I set off this morning for an easy 4 km walk along the Tweed to see and photograph the striking Leaderfoot Viaduct and to enjoy the river.  It was a beautiful morning, and I walked along the peaceful path, alone and happy.

I passed only one gentleman and his three dogs, and one lady walker who told me, when I asked, that the grain in this beautiful golden field is probably barley, grown in this area mostly for the production of whiskey.

The trail just got better and better, with fields and the Eildon Hills on my right, and the river on my left.

After about 2 km, the trail left the river and climbed a short distance to the small village of Newstead, said to be the oldest inhabited village in Scotland and once home to the stone masons of Melrose Abbey.  Here is a very charming cottage in the village, and then a collage of village scenes, including a very friendly speed limit sign!

 

 

Past Newstead, I followed a hedgerow-lined lane up and across a hill, and along the way were many educational signs that gave details about Trimontium, a Roman fort which was built here beginning in the year 79 AD.  Trimontium means “place of the three hills” and takes its name from the three nearby Eildon Hills (my photos have so far only shown two of the hills). It was once one of the largest Roman forts in Scotland, but was not long-lived, as described on this marker.

I continued along the road and enjoyed the sight of a few late-blooming roses in the hedgerow, some pink and some white, but most of their cousins had already turned into glossy rose hips.

 

 

After a short while, I got my first glimpse of the impressive Leaderfoot Viaduct in the distance, and then again as I got closer. The Viaduct was built between 1862 and 1865 for the Berwickshire Railway, and stands 126 feet above the river at its highest point.

Here are several photos of the Viaduct, taken from down at river level.  The morning sun highlighted the warm, rich colour of the stone.

Just down stream from the viaduct are two other bridges, the Drygrange “Old” Bridge, built in 1779, and a modern steel and concrete bridge that carries the current A68 highway.  Archaeologists believe that this is also the place where the Romans built a bridge across the Tweed as part of their road north from York to Edinburgh.

I returned to the road above the riverbank and headed towards a path from which I hoped to access the south end of the Viaduct in order to walk across it.  I had seen two figures walking on the Viaduct, visible in the center of this photo which I took from the Drygrange Old Bridge. (And that’s a lady angler, fly fishing for salmon in the center of the river).

When I got to where the Viaduct begins, I was disappointed to find the way blocked by a steel fence, topped with barbed wire.  I looked for a way to get over or around the fence (not having seen any sign threatening possible imprisonment!), but there were no horizontal bars upon which to get a foothold. Here is a picture of where I couldn’t go, taken from between the bars.

So, I turned back but my effort to get to that point was not totally wasted because nearby was a view of the Eildon North Hill which made me pause and consider climbing that hill today instead of retracing my steps along the river path  to Melrose as I had planned.

All day yesterday and again on this morning’s walk I’ve been glancing up at the Eildon Hills with no small amount of trepidation as that is where St. Cuthbert’s Way will take me tomorrow, albeit only to the saddle between North Eildon and Mid Eildon. Over the last two days, the hills have seemed to get taller and steeper with each glance! That led me this morning to think seriously about “cheating” by asking a baggage transfer company to transport my big pack for me tomorrow.  But, if I climbed the hill today, without my pack, I could go all the way to the top, higher than the saddle, for the best views, as well as hopefully allay my worries as to whether or not the climb would be too challenging for me on the morrow. So, decision made, I used a map provided by walkmelrose.org.uk, to find the find my way around some fields and under a highway and up onto the proper path to lead me to the top of Eildon Hill North.  I’m so glad I did!

I reached the flat, grassy top and looked over the other side to see Eildon Mid Hill (which is actually slightly taller than the hill I am on) and then the smaller Eildon Wester Hill.  There’s a dark line curving across the left half on the photo which is the remnants of rock walls and from the Iron Age hill fort.

I took two photos of the view down towards Melrose where I could clearly see both Melrose Abbey and the Chain Bridge over the River Tweed (the second photo is zoomed in).  What a patchwork of greens and golds, and such a beautiful sky!

