03-July-2013 Scotland

Yep, you guessed it - we went to Scotland!  We were there for 4 days, saw some amazing sites and met some really great people.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming and everyone spoke English even though, at times, it was hard to understand and even sounded like a different language!  The first 2 days were personal days and we spent this time taking in as many of the sites in Edinburgh and Stirling as we possibly could.  After seeing 2 castles (Edinburgh & Stirling Castles), I can honestly say, I don't know how people were able to live like they did.  It must have been freezing in these castles and even though just about every room had a fireplace, I know I would still be walking around numb to the bone!  It makes my fingers and toes ache just thinking about it and it gives a new meaning to the need for fir coats and hats!  Also, imagine riding a horse in cold, damp conditions for days on in, yikes - I would not have survived!  I had a double-layered coat on and it was 60 degrees and I still felt the chill.  I will say though that it was a great change from the 120 degree temperatures we left in Doha so I'm really not complaining just thinking about how people lived in medieval times.

Along with the Edinburgh & Stirling castles, we had the pleasure of visiting the following sites:

• National Gallery of Scotland
• The Scott Monument
• St. Giles Cathedral
• Mary King's Close
• The National Wallace Monument in Stirling

I honestly enjoyed every one of these sites and here is why...

The National Gallery of Scotland has amazing exhibitions.  The paintings and sculptures were from some of the world's most renowned artists such as Monet, Degas, Botticelli and Rembrandt and the list could go on.  Unfortunately, we arrived about 30 minutes before closing so we didn't have the opportunity to explore all 3 levels of the gallery but what we did see was quite awe inspiring.  I must admit that my personal favorite was the marble sculpture called "The Kiss" by Auguste Rodin. I guess you can call me a romantic at heart because I could sense the passion and love that seemed to radiate from the couple depicted by the sculpture!  It's quite breathtaking to see it up close.

Next up, The Scott Monument.  It was built in honor of Sir Walter Scott and it takes a person approximately 287 steps to get to the top with the spiral staircase narrowing as you get closer to the top.  Upon reaching the very top level, there is enough room for about 10 people to walk around in either a clockwise or counterclockwise fashion.   While getting to the top requires a bit of effort, it was well worth the experience.   The views of Edinburgh were majestic and while I am very proud of these pictures, they really do not capture the full effect of being that high up and seeing the full expanse of Edinburgh.

At the conclusion of our arrival day, we stopped off at the St. Giles Cathedral which became a cathedral in the 1600's and remains an active cathedral to this day.   The cathedral honors almost 200 distinguished Scots and soldiers from the 19th and early 20th centuries.  The cathedral has Gothic style architecture with stained glass windows, high arched ceilings, medieval stonework and a Crown Spire on the tower.  If you've ever seen the "Pillars of the Earth" HBO mini-series, St. Giles cathedral reminds me of the cathedrals that were being built in this mini-series.  It was truly filled with a reverence for God and we could have sat for hours just taking in the sense of peace that it offered.
 
 During our first full day of site seeing in Edinburgh, we toured the Edinburgh Castle and Mary King's Close.  Both tours were well worth the time and money spent.  You may be asking, what is Mary King's Close?  Well, Mary King was the daughter of a property owner in 17th century Edinburgh.  Mary King lived in a "close" and therefore the tour is designed to depict the living conditions and lifestyles of people in Edinburgh at that time.  The point that really hit home was that growing up, we learned about the quick spread of diseases and plagues such as the bubonic plague and the devastating impact it had on entire cities and countries.  The tour of Mary King's Close really illustrated how this truly was a reality people faced throughout history.  Before taking this tour, I really didn't comprehend how diseases could spread so quickly, kill so many or even what a "close" was and how these things were all related.  After visiting Edinburgh and taking this tour, I came to understand that a "close" was simply a small alleyway between buildings and people were crammed into these dwellings literally stacked on top of each other with levels that may be many stories high and also have rooms underground as well. 

