Awoke this morning to a blanket of white outside our bedroom window. A light snowfall overnight brought the temperature right down but created a “winter wonderland”. After a hearty breakfast (John over-indulged in the full Scottish breakfast again!) we set off into Dunfermline “city” as it has recently been declared, promoted from its earlier status as merely a “town”. First stop the Dunfermline Abbey. This Church of Scotland church and palace include the remains of a great Benedictine abbey founded by Queen Margaret in the 11th century. It is the final resting place of King Robert (the) Bruce – minus his heart – along with seven other Scottish kings. The abbey complex includes the impressive ruins of a palace built by King James VI in the 16th century. It was also the birthplace of Charles 1, the last monarch born in Scotland.
From there, a
short walk down the hill to the birthplace and museum of Andrew Carnegie, a
most amazing rags-to-riches Scottish success story. Born in 1835 to hardworking but impoverished
weaver parents, he benefitted from their genuine interest in providing Andrew
and his brother education opportunities and exposure to literature, politics
and ideas. The family emigrated to
America in 1848 and, after finishing his rudimentary education, Andrew quickly
established himself as a brilliant morse code operator, an essential skill in
the burgeoning railroad industry. His unique
talent was soon sought-after and he came under the wing of a supervisor in the
railroad company he had been head-hunted for.
On his mentor’s advice he invested in a promising railroad company and
when this reaped a bonanza he embarked on a lifetime of shrewd investments
(with some failures) and eventually became the richest man in the world. He was a genuine philanthropist throughout
his life, a pacifist and the author of many books.
We continued
on our way to Stirling and, after a delicious soup and panini lunch, took the
long walk up a steep hill to Stirling Castle, past the Church of the Holy Rood which
was closed for the winter (a bit rude, we thought). Stirling Castle is situated on the very top
of a hill and surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs – the ideal location
for a medieval castle. The castle dates
from the early 12th century, although the present buildings were mostly
constructed between 1490 and 1600. It
was the seat of the Scottish kings and suffered occupations by the then-enemy
British during the Wars of Independence (1296-1357) and sieges in 1651 and in 1746
(when Bonnie Prince Charlie tried to take back the castle). Several Scottish kings and queens have been
crowned at Stirling, including Mary Queen of Scots in 1542, and others were
born or died there.
Then on to
Falkirk and our delightful digs for the next two nights, a fully self-contained
cottage in a quiet street. Did a bit of
shopping, caught up with our washing, and now for a well-earned early night.
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