Scotland Part 3

     Our adventure for Thursday was a ride on the Jacobite, a steam train that runs along the same route that the Hogwarts Express takes in the Harry Potter movies passing over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. But first we had to get to Fort William where the train started. My dad had rented a van so we could all ride together and they picked us up that morning and we were off. It was a three hour drive to Fort William, part of which was off the highway with lovely views of waterfalls, lakes, and lots of sheep. Oh, and trees. Lots of trees jumping in my way when I wanted to take a picture. So no pictures of that part.

     In Fort William, we found the train station after a few u-turns and even found a place to park. We picked up some lunch stuff at a nearby Lidl and joined the crowd waiting to board the train. This excursion is apparently very popular. The tickets are so sought after, the hotel kept them in the vault for protection until my dad picked them up. Luckily, my dad bought tickets several weeks in advance.

The Jacobite Steam

Huge pile of coal!

      Deciphering the seat assignments on the tickets was a challenge. The seats facing each other were paired rather than the ones next to each other. Then an F or B was attached to the number to indicate which way the seat faced - front or back. So, for example, Taran and Robyn were sitting in seats F23 and B23 while Piper was in F24. It was a system that we were very unfamiliar with but we managed to all find our seats. 

     About 45 minutes into the trip we passed over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. Faces and cameras were pressed against the window. It was a drizzly day so shooting pictures was really only possible through the tiny upper middle window that could be opened. Well, the lady in the purple sweater that you can see sitting next to Taran was also intent on getting some shots of the viaduct and, because of the way the viaduct curves, pictures were only possible on that side. I was not aware of the difficulty of getting a viewpoint until too late, so I missed my chance on that pass. But I still had another chance on the way back.

     Just after the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the train made a short stop at the Glenfinnan station.

Glenfinnan - great Scottish weather = )

    Glenfinnan station was ready to cater to Harry Potter fans. They had a broomstick available for visitors to try out their flying skills.

Ready for takeoff!

He's up!

Oh . . . he's back down.

     Then we sat back and enjoyed the Scottish scenery. It was so beautiful, rugged, and mysterious looking. 

Waterfall

I remember seeing those trees in the 4th Harry Potter movie!

     The last stop was at Mallaig, a little fishing village and now tourist destination. We looked at some shops and then started looking for a place to eat some fish and chips. But it turned out that the rest of the train passengers had the same idea and the restaurants were packed. One place took pity on us and let us all squeeze into a little corner with a couch and a couple chairs. The table was a small end table put in the middle of the chairs. Oh, well. The food was good. = )

Mmmm . . . Scottish fish and chips

      Afterward we took a little walk by the sea and down the pier. Andrew and Taran just had to touch the water and find out if it was salt water. It was cold and it was salt water. Thankfully they decided to skip rocks instead of go for a swim. = )

Skipping rocks in the North Atlantic   

    Just before boarding the train for the return trip, we went to get the kids some ice cream - and almost missed our train! The people in the shop were so busy putting together to-go boxes of fish and chips that it took a good 15 minutes to get three ice cream cones. Then we were back on the train, racing down the rails.

We were really moving!

      This time I staked out a good spot for shooting pictures way in advance. I went to the end of the car and stood next to the door. The door had a large window that could be lowered and was just at the right level that I could even stick my head out the window. (I was very careful when doing this, don't worry.) The one hazard to this position was encountered when passing through tunnels. The smoke from the steam engine that typically blows up and over the train, cannot go up in a tunnel. So it races down the train, spilling into any open window. It is annoying at the seats but the windows are high and small so it isn't too much of an issue. Standing at the door, my face was right where the smoke poured in. (I think I've figured out where we got the game of holding our breath when passing through tunnels. It could save your life on a train.) To save my lungs, I would quickly close the window when we'd get to a tunnel and then open it back up on the other side.

      Finally we reached the highlight of the trip, the Glenfinnan Viaduct. This time I was ready.

Notice the other cameras poking out of the train. = )

Looking back

     Then my memory card was full so I couldn't take any more pictures.

      It was late by the time we got back to the hotel so we bid goodnight to my parents and hit the hay. My parents got their turn trying to navigate Edinburgh at night with road closures. = (

      The next day, we decided to check out some more castles. My dad had a booklet that showed the locations of the many castles, old churches, and other historical places of interest in Scotland. We settled on a castle that wasn't too far away but had the interesting element that it could only be reached by boat. It was situated on an island in a loch - visitors were ferried over on a small boat. So cool! But when we got there we found that the ferry was not running. The winds were rather brisk that morning and until they calmed down, the ferry was staying put. = (

Flags at ferry landing
As you can see, it was a bit windy.

See the castle on the left - that's not it.
You can't see the one we were heading to - it's around that bit of land.

