I Learn to Felt

June 9, 2019

Today was an especially fun one! We woke up early and left our lovely apartment to drive a couple of hours to Fort William. We are all early risers and see no reason to spend vacation resting! The weather was a little overcast as Joan drove our small SUV along the twisting roadways to our first stop at Loch Ness. Unfortunately, the gift shop is not open this early and we are disappointed because we have shopped at this one before and know it is a good one.

But for another reason we are in luck!! This early Sunday morning when everyone else is apparently sleeping, Nessie makes an appearance! Yes, the old girl decided to grace these Americans with her presence and we hurriedly took pictures before she submerged again into the murky waters. Loch Ness is the second deepest Loch in Scotland and especially murky because of the high peat content of the waters. It’s a perfect hideout for our new friend, Nessie! But I know we will be back to see you again!

Soon the coffee kicks in and a bathroom stop is needed. Fortunately, we are quite near a spot that Ginny and I had explored two years earlier and I know there are public facilities. We hop out of the car and head to the building but there is a sign on the door that says that the WC is no longer available to the public. Drats! So Dana and Joan head up the street to the hotel while I explored St. Columba’s Well.

This well, or spring, has been here since the Pictish times and until the 6^th century AD the water was thought to be poisonous causing ulcers to appear when splashed on the skin. But then along came St. Columba who drove out the evil spirits and blessed the well and the water coming from it for all time, even causing folks to believe it had curative powers. Today there is a wooden stairway down to it and a viewing platform above it. Again, I just love the stone walls here covered in mosses and ferns!

Walking down the roadway we come to the real reason to stop here. The Invermoriston Old Bridge is here and a beautiful place to take photos! The humpbacked stone bridge was completed in 1813 to improve transportation across the Highlands. This bridge over the Invermoriston Falls was taken out of service in the 1930’s when the current car bridge was built. Today, the stone bridge is popular with hikers and photography buffs. It is much easier to get to since I was last here with Ginny in 2017. At that time we had to walk downhill over mud and wet slippery rocks to get to the bridge and falls. But since then a new wooden stairway has been built and it is much easier and safer access.

There is a second bridge just downriver a little bit with a charming round building built overlooking the river and I find myself wondering what it had been used for. As we walk back to the car we pass a charming private cottage with a flat roof on one side covered in grass. Imagine living next to the falls in a picturesque cottage with a fire roaring in both fireplaces on a cold winter night – I am enchanted. That is until I think about navigating these roads covered in ice!

Our next stop is Fort Augustus on the banks of the Caledonian Canal. This Sunday morning boaters were locking through the canal headed to the Loch. There are 29 locks along the canal which is located in the Great Glen, on a geological fault in the Earth's crust. I watched a few go through their locking routine along with several other people who were standing on the edge with me watching. It was pretty fascinating. Interestingly, the ones pulling the boats along the canal were mostly women while the men stayed on board and rode! We wound up this stop by doing a little shopping - dang I am starting to accumulate a lot of stuff! LOL

Wherever I travel in the world, if there is a gondola to ride then I try to ride it! I love being up high and looking around at the gorgeous views! This trip we are riding the Nevis Mountain Gondola, the UK’s only mountain gondola up the north face of Aonach Mòr, the 8th highest mountain in Britain. Built originally for skiers, it is now used year round by hikers, bikers, (no-fear people who take the gondola up 650 meters with their bikes and then ride down the mountain!!) and sight-seers like myself. It is a little foggy and light drizzle is falling but we are in high spirits and climb aboard.

The views from the top are spectacular even shrouded in light fog. We are hoping for clearer views and it is lunch time so we check out the cafeteria. I have eaten in a lot of ski lodge cafeterias and the

food is usually passable. But this place was different! They had several delicious looking choices and I finally settled on meatballs – from the chef’s personal recipe I was told – and carrot cake. Let me tell you, both were wonderful! Dana and Joan ate beef stew and they said it was very good too! This place definitely gets two thumbs up for lunch!

We lingered over lunch and lo and behold – the sun is coming out! We go back outside to the viewing porch and take more photos this time with sunshine and cloud shadows falling on the scenery below. It is truly breathtaking and I am so glad we visited here. My heart is happy as it always is when in the mountains and I hate to leave but we have an appointment with an art class this afternoon!

