New Lanark: Robert Owen's Dream

The morning began with our exploration of the village of Biggar.  We had seen the sign for a Puppet Theater near our B&B, and we made that first on our list. Sure enough, we found a beautiful old mansion which housed a Puppet Theater.

Marty was kind enough to stand outside the wall that featured the Sign for Purves.

We checked the performance schedule, but when we saw that the only showing today was for "Pippa and Panda Meet the Tooth Fairly", we both decided that our time would be better spent on other things.

So, we walked around the town and found some real surprises.

Here you can see the oldest house in the village of Biggar. 

 It was once an inn and it housed retreating Jacobite rebels from the army in 1746.  

 Marty was happy to demonstrate just how low the doorway was.

We stumbled upon a Gas Works museum just a block away from High Street.

We were surprised to read that Coal had been used as a fuel to make gas which was then pumped to the houses in Biggar for heating.

Marty was impressed with the wheels at the tops of the tank that allowed it to "float".

Outside the community center there is a statue of a snow shovel:

It was invented by an engineer named Cutherbertson who came from Biggar.  If you look closely, you can just catch Marty admiring it.

Finally, we passed by the Moat Park Heritage Center, but it was too early to actually go through it.

Actually, all of the sites in Biggar had late openings, so we decided to jump in the car and head to New Lanark.

This place was fascinating.  It is now a preserved Unesco World Heritage site and it is set up so that as you descend the steps from the car park, you actually feel like you are being transported back in time to the early 1800's.

At that time, there was a working cotton mill and housing tenements on this location.  Hydraulic power was used to run the mill and it actually continues to work as such, but with wool rather than cotton.  

In fact, Britain led the world in developing steam power in the 18th and 19th century.

In the early 1800's a man by the name of Robert Owen purchased the mill.  He was responsible for setting up this community where people had decent housing, free medical care,  and were encouraged to maintain cleanliness by sending health visitors known as "Bug Hunters"to every family residence. 

He began the first nursery school and set up education on site for the community.

Here Marty poses next to a globe that is a replica of the original from 1828 which was 19 ft in circumference.

Some other interesting facts about Owen were that he did not believe in punishment, but rather, depended upon the Book of Character to keep people honest and hard working.

Owen firmly believed that well educated people were the best workers and that there would not be any tendency to stray towards crime.

Owen was responsible for one of the first cooperatives, purchasing high quality foods in bulk, then selling them in the New Lanark store at a much lower cost than what could be purchased elsewhere. People ate better because they could afford it.  You have to admit, this was really radical thinking on the part of the business owner in the early 1800's.

Unfortunately, Owen succumbed to the pressure from other businessmen who did not understand his compassion for the working class.  He ended up selling the mill and moving to Harmony, Indiana, where he attempted to build a similar community.

There were several building which we could tour that took us back in time to understand the living conditions of these mill workers.  And, we were even able to watch wool being spun onto skeins in large quantities.  It was fascinating to see the machinery at work.

On the top of Mill #3, there is a lovely rooftop garden.

Marty wanted his photo taken with these bunnies.

As I mentioned, hydropower is used to operate the machinery, and we had the opportunity to seek out the source.

We need only follow the badger to the Falls of Clyde.

And here they are:

But they weren't the real source of the hydropower.  Hiking up a pretty steep hill offered us the view of the Corra Linn Falls.

Now, those were spectacular

The loud rush of the water filled the air.

There was another set of falls yet further up the mountain, but we decided that we'd had enough climbing for the day, so we headed back down to the village see just what we might have missed.

I'd have passed on this room but Marty seemed pretty fascinated playing with this bat.

Don't bother asking me what this exhibition encompassed because I high tailed it out of there as soon as I took the photo.  Too creepy for me!

My favorite part of the day involved a conversation with a woman named Leslie who stamped our tickets in Mill #1.  She recognized our accents as being "foreign" and she asked us where we came from.  We told her that we were from Pennsylvania in the United States, and she eagerly asked us if she could have our opinion on something.