In medieval times, as many as 18 people may live in a single room the size of an average personal office today.  Some families even kept their livestock in an underground room for fear of losing them.  For a majority of households, the toilet was a small wooden bucket that sat in a corner of the room and could only be dumped twice a day usually by the youngest child living in the household.  You may be asking where all this "dumping" took place?  Well, a signal was given twice a day and the child would take the bucket to the front of the dwelling and simply throw it into the alleyway (i.e close).  For buildings that may be as high as 7 stories up, you would not want to be anywhere near the close during dump time! Given the living conditions, the lack of sanitation and the proliferation of the mice (and flea) population, it's not very hard to understand how epidemics could spread quickly and wipe out entire families and cities. 

Our second day was spent in Stirling where we visited The National Wallace Monument.  Remember "Braveheart" and the story of William Wallace?  This monument was built in 1869 in honor of Sir William Wallace to commemorate his efforts in the fight for Scotland's Independence in the 13th century.  The monument stands high on the summit of "Abbey Craig" and offered us the opportunity to scale the 246 steps up a narrow spiral staircase to get a panoramic view of Stirling and catch a small glimpse of the Scottish Highlands.  While making our way to the top, we stopped at several viewing galleries inside the monument, one of which contained a replica of the sword William Wallace used in battle.  Both John and I truly enjoyed this experience.  Not only did we enjoy the tour but we also had a wonderful time getting to know an English couple from Oxford.  It is because of their immediate friendship that we had the opportunity to visit this monument.  We met Stephen and Angela as we were boarding the train to Stirling and ended up sharing stories for the 50 minute train ride.  It was during this discussion that we learned about their plans to tour not only Stirling Castle but to venture out to the Wallace Monument first.  After some additional discussion, they were gracious enough to allow us to tag along and it turned into a most wonderful adventure!  We are hoping they will come visit us in Qatar and maybe we can visit them at some point in Oxford!

Ok - I've saved the best for last - The Castles!!!

Edinburgh Castle is truly a fortress dominating the center of Edinburgh.  There is so much history surrounding this castle that I could write several posts about it but I will let you do the research!  Not only is the castle a significant part of Scottish history but it continues to be used today for military purposes and to also memorialize Scottish soldiers (past and present) who have died in battle.  Some of the highlights of our tour included a visit to the following:

Scottish National War Memorial and seeing the Scottish Crown Jewels (No pictures allowed inside!)











A tour of the cells for prisoners of war (which included some Americans)

A visit to St. Margaret's Chapel (oldest building in the castle) and finally observance of the One O'Clock gun! 






While touring the castle, we actually met some fellow Aggies and had a brief catch up session as we hung out by Mons Meg which is a 15th century siege cannon!  This is one firearm that won't be in John's arsenal although I think he would gladly take it home and try it out if he could! 

We also had the opportunity to taste some Scottish whiskey during the tour.  One small sip burns all the way down and truly heats the body from the inside out!  Now I have a better understanding of how they stayed warm!






Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle is much smaller than Edinburgh Castle but gives a very different (and most enjoyable) experience.  John actually liked this castle better! We were able to walk the entire perimeter wall and pretty much visit any room within the castle grounds.  Here we became the King & Queen of the castle! 

The castle also offered small gardens and places where you could just sit and admire the views! It had a much different feel and a nice contrast from Edinburgh Castle.  Again, there is tons of history surrounding this castle but I'm sure by this point, you probably don't want me to elaborate!!





Well as if the above experiences weren't enough, there are a few more noteworthy items to mention!  I fell in love during our visit to Scotland!!!  Did that catch your attention?  I guess I had better explain! 



The name is "Rekorderlig" and John is fully aware of the attraction.  He even had a bit as well!  If you haven't guessed, Rekorderlig is a cider and it is WONDERFUL!  We had Rekorderlig (Strawberry-Lime Flavor) every time it was available.  My mouth just waters as I think about it!  Once we return to the states, I will begin a massive search to find this wonderful and very refreshing cider!
The other question that we have been asked is whether we tried "haggis".  The answer is yes.  We ordered and ate a small serving of Haggis, Neeps & Tatties.  It wasn't bad as long as you didn't think about the ingredients.  John did partake in the experience and while I don't think it will cross his palate again anytime soon, he didn't complain about it! 

Finally, I will finish this post by wishing my loving husband a Happy Anniversary!  As of July 1st, we have been married 13 years!  We finished our trip to Scotland with an anniversary dinner at Vittoria's Italian Restaurant.  It was a very nice dinner and a sweet conclusion to a very memorable trip as well as a celebration for a wonderful 13 years of marriage!