I have followed a felt artist on Facebook for a couple of years (Sarah @Artisan Felt Studio) and have even purchased some of her work – a wall hanging of the Callanish Standing Stones. When I knew we were coming back to Scotland I contacted Sarah and asked her if she would be able to hold a felting workshop on the afternoon that we would be in her area. Happily, she agreed and we set it up. Sarah is located a short drive from Fort William in the hamlet of Ballachulish and we hustled our way there since we had dawdled a bit too long at the gondola.

Ballachulish means "the Village by the Narrows" at the mouth of Loch Leven and is surrounded by the mountains of the Ben Nevis range. Slate was mined here for roof tiles for many years and was the major industry from the 1600’s until the quarries closed in 1955. The reason for closing is because the slate had too much iron pyrite in it and the iron would rust away leaving holes and a rusty streak. Now, tourism is the major industry in the town.

But we are here to learn about felting! I had chosen a picture of Craigh na Dun that I wanted us to do.

When we arrived Sarah had towels laid on the table and hanks of wool set out. After chatting a bit we got busy! First, we were given wool to pull bits from and make a base layer for the felt from white wool. Then we were given great instructions as to how to layer the colors to form the design of the trees, water, landscape, and the stone. With Sarah’s help and instructions it was pretty easy! Then the soap and boiling water came out and was applied to the raw pieces. Finally, after an hour of rubbing the wool with soap and water the final product of a felted piece came into view! We were so excited and this class was so much fun! It took all afternoon to do but it was time well spent and now we have a beautiful creation to hang in our homes! I am so glad that I pursued this opportunity to learn from a true artist and meet this wonderful lady! Thank you, Sarah!

It was time for dinner and Sarah recommended a seafood restaurant on the other side of the loch. We stopped to take a few photos along the way because it is so beautiful here! The rhododendrons are in bloom and cover the hillsides. We saw some people setting up a tent to stay at the side of the loch. Here in Scotland there is a “Right To Roam” law that allows people access to public as well as private land. Access rights apply to any non-motorized activities, including walking, cycling, horse-riding and wild camping. They also allow access on inland water for canoeing, rowing, sailing and swimming. This law is quite different from the US where private property is no to be crossed unless invited. Once in Scotland I even saw a sign on a fence that said you were welcome to cross the area but to be aware and wary of the bull that pastured there!

I splurged on dinner tonight and enjoyed lobster and roasted potatoes. Yum yum! Darkness comes quite late here and as we headed to our lodging for the night we did not realize that it was as late as it was! When we arrived back in Fort William at our hotel we were ready to rest! But no, we first we had to lug our very heavy suitcases up the stairs to our very small room! Yes, tonight we were very cozy with one double bed and a twin tucked in under the rafters in a round room. It was very tight but we will make the best of it – after all…..we are lucky enough to be in Scotland!!

A visit to the Orkneys

June 8, 2019

Saturday morning finds us up early and catching a bus in Inverness to ride the 120 miles to the village of John o’Groats in the far north of Scotland. The settlement of 300 people takes its name from Jan de Groot, a Dutchman who once plied a ferry from the Scottish mainland to Orkney. Local legend has that the "o' Groats" refers to John's charge of one groat for use of his ferry. 

We chatted the bus hours away all the while enjoying beautiful views of Scotland and the rocky cliffs and sandy shores of the North Sea. We spent a little time in John o’ Groats doing some shopping. Of course, we took the tourist obligatory photo at the landmark "Journey's End" signpost! We grabbed a sack breakfast to eat on the way to the Orkney Islands and we were off! We boarded the “Pentland Venture” and settled in with our breakfast to chat with a couple visiting from Belgium. Part of the fun of vacation is talking to the wonderful people that I meet. Never one to avoid a new conversation, we exchanged favorite places we each have seen recently and the windswept ride passed quickly and soon we are pulling into port.

