AveniAdventures
  • aveniadventure
  • Blog
  • Contact

Christ Church Cathedral

7/29/2015

43 Comments

 

  Officially known as "The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity", Christ Church Cathedral originally started life in 1028 as a small wooden church by the Viking King, Sitric. In 1163 it had become a priory (monastery) of the Augustinian monks. By the 1180's it had been rebuilt in stone, by King Strongbow, on high ground overlooking a Viking settlement. Following the English Reformation, controversy developed between the Catholics(who claimed it as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin) and the Anglicans (who claimed it as the seat of the Church of Ireland). After Henry VIII converted the church into an Anglican cathedral, Irish law dictated that the cathedral can only represent the Church of Ireland. The Catholics have never given up their claim on the cathedral but have set up a "pro-cathedral" (acting cathedral) at St. Mary's church on Marlborough St. In fact, Papal documents at the Vatican in Rome still lists this Cathedral and St. Patrick's cathedral (along with Westminster Abbey in London) as Catholic property. What has amazed us over this whole controversy is that the 84% Catholics that make up the Irish population has never demanded the return of these properties to Catholicism control. The most famous "inhabitants" of the Cathedral are the mummified remains of a cat and a rat. Legend states that sometime in the 1850's the cat apparently chased the rat into a pipe in the organ where they both became stuck. Routine maintenance of the organ discovered their mummified remains. They are on permanent display in a glass case in the crypt area. James Joyce memorialized them in his "Finnegan's Wake."

Picture
Christ Church Cathedral.
Picture
Central aisle looking towards the high altar.
Picture
As we found in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral has exquisite floor tiles.
Picture
King Strombow's (leader of the Anglo-Normans who captured Dublin from the Vikings in 1170) tomb. Many folks believe in taking oaths across the tomb to seal business deals.
Picture
Another very elegantly sculptured pulpit.
Picture
The high altar as seen through the choir stalls.
Picture
Lady chapel in the transept behind the high altar.
Picture
St. Laud's chapel is dedicated to the patron saint of Dublin who died in 1180. along the walls of the chapel are original tiles crafted in medieval times.
43 Comments

Dublin Castle

7/27/2015

0 Comments

 

  In the ten months of travel on this adventure, we have seen close to two dozen castles and palaces. It almost seems that medieval Europe was constructed of nothing but castles and palaces as the people of that time were quite warrior-like, and very much aware of class distinctions. And that is not necessarily a bad thing, at least for those like us who enjoy exploring these ancient sites. Not to be outdone by its European neighbors, Dublin has an impressive castle of its own. While most of the current buildings of Dublin Castle date from the 18th century, a castle structure of some sort has been on this site since the time of King John, the First Lord of Ireland (1204). Originally built as a Norman defensive fortification, in later years the complex evolved into a royal residence. Since its beginnings in 1204, Dublin Castle had been the seat of British Rule in Ireland. British Viceroys (representatives of the monarchy) resided here until 1922 when Ireland achieved Independent nation status. The inauguration of Ireland's President has been held here since 1938. Today, the castle is a major government complex as well as an important tourist attraction.

Picture
Dublin Castle with the State Apartments on the left, the Powder Tower in the middle, and the chapel on the right.
Picture
The chapel and Powder Tower.
Picture
The formal entrance to the Castle's courtyard.
Picture
Drawing of how the Castle complex would have looked in it's heyday.
Picture
Drawing of the Powder Tower with the surrounding moat flooded.
Picture
Early excavations that discovered remnants of the original Powder Tower.
Picture
Going below the courtyard, we saw the ruins of the original complex.
Picture
This stairway led from the original Powder Tower up to the city wall.
Picture
The river Poddle still fills parts of the original moat.
Picture
Entrance to the State Apartment building.
Picture
The central stairway up to the State Apartments. This is one of the more elegant stairways we have come across.
Picture
Awash with vibrant colors is the Drawing Room.
Picture
St.Patrick's Hall was used for many State occasions.
Picture
This picture does not do justice to the elegance of this hallway.
Picture
The Throne room. We found the gold leaf decorations around the perimeter to be superb.
Picture
This portrait gallery is still used for diplomatic functions and ceremonies.
Picture
This glorious Wedgewood Room had jasper ware added to the walls to give it this exquisite look. Lorraine's favorite room.
Picture
The Viceroy's sitting Room.
Picture
Unbelievably beautiful ceiling frescoes.
Picture
This three-tiered chandelier was specifically designed to depict the relationship between Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain. The lower tier is made of Roses to represent Britain. The middle tier has Thistles to represent Scotland. The upper tier is made of Shamrocks to represent Ireland.
0 Comments

St. Patrick Cathedral

7/26/2015

0 Comments

 

  Founded in 1191, St. Patrick's Cathedral is officially known as "The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St. Patrick, Dublin." It is the largest church in Ireland. Legend states that St. Patrick reportedly baptized converts to Christianity at a well that once existed in the park next to the Cathedral. Uniquely, Dublin has two Cathedrals; Christ Church Cathedral (a short distance from St. Patrick's) is the official seat of the Archbishop of Dublin, while St. Patrick's has been designated as the National Cathedral of the whole island since 1870. Another distinction between the two is that St. Patrick's is considered to be a "secular" Cathedral, i.e. the clergy are not members of a religious order. Over the years, the two Cathedrals worked out an agreement that they would act as one entity to minister to the needs of the congregations. From the very beginning, St. Patrick's has had a problem with water seepage, and occasional flooding, from the surrounding branches of the river Poddle. As a result, it never had a crypt nor formal basement area, as did other Cathedrals of its era. Following the English Reformation of circa. 1537, St. Patrick's became an Anglican Church of Ireland, even though most of the surrounding population was Roman Catholic. The heraldic banners of the Knights of St. Patrick still hang over the choir stalls. Johnathan Swift, author of "Gulliver's Travels", is considered to be the Cathdral's most celebrated Dean (serving from 1713 to 1745). Handel's "Messiah" had its first performance in Dublin in St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1742.

