Another Magical Day

June 7, 2019

Even though we were a bit tired from all the activity yesterday, we got up quite early to meet Chris & Christie for breakfast before we left town. They will be headed off on their camping honeymoon today and we will be venturing northward. We had a lovely time chatting about their wedding and future plans for all of us over a delicious breakfast at the Ednam Hotel. But all too soon it was time to take our leave.

We started northward and came upon a castle ruin that we had to explore. Castle Hume was built in 1214 and was used as a beacon station warning of invasion from England. This rectangular castle was the only Borders castle not destroyed by Robert Bruce’s scorched earth policy in 1313. The ruin sitting on a hill is not all that spectacular in itself, but the views from it are ridiculously fabulous! Cattle grazed on the lush green grass and we can see around us for miles! I love the stone fences that separate one field from another and break up the rolling hillside landscape. This is a truly beautiful place!

Our next roadside stop was at the site of bridges crossing the River Tweed. Some of the bridges in Scotland are such works of art that they are beautiful just to view – let alone that they are architectural marvels. Here we saw beautiful examples of arched stone bridges. It isn’t too deep right here because a man was standing in the river wearing waders and fishing. A nice little stop except for walking through the weeds going back to the car we all were attacked by stinging nettles that we felt the effects of for several hours!

Melrose Abbey was next up on our itinerary. Dating from the 1100’s, Melrose was one of Scotland’s richest and most powerful medieval abbeys. This monastery boasting Gothic architecture and built in

 the shape of a cross it is a magnificent ruin and lavishly decorated. Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried here. As we walk the grounds and cemetery, there are signs explaining what we are seeing. A beautiful outer stone wall with roses growing up it sits behind a deep pit with water in it. The sign said it was the latrine!

Loving flowers like I do, a visit to nearby Priorwood Gardens was a fun stop. It was formerly used as a kitchen garden and during The Second World War it was a valuable market garden hosting over 70 apple varieties in its orchard section. A beekeeper was working there that day all swathed in his beekeeping garb. We stayed in the flower section enjoying the colors and scents of pink peonies, orange begonias, blue delphinium, red poppies and many more that I did not know the names of. The garden is enclosed by stone walls with decorative wrought iron fencing. Beautiful!

The quaint little town of Falkland is our next stop. Many scenes in Outlander were shot here including the infamous “Jamie’s Ghost” scene where he is standing at the Bruce fountain in the town center and looking up to the window of Mrs. Baird's B&B. Mrs. Baird's is in fact The Covenanter Hotel next to the fountain and I cannot possibly guess how many thousands of people have stood in that spot next the fountain for a photo-op….including us! Falkland is used in the Outlander filming for many scenes portraying 1940’s Inverness. 

It is fun to walk around the town and visit with shopkeepers. Most are happy to share their stories of their interactions with the Outlander filming crew and Johnny Cash. You see, Johnny Cash traced his ancestors to Falkland and there and Cash and his wife and daughter once visited here. There is a bench in the town park dedicated to Johnny and is a must to stop at for true JC fans. I had been here before so we skipped it this time around.

Down the road and up a mountain, back and forth on narrow roadways in Perthshire, is the sweeping view of Loch Tummel Called Queen’s View. Queen Victoria visited the area in 1866 and is said to have remarked that the spectacular view was named after her. However, it has also been suggested that the view was in fact named after King Robert the Bruce’s wife, Queen Isabella of Scotland, over 550 years earlier. The fence overlooking the loch has darling wooden carvings on the top of it. A pinecone and caterpillar are two that I remember. It looks like they have a nice gift shop here but it was late in the day and was closed already so no ice cream or shopping for us!

Our final site to see for today was my favorite! The world famous – Outlander famous – Dunalastair Estate located in the small village of Kinloch Rannoch which sits in the shadow of the Schiehallion Mountain. Still never heard of it? Well, how about Craigh na Dun? Yes, we visited the iconic location of the standing stones, Craigh na Dun! What a wonderful experience! I was in Outlander heaven! Not only is it where the famous scenes were shot, it is truly a beautiful part of the world in itself.

As we drove to it with somewhat sketchy instructions over narrow twisting roads, we were never quite sure we were in the right place until we actually reached it. But then, when we pulled up, it was instantly recognizable! Plus then we saw a sign. It was a simple piece of laminated paper nailed to the fence. We parked the car and quickly walked up the hill passing frolicking sheep and lambs grazing on the hillside. The weather was partly cloudy and breezy. We found ourselves walking about on the hill taking dozens and dozens of photos. It was really a fun experience to be there and such beautiful scenery to boot! We stayed so long that the weather actually changed and became even windier and overcast but it was fun to be able to take photos in  the changing light.

