Back in the Kingdom of Fife

We began our day in Dumfries and Galloway......and ended in The Kingdom of Fife.  Sounds like quite a transition, don't you think?

Actually, I was told that the term, "Kingdom of Fife" refers to the fact that the area was once rich in many natural resources.  It is the only "Kingdom" by name left in Scotland.

But let me begin by sharing just how awesome my last-minute B&B find was in the little town off of the Irish Sea. 

The "Old Shop" was built in the mid-1840's and once stood as exactly that.....a shop.
There were signs of a pier leading out to the water, and I read that this place was actually a big port of emigration to the United States and even as far as Australia.  That might explain the 10 or 12 houses in a row, and the presence of a pub, which were not to be seen anywhere nearby on our travels to this place. 

Here's a photo of "The Old Shop".  Our room was the one on the left on the top.

 And here is the view from our window.

Imagine just how awesome it would have looked if the day had been clear!

This shows the view down the street, although the mist is hiding a very large mountain in the distance. 

And here's a view from the beach.

There was this really cute "hide" where you could sit and look out at the beach without having to stand in the wind and the rain.   It had a comfy sofa and two chairs inside, with a large window for viewing.  What a terrific idea!

Yep!  I'd say that this was a pretty good find.....that's for sure.  Actually, it's too bad that we couldn't stay a bit longer just to take in the beauty of the sea.

But we never did see the amazing view because we were off early to New Abbey where we attended 9:30 Mass at St. Mary's.

Marty and I really enjoy attending Mass in these small town churches because the parishioners are always eager to invite us to a little social with coffee and cookies after Mass where they enjoy conversing with us and asking us about our adventures.  And today was no different.  

Of course, I was flattered when one woman told me that I looked "stunning"!   Then she went on to tell me that I looked very "American".  Hmmmm......wonder what gave me away? 

After our chat, we headed over to Sweetheart Abbey, just a few blocks away.  It was certainly easy to spot.

This is another Cistercian monastery founded by Lady Devorgilla in 1273.  When Lady Devorgilla's husband died in 1268, she had his heart cut out and embalmed in a box that she carried with her for 20 years.  When she died, she was laid to rest in this abbey, "clutching the box to her bosom".  As a result, the monks named the abbey Sweetheart Abbey to commemorate her true love.  

In the graveyard there stands a very interesting gravestone that I thought  my genealogy friends might find very interesting

The family tree continues on the other side. Imagine coming to find your roots and stumbling upon something like this!  So many questions answered in one spot.  Amazing!

We took a "wee" walk before heading off to our next destination:  Caerlaverock Castle.

Ok, I can hear it now......"Not ANOTHER castle!"  

But, honest, this one is really unique.  Not so much in its history (although it is linked with Robert the Bruce on the trail), but because of its shape.

It's kind of hard to tell from the photo, but the castle is shaped like a triangle, and is surrounded on all three sides by a moat.  It was built in the 13th century and invaded by Edward I during his attempt to lay siege to Scotland's throne.  The castle was renovated in the 16th century, but fell to the hands of the Protestants since the owners, the Maxwell family, were devout Catholics and the castle actually had a church on the grounds.  It has been left as ruins since.  

From here, we drove to Dumfries where we decided to take a short walking tour through the town.  This town also has ties to Robert the Bruce as well as to Robert Burns, the National Poet who died here. 

We began at the Midsteeple, which was built in 1708.

Wish I had some insight into the emblem on the building.

But, alas, I could not find anything to explain what looks like an angelic Norseman, standing on a boat,  holding up his belt while clutching a staff.  I'm certainly up for suggestions if you have any.

Here you see the Devorgilla Bridge, built in 1432, the very first bridge over the River Nith.   

No worries....the bridge is for pedestrians only. 

Here you see Greyfriars Church  with a commemorative statue to Robert Burns.

I was amazed by the reflection in the still water of the River Nith further upstream.

Here stands the Hole I' The Wa' Inn with a photo of Robert Burns.

I'm not sure of the historical significance, but the name sounds pretty cool...don't you think?

Walking along the trail, we spotted the Robert the Bruce Tavern.  

To my knowledge there is no historical significance, except that the people following the trail might want to stop in for some wee refreshment.  

Just around the corner, there is a plaque on one of the buildings that is near the Greyfriars Church.

The Greyfriars Abbey once stood where there is a convenience store now. 

The plaque commemorates the slaying of Red Comyn by Robert the Bruce.  He had invited Comyn to the chapel for a meeting, and they had left their swords outside.   A fight broke out near the main altar, and Robert the Bruce slayed Comyn there.  Although the event was a pivotal one leading to Scottish independence, I found the course of events to be rather disturbing, particularly since it occurred in the abbey church.

At this point, we decided that it was time to head off towards Cupar where we would be staying the night.  It was 180 miles to our destination.  Scotland has a few large roads, but most of our travels would be along the smaller routes.

The sign along the road gave an indication of what we could expect.

I don't know about you, but I find the "snow forecast" sign to be rather amusing.  It really doesn't tell you much, but, then again, I suppose that it does tell you what you need to know.

Not far from Dumfries we discovered that quite a bit of the white stuff had fallen, and the roads were quite icy.  It was some tricky driving for awhile, but once we made it a bit further north, the roads were clear, and easily maneuvered. 

We found our B&B easily enough, and walked to a local restaurant which is located in the building of the town Gaol from past days.  Our entertainment for the evening was watching a young man, about 16 years of age, attempt to eat a 3 1/2 pound hamburger, complete with the trimmings.  The challenge was to consume the entire meal, (complete with cole slaw and chips) in 45 minutes time....then you could get the meal for free.

Ok.....so it's obvious that we are easily entertained.

By the way....he ended up paying for the meal and taking home a "doggy bag".  So much for that challenge.  And, no......neither of us have any intention of going back to try it ourselves.