While I may never be able to top blogging about having tea with the Queen, we're still having other, somewhat smaller, adventures here in Scotland that I think are worth sharing. Like last weekend. Derek suggested getting away on his long weekend (Glasgow celebrated a holiday on the Monday), so we decided on two day trips: Berwick-Upon-Tweed and Linlithgow.
Berwick-Upon-Tweed is a small town about 45 minutes south-east on the train on the border between England and Scotland. For centuries the two countries battled for control of the town, as it lies on a strategic point with the North Sea to the east and the River Tweed to the south. England has had possession of the town since the 1600s, when its Elizabethan ramparts were built surrounding much of the town. These high, thick walls were built to withstand cannon fire, and while they were never used in such a way, they provide a great way to walk around the town and see the sights. They were our first stop.
After circling much of the town and coming across some of the original medieval walls, we walked down to the beach and out to the old lighthouse. A number of people were digging in the sand with pitchforks and buckets as the tide was low. I think they were digging for clams, but we're not sure. We picnicked looking out over the harbour during a break in the misty rain.
In the afternoon we walked along the River Tweed in search of Berwick's picturesque mid-19th century railroad bridge. It was pretty amazing -- certainly an amazing feat of engineering for the time, and it's still used by the railway to this day, so it's held up well over the years. Past the bridge was the bottom of a set of stone breakneck stairs that went up the side of the cliff to the old site of the castle. The castle was all but demolished in the Victorian era to put in the train station. I guess the Victorians didn't have the kind of appreciation for history and historic sites that most of us do today. It's quite sad really. From the station you can see an existing castle wall, and on the platform is a sign telling visitors that there once stood the castle's Great Hall in which Robert the Bruce was denied the Scottish Crown in 1292. But the hall is gone.
On Sunday we went on a much shorter trip to Linlithgow. Linlithgow is the next stop on the train from where we live, about 15 minutes west of us. Derek passes through it on his way to Glasgow every time he heads to school, and from the station you can see St. Michael Parish Church with it's distinctive metal sculpture on top, and Linlithgow Palace behind it.
Linlithgow Palace is the site of Mary, Queen of Scots' birth and her son James', who becomes James I and VI, uniting Scotland and England in the Union of the Crowns in 1603. The palace is in ruins but most of the stone walls, floors, towers and staircases remain intact. There was so much to explore and discover! So many large rooms and halls, small rooms in the basement, the kitchens with their large fireplaces, beautiful stone windows, all surrounding a large stone courtyard with a beautiful fountain in the middle.
On top of the one corner tower was a small platform to walk around, in order to view the grounds and a high up tower room. It was pretty windy up there! But there were some great views of the royal park surrounding the palace and the small lock below the grassy grounds. We had the added bonus of visiting the palace on the morning that Mary Queen of Scots happened to be visiting, accompanied by the husband of one of her four Marys, her main ladies in waiting. We were able to chat with her for a short time, finding out why she's called 'Mary, Queen of Scots' (because she officially ruled with the consent of the people, rather than as their dictator), and how much time she would have spent in the palace (they moved around quite a bit once each place got dirty and/or all the food was eaten, but she liked Linlithgow Palace because her horses could be housed in the building and it's in town so the rest of the court didn't have to stay with her).
After thoroughly checking out the many floors, rooms, hallways and towers, we went outside and had a picnic at a table in the palace's grounds overlooking the loch. After lunch we went for an hour long walk along the loch, seeing lots of little duckings and even a nest of tiny furry swans with their parents. The so-called 'Heritage Walk' looked like a bit of a let-down (not as history-filled as a walk through Edinburgh tends to be), so we walked along the main street, back up the train station and headed home in time for dinner.
It was a great weekend. We walked and walked and walked, and saw lots of nature and country-side, as well as a lot of water. Two excellent day-trips a short train-ride away. What a great idea!
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