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 Their names are Duke and Baron, and they represent the horses that pulled wagons, ploughs, and barge ships in times gone by.
They are a tribute to the horses that were once critical to Scotland's economy when barges filled with iron ore, coal, and goods plied the canals through Falkirk, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and more. These horses, created by artist Andy Scott, stand 100 feet tall and were inspired by not only two Clydesdales named Duke and Baron, but by the mythical kelpie horses that had the strength of 100 horses and had to be tamed for them to offer safe passage over water. Rather fitting, actually. Construction of the horses began in 2013, and the 30,000 pieces of the giant metallic puzzle took only 90 days to complete. They have become one of Scotland's most popular tourist attractions. This would be our final stop before arriving at the Dalmahoy Country House Hotel where we would spend our evening enjoying good food, great company, a final concert, and time saying farewell to the new friends who had become our family.
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 The Church of the Holy Rude was originally built in the 1130s. The name, Holy Rude, means Holy Cross, as does Holyrood in Edinburgh. A disastrous fire in 1405 devastated the church. Reconstruction was begun, and by the end of the 1400s, the church reopened its doors. A second phase of construction from 1507 to 1555 added a choir to the east of the original nave, and the western tower was increased in height. But the Reformation halted what would have been the third phase of construction, leaving the church without its central tower and raised roofline. But it is still a magnificent structure. The Church of the Holy Rude can be seen from the walls of Stirling Castle. There is a cemetery between the castle and church, and my eye was drawn to this stairway leading to a very beautiful place. The cemetery was quite peaceful, and I even encountered a worker quietly sharing his lunch beneath a tall tree with a pair of grackles. One of the aspects of the cemetery which interested me, was the many Celtic Crosses in one corner of the cemetery. Each was different and beautiful--much like the souls of the people whom the crosses commemorate.  We spent much of our last day in Scotland walking the streets of Stirling, shopping, eating, and visiting the castle. The city is built on the slopes of an extinct volcano, and walking from the town center to the castle was a bit of a hike. It was great. 7/5/2019 0 Comments Scotland Tour 2019: Food I don't believe I've said enough about food in Scotland. If I could define the trip in just a few prosaic words, they would be music, castles, and food. And whisky. We sang hundreds of songs and attended numerous concerts. I have a group of CDs I bought in my car and listen to them over and over on my long trips to the city and back. We saw soooo many castles. It was close to overload, but you can always see one more, right? And they fed us well. Even when we were on our own for a meal (which wasn't often), we managed to discover some pretty tasty food. I'm not a person who takes a lot of pictures of her food, but I have a few from the trip I'm happy to share. The whisky? Our host was kind enough to share 'the dram of the day' with us each afternoon (or a wine alternative). He shared the tasting notes for each, also, which often reduced us to giggles. Our lunches on the road were often sandwiches, but so very fresh and with numerous fillings to choose from. I might have crab salad one day, cheese or ham another. And the day Jim's mum brought us Forfar Bridies was truly special. Especially since she then honored us with a song before she left.
But one of the true treats was the fresh fruit Susie often bought along the way. It was great to see her passing out containers of blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. All of the fruits were extremely sweet, and the raspberries were huge! Our trip was winding down, but we had a full day in Stirling before our final party and the good-byes began. More on that tomorrow.  As we left Armadale, our fingers were crossed that the CalMac ferry (Caledonia-MacBrayne Ferry) would be open for business. Not that any of us wanted to be pitched about on the open water, but we had a special treat ahead--
The Jacobite Steam Train, also known as the Harry Potter Train. If we missed the ferry, our travel back north to the Skye Bridge (the only other crossing) would then cause us to miss the train. To our delight, though the first crossing of the day had been canceled, the second was a 'go'. |
AuthorThis is where I talk about things in my life outside of writing. Mostly gardening and dogs. Archives
December 2019
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