I decided to stay on top for awhile so I choose my favourite view towards Black Hill and had a lovely, quiet time resting and enjoying the warm breeze and the sight of swallows zipping and zooming about.  I had a snack, took off my boots, and maybe had a snooze (I’m not quite sure!). I had the hill top to myself for a good while before some other walkers arrived and we chatted together about how great Melrose is as a center for walking, with multiple circular trails of varying lengths that start in town, as well as being on the path of three long-distances walks:  St. Cuthbert’s Way, the Border Abbeys Way, and the Southern Upland Way.

Soon it was time to descend to the saddle and turn right down towards Melrose. Tomorrow I’ll be coming back up and then going down the opposite side.

I arrived in town, happy that Melrose is a “Walkers are Welcome” town, as well as a very pretty one.  Thank you Melrose!

 

I’ve just reviewed my last two posts, and as my son Daniel would say…”too many words.”   So my goal is to aim for more brevity, starting today.

Although I loved my two busy days in Edinburgh and appreciated the vibrancy, creativity, and friendliness of the city during the Festival, I was very happy to board a train this morning to travel south, through beautiful rolling countryside, to the town of Tweedbank, and then travel by bus a short distance to the pretty Borders town of Melrose.

Here is my lovely B&B at Dunfermline House, and I was lucky to have an early check-in so I could drop my bags and spend several wonderful hours at the historic Melrose Abbey, just steps away.

 

Melrose Abbey is one of the four famous Border Abbeys in Scotland.  It was founded in the early 12th century by the Ciscertians, a Catholic order of monks who follow the rules of Saint Benedict.  Their ethos was to be a self-sufficient community in a quiet and isolated place, to live in austerity and silence, and to work, pray, and give reverence to God.  Supporting the monks were the lay brothers who wished to live and work as part of a religious community.  They were the carpenters, farmers, builders, blacksmiths, millers, weavers, brewers and bakers who helped to support the life and economy of the abbey.

There was an excellent audio guide provided which detailed the life of the monks and the lay brothers, as well as the history of the abbey itself.  It was so interesting!  The abbey has undergone many changes over its 900 year history, and was damaged and rebuilt many times due to war.  Most of the structures that are standing today date from the between the 14th and 15th centuries, but some small sections of the original 12th century abbey remain.

Here are some exterior views of the beautiful ruins of Melrose abbey.

 

 

The photo above shows some of the excavated foundations of various outbuildings used by the monks and lay brothers.  The following two photos show remnants of the great ditch which brought water from the River Tweed to the abbey and priory, and of the lavatorium.

 

 

Here is a field adjacent to the Abbey, looking north.  The afternoon was so warm and peaceful, and the landscape here is so beautiful. I could see why the monks had chosen this place in order to feel closer to God.

On the other side of the Abbey lie the Eildon Hills.  (The tallest of the two was home to the largest hill fort in Scotland during the Iron Age.) My hike along Cuthbert’s Way will take me up and over the saddle between the two hills.

Next are some interior photos of the abbey.  The first is of the great East window, and a section of the magnificent roof.  There are horizontal iron bars supporting the very tall and thin stone columns that once held glass.  The iron bars were added only 100 years ago, but the stone columns stood strong on their own for 500 years before that!

 

 

A wonderful surprise was the opportunity to climb up a worn spiral staircase to have views from the rooftop.

 

 

After my educational and inspiring time at the abbey, I had a restful coffee break in the quiet of my room…

and then I headed back out to visit the Priorwood Gardens which are adjacent to the abbey.  It was another serene and beautiful place, and I had it all to myself except for the company of some bees and butterflies.

 

 

The Priory Garden is a informal walled garden with curved paths, shrubs, yew hedges, pretty flower beds, and some special spaces to sit and rest.

 

 

There was also a meadow and orchard, with many varieties of apples, and a lawned area with a view of the abbey, perfect for picnics.

