The Globetrotters: Scotland - Tuesday and Wednesday (Meeting Hazel & Home)

Tuesday October 10, 2017

One moment I am up to date with my blog and the next we're 4 days down the track and I haven't even had time to look at it!

Will try and do a quick update.

On Tuesday we had our 'surprise' visit to Alva. Can't remember if I mentioned it earlier, but if so, skip the next bit. ;-)

A few months ago someone asked me a question on my Witch's Cottage blog and I had not been able to respond. I did so just before we hopped on the plane in Denmark and I happened to mention that I was on my way to Edinburgh. Now, we didn't know each other from a bar of soap, but.... I get a message back that says: "Edinburgh??? My husband worked there for 22 years and we live near Stirling. We have to meet!" So, we did!

Hazel and Gordon had arranged that they would pick us up for our visit as we don't have a car here. They were lovely people. Gordon took the road across the River Forth via the new bridge, so we could take pictures and next they showed a bit of the countryside and some interesting places.

The new bridge over the River Forth

I did not take in everything, because it was a lot and I am also hard of hearing, in particular in the back of a car, but I do remember we visited the ruins of the old Stein's distillery in Kennetpans (Clackmannan). John Haig (Haig whiskey) apparently married a daughter of the Steins and their daughter married a Jameson and they started the Jameson Irish Whiskey company.

Ruins of the old distillery

I have taken things a bit out of order, because before the distillery we visit The Royal Burgh of Culross, a pictoresque cobble-stoned little village with yellow painted houses and a palace. There is this beautiful old building with a sign in front which is a real tease for me: it advertises the exhibition of Outlander photos. You may not realise it, but I am a big fan of Outlander. I have read all the books and watched the first two seasons. And, it was not until I was writing this blog, that I found out the significance of Culross! The palace was filmed as Cranesmuir where Geillis lived (in Outlander) and the gardens doubled as Claire's herb garden at Castle Leoch. Oh, I would love to go back and visit the palace to have a look inside....

The Outland sign outside the building

Culross Palace

And before Culross we drove past the old limekilns at Dunfermline. I could not take any pictures, but have pinched one of the internet (as you do!)

Our last stop before we were at Hazel and Gordon's home was Sauchie Tower. Follow the link if you want to find out more about it. Scotland is steeped in history and I would love to spend more time here to see and do more. Perhaps one day I will find another home exchange. One can only live in hope...

Sauchie Tower

And then we arrive at Alva. Of course the first thing we do is look at Hazel's dollshouses and miniatures. I haven't taken pictures of everything, but did get one of her treehouse. Unfortunately my camera has been playing up of late and I didn't have pictures on the memory card that I was sure I had taken. Some you can't go back to do it again...

She is also in the process of building a copy of the limekilns we have seen earlier. That photograph is missing too. Such a shame.

Other pictures I do have is of Hazel and me and of Gordon's amazing brick collection. Besides that he has a stamp collection with stamp albums filling every nook and cranny of the house and also registration plates of all the 50 States in the USA and a collection of model trucks. The mind boggles. :-)

Hazel and Marion

Gorden and part of his brick collection

Gordon is the perfect host and makes coffee and lunch for us, and before we know it it's time to leave again. We drive past, and drop in, a huge craft store, but I am able to keep my purse firmly closed (!) and then it's onwards to Edinburgh. One more stop at Falkirk for The Kelpies though: