Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.
- Robert Burns, Address to a Haggis
It's almost a cliche, but our tour of Scotland has been defined by castles.
We left London on an early train to Edinburgh. It was a clear, sunny day in England, so of course we were leaving. I was excited to have a stop in Rugby, birthplace of the only game that matters (Link: Give Blood, Play Rugby), though we weren't there long enough to disembark. We had a brief lay-over in Preston, then it was on to Scotland. Watching the countryside roll by through the windows, the scenery was so much like New Zealand that we felt instantly at home. In Preston, we were joined by a boisterous group of Scots returning from holiday. As we got deeper into Scotland, the sky got more grey and dreary, and the Scots’ accents got thicker. We knew we were close to Edinburgh when we heard English language words but couldn't understand a thing they were saying.
Edinburgh is the end of the European portion of our travels. It is also very near to Stirling, home of a good friend. Tip and I played rugby together in Galveston TX, drank together almost everywhere, and even lived together for about a year when I first got into med school and had no money and nowhere to live. When I was racing triathlons, it was Tip who became my training partner, my coach, and who showed me how to win races. He left the US 14 years ago, chasing opportunities first in Birmingham (England), and now in Stirling. He had to be in Cologne on the day we would arrive to Edinburgh, so we made plans to spend our last few days with him on his return. But first, we needed a place to stay for one night in Edinburgh.
Rugby and Preston stations. Photos RGH
Throughout our trip, Kari did her usual amazing job finding us cool, unique, and fun places to stay. Our accommodations have included a traditional Japanese ryokan, a classic Dutch canal-side 3rd floor apartment, a street level apartment in a gritty area of Berlin, a Monastery in Prague, a funky modern hotel in Munich, and perfect apartments in the heart of it all in both Lyon and Paris. Each place has been in an interesting neighbourhood convenient for exploring the cities we visited. Having an apartment has given us room to spread out, kitchen facilities for preparing breakfast and snacks, and a way to experience our trip as locals might. It has invariably been cheaper than staying in hotels. Knowing we would be in Scotland, though, I wanted to stay in a castle. Kari set about looking for a castle-stay, but even 2-3 months out, everything was booked. She put us on some waiting lists and we hoped. She finally found a room at Dalhousie Castle, a place way more posh than we were hoping for. She also booked dinner in their dungeon restaurant.
Simon of Ramsay constructed the first castle at Dalwolsey, overlooking the River Esk, some time after 1140. The current construction dates to the 17th century. The castle has quite a distinguished history. King Edward I (Longshanks) stayed there en route to fight Sir William Wallace (more on him later) at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298. In 1400, Sir Alexander Ramsay withstood a 6 month siege at Dalhousie by King Henry IV. At the time of its sale in 1977, Dalhousie Castle had been retained by the same family for over 800 years, longer than any other castle in Scotland. On 27 Sept 2017, in our minds, it became a little more famous ...
Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg. Photos RGH
In the evening, we retired to the library for drinks. Photos RGH/KAH
Unfortunately, we did not have time for the sport of kings. Photos RGH
Edinburgh Castle sits high atop Castle Rock, overlooking the city. The exact dates during which a fortified site was first established there is unclear, however there is evidence of continuous human habitation at the site since at least the 2nd century. There has been a royal castle on the rock since the 12th century and it was one of the most important Scottish strongholds through the Wars of Scottish Independence (1296-1357) and the Jacobite uprising (1745). It lays claim to the title of "The most besieged place in Great Britain" having withstood 26 sieges in its 1100 year-old history. Many of the sites we have been to have had self-guided audio tours, either free or for a nominal fee. Edinburgh Castle was no exception. We have really been impressed with the quality of the tours and information therein. We wanted to do a whisky tasting before leaving Edinburgh, but the day was drawing late and we still had a train ride to Stirling ahead of us.
Edinburgh Castle. Photos RGH/KAH
On 11 September 1297, the forces of Andrew Moray and William Wallace defeated a much larger English force on the banks of the River Forth, near Stirling. It was a battle that showed infantry can defeat cavalry (in certain circumstances) and was a turning point in the Wars for Scottish Independence. As Tip explained it, "Moray died of his wounds, and William Wallace lived. That's why Wallace is famous and Moray is not." Wallace went on to lead a destructive raid into England, and in 1298 was declared the Guardian of Scotland until he was defeated that same year at the Battle of Falkirk. He was betrayed, captured, hanged, drawn, and quartered in 1305 (despite what Hollywood would have you believe ... Freedom!) and his tarred head was placed on a pike on London Bridge. The Wallace Monument sits on the promontory from which he led his offensive, and Stirling Castle sits on the ridge opposite. Today, the fields between these sites feature an extensive rugby facility where battles of a different sort are waged.
Tip welcomed us to Stirling, then took us to his local pub for Scottish beer and a pub dinner. The next day, he showed us the campus of Stirling University, took us to Doune Castle, and drove us through several towns and villages. We ended the day with a wee hike to the Atlantic Wall and the Wallace Stones. Along the way, he regaled us with tales of the Picts, the Gaels, and the Scots. He spoke of historic battles and the Jacobite conspiracies. His intimate knowledge of the places, names, and dates was impressive. Tip and I had one last ramble in the muirs early the next morning. The wind was blowing hard, the sky dark and lowering, and the tall grasses moved like waves. It was about as perfect a Scottish experience as I could have imagined ... except maybe if I had been wearing a great kilt (though it would have been a wee bit drafty).
Stirling Bridge. Photos RGH
Making Monty Python proud at Doune Castle. Photos RGH/KAH
Village views. Photos RGH
Tip and his dog Riever in their native habitat. Photos RGH
This is the end for our tour of the unfamiliar. Everywhere we have been up to this point has been new to us, with new adventures, and new experiences. As I sit and write this post, we are winging our way across the Atlantic Ocean on our way to to the US. We will have two days in NYC, then continue to visit with old friends as we make our way down the east coast, and eventually return to Myrtle Beach. We have certainly enjoyed the ride.
Watch out for hairy coos ...
No comments:
Post a Comment