We agreed, and she pulled out a book on Traveling Route 66.  It has apparently been this woman's dream to come to the United States and travel Route 66 from Chicago to California.  Her original thought had been to take a bus tour.

Well, during the conversation, we found out that Leslie has a friend named Louise.  Louise also was rather interested in making this tour with Leslie.

By the time that we were finished with our conversation, Marty nearly persuaded Leslie to forget about the bus tour, fly into  Chicago, rent a Mustang Convertible, take along Louise, and drive it herself.

I'm just hoping that if Leslie does follow Marty's advice,  and brings Louise along, that she has better luck than Thelma!

The Tower Trail

Tower Trail?  Yep......just follow the signs in Clackmannanshire and you'd be surprised what you might stumble upon.

Above you see Alloa Tower, located smack in the center of Alloa, Scotland.  This tower is what remains  of a 14th Century Manor House that once belonged to the Earls of Mar. It was built in 1368 by the Erskine Family to guard the River Forth Ferry.  Mary, Queen of Scots, sought haven here with her infant son James VI, and it was here that James was put in safekeeping as an infant with the Erskine Family.

The preservation of this tower is amazing, and the inside featured memorabilia and artwork from the Erskine family dating back to when the tower was originally built.

We were not permitted to take photos of the interior, but we were able to walk out onto the roof to admire the views from the top, which, as you can see, we took complete advantage of.

Can you spot Marty in that photo?

Walking around the tower offered some interesting views.

Here you can see part of the town of Alloa.

And here is a lovely view of the mountains in the distance marred by the Tesco roof.

So much for going back in time!  Actually, from the ground level, one would never realize that the tower is located in an industrial area.  It's only when you climb to the top that it becomes obvious that this quite the bustling town.

Before leaving the tower, I asked the volunteer about another tower, known as the Clackmannan Tower.  I had read that it was constructed even earlier than the Alloa Tower, in 1359, by one of Robert the Bruce's descendents.

The woman commented about how the interior was closed to the public, but that visitors were more than welcome to walk around and take in the magnificent views.

She told us to park near the town church and to walk through the field, passing through some gates, until we got to the tower. 

(Does this sound familiar?)

She then went on to say that we would be walking through a cattle field, but not to worry, because the cattle were used to people trudging through to view the tower.

Since we had to pass by the tower on the way to our destination for the weekend, we decided to check it out.

When we entered the small village of Clackmannan we were surprised by its charm and beauty.  It was quite the contrast to Alloa.

In the center of the square, stands the Old Tollbooth, the Mercat Cross, and a large boulder known as the Clach Mannan, or the stone of Mannan, a Celtic god, and it is thought to have been used in ancient religious festivals.

We parked the car and began the walk towards the tower which stands prominently on King's Seat Hill.

Soon we were passing through the gate, this time expecting cattle to be checking us over, but much to my surprise, I didn't see one live animal near the trail.

Walking around the grounds we were able to enjoy the magnificent view of the mountains in the distance.

On the way back to the car, we stopped for a quick pic of the Kirk.

And I couldn't pass on one more photo of the village.

We jumped in the car and began the hour + drive to our evening destination:  Biggar.

Here you can see the view from near where we are staying.

Tomorrow we plan to check out the village as well as New Lanark.

In the meantime, I couldn't resist ordering the Rob Roy dessert on the menu.

Vanilla ice cream layered with crushed shortbreads and smothered with warm Drambuie.

It was fabulous!

A Rainy Day Delight in Kirkcaldy

Today was one of those days that called for donning the raincoat (with the thermal lining buttoned in....there's quite a chill in the air....brrr..),
pulling on the boots,
grabbing the umbrella,
and walking as far away as possible from any busses driving down the road in order to avoid becoming soaked.