Picture
St. Patrick's Cathedral from the park where St. Patrick reportedly baptized converts at a well that once existed here.
Picture
Looking down the long center aisle towards the High Altar. We thought the tile floor (unique among the other churches we have visited) was glorious.
Picture
Moving up the central aisle, we got a better look at the choir stalls in front of the High Altar.
Picture
Some of the heraldic banners of the Knights of St. Patrick still hanging above the choir stalls.
Picture
The High Altar.
Picture
The Huguenot Bell, a commemoration of when the Huguenots arrived in Dublin, was given to St. Patrick's by the parishioners of Dublin's St. Luke's Church when it was closed to public worship in 1975.
Picture
The memorial to Jonathan Swift, the most famous Dean of the Cathedral.
Picture
We have seen many elaborately sculptured pulpits in our travels. This certainly ranks near the top for its beauty.
Picture
This very beautiful spiral staircase leads to the organ loft that overlooks the central aisle. We would have loved to climb it but it was closed to the public.
Picture
The North Aisle is lined with marble statues of famous people important to the history of the Cathedral.
Picture
This elaborate memorial (just to the left of the South Entrance) is dedicated to Richard Boyle, Earle of Cork in 1632, and his family. It is huge!
Picture
This door was part of the Cathedral's Chapter House. In 1492, a feud existed between the Earl of Ormond and the Earl of Kildare. Ormond had taken refuge within the Chapter House. Kildare, trying to convince Ormond to accept a truce, hacked a hole in the door and thrust his hand through it to grasp his enemy's hand. This gesture helped to restore peace between the two families.
0 Comments

Trinity College

7/25/2015

0 Comments

 

No visit to Dublin would be complete without a visit to Trinity College and its famous Book of Kells.. Located on College Green opposite the former houses of the Irish Parliament, it's full name is "The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin." Founded in 1592 and modeled after the universities of Cambridge and Oxford it is Ireland's oldest, and one of seven ancient, universities of Britain and Ireland. The university is not the first structure built on these grounds. Originally this was home to part of the monastery (or priory) of All Hallows of the Augustinian monks. This was replaced by the university buildings during the first religious conflicts between the Catholics and the Anglicans. Today, Trinity College comprises 25 schools of study and is ranked as "Best in Ireland". Being back on a university campus certainly brought back memories of our own college days.

The Library, perhaps the largest research facility in Ireland, is a legal depository (meaning it is entitled to a copy of every book published in Great Britain and Ireland) for nearly five million volumes, maps, manuscripts, and music; including its most famous work, The Book of Kells. The library is also home to "The Long Room" which contains over 200, 000 of the library's oldest books. The central walkway is lined with busts of famous writers and philosophers. Reportedly when this room was constructed (between 1712 and 1732), six feet were added to its length so that it would be longer than a similar room at the university's rival, Cambridge.

Picture
Entrance to Trinity College opposite College Green.
Picture
The Main quadrangle, one of four such areas on the campus.
Picture
The oldest structure on campus is this bell tower. Legend has it that if students who pass through the main archway when the bells ring, don't hold their breath while doing so, will flunk final exams. We did not hear if any adventurous students ever tried to test out this legend.
Picture
The statue near this building is of George Salmon, a rather unpopular provost of the university between 1888 and 1904 (partly because of his steadfast refusal to admit women into the academic programs). Perhaps aware of his reputation within the college community, he self-commissioned this statue. Women were finally admitted to the college in 1904 and now comprise 63% of the student population. Salmon would be aghast.
Picture
The "Long Room" of the library houses over 200,000 volumes of its oldest books.
Picture
Part of the stacks in the Long Room with this exquisite spiral staircase.
Picture
Some of the 200,000 rare books housed in the Long Room.

Regarded as Ireland's finest national treasure the "Book of Kells", named after the Abbey of Kells which housed the manuscript for centuries, is now housed in the library on Trinity College's campus. Written in Latin, this is an illuminated manuscript of the four gospels of the New Testament reportedly done around 800 A.D. Since 1953, the manuscript was rebound into four volumes, two of which (one of text and one of illustrations) are always on display.

Picture
The library building which houses the Book of Kells.
Picture
One of the title pages from the four bound volumes.
Picture
The text version on display.
Picture
...and the illustrated volume also on display.
Picture
In addition to the Book of Kells, the Brian Boru harp, one of three surviving medieval Gaelic harps and considered the national symbol of Ireland, is on display within the library building.
0 Comments

Ireland

7/23/2015

0 Comments

 

We are now in Dublin, Ireland; our last stop in the United Kingdom. Ireland is now in its "High Season" as far as apartment rentals go. So it was quite difficult to find an available apartment within the heart of Dublin. City Break Apartments provided an excellent two bedroom (although it was advertised as a one bedroom) apartment with two bathrooms, two balconies, full kitchen, and a combination living/dinning area. It is a modern apartment within a gated community, with concierge services. In one direction, we are just a block from the river that leads to the Irish Sea, and in another direction, just a fifteen minute walk from the city center. This could be a very interesting visit.

Picture
The living/dining area. One of the balconies is off of this room.
Picture
The full kitchen is off the great room.
Picture
More of the kitchen.
Picture
The hallway connecting the great room with the bedrooms.
Picture
The master bedroom (the second balcony is off this room)...
Picture
...with the en-suite bathroom.
Picture
The second bedroom.
Picture
And the second bathroom.
Picture
View from the balcony off of the Great Room (i.e. Living/dining area).
0 Comments

Edinburgh's Last Meetings

7/21/2015

2 Comments

 

  By now, our followers are well aware that we love to meet folks and have a good chat. So it should not come as a surprise that we followed this same routine right up to our last day here. Families, a tour guide, and even a dog as a national hero have made it to today's group:

Picture
Mother and daughter duo of Andrea and Katie were visiting Edinburgh from Perth, Scotland when we met them on the Royal Mile.
Picture
During the Harry Potter tour, we met Stewart, Isiac, Lochlan, Jasmine, and Simone, a family from Australia, who were on holiday from dad's job in Dubai.
Picture
While at our last meal out before the end of our stay in Edinburgh, we had the chance to talk with Carmelita and and Uliarte from Spain.
Picture
Johnnie provided us with a free 2 1/2 hour walking tour of Edinburgh. He came highly recommended and really was quite a good storyteller.
Picture
The legend of "GreyFriars Bobby" has turned this little dog into a national hero. According to the story, Bobby was a police officer's devoted pet, that was devastated by the owners death. Caretakers of the Greyfriars cemetery reported that Bobby showed up everyday for 14 years to lay atop his owner's grave. Is this legend true? We leave it up to you. The Scots like to believe it.
2 Comments

Memories

7/21/2015

0 Comments

 

  Every city and country we have visited has its own characteristics that make it special and memorable; e.g. Florence and Rome had its ancient history, art and sculptures; Istanbul had its mosques; Bangkok had its Budhas. In that regard, Edinburgh is no different. It too has qualities that are unique. So...you know you are in Edinburgh, Scotland when...

