Real Mary King's Close

Closes, a Scots term for an alleyway, were originally narrow streets with tenement houses on either side, stretching up to seven stories high.


Mary King's Close is an old Edinburgh close under buildings in the Old Town area of Edinburgh Scotland. It took its name from one Mary King, daughter of advocate Alexander King, who in the 17th century had owned several properties within the close. The close was partially demolished and buried under the Royal Exchange, and later being closed to the public for many years, the complex became shrouded in myths and urban legends; tales of ghosts and murders, and myths of plague victims being walled up and left to die abounded.

 However, new research and archaeological evidence has revealed that the close actually consists of a number of  The guide for our tour of Mary King's Close was Pam, portraying Mary's daughter. She was informative and fun and helped bring the close to life for the duration of our tour.

The Firth of Forth Bridge

The Forth Bridge is a cantilever railway bridge across the Firth of Forth. It is considered as a symbol of Scotland (having been voted Scotland's greatest man-made wonder in 2016), and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Construction of the bridge began in 1882 and it was completed in 1890. The bridge spans the Forth between the villages of South Queensferry and North Queensferry and has a total length of 8,094 feet. When it opened, it had the longest single cantilever bridge span in the world, until 1919 when the Quebec Bridge in Canada was completed. It continues to be the world's second-longest single cantilever span, with a span of 1,709 feet.

Inchcolm Abbey

Inchcolm Abbey is a medieval abbey located on the island of Inchcolm in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. The Abbey, which is located at the centre of the island, was founded in the 12th century during the episcopate of Gregoir, Bishop of Dunkeld. Later tradition placed it even earlier, in the reign of King Alexander I of Scotland (1107–24), who probably had some involvement in the island; he was apparently washed ashore there after a shipwreck in 1123, and took shelter in a hermit's hovel.
  

Edinburgh Castle

Some of the steps up to the Royal Mile where the Castle is located.

Exterior of the Castle

Inside the Great Hall of the Castle

A 20th century stained glass window of Saint Queen Margaret.  She was a Saxon princess who married Malcolm III of Scotland and became Queen of the Scots. She was a very pious Roman Catholic, and among many charitable works she established a ferry across the Firth of Forth in Scotland for pilgrims traveling to St Andrews in Fife, which gave the towns of South Queensferry and North Queensferry their names. Margaret was the mother of four kings of Scotland, and of a queen consort of England.  After reading a historical novel about her, Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King, I was quite thrilled to visit her chapel at Edinburgh Castle and to see her prayer book.

Tableau of Isabella McDuff crowning Robert the Bruce at Scone.  After reading a novel about Robert the Bruce that included the story about Isabella leaving her English-allied husband, The Earl of Buchan, to crown the king of Scotland, which by tradition, is done by a McDuff, I sat and listened to the audio that described this tableau with amazement.  I could almost see it happen.

Inside the castle, just pass the scene of Robert being crowned, are the Honors of Scotland, 16th century regalia first used by Mary, Queen of Scots, and last used to crown Charles II.  They are the oldest surviving crown jewels in the British Isles. They were re-discovered in 1818 by Walter Scott as the request of the Prince Regent (who would become George IV).  Photos are not allowed, so this picture is from the web.

Panorama of the city from the castle.

Holyrood Palace

We arrived too late (5 minutes) to get into Holyrood Palace, but the entrance archway was beautifully sculpted and gold leafed.

Arthur's Seat and St. Andrew's Chapel

 Since we didn't get to tour Holyrood, I walked part way up the hill that goes to Arthur's Seat.  I found the ruins of a very small chapel, St. Anthony's Chapel, built in the 15th century and stopped to admire it and the view of the city.

Day 4 - Tantallon to Dunfermline - Mon

Driving in the UK

Look!  I'm driving on the wrong side of the road AND I'm on the wrong side of the car!!!

Oh my, and I thought I was a good driver!  Driving in the UK is so different.  It's not just being on the other side of the car and driving in the other lane, but it is also the placement of the car in the lane.  That is what I struggled with the most.  Especially since some of the roads are so very narrow...or one track roads.  I would drive so close to the left side of the road that Johnny was always having to remind me to move back to the middle or I would either go off the road  or over the curb.  And when was the last time I was considered a slow driver?!?!?!??!?  I'm doing my best to remember to stay on the left side of the road, turn into the the proper lane, not drive off the edge of the road...and all of that at 30mph.  But the speed limit, even on the single track roads is 60 mph!!!!!  Scots are crazy!