The wonderful thing about Scotland is that there are many free museums to visit, so I decided to head back to the Kirkcaldy Art Museum to take another look at the collection.  It's just a few blocks from the B&B so walking there was really no problem.

This place is really charming, and what I really find fascinating is the free genealogy room where you can get about any information imaginable if you happen to have family from Kirkcaldy.  Which, quite obviously, I do not.  But if I did....I'd be in pig heaven!

Speaking of pigs.....the lobby had two Wemyss Porcelain pigs displayed.  Wemyss pottery is well known in the Kingdom of Fife, and is quite expensive, which is why I do not own a piece.

But, if I could afford it, and if there was room in my suitcase (which there is NOT), I would consider buying one of these for my pig-loving daughter.

These are both quite a good size, by the way.  I was surprised to read that some people would use the pig as a door stopper, so it was difficult to find pieces without the tips of the ears broken off.  I suppose that would be a practical use, but if I spent a lot of money on 18 inch porcelain pig (or anything for that matter), I don't think I'd be using it as a door stopper.  Would you?

As you can see, the museum features much more than paintings.  The ground floor has two great displays, one featuring the history of Kirkcaldy itself, and the other highlighting particular Scotland interests.

Here are a few things found in the latter:

This chair was carved from "parrot" coal and it features a Swan on the back, which is part of the Wemyss family coat of arms.

A Penny farthing bicycle was suspended from the ceiling

There was a unique explanation of food rationing during World War II with a hands on approach of filling a basket with what one might think they could bring home, and what would be rationed.  I found it interesting to learn that because fresh fruits and vegetables were encouraged and white bread was limited, the people were considered to be much healthier after the war than before.  That never would have entered my mind.

I was quite glad to never have to undergo gas mask training as these elementary children in East Wemyss obviously did:

And I found this little book to be amusing

The description stated that it was "not merely to revive the lost art of darning and patching, but to raise morale by showing how old clothes can be turned into really smart and attractive new ones."

Funny....but they didn't have any examples on display.

From here I headed upstairs to view the People's Choice art collection.  When the museum re-opened after a year and a half of renovations, it was decided to feature works that had been voted on by the public.  This exhibition actually ended on Sept. 15, but most of the rooms still held the winning pieces.

I thought I'd share some of my favorites:

This first painting is called One Moment in Time, painted by Jack Vettriano.  He is actually a native of Kirkcaldy so I thought it was worth mentioning.

This painting, called Summer, did capture the essence of the season, but I found it interesting that someone would even think to paint cows as the subject.

 As I mentioned yesterday, Curling is big in Scotland, and this painting from 1905 captures the essence of the sport.   I love the way the men are all dressed up out on the ice.

 Here you see the Links Market, which is a festival that has been held for over 100 years in Kirkcaldy.

 When we visited in April 2012, we were able to see for ourselves how the promenade turns into a giant amusement park.  Amazing.

This painting of the Wellesley Colliery was unique in that the artist actually mixed pieces of coal into the paint of the car carrying the coal, giving it a glimmer, and a bit of a 3D effect.

 And, finally, I wanted to share this wooden carving of Little Darlings.

There is a lot going on in this piece:  A horse head on the front of the boat, colorful fish jumping out everywhere, but my favorite part is the carved, windblown hair.  Unfortunately there was no explanation behind the art, so your guess is as good as mine as to what this is supposed to signify.  

But you have to admit....it is colorful....and quite unique.  

And so ends the tour of the Kirkcaldy Art Museum.  

And,  it appears that when I left I wasn't the only one smiling.

Riding the Bus in Fife

Well.....today was the biggie.  Since I've exhausted tourism in the majority of towns along the train line, I decided that it was time to conquer my fear of getting on a bus and make a day trip to Ceres.

As you can see, it was a picture perfect day and how could I pass on this adventure?

I'd been to Ceres before....by foot...following the advice written in a Frommer's guide which took me over hill and dale, through someone's farm, and finally into the town.  That day, I was determined to take the bus back to Cupar, from whence I had traveled, but no one in the town could offer any assistance to direct me, so I ended up walking the 3 miles back to the train station.  