Picture
...all the men wear skirts...
Picture
...strange noises emanate from goat skin bladders...
Picture
...haggis (a pudding made from minced sheep's heart, liver , and lungs, mixed with onions, oatmeal, and suet) is the national food...
Picture
...whiskey is the national drink...
Picture
...it is alright to spit on the street (this Heart of Midlothian marks the spot where an ancient tollbooth and prison stood. Locals would spit on it to show their contempt for authority. Today, the heart also symbolizes the rivalry between two local football (soccer) teams; the Hearts and the Hibs. The Heart fans spit on it for good luck while the Hibs fans spit on it to show contempt for their rivals).
Picture
...road-side art includes giant Kelpies ( mythological water horses with a malevolent attitude)...
Picture
...the weather is either dark gray or light gray...
Picture
...you encounter Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Wizards and Witches in the center of town...
Picture
...and when Unicorns are part of the monarchy's Coat of Arms.

  All in all, our time here in Edinburgh, and Scotland in general, has been amazing (except for the weather; we were told that Edinburgh is on the same longitude as Moscow, which may explain a lot). We were able to explore many memorable sights ( some that even most locals from Edinburgh haven't seen). Perhaps the most enjoyable part of this visit has been just how friendly the Scots have been to us. They could not have been nicer. Tomorrow, we head to Dublin and another chapter in our adventure.

0 Comments

The Highlands

7/19/2015

0 Comments

 

Another road trip under our belts; this time to the Scottish Highlands (Inverness, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, the Cairngorm Mountains, and Glen Coe). This all-day trip took us through some of the most beautiful and majestic scenery we have seen. It was stunning!

"Inverness" - meaning "mouth of the river Ness", Inverness is considered the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Settled somewhere around the 6th century, this is the northern most city in the U.K. The Picts (the Celtic tribe that painted their bodies blue) considered Inverness to be their chief stronghold. Because of its strategic location along the river Ness, a number of important battles occurred here; including the 11th century battle of Blar nam Feinne between Malcolm III of Scotland and Thorfinn of Norway; and the 18th century battle of Culloden (part of the religious civil war between the Jacobites and Britain). Malcolm III built his first castle here after he defeated King MacBethed (on whom Shakespeare based his play MacBeth). Today, Inverness is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and is rated as having the best quality of life of all Scottish cities.

Picture
Inverness Castle along the river Ness.
Picture
The 165 foot tall Falls of Foyer feed into the Ness river.
Picture
The Ness river runs right through the center of town.

  "Loch Ness" - Best known for all of the "reported" sightings of the monster affectionately known as Nessie, Loch Ness is one of several fresh water interconnected waterways throughout the Highlands. While only the second largest lake (by surface area), it's 755 foot depth makes it the largest by volume. It has been estimated that all of the other fresh water lakes in England and Wales combined would not fill Loch Ness. The water contains a very high concentration of oxygen but remains quite murky because of the high peat content in the surrounding soil.

Picture
Loch Ness with the ruins of Urquhart Castle in the foreground. (Locals joke that Scotland has two types of weather, dark gray and light gray. We are not sure which of those two categories these clouds fall into).
Picture
For a fee, you can tour the ruins of Urquhart Castle.
Picture
The Caledonian locks at the north end of Loch Ness provides access to some of the other lakes in the Highlands (sort of like the Great Lakes between America and Canada).
Picture
A one hour round-trip boat ride, aboard the catamaran "Jacobite Warrior", takes you from the Clansman hotel to the Urquhart Castle and back. While very scenic, we felt it was a bit "pricey" for what we got.
Picture
The first recorded sighting of Nessie was in 1933. This picture was later proven to have been staged. While no official scientific proof has ever indicated the actual existence of this creature, it's legend accounts for much attraction to the area.

  "Glen Coe" - One of the most beautiful and spectacular places in Scotland is Glen Coe - meaning "Glen of Weeping", considered to be a reference to the 1692 massacre that occurred here during the first Jacobite religious uprising. The whole area is of volcanic origin and has become popular with walkers and climbers. Legend claims that Glen Coe was the birthplace of Ossian, mythical narrator of a cycle of epic poems.

Picture
Looking down onto the village of Glen Coe from the approaching highway.
Picture
Glen Coe village center.
Picture
The cave of Ossian where legend states he was born.
Picture
Monument to the 1692 Glen Coe massacre.

  "The Highlands" - in Gaelic, this means "The place of the Gaels (Scots)". This was some of the most beautiful country we have seen and is home to the highest mountain in Britain, Ben Nevis.

Picture
This series of peaks is known as "The Three Sisters."
Picture
The snow capped Ben Nevis, highest mountain in Britain (although from this angle it looks a bit lower than the peak in the foreground). Here we are in mid-July and there is still snow up there.
Picture
This fantastic gorge should be on a postcard. While we were here, we saw a number of walkers coming down the trail in the foreground. To give you some perspective, from where this picture was taken, the walkers looked like ants.
Picture
Around every bend in the road, the scenery became more spectacular.
Picture
Can you imagine living in this little village and waking up to this view everyday?
Picture
Even viewing this through the windshield of the bus took our breath away.
Picture
Just fantastic!
Picture
Our final stop on this all-day road trip was at Loch Lubnaig, part of the Loch Lomond National Park in the district of Stirling (not far from Stirling Castle which we visited during our previous road trip).
0 Comments

On the Trail of Harry Potter

7/17/2015

0 Comments

 

Being 4000 miles or more away from family, we needed to come up with creative ways to help celebrate birthdays of our grandchildren. Our grandson Eamon is celebrating his 11th birthday today, so we decided to take the Harry Potter Trail Tour around Edinburgh, Scotland and dedicate this blog posting to Eamon.

Picture
Eamon Michael Aveni, our own Harry Potter. Happy Birthday. Love Grandma and Grandpa from Edinburgh, Scotland

It is only in Edinburgh that one can walk on the Harry Potter Trail, for it is here that J.K. Rawlings wrote her stories. She got the idea for "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", the first book in the series, while on a boring train ride from Manchester, England to London. J.K. tabled these thoughts for personal reasons until a much later date. Several years later, living in Edinburgh, poor, a single parent, and unable to find a job, she decided to put her book idea into reality. Up to this point, her only experience at storytelling were the stories she told her younger sister while growing up. She traded the mouse and rabbit characters of these earlier stories for Harry Potter. What a trade! Luckily for J.K. (Joanne Kathleen), her brother-in-law owned Nicolson's cafe (later renamed Spoons) just off the Royal Mile, where she would sit writing some of her stories.