       So we consulted the little booklet again and found there was an interesting castle ruin and abbey right in Dunfermline. Dunfermline was the one of the residences of the Scottish kings.
      After the Battle of Hastings when William the Conquerer took the English throne, the daughter of one of the guys that had a claim to the throne fled to Dunfermline. (It was dangerous to even be related to someone who threatened a king's power.) Her name was Margaret and she married the Scottish king, Malcolm III. Three of her sons became king of Scotland - Edgar, Alexander I, and David I. In 1126, David I had the Dunfermline Abbey built in honor of his mother (in 1250 she became St. Margaret). Many kings and queens of Scotland are buried here. Edward I of England held court in Dunfermline Abbey in the winter of 1303 - probably out looking for William Wallace at the time.

Cemetery at Dunfermline Abbey

Searching for the oldest gravestone

Dunfermline Abbey

     The stone work on the top of the tower spells out King Robert the Bruce. The picture shows the side that says "Bruce". He was the first Scottish king after the Wars for Independence.

The medieval nave

      This is part of the church that has survived since the 12th century.

A tomb

Painting on the ceiling

Outside of medieval nave of Abbey

     At one end of the abbey, a modern church was built where the choir of the old Abbey once stood.
     The Dunfermline Palace was actually connected to the Abbey at one time. It was the residence of kings from Malcolm III to James VI. James IV had a lot of work done on the palace and James VI gave the palace to his bride, Anne of Denmark, as a wedding present. Three of their children were born there including Henry (who was baptized at Stirling Castle) and Charles (who became Charles I of Great Britain). James VI moved his household to London after the Union of Crowns in 1603 and Dunfermline Palace wasn't visited much by the royal family after that. In 1708 it was unroofed and allowed to fall into ruin.

Plaque hung on palace wall

     The above plaque briefly tells the story of Charles I, the last king to be born in Scotland. Legend has it that evil omens foreshadowing his demise happened in his early childhood. A bloody cloak was said to have blown in a window and landed on the baby's cradle. Charles I was not a popular ruler; he was of the mind that he'd been divinely appointed and therefore should be able to do whatever he wanted. That isn't a popular viewpoint for a king to have. On top of that there was a lot of religious unrest. The whole thing boiled over into the English Civil Wars and Charles I lost. He was convicted of high treason and executed in 1649. The monarchy was abolished but then restored in 1660 with his son, Charles II.
      We next took a stroll through the adjacent Pittencrieff Park. (The locals call it "The Glen".) This park in the center of Dunfermline was purchased and given to the people of Dunfermline by Andrew Carnegie. (Carnegie was born in Dunfermline.) In the park are several historical sites including Malcolm's Tower, the site of Malcolm III's seat of royal power, and the Wallace Well. William Wallace is thought to have hidden out in these woods in 1303 when he was being pursued by Edward I's men.

The Wallace Well

Wild raspberries!

     On our way back to the car we got one more look at the abbey and palace.

Abbey tower - this side says "King"

South wall of the palace

 We also saw some ads for houses for sale in the window of a real estate office. I picked out the one I want. = )

Nice, isn't it?

      Dad then dropped Andrew and I off at our car and they continued on to their hotel in Edinburgh. The kids were going to get a chance to get in the pool if they hurried back! Andrew and I picked up the car and headed that way too. We got to the Sheraton hoping that someone would be waiting for us in the lobby. (We couldn't even get up to their room without a key. The elevator only works if you have a room key.) No one was waiting for us in the lobby. Hmmm . . . we got the front desk to call the room. No one answered. Did they beat us back by so much that they are already at the pool? The front desk guy called the pool. The lady there didn't think she'd seen them. . . . Just then the kids came bursting through the front door. Apparently we'd beaten them there.
    Andrew took the kids for a swim, Mom and I had a relaxing chat, and Dad returned the rental car.
    Later we took another trip along the Royal Mile looking for souvenirs. Piper added a matching tam and scarf set and a Celtic knot ring to her collection. Taran went for a set of playable junior bagpipes.

Climbing the big ball again. = )

     The street was packed with visitors. The Military Tattoo was going on that weekend at Edinburgh Castle. The Military Tattoo, traditionally a military drum performance, is an annual festival of military music and ceremony. It is a really big deal over there. Tickets are sold out weeks before the festival even starts. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival grew up around the Military Tattoo. It happens on the same weekend as the tattoo. Thousands of performers of all types do their acts in venues scattered around the castle.  But the main show is in the castle. We didn't have tickets but we could still hear the music from outside.

Castle all lit up

They did some cool light effects.

     And so ended Friday. The week was flying by way too quickly. Saturday afternoon we had to start our long trip back to Bruchsal.