To be quite honest with you, I really didn't want to trudge along 3 miles each way in order to see this town.  I went online and found a bus line that would take me directly into the town and back, again, to Kirkcaldy.  

Or at least that was what I thought.

So, I headed to the Kirkcaldy Bus station to Stance 4 where the bus was scheduled to pick up.  I met a delightful elderly couple who enjoyed talking to me.  They were on their way to Cupar, which was the same bus that I needed to take:  41.

Now before I go any further, let me explain to you the importance of getting the town pronunciation correct.  If you don't say it correctly, the driver really has no idea where you are going.  Ceres is pronounced "SEAR-iss".  It took me some getting used to, since I wanted to use Latin pronunciation on those e's. 

I boarded the bus and told the Bus driver that I was going to Ceres.  The driver looked at me and said, "ARE you now!"  

Really?  Do you suppose that made me feel more confident?

So, I asked if I had pronounced the town correctly and if the bus did, indeed, stop there.  He chuckled, and said yes to both, and we decided that I would purchase a day ticket, since it was cheaper than a return ticket, and I could jump off and on busses all day.  (Don't think for one minute that I had such a crazy idea in mind.....I just went for it because it was less money.)

So, with ticket in hand, I made my way to Ceres, entertained along the way by the delightful couple whom I met at the station.  They pulled out the transport pamphlet and helped me verify my return trip home on the same bus: 41.

The ride was about 45 minutes long, and, luckily, the bus driver stopped the bus in Ceres for me.  (I learned later that I was supposed to push a button alerting the driver that I wanted to stop, but he obviously remembered my destination.)

I took note of the stop, because my intention was to cross the street for the return trip several hours later.

The town of Ceres is very tiny, so I wasn't worried about getting lost, but it certainly was easy to find the stop since it was located right next to the Bannockburn Memorial.

My destination was the Fife Folk Museum, and after walking a short distance past the Provost of Ceres 

I easily found the entrance. 

The museum is housed in a row of old weaver's cottages which are connected to a 17th century Tollbooth and Weigh House.

Above the door one can see the inscription, "God Bless the Just" as well as a carved scale in stone.

The interior was filled with items that had been collected from donated personal collections.

Some of the items that I found interesting were the replica of the interior of  a weaver's cottage

Happy Family Playing cards:

Where it appeared to me that several of the cards featured women who do not look very happy.

There was a large collection of Curling Stones.  Here are some older stones, one being just an irregular rock with a handle screwed into the top.

Curling is a big sport in the Kingdom of Fife.

And here you see the oldest carved bicycle in all of the United Kingdom.  

The wooden horse was carved around 1820.

While looking through the history of the town, I had spotted a pamphlet that featured a walking tour.  So, I headed to the gift shop and asked the volunteer if such a paper still existed.

She pulled out what appeared to be an identical copy of what I had seen, and handed it to me, informing me that it cost £1.5.  Although I generally pick up these tours for free at the local library, this town didn't have a library, and I still had hours until my return on the bus, so I decided to hand over the money and start the tour.

The town of Ceres was created a Burgh of Barony in 1620.  Early history links the town with the Hope family of Craighall Castle, which once stood on the outskirts of the town.   The castle was demolished in 1957, but some of the outbuildings still exist.

The Dairy is the oldest surviving building in Ceres.

This is believed to be the Norman French "Chef Maison.

The walking tour featured Meldrum's Hotel

And a lovely view of the village Kirk

As I walked along, it soon became quite obvious to me that much of the information on the pamphlet was outdated.  The antique shop across from the church was an empty building undergoing renovations for a tea shop.  I couldn't determine if the houses behind it were original or not.  So much for that.

But that certainly did not dampen my enthusiasm as I managed to find some very entertaining views along the trail.