We saw a couple of items that may have been left from filming. First, a sandbag embedded in the ground and some kind of what I think are anchors. Since this is a working farm there is a piece of farm machinery at the bottom of the hill. As we were leaving, a farmer in a pickup truck drove down the lane and waved at us. He probably thinks we are nuts to be making this pilgrimage! But I am so very happy that we did! I have checked off one more Outlander filming location off of the list!

Now it is off to our flat and sleep and dreams of the wonders we have seen today! We have a wonderful apartment with two bedrooms and plenty of living space to spread out. Since it was a pretty late arrival tonight, dinner was pretty slim pickings. We forget that it is as late as it is because it is light till well after 10 pm. Restaurants were closed and we ended up going to a convenient store and grabbing a few snacks. We will survive and tomorrow is another day!

Chris and Christie's Wedding Day

June 6, 2019

Today dawns bright and beautiful! It looks like it will be the perfect day for a wedding and I am so happy for my Scottish friends, Chris and Christie, who will be united in marriage this afternoon. Joy, Joy Joy!

But first this morning we have some sightseeing to do after a lovely breakfast of Eggs Benedict. We walked the hotel gardens and enjoyed the beautiful views of the river with a stone arched bridge crossing over that looks like it came from the pages of a picture storybook. There are swans down near the banks swimming about. Looking across the way we can see the Castle that we will visit later. It is funny to think that nearly everywhere we visit there are castles.

Walking across the street we see Kelso Abbbey. Founded in 1128 this large Abbey was built by King David here in the Borders between England and Scotland to impress the English neighbors and show how sophisticated his kingdom had become. But in 1545 an English Army demolished the Abbey leaving only one tower standing. What remains of the once large structure is still quite impressive and we toured it and the adjoining cemetery.

The three of us walked around the village of Kelso with its cobblestone sidewalks and popped into a few stores and even watched a butcher plying his trade. We wanted to stop at one of our favorite haunts, a second hand store, but it was not opened yet for the day so we got in the car and headed to Floors Castle – the castle we could see from the hotel. Driving down a long and impressive driveway lined with stone walls and through a wrought iron gate with a crest on top, we could tell we were in for something special.

Floors Castle sits on the banks of the gently flowing River Tweed, and is the largest inhabited mansion in Scotland. From the time this house was built for the 1st Duke of Roxburghe in 1721, it has been inhabited by generation after generation of Roxburghes until the present day. This stunning Castle holds a collection of fine art, porcelain, newly restored tapestries, grandly decorated rooms and superb views. Unfortunately, we were not able to take photos inside.

I was fascinated with some of the collections on display. The Bird Room included many hundreds of stuffed birds displayed in mahogany cases that were collected in the mid 1800’s by the 6^th Duke. It is said that he did not kill one of them himself as they were given to him already dead. This impressive collection even included the now extinct American Passenger Pigeon. There was a room full of gorgeous china and a robe room where various costumes and coronation robes were displayed. Collections of combs, fans, parasols, 15^th century tapestries, knives and swords, and much more were on display.

The diverse estate extends over 54,000 acres and the immediate gardens and huge yard offered sweeping vistas of the countryside. This estate still raises race horses and there was a small display of actual carriages used over the years. It is pretty incredible and certainly worth a visit!

But our main activity for today is the wedding! We hurry back to our hotel to change and make ourselves ready for the 2 pm ceremony. As we were getting ready I could see the guests arriving from our hotel window. Beautifully dressed ladies in bright summer colors with many wearing a hat or fascinator was the norm. We were in for a fun, new experience, I could tell!

Chris was terribly handsome wearing a traditional kilt and sporran and sporting a boutonniere made of white sweetheart roses, Scottish thistle and heather. I was happy that I got to spend a quick minute alone with him for this photo before the wedding. One thing they did for the ceremony that I had not seen done before was they placed the wedding rings in a little bag and passed it around to the gathered guests. We were asked to each say a prayer as we held the rings and bless them with our good thoughts. It was very special!






Christie was a vision in her flowing white gown and gently billowing veil. I checked out the flowers particularly and the soft colors of blue, white and light pink using various flowers in a gathered bouquet including peonies, roses, and hydrangea was quite beautiful and fit her personality perfectly!