 

 

After visiting the garden, I strolled along the High Street and some side streets of the small and tidy town of Melrose, and then I made my way to the banks of the river Tweed to see the Chain Bridge which is a beautiful pedestrian suspension bridge built in 1826.

Here are some photos taken from the south side of the river.

I crossed to the center of the bridge and took photos both downstream and upstream.

 

 

Then I walked for a while on the north side of the river, enjoying the late afternoon light and the sounds of the river.  Here is a view of the bridge from the north side, with the original toll house at its end, and one of the Eildon Hills clearly visible.

Then, I crossed back over, with a great view of both hills.  I was careful to follow the rule (original to 1826) posted at both ends of the bridge that said “No loitering, climbing, or intentional swinging of the bridge. Contravention is a fine of 2 pounds or imprisonment.”

My last photo of the evening was this sign which is the first of the St. Cuthbert’s Way signs that I will follow on my long distance walk.  The trail officially begins just in front of the abbey, and only a few steps from my B&B.

Now, if you have read this far (!), I know that you are probably thinking, “This post is not shorter!!” I agree, and it’s almost midnight (!) and I’ve been blogging since after dinner so I am too tired to go back and change the title and introduction, as well as add in some photos of Melrose to justify the “pretty Melrose” part of the title!

So, this non-shorter post will have to stand as it is. I will try harder for brevity tomorrow, I promise.  Goodnight!

 

I woke up fairly tired this morning, thanks to my unfortunate decision to have a cup of coffee and giant chocolate cookie yesterday evening while blogging.  It meant that I was too jittery to fall asleep until well past 2:00 a.m. Oh well, I had planned on a quieter day today in any case…

After my delicious and hearty breakfast at my B&B, I headed off on foot towards the National Museum of Scotland, about a kilometer or so away, zigzagging along  lovely residential streets of large, warmly-coloured, stone houses fronted by stone walls, and much greenery.

 

I aimed for “The Meadows” which turned out to be a huge area of playing fields (with multiple kids’ Saturday soccer games in progress), playgrounds, tennis courts, and a small community garden and orchard.  There were also Festival event tents set up, and many families and groups were arriving intent on enjoying the start of the weekend and the lovely warm weather.

 

I soon reached the National Museum, but after admiring the Grand Gallery (featuring a beautiful dioptic lighthouse lens at one end) I very quickly realised that both my feet and my brain were not going to function very well today.

 

I skimmed through the Animal World, Living Lands, and Patterns of Life galleries,  and then found myself (surprisingly) slowing down in the Fashion and Design gallery – the textiles and garments (some very simple and some quite ornate) were stunning, both at a glance and then with closer study of the lines, shapes, textures, and details. I was very taken by them.

 

Next, I went to the Kingdom of the Scots gallery.  I was greatly looking forward to seeing the Lewis Chessmen, a set of 12th century chess pieces, beautifully carved from walrus ivory and likely of Nordic origin.  The pieces were found in a sand dune at Uig Beach, on the Isle of Lewis and Harris.  I visited there with Brent, Sophie and Daniel several years ago, and I have very fond memories of that wonderful trip and that wild and beautiful place.

 

Also on display was a beautiful wooden sculpture of St. Andrew, and I learned that St. Andrew’s saltire (x-shaped cross) is on the Scottish flag.  The cult of St. Andrew came to Scotland’s eastern shores from Europe and differed from the early Celtic church which came from Ireland.  By the early 14th century, St. Andrew was recognized as the “patron and protector” of Scotland.

Other beautiful objects which caught my interest were:

After some focussed time in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery, I felt the need for some fresh air and so left the museum to visit the nearby Greyfriars Kirk.  Completed around 1620, Greyfriars Kirk is one of the oldest surviving buildings within the Old Town of Edinburgh, and it was the first post-Reformation church built in Scotland.  Unfortunately, the church was closed due to a choral rehearsal, but here are a few photos from the atmospheric grounds of the church and its graveyard.