Taking a writing course at Edinburgh University made her realize the importance of utilizing ones surroundings for inspiration. Thus, she only had to look around Edinburgh for settings and characters. Edinburgh is the perfect place to create stories of a boy wizard going to magic school. Potterow bridge was a walkway J.K. took daily while commuting from the university to home, and the Tariot building and McCuen Hall (which became settings in her books) were part of Edinburgh University. But where did the name "Harry Potter" come from? Many of her character names came from gravestones in the cemetery at Greyfriars just down the street from the university. Here we can find the graves of Thomas Riddell (who became Lord Valdemort in the series), and McGonagall (played by Maggie Smith). From the graveyard one can see the George Heriot school founded in 1628 which inspired the creation of Hogwarts School of Magic. Like the fictional Hogwarts, the Heriot school is divided into four houses; green, yellow, blue, and red. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Albus Dumbledor (which in old English means bumblebee) reportedly was based on Alfred Dunn, the headmaster of J.K.'s English childhood school. While the Elephant House restaurant claims to be the birthplace of the Harry Potter series, it just isn't so! Rawlings wrote the last half of her second book , as well as parts of books three and four, there. The first book was written at Nicolson's (now known as Spoons). Her readers have made the bathrooms of the Elephant House into graffiti shrines dedicated to the characters of the Harry Potter series. The Balmoral Hotel in the new town section of Edinburgh is where Rawlings wrote the last chapter in the series. A stay in room 652 will cost four times what a stay in any other room would set you back, but you will have the opportunity to see the cat statue placed on the mantle on which Rawlings wrote "J.K. Rawlings finished writing "Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows" in this room(652) on January 11, 2007" in celebration of her finishing the series. By the way, Rawlings was not charged for vandalizing the statue. On the contrary, the hotel increased the price of the room, thus making money from her act of vandalism.

It is in this city that Harry Potter came alive, not just for J.K. Rawlings but also for the rest of the world.

p.s. Rawlings really had no middle name. "Kathleen" was made up to give Joanne better sounding initials in a man's world and to appeal to boy readers. She had received many rejections of her first book before Bloomsbury Publishing accepted the manuscript for publication. Today, she is worth more than a billion dollars. Some say that she now is richer than Queen Elizabeth. Rawlings went from a poor, single parent, living on unemployment benefits to the richest female writer in the world, due to her persistency. She loved writing, but most of all she believed in the magic of Harry Potter.

Picture
J.K.Rawlings.
Picture
Her handprints can be found in front of the Edinburgh City Council Chambers along the Royal Mile.
Picture
Spoons cafe (formerly known as Nicolson's) where Harry Potter was actually born.
Picture
The Elephant House claims to be the birthplace of Harry Potter but actually only parts of books 2,3, and 4 were written there.
Picture
Some of the graffiti shrines located in the bathrooms of Elephant House.
Picture
Reportedly, this was the grave of the actual person known as Harry Potter. Unfortunately, the gravestone has sunk so low into the soft ground, that it is impossible to read it now.
Picture
Thomas Riddle's grave (whose name became synonymous with Lord Valdemort) in Greyfriars cemetery. Caretakers often find notes from Harry Potter fans on the ground in front of this grave.
Picture
Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in front of the grave of Thomas Riddell (aka Lord Valdemort).
Picture
Rawlings apparently liked McGonagall's name so much that she used it to create the character Professor Minerva McGonagall (played by Maggie Smith).
Picture
The George Heriot School which was the inspiration for the Hogwarts School of Magic.
Picture
Richard, Liv, and Becky, our Harry Potter Trail tour guides.
Picture
The "magic wands" handmade by our tour guides.
0 Comments

Road Trip

7/15/2015

0 Comments

 

We absolutely love history and historic attractions, and Scotland is full of history. So, yesterday we took a road trip tour of the Edinburgh countryside.This is something we have wanted to do since our arrival.

"The Forth Rail Bridge" spanning the Firth of Forth river was opened in 1890 after 8 years of construction. It is the second longest cantilever bridge in Scotland. Prior to the start of construction, a competition for its design was set up. One of the leading competitors was architect Sir Thomas Bouch (pronounced similar to the word Botch) who had just finished the Tay bridge further up the river. Unfortunately Bouch was not very good at quality control and his Tay bridge collapsed in a storm a year prior to the start of the Forth Rail Bridge. This pretty much ended his participation in the competition and lent his name to the term "...a botched job".

Picture
The Forth Rail Bridge over the Firth of Forth River.
Picture
The bridge handles approximately 200 train crossings per month.

  "Dunfermline Abbey" has held worship services since 1073 and sits on the site of an ancient Benedictine Abbey (known as the Holy trinity and St. Margaret Abbey). King Malcom III founded the Abbey, which he named after his wife Queen Margaret. Next to the Abbey are the ruins of the Dunfermline Palace which had been part of the original complex. More of Scotland's Royal dead (including Robert the Bruce) are buried here than any other place except Iona.

Picture
Dunfermline Abbey showing its relationship to the ruins of the palace.
Picture
Part of the Palace ruins.
Picture
The tomb of Robert the Bruce under the pulpit.
Picture
The pulpit over the tomb of Robert the Bruce.
Picture
Plaster cast of Robert the Bruce's skull...
Picture
...from which forensic scientists recreated his face.

" Battle Of Bannockburn" in June of 1314 during the first war of Scottish Independence was the significant victory for the Scots over the English. The Scots, under the leadership of Robert the Bruce, were outnumbered 2:1 by the English, led by Edward II. Legend has it that the weird way the Scots won was attributed to some old men and children. Hanging around the edge of the battle looking for "spoils of war" (i.e. swords and battle axes) which they could either sell or melt down to make tools, the group of old men and children ran out to pick up weapons dropped by the combatants before anyone else could get them. The English, thinking these people were reinforcements, fled the battle.

Picture
The Battle of Bannockburn memorial. The axe at the top of the flag pole reportedly was Robert the Bruce's favorite weapon.
Picture
Robert the Bruce statue next to the Battle memorial.
Picture
Part of the countryside on which the battle was held. Off in the distance between the trees is Stirling Castle (our next stop).

  "Stirling Castle" is one of the largest and most important castles in Scotland. It's existence was first recorded in 1110 and is where many of Scotland's kings and queens have been crowned (including Mary Queen of Scots in 1542). Renovated and rebuilt several times, most of the present buildings date from 1490 to 1600.