Day 2
Driving is a little bit easier.  There are roundabouts everywhere.  There are 3 levels of roundabouts, at least from what I've seen.  The little ones that are 1 lane.  This is like the one on my way to work everyday and I feel a little bit OK with them.  On the opposite end of the spectrum, at least from what I've seen so far, there are the 3 lane wide ones, but they aren't so bad to handle because they have the road number painted on them, so you know what lane to start out in. But the ones in the middle, that have 2 lanes but don't have the numbers painted on them are a nightmare for me.   However, I haven't been honked at yet!  The little victories!

Day 4
Now I've been honked at...deservedly so.  There is a roundabout in Inverness that is trying to kill me. I cut a driver off (he's the one that honked...I would have honked in his place) and that flustered me the point that I tried 3 times yesterday and 4 times today to get through that roundabout without succeeding.  I can't seem to figure out what lane I need to be in to take my exit and end up being forced into taking the one before mine or the one after mine.  ARGG!

Day 5
I had to drive at dusk, it was not quite dark but not daylight.  And still these single lane roads at 60 mph...or 40 mph in my case.

Day 6
It is becoming easier to remember turning into the proper lanes.  Except when turning around, that's when I still end up on the wrong side of the road.

Tantallon Castle Ruins

Tantallon Castle...climb to the battlements of the last of the grand medieval castles and marvel at its scale. Set high on a cliff edge and featuring a massive red sandstone curtain wall, it was home to the Red Douglas dynasty. 

Tantallon Castle - home of my ancestors, the Red Douglases.

Tantallon sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to be constructed in Scotland, Tantallon comprises a single wall blocking off the headland, with the other three sides naturally protected by sea cliffs. Tantallon was built in the mid 14th century by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. It was passed to his illegitimate son, George Douglas,(my ancestor) who was later created Earl of Angus, and despite several sieges, it remained the property of his descendants for much of its history. It was besieged by King James IV in 1491, and again by his successor James V in 1528, when extensive damage was done. Tantallon saw action in the First Bishops' War in 1639, and again during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1651, when it was once more severely damaged. It was sold by the Marquis of Douglas in 1699 to Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick and the ruin is today in the care of Historic Scotland.

This was the first of the castle ruins we went to and I was surprised that it was out in the middle of the countryside, and not in a village.  It was isolated and we were essentially alone.  It was quiet, thought provoking, beautiful and very, very windy!

Johnny taking pictures.  The wind made it quite cold.

Looking out to Bass Rock.

Me, on top of the curtain wall of my castle.

And this better shows the scale of what is left of this castle.  I wanted to bring back a small bit of soil from "my" castle, but there was no dirt...grass was growing everywhere!!!

Rosslyn Chapel

Next up was Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by the book and the movie "Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.  Taking pictures inside the chapel was not allowed, so I've included some that I found on the web to share the beauty of Rosslyn. This was not run by Historic Scotland and had a guided tour that we joined late and tiptoed to one of the pews to sit down as quietly as possible.  During the guide's talk, I noticed that there was a cat curled up on one of the padded side benches.  Once her talk was over, I whispered to Johnny about the cat.  He wanted to go over and pet the cat, but got his size 13 feet tangled up in the elaborate base of a candelabra.  It started to fall and all I could think was that Johnny was going to break Rosslyn Chapel!!!  The candelabra crashed to the stone floor and took down an information panel as well.  The guide immediately came over to check that Johnny was ok and he was just concerned that he hadn't broken anything.  Of course, all the noise this created scared William the cat away.  What a moment in the quiet of the chapel.

Photos are not allowed inside the chapel, so the following picture of the inside with its incredible stonework are from the web.

This column was carved by the apprentice while the master carver was away and was so breathtakingly beautiful that the master carver fired the apprentice because it was better than his own column. I hope that apprentice quickly became a master elsewhere as it was stunningly carved.

William the Cat, who looks very much like our PJ.  Since Johnny scared him away, this is not our picture.