 

Returning to the National Museum, I stopped to enjoy a Festival event, which was basically a large group of Festival goers who had been convinced to put on some headphones, follow a leader, and sing and dance their way down the street to tunes like “YMCA” and the “Everybody”  (“Backstreet’s Back, Oh ya!”).  The participants were having so much fun, singing, dancing, and laughing, and the crowd, and I, enjoyed it as well.

I re-entered the Museum, determined to find my second wind and do some serious learning, but my brain still wasn’t able to focus so of course food was the answer to my problem.  I got a Mediterranean veggie wrap from one of the museum cafes and took it outside to eat on the shady front steps of the museum.

In front of the steps, performing for a crowd, was a busker who was perched on a skateboard on top of a high, shaky pedestal composed of various items.  He was a Canadian performer named Piper and he had perfected all of the funny lines and excellent comic timing that the best street stunt performers have.  He stood up on the skate board, juggled three machetes, then somehow got himself down so he was riding on the skateboard.  He then proceeded to continuously spin a large case on his knuckle while changing positions multiple times!   He had a very impressive act and I felt very grateful to have had the opportunity to see it.

After his show, I went back into the museum where I again tried to engage in the exhibits.  Finally giving up, I decided to purchase a ticket for a 3:00 p.m. performance in the Museum’s auditorium, a one-women comedy show called “The National Trust Fan Club”.  Then, I returned to the Grand Gallery to sit and enjoy a free musical performance – two young women with angelic voices singing atmospheric and moving Scottish songs, some in English and some in Gaelic.  They were wonderful!

Next I attended the play which was also excellent – well written and performed and very funny – and also well-themed for my visit to the U.K. and for my interests and stage in life.   I was the lucky winner of a prize (a tray of two scones, with jam and cream) for correctly identifying that the “official” answers – as determined by some “unofficial committee somewhere” – to the widely-disputed questions of: (1) scone (long o sound), versus scone (short o sound), (2) plain scone versus fruit, and (3) jam first versus cream first.  The answers were: scone with a short o, fruit, and jam first.  It was my first cream tea on this visit to the U.K., and very fun to win it as a prize and consume it during the show.

After the play, I briefly considered trying one more time to view items in the museum, but soon decided to just head back outside and wander about.  The late afternoon air was warm, and everyone in the city seemed happy to be out and about for the Festival.

 

I stopped one more time to listen to a dynamic duo of musicians, one on electric guitar and cymbal, and the other playing a washtub base.  Their name was Diablo Yo and their music was original and fun, with a rockabilly vibe.  After their set, I popped into a nearby Sainsbury’s to buy a microwaveable dinner of Aloo Saag (potato and spinach curry), as well as a small can of pre-mixed gin and tonic.  Dinner and a drink for under 4 pounds!

Heading homeward to my B&B, I zigzagged my way back the way I had come in the morning, a tiny bit disappointed that I had not been able to do justice to the treasures of the Museum as planned, but mostly happy that I had caught the Festival bug and had taken the time to enjoy some of the entertainments on offer.

I took several photos of flowers in a lovely garden on the way home, as my last photos of the day.

 

And that’s it then.  The Festival trumped the Museum, and a nice curry and gin and tonic were the perfect way to end my day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I arrived in Edinburgh early yesterday evening after having flown through the night from Vancouver to Glasgow, with a brief layover in Reykjavik.  The transport from Glasgow to Edinburgh went smoothly, and then I found my way to my accommodation at lovely Dunstan House, about a kilometer outside of the city center.

 

 

I was tempted to take a walk in the pretty residential neighbourhood, but was feeling whoozy from lack of sleep so I just relaxed and stayed awake as long as I could (which was not very long!). Of course, I woke up for several hours in the middle of the night, but then managed to fall asleep again in order to to wake up refreshed and ready for a beautiful, warm and breezy morning of light cloud and blue sky.  Perfect for a day of sightseeing.

I adore google earth (yes, adore!), and thanks to google earth I already knew that I could make my way from my accommodation to my first destination of Holyrood Palace by way of nearby trails through Holyrood Park.  What a spectacular walk!

