On to Scotland and Edinburgh September 22-23, 2006

September 22
After a leisurely breakfast and a little time on Paul’s newly acquired wireless internet connection we left Bush Nook and headed north toward Scotland. For the first couple of hours we drove on the back roads passing through small villages named Triermain, Kirkambeck, Roadhead, and Darkshaw Ford. This is the English countryside that you see in the movies; the hedgerows and stone walls, sheep grazing on the roadside and the people as friendly as you will meet anywhere. We stopped for a pub lunch at a larger town named Selkirk, and were treated to a conversation with the owner. The pub had been newly renovated but was not very busy at it was a beautiful afternoon and everyone it seemed had takeout food and was sitting outside having their lunch. Takeout restaurants, with no seating, have been a main feature since we left Wales. They seem to outnumber sit down restaurants. Our question is how these places stay in business in the winter.

We reached our destination, the village of Eddleston, and our hotel Barony Castle late in the afternoon. Ok maybe it’s not a castle, but it is a Scottish manor house that was built in 1536. It sits on 25 acres of gardens and forests and is really quite nice. They even offer you a shot of Scotch whisky when you check in. The room is by far the largest we have had while in the UK and the staff is very helpful. After a walk around the grounds and a glass of wine by the trout pond we retired to the room to watch the American Ryder Cup Team get trounced on the first day of the match.

September 23
We drove to Edinburgh today to tour the castle. Edinburgh is a bustling yet charming city with a Victorian façade. One of the most prominent features is the Edinburgh Castle which has a commanding presence perched high on the rock overlooking the city. The rock, Castle Hill, is a long dormant volcano that has been inhabited for almost 5000 years. It has been a fortified location since prehistoric times and is the site of the oldest building in Edinburgh which is St. Margaret’s Chapel built in 1130 AD. The castle was the scene of many battles and changed hands between rival Scottish factions as well as with the English during centuries of conflicts. We again took advantage of the audio tour headphones and were glad we did as there is much history here. The highlight and the longest queue were to see the Scottish Honors and the Crown Jewels which were used in all Scottish coronations until the time of English domination. The Honors include the Stone of Destiny which is the seat upon which Scottish sovereigns were crowned, the last being in 1292 AD. The stone was taken to London in 1296 where Edward I had a coronation chair built that housed the stone as a symbol of English domination over Scotland. The stone was finally returned to Scotland in 1996 after the promise of return that was made in 1328 had been “postponed” for a few centuries.

We wandered around Edinburgh for the rest of the afternoon and even took in a movie; “Night Listener”. One strange movie and another example of Robin Williams’s diversity. Back to the hotel where we were treated to a Scottish wedding reception with the colorful traditional kilts being prominently displayed and merriment continuing on to the wee hours of the morn in the courtyard a scant one floor below our window.

NOTE: We are heading for our week in a Highland cottage and will only have limited access to the internet during that time. Please checl back periodically for new postings.