Picture
Stirling castle is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs.
Picture
The main entrance to the castle.
Picture
The building that houses the Great Hall.
Picture
The Great Hall was the largest banqueting hall ever built in medieval Scotland. In 1594, James VI held a banquet to celebrate the baptism of his firstborn, Prince Henry, during which the main fish course was delivered In a 15 foot long model Ship of State. As it "sailed" around the hall, 36 brass guns on board fired off a salvo.
Picture
The "French Spur" outer defense battle mount.
Picture
This watch tower a short distance from the castle was where William Wallace, a military commander for the Scottish forces, could look out for enemy combatants.
Picture
The castle chapel.
Picture
The Queen's reception room.
Picture
The Queen's bedchamber ( which is a bit more decorated than the King's).
Picture
The King's bedchamber.

"Rosalyn Chapel" was the last stop on this tour. Formally known as the "Collegiate Chapel of St. Mathew" it was founded in 1446 by William Sinclair, First Earl of Caithness. One of the interesting legends associated with the chapel resulted from a controversy between a master mason and an apprentice. The master mason believed that the apprentice could not carve the column (known as the Apprentice Pillar) without having first seen the original from which it was to be copied. While the master mason was away, the apprentice went ahead and completed the pillar. Seeing it upon his return, the master mason became enraged and killed the apprentice with his mallet. An ironic twist to this story is that the mason's face was carved into an upper wall corner opposite the pillar where he would have to face the apprentice's work forever. The chapel has been the burial place for several generations of the Sinclair family. The crypt (which played a part in the film "The DaVinci Code") at the end of decending stairs in the corner of the chapel has been sealed shut for many years. Speculation about the Templars' connection to the chapel (also a part of the "DaVinci Code") has been debunked by the curator of the Grand Lodge (Freemasons) of Scotland. Today, over 140,000 visitors per year come to the chapel.

Picture
Rosalyn Chapel.
Picture
The main aisle of the chapel.
Picture
The "infamous" Apprentice Pillar.
Picture
The stone ceiling for many years suffered from leakage during rain storms and was covered by scaffolding and a protective covering. Shortly after filming of the DaVinci Code, enough monies were raised to repair it.
Picture
The Lady Chapel altar next to the stairs leading down to the crypt area.
0 Comments

Scottish Parliament

7/13/2015

0 Comments

 

  Talk about contrasts!!! At the bottom of the Royal Mile sits the 337 year old Holyrood Palace, while directly across the street, on the previous site of the headquarters of the Scottish & Newcastle Brewery, is the 11 year old Scottish Parliament building. Housing 129 Members of Parliament with more than 1000 staff and civil servants, the "new" parliament building was officially opened in October of 2004. While this building was being constructed, parliament's temporary home was at the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland up on the Royal Mile. The Scots apparently love controversy (they are a warring people). Right from the beginning of planning for the new building, politicians, the media, and the Scottish public all had issues with the location, the design, and the choice of the construction company. The completion of construction was three years beyond what had been anticipated and there was a cost overrun ten times beyond projected costs. In spite of this, the building has won numerous awards.

Picture
While the new building was being constructed, the Scottish Parliament was temporarily housed here in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland.
Picture
The new Scottish Parliament building officially opened in October of 2004.
Picture
The Lobby/Reception area.
Picture
Many of the Members of Parliament frequently meet informally here to hammer out backdoor agreements.
Picture
This portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which hangs in the lobby area, was commissioned by the Scottish Parliament.
Picture
The unicameral assembly meets here.
Picture
One of the distinctive design features of the building are these windows as part of each MP's office...
Picture
...on the inside, each window is a seat on which MPs can read over legislation...or just meditate.
Picture
One of the committee conference/debate rooms.
0 Comments

Canongate Kirk

7/12/2015

0 Comments

 

The lower end of the Royal Mile, at one time thought to be at the end of the world (in fact, part way down from the castle is a pub known as "The End of the World" and if you look carefully on the street in front of the pub, you can see brass plates that indicated the position of the original city gate known as "The End of the World". The populace of Edinburgh believed that leaving the safety of the city meant certain death from monsters or from the Pics, who painted their bodies blue) is known as Canongate and at one time was considered to be a separate burgh before being incorporated into the city of Edinburgh in 1856. Situated just a short distance from Holyrood Palace, the Canongate Kirk (church) was founded in 1688. Its parish includes the Palace, the Scottish Parliament, and Edinburgh Castle (even though strictly speaking the Castle is outside of Canongate). This is the official place of worship for members of the Royal Family while in residence at Holyrood. Princess Anne is a regular visitor to Edinburg and has her own apartment in the palace. In 2011, with great hoopla, the Queen's granddaughter, Zara Phillips (Princess Anne's daughter) married Mike Tindall here. A few notables are buried in the cemetery next to the church, including the economist Adam Smith, David Rizio (who was murdered in Holyrood) the private secretary to Mary Queen of Scots, and the poet, Robert Ferguson, whose statue stands in front of the church. Fortunately during one of our walk-abouts, we found the church open and were able to get a good look around. While not as opulent as some of the other churches we have visited during our adventure, Canongate Kirk is still majestic and we could feel the history oozing from the structure and its surrounding cemetery.

Picture
Canongate Kirk sits at the lower end of the Royal Mile just a short distance fro Holyrood Palace.
Picture
Looking down the aisle towards the main altar. Not a very opulent church, it still emits its own sense of majesty.
Picture
While in residence at Holyrood Palace, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, as well as other members of the Royal Family, worship here.
Picture
The sovereign's personal pew.
Picture
Senior members of the Royal Household also have designated spots to sit during services.
Picture
Looking towards the front entrance, with a collection of Coats of Arms decorating the choir loft.
Picture
Members of the Royal Family attending one of the services at Canongate Kirk while visiting Edinburgh.
Picture
The cemetery of Canongate Kirk in which you can find several notables buried...
Picture
...including the economist Adam Smith.
0 Comments

Royal Botanical Gardens

7/11/2015

0 Comments

 

  We get a kick out of people constantly telling us..."oh you can't walk there. It is too far! (Or too difficult because of hills). Take bus number (?) to get there." And ,yet, each and every time, we do walk the route and find that it really is not that bad at all. It seems that people have become too reliant upon public transportation (which we will admit has been good in many places we have visited) and have forgotten how pleasant walking can be. It is not only good for your physical health, but it is amazing how many wonderful "hidden gems" we have discovered because we took the time to walk through an area.

