A very fond farewell to Mary, designer, builder, hostess of Ferrymuir Stables.
As we left, Mary was called to the phone suddenly. Her dearest friend and only employee came to bid us further adieu.....
and give us each a memorial from John's funeral....one of the finest single malt whiskys from the island of Islay, which to our regret, we did not visit....did not learn about it until we had left the area. We count this gift a very, very special honour....and will save it for a very, very special occasion. Thank you, Mary, and God bless you.
Our destination is Stirling, Scotland, highly recommended to us for the beauty and historical significance of its Castle. Here we are with our good friend and "sort of" relative, Robert the Bruce.
August is the peak tourist month for Scotland. We are two of the very first tourists on the new "hop on, hop off" tours of Stirling. We just happened to notice the sign (which had been posted only moments before). It is free....a trial run, so to speak...below is a bit of the itinerary.
William Wallace was one of the original Scottish freedom fighters -- he preceded Robert the Bruce. He is most famous for his defeat of King Edward I of England at Stirling Bridge in 1297 CE. He was later captured by Edward and hanged, drawn, and quartered for treason.
Our first view of the Stirling Castle from the bus
Wallace's tactic at the Battle of Stirling Bridge was to destroy the Stirling Bridge, separating the English forces from one another and thereby conquering them. He reclaimed ownership of the Stirling Castle and is a venerated hero. The current bridge dates from the 1600s.
The University of Stirling is the newest and the smallest of Scotland's universities, established in 1967 with an enrolment of 7000. All universities in Scotland are tuition free for established residents of three of the most recent years.
Parts of Stirling University are idyllic parks.
We are finally at the Stirling Castle. The first record of Stirling Castle dates from 1110 when King Alexander I dedicated a chapel here. Most of the existing buildings were built between 1490 and 1600 AD, by a series of King James of Scotland. It was the most important fortress during the wars of Scottish independence 1296 - 1397 AD.
The 3 photos below are taken in the main courtyard of the Castle. The largest building is golden in colour to represent gilded power.
The chapel
The Grand Hall for ceremonies and special events
Many people told us of the beauty of the Stirling Castle. When it was tour companies trying to sell a ticket, I dismissed the recommendation. When the suggestion came from people we met on cruises, tours, inns, other tourists, I took it a bit more seriously. Hence, our one night stay in Stirling....and our time here. The following is an array of photos of the interior chambers of the Castle. I cannot pretend to remember everything described....the intricacies of the royal emblems, the symbols, the colours and their significance, etc, etc. I can only hope you enjoy the pageantry.....as we did.
The Lion's Den....really? Yes!
Some outstanding views from the batteries of the Castle.....enjoy!
As we leave the Castle, some hours later, just have to point out our parking spot....Note the Castle sign on the far right....and our All Black parked nearby.
At the foot of the Castle...
We had hoped to see the interior of the church, but could not do so because there was a wedding. Just as we approached, the wedding ceremony was concluding....
And Kathy crept in a side door to catch a quick glimpse of the interior!
On to our new nest...
Built approximately 125 years ago as a private residence...
and subsequently used as a small hotel..
the current owners spent 9 months remodeling and restoring the building, reducing the number of rooms from 14 to 7 and transforming from a hotel to a gracious b n b.
They retained all the original light switches.
The crown moulding in this room is the original. It has been lovingly spray painted from navy blue ti white. The rows of figures represent the countries of the UK: the bottom is the leek onion for Wales, next is the thistle for Scotland, then the rose for England and the top row is the shamrock for Ireland (now Northern Ireland). One has to wonder if that will change again after the referendum for Scotland's independence on 9/18?
This is Keri, the hostess and co-owner of the home with her husband, Phil. She designed the new decor. Phil is Scotland's equivalent of the Chair of the Center for Disease Control. They both spent an hour chatting with us about Scotland, their heritage and the future of their country and the referendum. Phil is adamant for the independent vote.
Outside our bedroom is a full length mirror, an original with the house, measuring approximately 8'X10'
We are walking to Keri's suggested restaurant for dinner.
It's a short, but steep, distance from the house....we keep reminding ourselves that it will be downhill on the return.
Hermann is Austrian and the restaurant is only 12 months old!
Fried goat cheese salad
Delicious salmon and fresh veggies
Back to Victoria Square and blogging in our bay window, watching the kids in the park play soccer!