Linlithgow Palace

We arrived at Linlithgow Palace after it closed (this will become a thing) but had a look around and took a few moments to enjoy the beautiful setting.

The top of the church next to the palace had an aluminum crown added in 1964, which both Johnny and I think looks out of place in such a historical place.

The Kelpies and Dinner in Dunfermline

The Kelpies name reflected the mythological transforming beasts possessing the strength and endurance of 10 horses; a quality that is analogous with the transformational change and endurance of Scotland's inland waterways. The Kelpies represent the lineage of the heavy horse of Scottish industry and economy, pulling the wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships that shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area.

According to sculptor Andy Scott, "The original concept of mythical water horses was a valid starting point for the artistic development of the structures." He also said that he “took that concept and moved with it towards a more equine and contemporary response, shifting from any mythological references towards a socio-historical monument intended to celebrate the horse’s role in industry and agriculture as well as the obvious association with the canals as tow horses”.

Even though the the Kelpies were closed, we were able to walk up to them.  What an amazing sculpture with such a Scottish feel...in folklore, kelpies are spirits in the shape of horses arising from bodies of water.

We stayed the night in Dunfermline at Davaar House.  We walked down to the Abbey to check it out after dark, and stopped at the Seven Kings Pub for dinner.  There were 3 gentlemen who were watching football (soccer) and the most drunk guy started singing Rick Astley's "Never Going to Give You Up".  Several times.  He was hilarious.  I the steak and ale pie and Johnny had fish and chips, both of which were excellent!

Day 5 - Dunfermline to Stonehaven - Tues

Sights:

Dunfermline Abbey (images)
Drive through Leslie - home of Johnny's ancestors the Campbells
St. Andrew's  Cathedral ruins
Arbroath Abbey
Stay in Stonehaven, on the beach with an incredible view.

Dunfermline Abbey

The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was sacked in 1560 during the Scottish Reformation and permitted to fall into disrepair. Part of the old abbey church continued in use at that time and some parts of the abbey infrastructure still remain.

Dunfermline Abbey is one of Scotland's most important cultural sites. The Benedictine Abbey of the Holy Trinity and St Margaret, was founded in 1128 by King David I of Scotland, but the monastic establishment was based on an earlier foundation dating back to the reign of his father King Máel Coluim mac Donnchada, i. e. "Malcolm III" or "Malcolm Canmore" (regnat 1058-93), and his queen, St Margaret of Scotland.  The foundations of the earliest church, namely the Church of the Holy Trinity, are under the superb Romanesque nave built in the 12th century.

After the discovery of the Robert the Bruce's skeleton in 1818, his bones were reinterred with fitting pomp below the pulpit of the New church (attached to the Abbey). In 1891, the pulpit was moved back and a monumental brass inserted in the floor to indicate the royal vault. 

 Notable ceremonies and burials
•Saint Margaret of Scotland was buried here in 1093; on 19 June 1250 following her Canonization her remains were disinterred and placed in a reliquary at the high altar. Her husband Malcolm's remains were also disinterred, and buried next to Margaret
• Duncan II of Scotland 1094
• Edgar of Scotland was buried here in 1107
• Both Alexander I of Scotland 1124, and his queen Sybilla de Normandy 1122, were buried here
• David I of Scotland was buried here (1153) along with his queen Maud, Countess of Huntingdon (1130)
• Malcolm IV of Scotland was buried here in 1165
• Gille Brigte, Earl of Angus
• Adam, Earl of Angus
• Gille Críst, Earl of Angus
• Donnchadh, Earl of Angus
• Alexander III of Scotland (1286), was buried here, with his first wife Margaret of England (1275) and their sons David of Scotland (1281) and Alexander of Scotland (1284)
• Elizabeth de Burgh, wife of Robert I of Scotland, was buried here in 1327
• Robert the Bruce was buried, in 1329, in the choir, now the site of the present parish church. Bruce’s heart rests in Melrose, but his bones lie in Dunfermline Abbey
• Matilda of Scotland, daughter of Robert I of Scotland, was buried here in 1353
• Anabella Drummond, wife of Robert III and mother of James I was buried here in 1401
• Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany was buried here in 1420
• Bishop James Bruce, buried in 1447