Separated from the northern tip of mainland Scotland by the choppy waters of the Pentland Firth strait, the Orkney Islands are an archaeological wonderland made up of about 20 inhabited islands. We boarded another bus and saw more quaint stone cottages along the seashore, a darling little stone church and graveyard, and a couple of rusting shipwrecks. Our first destination is St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. St Magnus (why there is not a period after St I do not know, but all my research shows it without a period) is the most northerly cathedral in the United Kingdom. Construction began in 1137, and it was added to over the next 300 years and even has a dungeon.

As always, I find myself looking up. With magnificent arched ceilings and huge pillars, this Romanesque architecture uses red sandstone quarried near Kirkwall and yellow sandstone from the island of Eday, often in alternating courses or in a checkerboard pattern. It is very striking to look at! I loved the beautifully carved wooden baptismal font and wooden doors, and I found many stone carvings of skulls along the walls. Pretty cool!

We journeyed on to the site of Skara Brae. “Skara Brae is a stone-built Neolithic settlement consisting of eight clustered houses, it was occupied from roughly 3180 BC to about 2500 BC and is Europe's most complete Neolithic village.” (previous info from Wikipedia.) It is said to have been discovered in 1850 when a storm struck Orkney and dispersed the sand and soil which had buried the site. In this exposed site I can see that totally happening. The wind was howling today and the waters of the sea were wild. I can see why the people who inhabited here built the houses into the earth – a kind of underground dwelling. All the furniture of the house was made of stone also, even the beds!

We are not able to go into the actual ancient village but instead walked on paths around it looking down into the rooms. There was a replica house that we could walk through and I thought a sort of pit in the ground to hold cold foods was pretty genius for the time. If only they had a cold soda to keep in it! There was a lot of walking out to the site and back and we certainly added to our step counts today!

This part of the world is filled with stone circles and here in the Orkneys is no exception. We stopped at the largest and most famous one, the Ring of Brodgar. Oh, and did I mention it was windy today? We walked quite a way and crossed a bridge over a wetland area and followed a long path to get to the actual stones. It is the third largest stone circle in the British Isles and the stone circle is 341 ft. in diameter. The ring originally had up to 60 stones, of which only 27 remained standing. We were close to the summer equinox today but I did not hear any buzzing! (Outlander fans will understand this) Some of the stones were huge and I continually wonder how in the world people got these things erected! It is a beautiful location with lush greenery, mountains in the background, and the sea nearby. I see tons of brown heather so I can imagine it is lovely when the heather is in bloom and the color purple abounds. Next time maybe!

Our final stop of the day is at the Italian Chapel. This lovely Catholic chapel was built during WW II by Italian prisoners of war. When reading about its construction, it was just too interesting not to include in my writings. This next information is taken from Wikipedia: “550 Italian prisoners of war, captured in North Africa during World War II, were brought to Orkney in 1942. They worked on the construction of the Churchill Barriers, four causeways created to block access to Scapa Flow. In 1943, Major Thomas Pyres Buckland, Camp 60's new commandant, and Father Gioacchino

Giacobazzi, the camp's Catholic priest, agreed that a place of worship was required. The chapel was constructed from limited materials by the prisoners. Two Nissen huts were joined end-to-end. The corrugated interior was then covered with plasterboard and the altar and altar rail were constructed from concrete left over from work on the barriers. Most of the interior decoration was done by Domenico Chiocchetti, a prisoner from Moena. He painted the sanctuary end of the chapel and fellow-prisoners decorated the entire interior. They created a facade out of concrete, concealing the shape of the hut and making the building look like a church. The light holders were made out of corned beef tins. The baptismal font was made from the inside of a car exhaust covered in a layer of concrete.”

Next to the chapel is a War Memorial with a statue of Saint George who was a Greek soldier sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. Saint George is the patron saint of soldiers and all people protecting the nation.

As others dozed lightly on the bus ride back to Inverness, I chatted the time away with the bus driver.  I was in the front seat and I learned that he has been a tour bus driver for 30 years. I did feel comfortable knowing this as we wound around the roads and up and down the hills. I must tell you that the tour bus drivers are incredible! How they manage those giant busses on narrow streets and around hairpin turns amazes me. Sometimes there simply is not room and they just drive up on the sidewalks! Soon, we are back in our spacious flat and calling it a night! There are more adventures in store tomorrow!

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!