And, believe me, the place was hopping with visitors today.

Just as we were leaving,  a sudden shower appeared, and the result was a beautiful rainbow overtop the Kelpies. 

How lucky was that?

From there we drove to the House of the Binns which is actually located near Blackness Castle, but it did not open until 2:00.  In fact, this is another grand house that I have been trying to visit in past trips, but the hours are so limited that it made it difficult to fit into a travel schedule.  

But it worked out perfectly for today!

We arrived early, so we took a walk around the grounds.  Here you an see Blackness Castle in the distance.

On top of the hill behind the house stands this huge tower.

which offers a view of the castle as well.

Interestingly enough, there are peacocks on the grounds, and apparently flocks have existed on the grounds for centuries, as they are depicted on the plaster ceiling of the King's Room in the house.

We were able to take an interior tour of the house and the woman who was our guide was entertaining as well as informative.  She had a fabulous sense of humor and we all enjoyed learning the interesting history of this house which has stood here, owned by the same family, since 1612, when it was originally built by Thomas Dalyell, a merchant who made his fortune in the court of King James VI and I in London.

The history of the family was fascinating, and our guide took a lot of time explaining just how the title traveled down the family line as well as the contributions made by several of the generations.  

The house is actually owned by the National Trust of Scotland, but the wife of the latest Dalyell continues to live there.  Her husband, Thomas, passed away just this past year.

Mrs. Dalyell was an active part of the welcoming team, and when we arrived, she was sweeping the leaves away from the front door!  

As we were leaving, we were greeted by yet a second rainbow.

Driving down the road from the house,  we had a bit of a road block.

But that was soon remedied when they moved out of the way.  Unfortunately, I couldn't capture a photo that included sheep AND a rainbow, so this is the best I could muster.

From here we drove to Linlithgow, which is only about 5 miles away.   In 1130, King David I declared this village as a Royal Burgh. 

 In the mid-1400s, Edward I built the Palace that continues to stand here. 

The castle is really quite impressive.   

The top features a round tower where it is said that Queen Margaret anxiously awaited the return of her husband, James IV from battle. 

Unfortunately, James never returned home as he died at the Battle of Flodden.

James V had this amazing fountain built in the middle of the esplanade.

It was fed via lead pipes with the water source coming from a nearby stream.

But the most significant event associated with this Palace is the birth of Mary Queen of Scots.  This has been a favorite palace of Stuart queens over the years.

I'll just post a few photos of this amazing structure.

Ok, so that was more than a few.  Here's the last one....I promise.

What a terrific way to spend our last day!

We made the drive back to South Queensferry and decided to dine just across the street at a local restaurant, where we had a very relaxing meal, followed by a fabulous dessert.

Or, as Amy would say, it was "freaking awesome!"  And I certainly would have to agree with that!

Our trip has come to an end, but I'm so glad that you followed along.  

I do hope that you have enjoyed our gallivanting adventures. 

So, for now, we once again bid a fond farewell to this spectacular country!

Dalmeny 1/2 Mile

You DON’T want to know just how many times I saw this sign today.  I was beginning to think that the local ASDA recently had a sale on “Dalmeny 1/2 ” signs because they kept popping up in the darn’dest places.

I had planned the day’s trip to Dalmeny House but couldn’t seem to find any actual directions to the place….. not for lack of trying. Even the woman at the information center couldn’t help me.

So, I searched for the place on google maps and wrote the directions down in my notebook,  and alighted from the train station in search of Bankhead road. 

I noticed a sign marked “Dalmeny 1/2 m ” pointing to steps leading to what looked like a bike trail.  So, I made my way to the trail and walked along for what seemed to be about half a mile when I finally saw an exit to the left.  So, I climbed up the steps, and saw a similar sign that said “Dalmeny 1/2 m” pointing in a different direction. 

 I was a bit confused by this point (who wouldn’t be?), but I made my way to the street and started heading in the direction where I expected to find Dalmeny House.

I finally came to a tiny village that I figured had to be Dalmeny.

 I was on Bankhead Road, which I was supposed to take to Main street, but if I was actually on Main street, it ended in a yellow field…with no sign of the road indicated on Google maps.

So, I continued along Bankhead Road, and it was quite obvious to me that I was heading back in the direction of the train station.

I continued until I could go no further, turned around and saw the sign, “Dalmeny 1/2”.  Ok, I could believe that.

Then, I spotted another sign that said “Dalmeny House” with the little blue thistle, indicating that it was an Historic Home, and I followed the direction of the arrow.

I can’t tell you how far I walked, but I did come to another sign  and you can guess what that said.  That’s when I came up with my ASDA sign sale theory.  And, the really amusing part of this whole fiasco is that the town consists of a church, mercat cross and a few houses. 

In any event, after walking a VERY long distance, I finally came to an intersection, intending to turn right (leading me in the direction that google maps had indicated), when much to my surprise, there was a large blue sign that said, Dalmeny House……on my left!

A Church Gate House stood on the corner,

 and a very friendly man was at the gate and greeted me.  It was obvious that I was quite excited to find the place, and this fellow was amazed that I had walked from the station, and he went on to comment that it was a shame that I arrived so early, because the place wasn’t open yet.

I mentioned that I was quite aware that it did not open until 2:00, but that I had left extra time….just in case I got lost….which I had.  He left out quite a chuckle, and directed me to go along to the house and to enjoy the sheep along the way.

