Och aye th' noow

(Forgive me Shona)
We zipped off Weds from our Cumbria resort, up into Bonny wee Scotland. It didn’t disappoint. The motorway system is great and we managed to by-pass busy Glasgow and drove straight to Stirling in just about 3 hours. The William Wallace monument is immediately obvious as it towers above the town from its high hill.

The climb up to the monument was a struggle for Judy, but I managed it without hardly any effort and all!!! Upon arrival at the top, a piper played us his doleful “tune.” Judy was just recovering from the climb up when she was confronted with the 264 narrow steps to the top of the monument itself (see pic). There are three stops (floors) to catch your breath on and we got to view his now 700 year old sword, which stands over 6 feet tall. It’d make a great letter opener!

The view from up there is amazing and the whole experience is quite emotional and stirring. One can see across to the bridge where he defeated the English army and up to Stirling castle. Enough of climbing, we set off for Edinburgh, through a back-road and enjoyed seeing the little Scottish villages and the heather-covered hills. Edinburgh must have once experienced a move of God, as there are magnificent old church buildings almost on every corner. We were astounded. The pic is of Judy outside the Edinburgh Castle, home of the recaptured (from the English) Destiny Stone.

Other pics are self-explanatory, although the thought of Nether-Levens is worrying! The landscape scene is in beautiful Lake Windermere, which we greatly enjoyed. The happy couple are standing outside Levens Hall, wondering whether or not to “stake a claim!”