  Today's visit was one of those times folks told us it was too far/difficult to walk. The Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh's 70 acre site is just one mile from the city center. Originally founded in 1670 at St. Anne's Yard near Holyrood Palace to grow medicinal plants, the gardens were moved to its present location next to Inverleith Row in 1820. The Gardens now contain over 273,000 individual plants representing in excess of 13,000 plant species. It is a popular place to just go for a walk. Entrance to the Gardens themselves is free, although there is a small fee to visit the glass houses. While the walk back was a little taxing because we were walking up hill, it was not all that difficult for our 70 year old bodies. This was thoroughly delightful and well worth the trip.

Picture
This picturesque and majestic tree caught our eye right away.
Picture
The trees in the arboretum portion of the gardens were just magnificent. Some of them reminded me of scenes from the "Lord of the Rings" movies.
Picture
This 8 meter (24 feet) tall hedge is over 100 years old. It is almost 500 feet long and is made up of over 150 individual trees.
Picture
Just a small portion of this 100 + year old hedge. It was planted as a border between the gardens and the surrounding landscape.
Picture
Part of the Queen Mother's Garden.
Picture
Entrance to the glass houses' diverse collections.
Picture
The beautiful plants in the glass houses have been collected from all over the world.
Picture
...and they are stunning!
Picture
The collections within the glass houses range from the giant Lilly pad ponds....
Picture
...to desert landscapes.
Picture
Display of a jungle food stall within the Malaysian exotic plant section.
0 Comments

John Knox House

7/10/2015

0 Comments

 

  Social reformer and founder of the Presbyterian denomination in Scotland, John Knox served as a Royal Chaplain under King Edward VI in the mid-1500's. When Mary Tudor's reign returned Catholicism to Scotland, Knox moved to Geneva where he met John Calvin and was influenced by Calvin's theories of Reformed Theology. Upon his return to Scotland, Knox led the Protestant Reformation there. He lived for a brief time in the home of the Mossman family along the Royal Mile before his death in 1572. This home, originally constructed in 1490, is where renowned goldsmith James Mossman had his shop. Mossman supposedly refurbished Scotland's crown here for James V. A strong supporter of Mary Queen of Scots, Mossman helped to maintain Edinburgh castle during Mary's exile. Following Mary's forced abdication, Mossman was accused of counterfeiting and was hanged in 1573, and the family's property was confiscated. Knox's association with the Mossman house saved it from demolition, making it only one of two medieval structures that have survived along the Royal Mile ( the other being the Moubray House to which it is attached).

Picture
The house that has become known as "The John Knox House" because of his having lived here briefly, was actually owned by James Mossman, renowned goldsmith to the Scottish monarchy.
Picture
It is hard to believe that this one room was considered to be "an apartment" in which as many as ten family members would live.
Picture
One of the striking features of this home is the remnants of the painted ceiling.
Picture
This reproduction shows how the ceiling would have originally looked.
Picture
James Mossman's goldsmith workshop on the ground floor of the building.
Picture
This is where John Knox prepared his sermons on Presbyterian reforms. The table is located within the large room with the painted ceiling.
Picture
Next door to the Knox "apartment" is this small chapel.
0 Comments

Calton Hill

7/9/2015

1 Comment

 

  During previous walks around Edinburgh, we had noticed a hill in the new town area with some interesting looking structures on it. So we vowed to explore this at a later time. Well...this was that later time. Calton Hill is located on the eastern end of Princes street, rises to over three hundred feet above the city, and offers magnificent views of Edinburgh to the south and the port district of Leith (with the Firth of Forth harbor) to the north. In the late 1500's, this hill was part of the land owned by the Logan family of Restalrig. It was forfeited in 1609 when Robert Logan was accused of treason. Later, the burgh of Edinburgh acquired the land. A number of structures important to the history of the area, sit atop the hill; notably the National Monument, dedicated to the Scottish soldiers killed during the Napoleonic wars. Originally, this structure was to be a replica of the Parthenon, but was never completed because of a lack of sufficient funding; Nelson's Memorial Tower with its famous timeball for ships in the harbor to synchronize their chronometers, also sits at the apex of this hill; and the City Observatory with the Craig House(designed by architect James Craig, to emulate the Greek Temple of the Four Winds). In spite of a bit of rain when we first arrived, this was a glorious visit. We had a great time and met some wonderful people. If you come to Edinburgh, be sure not to miss climbing this hill as the panoramic views are spectacular.

Picture
Nelson's Memorial tower. Each day, a timeball is raised to the top of the structure and dropped at precisely at one o'clock pm so ships can synchronize their chronometers (at the same time a canon is fired from Edinburgh Castle for those that might not be able to see the timeball clearly).
Picture
The partially completed National Monument dedicated to Scottish soldiers killed during the Napoleonic Wars.
Picture
The Craig House on the grounds of the City Observatory was inspired by the Greek Temple of the Four Winds.
Picture
Edinburgh as seen through the Monument to Scottish philosopher Douald Stewart.
Picture
Holyrood Palace at the base of Calton Hill.
Picture
The port district of Leith looking towards the Firth of Forth harbor.
Picture
While exploring Calton Hill, we had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Sanne and Nathalie from the Netherlands.
1 Comment

HMY Britannia

7/8/2015

0 Comments

 

  We are walkers and love doing it, so a one hour stroll north of Edinburgh brought us into the port district of Leith, where we found Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia. This former Royal Yacht (the 83rd such vessel since the time of Charles II) of Queen Elizabeth II was in service to the monarchy between 1954, when construction was completed, until 1997, when it was decommissioned, Britannia was designed in such a way that in time of war, the Royal family could take refuge on board along the northwest coast of Scotland. It's first official use was to pick up the Queen and Prince Philip from Tobruk (where they had been visiting) and bring them back to the U.K. Prince Charles and Princess Diana spent their honeymoon the Royal Yacht, as well as Prince William and Kate. Four U.S. Presidents (Eisenhower, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton) also spent time on board. One annual event was for the Royal family to cruise around the islands off the west coast of Scotland for the month of August. HMY Britannia made nearly 700 foreign visits in its 43 year history. It's last official sailing was to carry the Prince of Wales and the last Governor of Hong Kong (Chris Patten) away from the city following its handover to the People's Republic of China. In May of 1997, Britannia was retired and no replacement would be built (which we feel is unfortunate as the ambassadorial value alone would make it worthwhile to keep around). It is now part of the National Historical Fleet and is maintained by the Royal Britannia Trust.