After the ceremony everyone adjourned to the garden where a group photo was taken from the balcony above and we were served various appetizers from silver trays – the bruschetta was delicious. Everyone was terribly kind to us and most everyone made it a point to meet the visiting Americans and make us feel welcome. The couple’s parents and grandparents in particular were extremely welcoming and we felt right at home. Conversation came easy and soon it was time to go in for dinner. The single long guest table set on both sides was decorated with green garland and flowers. Again, conversation flowed easily with our neighbors and I felt honored to be there. We were served a great variety of foods including Scottish salmon, and we happily toasted the couple with champagne. But the dessert was the absolute topper!!! A beautiful, gently baked meringue covered with various berries in sauce. It was stunning to look at and absolutely delicious! I could have greedily eaten two of them!!

Following dinner we gathered in the bar and garden while they flipped the room for the reception. I talked with guests from Germany, Australia, Norway, and of course, Scotland. Dana, Joan and I were the only Americans in attendance, I think. Everyone was lovely and we had a fine time.

Soon it was time to go in for the reception. Cake was cut and toasts were made. Now it was time to party! Now, let me tell you these people know how to party! The band began to play and it was on! It was a proper Scottish Cèilidh and it seems that everyone in Scotland knows how to dance the intricate steps involved in the dances. I suppose it is because they all learn the steps as youngsters and since the songs and the steps do not change, everyone from five to 85 was out on the dance floor doing the Military Two Step, Dashing White Sergeant, Gay Gordon’s, Flying Scotsman, and others. Everyone had a grand time including the few non-dancers like myself.

Part way through the evening they brought out more food! Pulled meat sandwiches, brats, a candy bar and cupcakes were part of the service. After all, you need sustenance to do all that dancing! I did participate in the final traditional ending to a Scottish wedding which was where everyone gathers in a large circle, hold hands and crosses arms and sings Auld Lang Syne while swaying to the tune. I learned later that this song has become a ritual to complete the evening, is a prelude to farewells, and a promise to do this again sometime. It was absolutely magical!!

Farewells were seemingly difficult this evening. No one wanted this special day to end and even as tables were being cleared, guests stayed and stayed talking and sharing stories. It really was one of the best weddings I have ever been lucky enough to attend. To Chris and Christie - I wish you many happy and healthy years together and I thank you for your friendship! I will never forget this special day!

Scotland - Day Two

June 5, 2019 

Wednesday dawns grey and dreary with light rain as we grab our umbrellas and stop at Linlithgow Palace which sits on a big hill overlooking the Linlithgow Loch. Built and developed over the 15th and 16th centuries by successive Stewart kings of Scotland, it was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Sadly, the Palace was destroyed by The Duke of Cumberland's army by burning in January 1746 and is now considered a ruin. The Palace is said to be haunted by the spectre of Mary of Guise, mother to Mary, Queen of Scots. I didn’t see any ghosts but I did see the place where some of the Wentworth Prison scenes were filmed for Outlander.

Easily recognizable is the entrance to the palace where scenes of Claire and Murtagh were seen entering and exiting. Isn’t this where she threw up? I think I might be remembering correctly. Anyway, other scenes were filmed here such as Claire traversing the narrow passageways and the twisty turny staircases of Wentworth to reach Jamie. The cattle scene to save Jamie was not filmed here! The palace is managed by Historic Environment Scotland and I imagine they would not have cared for that one bit!

                                                         A complete wonder of a fountain in the courtyard is the centerpiece of the Palace and I took many photos of it from different angles. Each time I looked at it I found something new to see – a mermaid, crown, naked boys, a unicorn, a stag, men and women – it is fabulous! I found this information about it on the internet:





“Built by James V in 1538, this ornate fountain graces the courtyard at Linlithgow Palace. Standing over 16 feet high and designed to reflect the supreme power of the king, it was probably fed by an underground water supply which was piped up to the carved crown at the top. Water fell from the crown – suggesting the king’s benevolence – into tiered bowls and out through rows of spouts shaped like mythical beasts and human heads. One of them is said to represent James V disguised as a peasant or ‘gaberlunzie’. When Bonnie Prince Charlie visited Linlithgow in 1745, the fountain was made to flow with wine. This was probably not the first time it had happened – another source suggests James V had the same idea, on his marriage to Mary of Guise. In 2007 the fountain was restored by Historic Scotland, so that water can now flow through it again, although it is not kept running because of the risk of erosion.”