What he did NOT mention, was that the walk to the house from the street is 1.6 miles.  He probably knew that it would take me awhile at that point to get to the house after already walking my feet off!

I crossed the cattle grates

(the first time I’ve seen something like this) and began the walk down the road.  It didn’t take long for me to realize just why those grates are there. They are designed to keep the sheep from getting out of the pasture.  Their skinny legs would fall into the spaces if they tried walking over it.

I really don't know much about sheep, except that I have seen ewes become very territorial when their babies are around.  I've always respected that, and have backed off and away so that mamma doesn't get upset.  But here I found myself amidst the wooly creatures.  And, I was obviously the object of interest

which became quite obvious when everywhere I looked I was being stared down.

I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea to stare back, so I just ambled along, enjoying the day.  I found it rather amusing to see sheep hiding just about everywhere.

I was reminded of an episode of Shaun the Sheep and I looked to be sure that there weren't any sheep hiding up in the trees!

I could hear the calls of the Grouse, and soon spotted a pair within short distance of the road.

This was turning out to be quite an entertaining adventure for me. 

When I finally arrived at the house,  there were no signs indicating where I should enter,  no benches on which to rest and…..more importantly….no sign of any people, anywhere.

Does this kind of stuff only happen to me?

Long story short (OK, so it's already a long story, but definitely less than it could be), I found a workman who led me to the office which was NOT the entrance.  No worries, a woman escorted me through the house to the entrance, where I met an extremely entertaining woman who was obviously very excited to greet me, and even more so when she heard my accent.  I felt rather lucky because I can't imagine that anyone would be happy to have a stranger come strolling through the wrong door.

I should mention here that Dalmeny House is only open in the months of June and July, and only Sun – Wed from 2:00 through 5:00.  The house is only accessible by private tour, of which there are two:  2:15 and 3:15.

With such limitations, I would have expected more people to show up. (Perhaps they were out following the maze of "Dalmeny 1/2" signs).

 I found myself as part of a tour of three as an older couple showed up just around 2:15 p.m.

The guide was an older gentleman who obviously loved his job because he spent a LOT of time explaining the history of the family and showing us the contents of several rooms.

The family name is Primrose, but the earl is officially known as the Earl of Roseberry.  The 5th Earl of Roseberry can be credited with the beautiful house as well as the many fine collections.  He married into the Rothschild family, and with that came quite a fortune as well as countless priceless heirlooms.

From tapestries commissioned by Goya hanging in the stairwell to the original porcelain statue of Maria's Antoinette's dog found in her apartments after her execution, to an entire room dedicated to Napoleon, this manor house was brimming with countless priceless items.  And our guide was thrilled to supply all of the details.

Since the family is in residence year round, we were permitted to view five rooms,  but with so many items of interest, each with an explanation of some sort, our guide had us completely occupied for a full hour.

The final room on the tour boasts a table that can serve up to 48 guests.  Famous paintings and sculptures decorate the perimeter, and a captivating view of the firth is on view from the picture windows.  When the tour was finished, the guide asked us if we would like a cup of tea "on the house".  The couple on tour with me declined, but since I hadn't had anything since breakfast, I was more than happy to accept the offer.

The guide invited me to sit at the end of the beautiful long table while he showed the elder couple out of the building and went to retrieve the tea.   But prior to leaving, he looked at me and said, "I'm going to leave you here.....but don't touch anything!"  I had been on my best behavior during the tour, so I can't say what caused him to make that comment! 

I laughed and assured him that I would behave myself.  It was quite obvious to me that the camera in the upper corner of the room was there for a reason.

In short time, the guide returned with a cup of tea and a plate with no less than 3 slices of different tea breads.  I was told that all three were for my enjoyment. I asked him to please share them with me, but he apparently suffered from Celiac's disease and wouldn't be able to partake of the yummy looking treats.

We chatted for a few minutes, and he was called off to do the second tour.  I must have appeared trust worthy by this point, because he left just bidding me farewell.

And, I found myself in this beautiful room, with a gorgeous view of the firth

sitting at a long table that could accommodate 48 people

alone....... with a cup of tea

AND 3 slices of scrumptious looking tea breads!

Only I wasn't really alone because every few minutes a strikingly beautiful small shetland sheepdog kept running in the room, giving me a look, then running back out again. 

I sat there sipping my tea, enjoying the view and wondered if I should pinch myself.  That's the one thing about gallivanting alone.  If I wasn't living this experience, I probably wouldn't believe it.   How in the world could I expect someone else to believe this crazy stuff?

So, did I eat all three slices of tea bread?   No......I decided to partake of two, and gave some serious thought to consuming the 3rd, but decided to wrap it up and bring it back to the room for Marty.

Somehow I made my way through the maze of rooms to the entrance where I bid farewell to the friendly woman and she wished me a lovely walk.

Once again, I was in the company of sheep, but this time they didn't seem so concerned by my presence. 

In fact,  I’m pretty sure that I heard a couple of them saying “Baaaaaaye” as I  made my wait out to the road.

I decided to take a different route back to the station, rather than risk getting lost again, so I headed towards South Queensferry, 

climbed 120 steps to the top (yes….I counted them), and finally managed to make my way to the Train Station.

Marty enjoyed the tea cake, even though it was flat as a pancake by the time I got back to the room.

And, after I told him of today's adventure, we managed to put a GPS system onto my cell phone for future use.  Good-bye "Dalmeny 1/2" signs!

What a great end to the day!