Picture
HMY Britannia during one of its cruises.
Picture
The Royal family during a 1960's cruise.
Picture
The bridge of HMY Britannia. The helm (for steering) is actually located one deck below the bridge.
Picture
The State dinning room set for 96 people.
Picture
The Royal family's private dinning room.
Picture
Queen Elizabeth's stateroom.
Picture
Prince Philip's stateroom next door.
Picture
This large lounge area is next to the State Dinning Room.
Picture
A separate room just for the silver service is situated next to the kitchen.
Picture
The Junior Ratings bunk room is not very luxurious.
Picture
The officers' lounge next to the Officers' Mess.
0 Comments

Holyrood Palace

7/7/2015

25 Comments

 

  We have been in the United Kingdom for a month and a half now, have seen Queen Elizabeth II on three separate occasions (she has even followed us to Edinburgh), and have visited a half-dozen of her Royal Palaces and Castles. And, yet, we have not received an invitation to stay at any of her properties. You don't suppose she is still miffed over that "little" misunderstanding between America and the U.K. some 239 years ago?

  Anyway, today we visited the Queen's official residence in Scotland, Holyrood Palace ( "rood" in Scottish means "cross", so this literally means Holy Cross Palace). Originally constructed as an Abbey in 1128 by King David I, Holyrood is now the setting for State ceremonies and official entertaining. In 1501, James IV of Scotland (and aka as James I of the U.K.) cleared the grounds around the Abbey and built a palace for himself. Reportedly, he chose the unicorn in chains as part of his Coat of Arms to symbolize that if he was powerful enough to capture this mythical creature, he was powerful enough to rule the unified country. Mary, Queen of Scots, spent most of her life within these walls, marrying her two husbands here and seeing her trusted secretary murdered in her apartments.

  By the early 1700's, the palace fell into disuse, as the monarchy of the time preferred Scotland's castles as their residences. During this period, Holyrood became a refuge for "...poor and distressed noblemen." After Queen Victoria had obtained Balmoral Castle, she re-introduced the custom of residing at Holyrood when visiting Scotland. George V and Queen Mary began the tradition of hosting Garden Parties on the grounds of the palace. Today, "Holyrood Week" (which just ended) marks the monarchy's annual official visit to Scotland which includes a number of State ceremonies. The week culminates with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh hosting the traditional Garden Party for some 8000 guests from all walks of Scottish life (again, they somehow "forgot" to invite us). While the repast included cucumber sandwiches, tea, cake, and ice cream, it apparently was not enough to sustain the guests, as we found many of them after the event, still dressed in their finery, taking sustanence in restaurants along the Royal Mile.

Picture
Holyrood Palace as it looks today. The tower on the left side of the picture is the oldest part of the palace. The fountain in front is only turned on when the Queen is in residence.
Picture
The Unicorn was adopted by James IV of Scotland as part of his Coat of Arms to symbolize his power to rule.
Picture
This is the ruins of the original Abbey built here in 1128. In the foreground you can still see some of the foundations that extended out from the Abbey.
Picture
This shows the physical relationship between the Abbey and Holyrood Palace. The stairs to the left of center is where Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh exit the palace when joining the annual Garden Party they host.
Picture
In the Throne Room, a number of the official State ceremonies are still held.
Picture
This part of the State Apartments is the King's Bed Chamber.
Picture
...and the Queen's Bed Chamber.
Picture
Mary, Queen of Scot's private secretary, David Rizzio was murdered in this part of the Queen's apartments by her jealous husband, Lord Darnley.
Picture
The State Dinning Room. Additional leaves can be added to the table to seat a total of 40 people.
Picture
Looking back towards the palace from across the grounds.
Picture
A portion of the palace gardens as viewed from the State Apartments.
25 Comments

People

7/5/2015

0 Comments

 

  We have seen many wonderful things here in Edinburgh, from the Castle on top of the extinct volcano, to the underground city, to Marlin's Wynd, etc. By far, the most enjoyable part for us has been all of the great people we have met,...which has been true throughout this whole adventure. The one lesson that we have learned, and will carry with us wherever we go, is how easy it is to just talk with folks. To a person, they have all been friendly to, and open with, us. Some have befriended us on Facebook and/or sent us emails with suggestions on where to go. It has been...and still remains...delightful.

  Presented here is the latest group of people we have met in Edinburgh:

Picture
While looking through a store selling kilts in the Grassmarket section of Edinburgh, we met Millie (age 80 from Greentown, Pa), Bethania (age 70 from Panama), and Betty (Bethania's granddaughter, originally from Panama, but now living in Spain).
Picture
Irene, Sophia, and Tara (all from Spain).
Picture
Yvonne and Glen from Halifax, Canada sat next to us at lunch one day and we struck up a very nice conversation.
Picture
We met Bruce, Laura, Emma, and Judith on the Royal Mile as they were on their way to High Tea with the Queen at Holyrood Palace.
Picture
Calum Lykan is an amazing storyteller who took us all over Edinburgh while regaling us with his wealth of knowledge of Scottish history.

  And perhaps the most unique person we have met was Elaine Davidson, holder of the Guinness Book of World Records for the most body piercings (over 9500). While most of the time she "...holds court" along the Royal Mile (where we met her), she also runs a shop for aromatherapy, jewelry, and specialized clothing. Originally a nurse from Brazil, Elaine now lives in Edinburgh and freely talks with folks about her piercings, which she estimates now weighs approximately 6.6 pounds.

Picture
Elaine in front of her table along the Royal Mile.
Picture
Some of the 9500 body piercings which have been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

  To all we have met along the way, a huge thank you for taking the time to talk with us.

0 Comments

Life in Medieval Edinburgh

7/4/2015

0 Comments

 

We were thoroughly amazed, and somewhat depressed, by what we had learned concerning life in Edinburgh during the 1700's, after we had taken the two most recommended tours of the underground city; "Mary King's Close" and the "Descend and Discover " (tour of the vaults under the South Bridge). Imagine living with your whole family in a one room "apartment" with 600 other folks contained within a 12 story tenement building. Just the smells emanating from so many bodies pressed together, from fish oil lamps and cooking oils, and from human waste collecting in corner buckets. Even going outside did not help much because the only sewage system was to throw the contents of the human waste buckets out the windows twice per day onto the streets with the hope that rain would wash it away. Life expectancy was low because diseases like cholera and the plague were rampant. One report we heard was that there were three rats for every person in Edinburgh (imagine 1800 rats roaming through your tenement house).