They really built magnificent structures in those days! Huge tall stone walls that encompassed a chapel, vaulted cellars, many apartments, towers and winding staircases, a great hall, prison, guard hall, and a court kitchen with the obligatory large fireplace to cook in and warm the structure. We wandered and wandered a good long time here soaking in all the history before heading just next door to St. Michael’s Catholic Church built in the 1500's. The rain has stopped and we are now enjoying a cool, but dry day.

St. Michaels boasts arched ceilings and massive stone columns. As the years have progressed, the church has undergone many changes including the addition of colorful stained glass windows. Startling to me was the aluminum crown that was added in 1964. It doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the architecture in my mind, but a few hundred years from now people will probably marvel at it.



A lovely and simple parish graveyard overlooking the loch is adjacent to it and I walked amongst its history for a bit enjoying the beautiful mosses and lichens that grow so abundantly here on the ancient stone monuments, walls, and walkways.



After wandering around the town of Linlithgow doing some window shopping and picture taking at the town fountain we drove next to Callendar House in Falkirk. The core of the building is a 14th-century tower house and has been added onto many times over the centuries. I read later that they give guided tours with costumed guides that fill you in on tons of information but darn, they were not doing that today so we wandered about on our own eager to get to the kitchen.




Why the kitchen you ask? Because here is where the filmed one of the most memorable Outlander scenes. In the “Vengeance is Mine” episode Murtagh decapitates the English Duke of Sandringham. Presenting the head, he announces to Mary and Claire “I kept my word. I lay my vengeance at your feet”. One of the truly great scenes of Season 2 in my opinion! I remember when I saw that scene for the first time I gasped out loud! And here we are…in the very same kitchen!

In addition to the famous kitchen filled with big brass cooking pots and ceiling hooks for meat, we enjoyed seeing a print shop, a collection of crinoline lamps and the rest of the grand house that included an elaborately painted ceiling depicting flying angels carrying a flower garland. Pretty neat! But we need to get to our next lodgings in Kelso which is a two hour drive so off we go!


We arrived at the beautiful Ednam House Hotel in the Scottish Borders and are instantly enchanted with the location on the banks of the River Tweed. Flowers are in abundance and the charming hotel, built in 1761, will be our home for the next two nights. Ednam House is where Chris and Christies wedding will take place and we are excited for tomorrow! We make our way up staircases and down long hallways to our room and settle in thinking about supper.

Dana, Joan and I then walked a few blocks into town and ate at a pub recommended to us by the hotel. I had a sizzling hot and delicious chicken fajita. As we chatted and relaxed Joan went to the loo and came back to tell us she had found Chris!! He was enjoying his last night of bachelorhood with the men from his wedding party at the same place we were. Excitedly, we hugged and talked and took photos to remember this moment! His groomsmen were all terribly polite as they stood up to greet us and welcome us to the Borders. Wonderful young men to spend some time with! We were introduced as always as – “the friends from America who came for the wedding” and I cherished every minute of our private time with Chris before the hubbub of wedding day was upon us.

Soon it was time to head back to the hotel and get some rest! But our excitement of the day was not over yet! As we walked the grounds of the garden area who do we spy??? It’s Christie! I am so excited to see her again and she screamed when she saw me and squealed and jumped up and down in greeting! She and her maids were staying in the orangery on the grounds and we were lucky enough to have a few private moments with her tonight too after hugs all around and greetings from everyone. Such a special couple and I am blessed to be here in Scotland to be with them on their special day. I feel like a tiny part of their lives as I was there almost at their meeting, and then again during their courtship and falling in love stage, and soon….their wedding! Wow!! How lucky I am and I really look forward to tomorrow!

I'm Back In Scotland!

June 4, 2019 

I am a lucky woman! After several months of planning and rearranging schedules, I am once again in Scotland! This time around I am traveling with my dear friends Joan and Dana, a mother/daughter duo. I met Dana in 2014 at my first Thru The stones convention. Our mutual love of Outlander precipitated our relationship and I traveled with Dana and some of her family and friends during June of 2015 on my first trip to Scotland and this was where I met Dana’s mom, Joan.

Fast forward to February of this year and a wedding invitation! A lovely couple I met during that first trip to Scotland was Chris and Christie. They both worked at the spectacular Uig Lodge on the Isle of Lewis where we stayed. Chris and I kept in touch and when I found myself again in Scotland later that year this time with my sister Ginny. Gin and I stayed with Chris & Christie for several days and could tell they were in love! Soon an engagement was announced ad then in February of this year I received their wedding invitation! What a wonderful excuse to head back to Scotland and share their joyous day! I started planning and asked Dana if she would like to join me and happily she said yes! Lastly, Joan was on board for another trip and the planning began!

