Stirling and Queensferry

Sunday July 14, 2019

Usually when we’re away, we like to find a church and have a culturally different worship experience. Our hosts, Miles and Marina, were off to church and we could have joined them, but that would have taken up half our day. So we decided to pass this time.

We got a nice early start today - on the road just after nine. First stop was Stirling Castle. It sits high on a hill - in fact, covers the top of the entire hill. It’s a huge “complex” that had 300 people there at one time. Within the castle walls were a number of buildings, including a palace that James V built for his wife in the 1500s. It was part of the marriage agreement. He had to provide her a lavish home. Kings and queens have lived on this site for over a 1,000 years.

The day was perfect - low 70s and not a drop of rain. Lunch was the first time we’ve been able to eat outside and it was delightful. A big of shopping and we were on to the next stop. Only two more gifts to go!

The plan was to see three things today, but after four hours at the castle we didn’t have enough time so decided to see an abbey on an island in the middle of the Firth of Forth. A firth is a body of water just off the land - an estuary. There are lots of them along the coast. We had checked to make sure it was open, but failed to check the info on the ferry needed to get there. In fact, the ferry part wasn’t clear until we were on our way.

By the time we found the ferry, it was too late to go to the abbey. Disappointing. So we parked the car in the very busy town of Queensferry and walked around. It’s a very old town with narrow streets and buildings from the early 1600s. We sat by the water, listened to the waves hit the shore, and looked at the abbey that was “right there”. It’d be great to see, but not worth the drive back again on another day.

We got back to the B&B about 6:30. I read and Dave chatted with our hosts. The plan for Monday changed during that chat. We’ll be going into Edinburgh by train, spend our fourth night at this B&B (which is amazing!), and then have a final day out and about here on Tuesday. As I look at the weather at home (high 80s and humid), I’m not excited about returning to it at all. We left before the heat arrived so we aren’t used to it. Hopefully our air is fixed before we get home.

About eight we headed out for some supper. The place we wanted to go to was full and had a 90 minute wait. This in a really small town. So we found another hotel with only two tables filled. The food was okay and even that might be generous. There was a lively group by the bar. As we were heading out, they called us over. More on this below.

Some more fun facts:
On the carriageways (highways) with four lanes of traffic, there are signs everywhere noting that cameras are tracking your speed, but there’s never any speed limit signs. We learned last night (thank you Google), that cameras take a picture of your license plate/note your speed and then at some point down the road does it again. The system then determines your average speed for that stretch of road. If it’s over the speed limit (70 we found out), then you get a ticket. Every trip we wait to see if any speeding tickets come our way. The wait has begun......

We’ve only seen two pickup trucks. No Chevys. Lots of BMWs, Jags, Land Rovers, and Fords. Foreign cars, to us, include Kadjar and Vauxhall. We’re renting an Astra by Vauxhall.

You can purchase an “explorer pass” that allows you to see over 70 historical attractions in Scotland in 14 days. So far we’ve saved 57 pounds using it. A great idea!

One thing I learned today: Not all castles where whitewashed stone covered with tapestries. The Stirling Castle is the first time I’ve seen a castle decorated as it was once was. Unbelievable. Plastered walls with brilliantly colored pictures painted on them. Ceilings that explode with color and patterns. And the exterior was stuccoed and painted a shade of yellow that was suppose to make it look like gold.
One new thing I experienced today: Asking for directions from a local person. No help at all. “Well, you need to get on the bridge and then find your way to Queensferry.” That’s the same information I had when I asked for the directions. We figured it out.
Most powerful moment of the day: Being in a garden at the castle where a most grisly murder took place. Royalty got away with a lot!
One pleasureable experience: Chatting with some local men about politics (US and Scotland). Most had had too much to drink so it was loud and opinionated, but fun.