There was the cute doggie in the window

and some interesting gardens.

I found the ornamentation in the middle of those flowers to be quite entertaining.

You can bet your life that wasn't mentioned in the tour.

By this time, I was intrigued by a sign pointing to Craighill den, and wondered if it led to some ruins of the castle.  I had spotted what looked like a path, but decided against taking it simply because I had told Marty that I wouldn't do anything crazy today, and the looks of the path fell into that category.

So, I headed to the gift shop for a wee bite to eat, and the woman there began to talk about the path to Craighill den and how it led to the ruins of Linekilns, a Limestone quarry that existed only for 17 years in the early 1800's, and a beautiful blue lake.

Intrigued, I asked her if what I had spotted was the trail that she was speaking of, and she assured me that it was.  She then instructed me to walk along the path under the trees,  until I came to a gate that I would need to go through, cross a field, pass through another gate, then climb a hill to my destination.

Well.....having that knowledge in hand, I suddenly became braver and decided to give it a try.  After all, I still had a couple of hours until my scheduled bus arrived.

So, I headed out to the spot, and began carefully picking my steps, attempting to avoid as much mud as possible.  Eventually, the trees thinned out and the ground was dryer.  Just as the woman had said, I spotted the small wooden gate which is designed in such a way that only a person can get through it.  I turned the style and started walking in the field.  

Now I don't know about you, but I would think that mentioning the possibility of dairy cows grazing in that field would have been an important piece of information.  Particularly when the path along the fence leads right past the feeding station.  So, let's just say that I was extremely happy to make my way out of the field at the opposite end without having any confrontations.  

I began my ascent up the hill, eager to see this lovely lake that I was promised.  When I got to the top, I did see a lot of abandoned buildings, which could have been the remnants of a former limestone quarry, but there was no lake that I could see. 

Suddenly, I spotted a young Scottish lass walking up what appeared to be a trail on the other side of the rubble.  I asked her about "the water", and she looked confused.  After a brief conversation, she told me that if I followed the trail that she was walking, I would come to the edge of town.

Believe me, that news was warmly welcomed.  As I began the descent down through the woods,  it was  obvious that I was following a planned trail along a beautiful bubbling creek.  You know you're on the right  path when there are benches to sit on along the way.  No cows.

At the bottom of the path, where it met the road, there was a sign with a map to Craighill Den.  It appears that I needed only to go to the left a few hundred feet and the spectacular view would have greeted me.  But there was no way that I was walking back up that trail.

So, I headed into town to the bus stop.  Upon further observation, I quickly noted that the letter A was printed next to the scheduled departure time of 14:57.   The footnote stated that this pickup time only occurred on school holidays, which today was not.  What to do?  The next bus didn't come until 15:55.

So, I crossed the street, and saw that a bus to Cupar would arrive any minute.  My plan was to go into Cupar on bus 41, then return to Kirkcaldy on the same bus, since that was the Kirkcaldy to Cupar bus line.

So, I hopped on the bus, and waited for an arrival at a bus station, as indicated on the paper and on my very detailed map.

Only, there was no bus station.  When the driver stopped for a light, I asked if the bus would be returning to Kirkcaldy. 

  

He said no.  

So.....there I was....

plan foiled.

A young woman exclaimed that if I jumped off of the bus, and made my way across the street to the next bus stop, I could jump on the X26 to Kirkcaldy.

So, I did just that.  It was obviously that I was very confused, and someone asked if they could help me.  When I stated that I wanted to go to Kirkcaldy, I was told to get on the X26, which was already late.  It would take an hour.

Do you think I cared about the time involved?  Nope.  As long as I arrived at my destination I wasn't complaining.

And how lucky was I that the first bus driver suggested the day ticket?

All's well that ends well, right?   

Hmmm.......can't say that I'll be eager to be traveling by bus anytime soon, that's for sure. 

Guess it's time to rethink tomorrow's plans.  I'll keep you posted.