Windsor Castle

Something I've never had the chance to do is visit Windsor Castle. So on my last trip to England, I was finally able to work in a day trip to see this famous residence. There was a bit of a line to get in to see the grounds, and this was during the off season. I can't imagine how busy it is during the major tourist season. I'd rather not know.

 Sadly, pictures are not allowed on the inside of the palace. It's pretty amazing to see all the portraits dating back centuries, the beautiful china, and the most amazing and intricate dollhouse I've ever seen. Definitely worth a stop to see if possible. In the meantime, you can enjoy a few pictures of the beautiful grounds.

 
 
 

England - I Heart London

 I love England. Any chance to make a stop in London and I'll take it. That being said, I've been lucky enough to wander through that city around 4 times now. Someday, perhaps I'll really be adventurous and move over there for a year or two.

Until then, here are a few pictures of my favorite spots. They never get old. One day I plan to run the London marathon too. Just seems fitting. Of course I also had to make a quick stop in Bath. Just for fun of course.

 

 

Farewell to Scotland

After seeing the beautiful Dunfermline Abbey, we headed to our final hotel to enjoy our last night in Scotland.











We stayed in a tiny little village in North Queensferry, just across the bridge from Edinburg. It was quiet, quaint, and we had a lovely evening watching the sun go down across the water.
Of course we had another round of fresh and fabulous fish and chips, topped off with my favorite dessert - sticky toffee pudding.

I love Scotland. I hope to get back there one day soon. The people were friendly, the food was tasty, and the country is beautiful. What more could you ask for?

Dunfermline Abbey and Palace

The next stop made in Scotland was at Dunfermline Abbey and Palace, in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. This little town is just outside of Edinburg to the north. Part of the Abbey was destroyed and rebuilt, while the other part miraculously remained undamaged.

I don't remember the reason why I picked this as a stop to make, but I'm glad I did. The parish church was beautiful, with the prettiest stained glass windows I've seen.

 It was a quiet day during our visit, so a wonderful tour guide gave us the history and details of the Abbey's existence, as well as some interesting Scottish history. It was quite fun.


Sadly, the medieval part of the Abbey was closed for the day. Our tour guide was kind enough to open the doors and let us take a quick peak. We couldn't wander through it, but we did get to snap a few pictures. It was big and grand, just as you imagine all those old cathedrals to be. The Scottish people are the friendliest.

The rest the grounds around the Abbey are beautifully kept, as all cemeteries are. It's always great to visit a beautiful place when there are no tourists around. Tourists are the worst.

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I did learn that there is specific meaning to the statues that are beautifully sculpted on the tombs of those buried in these ancient churches.













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If the figure is portrayed with their legs crossed in any manner, that signifies they at one point were part of a religious crusade. If their legs are depicted uncrossed, they did not participate in a holy crusade. I never knew.









Directly across the beautifully manicured grass from the Abbey are the ruins of Dunfermline Palace. While they aren't much to look at now, (and it was closed so we couldn't wander through what actually remained) you can easily imagine the beautiful haven it was for the monarchy. I'd love to go back again to this quiet part of the world some day.

Urquhart Castle

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Right before the big marathon day in Scotland, we spent some time exploring Urquhart Castle, which sits overlooking the infamous Loch Ness.


The Castle was founded in the 13th century, and played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century. After many attempts of being raided, abandoned, bequeathed, etc., it was eventually destroyed by it's occupants in 1692 to prevent the Jacobites using or acquiring it.

It has now become one of the most visited castles in Scotland. While it's always interesting to wander through the ruins of a once powerful castle, I can only imagine how much more interesting it would be to see it in it's full state.


Sadly, that's what's left of most castles after years of fighting. It's still worth seeing, especially as it's situated looking out on the loch. Such a great view.


Before actually wandering through the castle, we were encouraged to watch a video about it before venturing down to explore. In the visitors center, we watched an interesting video on the dramatization of the battles and history of Urquhart.

The reasoning for destroying the castle was sound, but still a tragic choice. The video ends with the castle being blown up.

At that point, the movie screen we had been staring at moves and curtains part to reveal giant windows. These windows look directly out to the castle. It was actually a pretty cool way to reveal the first view of the place.

So if you make it here, be sure to watch the video in the tourist shop first. It's a cool effect on the experience.

Of course, I had to buy an over priced souvenir.

This is Loch Ness after all.







So I bought a ring with my birth stone. And when people ask where I got it, I can say I got it at a castle in Scotland. Just makes me sound so much more interesting.

The Castle is about a 20 minute drive outside of Inverness. The windy two lane road leads through a few very small towns and shops along the way. There was a candy shop, a little bakery, and even a craft store.

As it was about lunch time, and most places close around 2pm for the afternoon, we really only had one option for food. While I needed pasta in preparation for my race, there wasn't really any to be found where we were. We ended up at a little pub type restaurant and had some pretty amazing hamburgers (angus beef) with chips (fries). I did get some cheesy, buttery, garlic bread on the side to help me load up on carbs. So wonderful. You just can't beat fresh garlic cheese bread.

Afterwards we wandered through a few stores,  and even  saw a replica of the castle made in flowers. So fun.