The walk was so inspiring with views of the city, happy walkers and joggers passing by, magpies and gulls flying overhead, and lovely golden grasses, dotted with purple thistle, some of which was turning to seed.

 

 

My walk ended by crossing Queen’s Drive to arrive at the very modern new buildings of the Scottish Parliament which is across the street from Holyrood Palace.

 

 

And here is Holyrood Palace, which has been at the center of Royal life in Scotland for over 900 years.

After viewing the quadrangle, the excellent audio tour guided me into the palace where photography is unfortunately not allowed.  What a wealth of stories and treasures this palace holds!  I spent several hours viewing magnificent rooms decorated with elaborate plaster ceilings, beautifully tiled fireplaces, carved woodwork and furnishings, medieval tapestries, historic portraits, and objects that belonged to the likes of Mary Queen of Scots, James the First, Bonnie Prince Charlie, Queen Victoria, and other monarchs up to and including the present Royal Family.  The palace is a must-do when visiting Edinburgh!

Upon exiting the palace, the tour continues to the interior of the ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

And then out to the gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After viewing the palace, I decided to wander up the Royal Mile towards Edinburgh Castle.  Now, Edinburgh is massively busy this weekend as the hugely poplar Edinburgh Fringe Festival is on. I overhead one couple say that there are over 3500 shows, plays, concerts, and other events to choose from all over the city during the run of the Festival from August 2nd to 26th.  Typically I avoid crowds, but luckily for me, my dose of morning nature in Holyrood Park gave me the fortitude to brave the masses, and it was so much fun!

I walked up the Royal Mile, enjoying the historic buildings and the multitude of bars, cafes, restaurants, and also shops offering quality goods of whiskey,  woolens, and Celtic-inspired silver jewellery, as well as inexpensive kilts (for the whole family!) and Scottish-themed momentos and kitsch.

 

 

I took a moment for a brief respite when I saw the sign for Dunbar Close Garden and felt compelled to go in.

 

 

Then I continued up the Royal Mile, part of which was closed to traffic and was crowded with tourists, locals, buskers, and lots of enthusiastic young people handing out flyers to advertise Festival shows.

I took another brief respite from the crowds by stepping into the quiet and calm of St. Giles Cathedral, pictured above.  I had never visited this Cathedral, and plan to spend more time and take a guided tour of it the next time I am in Edinburgh. Here are a few quick shots from the beautiful interior.

 

I finished my tour of the Royal Mile just before the entrance to Edinburgh Castle where I stopped for a good while to listen to a wonderful quintet of young and talented musicians from the Netherlands (Ragazzi Quintet) who played a fun and diverse repertoire that included their own arrangements of “Chim Chim Cheree” from Mary Poppins, Will Ferrell’s “Happy”, a tune from the Buena Vista Social Club, and Irish folk tunes, among others.  They have a tiny presence on Youtube (I became their sixth subscriber!)

Another fabulous busker from the day was this rather impressive looking piper who most definitely twinkled his eyes at me!

I descended from the Royal Mile, down Ramsay Street to the Princes Street Gardens, enroute to the Parish Church of St. Cuthbert, taking pictures along the way.

I was warmly welcomed here by a volunteer with the “Friends of St. Cuthbert” who has previously walked St. Cuthbert’s Way.  It is a very community-oriented church and they help house the homeless during the coldest months of winter.  The interior is beautiful.

Now, it was late afternoon and I had been on my feet all day.  I was finally starting to feel hungry and tired so I jumped on a bus on Princes Street to take me to the Pollock Halls residences area of the University of Edinburgh, which is very near Arthur’s Seat.  I had a light dinner at the campus conference center, and then headed back out to climb Arthur’s Seat which is an extinct volcano that dominates Holyrood Park.  The beautiful views started early and just got better and better.

It was beautiful and windy and invigorating at the top of Arthur’s seat, and I greatly enjoyed the late afternoon light and the happy atmosphere that was created by everyone who had made the climb on such a glorious afternoon.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect Edinburgh day!