I should have thought about this before I went to Scotland, not after I got home. I would have taken more pictures because a blog without pictures is kind of boring. Just words, you know. Oh well, I didn't have the idea to start a blog until after we got home and I don't have a lot of pictures. And some of the pictures I do have are not really that good. I usually buy postcards for the photo albums. Those guys take great pictures. Hopefully you will bear with me for a while.
So, David and I arrived in Scotland. We met up with our guide, Kathy, and we were off. We decided on an easy day outside of Edinburgh so that Mike and Margie wouldn't miss too much. After about the third traffic circle going around the other way, I was really glad that someone else was doing the driving. Our first stop was the Bridge across the Firth of Forth. It was the first steel bridge built in Britain and is kind of like the Eiffel Tower of Scotland. I have a picture, but there is a finger in it so you can click here and see a really good picture of the bridge.
Across the street from the bridge is the Hawes Inn. If you are a reader, you may remember it from "Kidnapped" by Robert Louis Stevenson. This picture had telephone poles in it and somehow, that just doesn't seem right. We piled in the car and headed out for the charming village of Dunkeld. On the way, I saw my first Scottish Highland Cow. Now, these are very cute cows with their long shaggy hair. They also have very long horns. The fields were lush and green and every once in a while I could catch a whiff of barley. This barley will be turned into whiskey later in the season.
The village of Dunkeld is ancient, first established around the year 720. The River Tay runs along the edge of the town and there is a stone bridge crossing the river. I thought it was really awesome, not knowing that lots of the bridges in Scotland are stone. Here is a picture of the bridge.
Next, we walked to the town center and made a stop at the Ell House. What, you might wonder, is an ell? It is the unit of measure in weaving from the shoulder to the wrist. The exact length was a little sketchy until it was standardized. In England, it is about 45 inches, Scotland, 37 inches and Flemish, 27 inches. As you might imagine, the ell mounted on the Ell House is 37 inches long. Today, the Ell house is a gift shop for The National Trust for Scotland.
Then we ventured to the Cathedral. I thought I had pictures, but I guess I really didn't. You can see someone else's pictures here. It was a very quiet, peaceful place. When you read the history of the town, its amazing that there is anything left standing at all. The choir has been restored and has a magnificant organ. The Wolf of Badenoch, Alexander Stewart, was buried here after he died in 1405 and his tomb can still be seen.
We were getting tired and so we headed to Pitlochery, our little home for two nights. We stayed the Craigroyston House, a lovely bed and breakfast .
A little dinner, a little stroll around the town, and then it was off to bed for us.