Now we are only a couple of days away from Chris and Christie’s wedding day and I will be lucky enough to be in attendance! I boarded a plane on Monday, June 3, bound for Chicago, meeting up there with Dana and Joan, for the following overnight flight to Edinburgh. The flight was uneventful enough and we arrived in Edinburgh with sunny skies for our first day! We first had to do the immediate vacation needs of picking up our rental car – Joan is driving, not me! – buying Sim cards for our phones, and hitting up the ATM for British Pounds. Now we were ready to explore!

Our first stop was the fictional ancestral home of the Outlander Frasers, Lallybroch! In real life its name is Midhope Castle and in spite of my having visited twice before, the sight of walking up the pebbled drive to the stone building built in 1458 never disappoints! It is like coming home for true Outlander fans and I savored the moments taking lots of photos and imagining what it may have been like living here over 500 years ago. The castle now is unsafe inside and used only for exterior shots in the television series. But it is quite fun to sit on the same steps where Claire waits for Jamie to come home and gaze at the building where so many iconic Outlander moments occur and presumably will again take place as the story continues to unfold in the coming years. The day was sunny and beautiful with brilliant colors – blue skies with a few grey and white clouds and we found ourselves lingering, hating to leave. But we must move on and as we prepared to depart we walked the short distance down the fern, ivy, and evergreen tree lined path into the woods to the stream and location where the infamous cave scene was filmed. Breathing in the pine fragrance I could almost imagine what the area may have been like when first settled and deer were the main mammals to walk this area. Ahhhh, Lallybroch! I hope to return! You are in my soul!

After a  few wrong turns – Google maps is not perfect here in the backwoods of Scotland – we made our way to Hopetoun House which is quite near Midhope Castle and actually on the same estate property. Hopetoun is still a working estate and the house is still inhabited by a family. The Earl of Hopetoun, his wife and children live in one wing of the massive estate home and the rest is open to the public. These huge castles and estates find themselves needing to open to the public to earn the extra coin to maintain these massive structures and grounds. We first enjoyed a stop at the Stables Kitchen. A fruit filled scone covered with cream and hot ginger tea really hit the spot to this weary traveler. We joined a guided tour of the estate house learning its history. Quite interesting to us Outlander fans was Hopetoun House’s connection with the Outlander production. The estate was featured in many scenes in the show including the Duke of Sandringham’s residence, some of the Parisian scenes and several scenes from the Helwater and the Elsmere estates. Some Paris street scenes were filmed here as well as the attack scene on Mary and Claire. Jamie chased Fergus here and sword fought with the McDonalds here. Hopetoun House was used for filming the scene where Jamie saw wee Willie in a pram and where he dropped Geneva in a mud puddle plus several more. We actually see it quite a lot of this property in the show only we don’t realize it because it is portraying several sites.

As all these great estates are, it was opulent and over the top in decorating. Rich colors are used and the ceilings are covered with beautiful plaster work designs. A circular staircase boasts richly carved designs in the woodwork and huge pictures flanking the walls. It was truly beautiful! 

After touring the house interior we went outside and walked around the house and found huge purple rhododendrons. They were in full bloom and attracted dozens of large bumblebees. We loved watching these winged wonders with their fat little bums covered in pollen. We took lots and lots of photos here trying to catch the bees in a good shot but they are fast little buggers and it was challenging. Of course, here was a great opportunity for a pretty backdrop for pictures of us and we hammed it up for the camera. We also peered down into the growth structure of the trees and considered how challenging it would be for Roger in Outlander to navigate through the “Rhododendron Hell.”  As we moseyed on we ran across a big patch of the all-important to the Outlander story, Forget-Me-Nots!

Walking back to our car we enjoyed seeing numerous black sheep browsing the grounds. They were kept in place by a five foot Ha-Ha. What is a ha-ha you ask…well I did not know either and looked it up. A ha-ha is a type of sunken fence forming a dry ditch that was commonly used in landscaped gardens and parks in the eighteenth century. There ya go! You learned something new today and so did I!

It was a short drive to our night’s lodging apartment in Linlithgow. After we took our luggage into the flat and finally figured out how the locks work, we went to a local pub called the Four Mary’s where I ate scampi and chips (fries). Yum yum! By now it had been about 30 hours since we have slept and we were eager for our beds. As we went to our car we dodged raindrops and were happy to be calling it an early night. After all, there are more adventures in store for these Illinois travelers tomorrow!