Plans to enlarge the city by linking High Street (now known as the Royal Mile) with Edinburgh University to the south by means of the South Bridge did not help much. The 120 vault rooms created by the 19 arches supporting the bridge also quickly turned to squalor because the builders forgot to waterproof the walls. Within 30 years of their construction, the vaults were abandoned by the shop-keepers who used them, except for the poorest of the poor, criminals, and prostitutes.

And yet, life went on! This was the most amazing part for us; cobblers still made shoes; cabinet makers still constructed furniture; and textiles were still woven into clothes. The persistence of the human spirit here in Edinburgh somehow managed to work through the obstacles (how did they manage to do this, especially while wearing kilts with nothing underneath? Maybe it was all that haggis they ate? Ugh!).

Picture
Mary King's Close, like other closes in the city, were narrow passageways (big enough for only one or two people to pass through at a time) that often were locked - or closed - at night by gates for protection of those who lived there. They were usually named after prominent citizens.
Picture
How Mary King's Close looked.
Picture
Emptying the human waste buckets were allowed only twice per day by law (i.e. 7:00am and 10:00 pm).
Picture
Plan of how the South Bridge vaults would have been laid out.
Picture
Once the South Bridge was completed, buildings quickly went up along side the arches closing off the vaults except through basement doorways or loading chutes in the sidewalks.
Picture
The only arch of the original 19 that remained open for a pass through.
0 Comments

Edinburgh's Underground City

7/3/2015

0 Comments

 

  Edinburgh's Royal Mile (connecting Edinburgh Castle with Holyrood Palace) is situated along a ridge of volcanic rock with steep slopes running north (towards the old Nor'loch, now the Princess street gardens) and south (towards the University). In the 1600's and 1700's, the walled city was only a half-mile long by a quarter-mile wide and was very congested with tenements reaching 14-16 stories, often with hundreds of inhabitants in each tenement building. Estimates at the time put the population of Edinburgh at 60,000. Living quarters at the bottom and the top of these tenements housed the poor, while the middle floors were reserved for the more well-to-do. Often the tops of the tenements became unstable and would collapse on floors below.

  Mary King inherited a warren of underground streets and spaces from her father, Advocate Alexander King. These were in the heart of the busiest and most vibrant part of Edinburgh. By 1630, Mary had become a prominent business woman and had a "Close" (a narrow alley running perpendicular to the Royal Mile and which was often gated and locked at night for the protection of the inhabitants ) named after her. At the time, it was very unusual to name a "Close" after a woman. By 1753, the lowest levels were taken over by the government in order to form the foundation for the Royal Exchange building. During World War II, some of the spaces of Mary King's Close were used as air raid shelters. Today, the "Real Mary King Close" portrays an historical picture of Edinburgh life between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Picture
Re-creation of how Mary King's Close looked during the mid-to-late 1600's. Some reports indicated that inhabitants of the top floors of these tenements could shake hands with their neighbors across the way because the buildings leaned in towards each other.
Picture
One of the workshops along the Close.
Picture
When the plague hit Edinburgh in the mid-1600's, doctors came to Close dressed in long robes for protection against infection and wearing these beak-like masks that contained filtering cloths so as not to inhale "...the bad air".
Picture
Andrew Chesney was the last occupant to live in the Close, refusing to leave until forced out when the property was sold to the government.

  By the 1750's, Edinburgh had developed plans to expand the city, because of its growing population, out north towards the Nor'loch and south towards the University. However, the steep slopes and Closes were not suitable for wagons nor carriages. The answer was to construct bridges to span the valleys. The South Bridge, which was built between 1785 and 1788, was to link High Street (now known as the Royal Mile) with the University area. This 1000 foot long and 55 foot wide structure was supported by 19 arches. The underground vaults created by these arches were used by merchants for workshops and storage. Unfortunately, the builders forgot to waterproof the structure, so all manner of liquids and sewage began to seep in and the merchants began to move out. The poorest of the poor soon took over the vaults as shelters, as did criminals and prostitutes. Conditions became so bad however, that by 1860 most of the vaults had been abandoned and filled in with rubble. In the 1980's, former rugby player Norris Rowan bought property on South Bridge and rediscovered the vaults. Over the next ten years, Rowan and some of his friends worked on cleaning them out.

Picture
While most of the vaults had low ceilings, this double-height vault appears to have been created to have multiple layers of rooms.
Picture
As trade improved with foreign countries, vaults like this were used for storage of wine imported from France.
Picture
The various vault rooms were connected by a warren of passageways.
Picture
The Tavern Room, once a drinking den, today is used for special celebrations.
0 Comments

Another Unexpected Find

7/1/2015

0 Comments

 

  In our continuing effort to find the unusual and the unexpected, we happened to stumble upon the "Deacon Brodie Tavern."

  William Brodie (1741-1788) was a Scottish cabinet-maker and Deacon of a trade guild. However, by night he lived a secret life as a burglar in order to support his gambling and two mistresses. He apparently used his daytime cabinet-making job, which included designing and installing locks in the cabinets of his customers, to make wax impressions of the keys. He would then return at night to rob his wealthy clients. Learning that his double life had been discovered, Brodie fled to Amsterdam, in the hopes of escaping to America. He was eventually captured, tried, and hanged (ironically on a gallows which he had helped to design) at Tolbooth Prison in 1788.

  Robert Louis Stevenson lived nearby and became fascinated by Brodie's double life. In addition to writing the "Life of Deacon Brodie", Stevenson used this tale as the inspiration for "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde". We learned that Robert Burns lived in the building opposite Brodie's house and cabinet workshop. However, there was no evidence that Brodie's tale inspired any of Burns' writings.

   Brodie's cabinet workshop has been turned into a tavern and we enjoyed a very nice breakfast there. His living quarters above the tavern have been converted into a Masonic Lodge.

Picture
The small alleyway, or Close, leading to the Deacon Brodie Tavern.
Picture
Originally Brodie's cabinet-making workshop, this is now the interior of the tavern.
Picture
This wall painting reportedly depicts how Brodie's workshop looked when he worked here.
Picture
The vaulted ceiling in what is now the kitchen of the tavern dates from 1420 is is considered to be one of the oldest such ceilings in Edinburgh.
Picture
Copy of a 1788 newspaper article reporting on Deacon Brodie's execution by hanging.
0 Comments
    Carl and Lorraine  Aveni are two retirees planning on traveling through Europe for at least one year.

    Archives

    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.