Suffice it to say - all these posts will end up being weeks behind when they actually happened, ha-ha! Most of the time I think I am posting these for my own memory and that's perfectly fine... and I suppose it's perfectly fine that they are "behind".
We headed out of the city on Wednesday, July 7th and made our way to the nearby area of Linlithgow and Blackness Castle - a former outpost and fort known as the "ship that never sailed" because of it's shape and position along Blackness Bay. The castle was originally built in the 1400's and if you're a fan of Outlander - you'll immediately recognize it as Fort William - where Jamie was flogged and abused by Jack Randall in the first season of the show.
I don't have a picture of the after - but when we arrived the tide was out and by the time we left just a couple hours later - it had come in! What a difference that made!
We listened to a gentleman dressed as a Jacobite soldier talk for quite a while (he was very interesting, so don't take that the wrong way) about the Jacobite cause, the role of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the history of the area. It was all extremely fascinating and when he rounded up his chat, we made our way through the gates and into the courtyard that was like walking into an episode of Outlander! Crazy!
The fortress was used as a state prison and held a variety of prisoners - from lower class prisoners who would have lived in terrible conditions with very little food, to higher class prisoners who lived in the central tower of the fortress and were allowed furniture, multiple rooms and even the option to bring family members to live with them! Doesn't sound like much of a prison sentence to me... but who am I to judge?
The tour was self-guided but there were guides along the way to answer any questions you might have. I definitely enjoyed being able to wander the wall walks the wrapped almost all the way around the whole castle and offered thrilling views of Blackness Bay and the Scottish countryside beyond. The grounds were beautiful, the skies were blue and the small gift shop was well-stocked, ha-ha! I also have to say that every one of the delightful Scottish citizens we met were so kind, welcoming and fun to talk with!
Our second stop of the day was the small town of Falkland... and yes, it's another Outlander filming location! The Bruce Fountain in the small town square was used in the very first episode of the show to showcase a pretty iconic moment: when Frank spies the ghost of Jamie Fraser watching Claire through the window of the B&B. The Coventor Hotel that is located in the square was also used the the B&B that Frank and Claire stayed in on their trip to Inverness. Funnily enough... we were several hours away from Inverness, ha-ha! The magic of television!
The town was beautiful! It truly seemed like a perfectly picturesque Scottish town and we stopped in at a café to grab some sandwiches, crisps and cookies (I got a unicorn - because Scotland, duh) to eat on the road and made our way even further into the Highlands. This is where I have to tell you that I have decided that when the Lord created Scotland - he dumped out buckets of majestic all over the continent. The stunning landscapes were so incredibly beautiful that I was beyond overwhelmed with the views outside my windows. I have shared some of my pictures here - but I don't know that a picture could ever do the gorgeous countryside justice.
Our final destination was Balmoral Castle - a personal home of Queen Elizabeth II located in the Scottish Highlands. The castle was originally built by Elizabeth's ancestors; Victoria and Albert, who visited the Scottish Highlands and immediately fell in love. I can understand that sentiment completely! They demolished a castle that was already on the land and rebuilt it according to the specifications that Albert provided - the house has been in the royal family ever since - and it privately owned by the family; which limits the extent of tours on the property.
Fun Fact: As you walked onto the grounds, there was a sign warning of squirrel crossing and my sister and I completely cackled over this! What in the world?? The castle and the grounds were absolutely beautiful and I'm sure the interior was probably stunning too - although we only got to go in one room. Honestly, when I think about Balmoral, I am left thinking about the episode of The Crown where Diana has to pass the Balmoral Test... how accurate is that, I wonder?
The original stone that marked the entryway to the original castle at Balmoral is embedded in the yard that stretches out in front of the castle as it now stands - Lindsey and I found it for a photo opportunity! Balmoral has extensive grounds with several different gardens, a large barn that houses not just animals but also vehicles from the past (think buggies and carriages) and a gift shop. There's always a gift shop y'all! I almost bought Watson some bougie dog biscuits at Balmoral but decided against it... ha-ha!
After grabbing an iced coffee to go, we set out from Balmoral around 5:00 and headed for the city of Inverness.... along some very interesting roads! Some of them were "B" roads, which means at places they were only one track roads with passing places - eek! However, the countryside that the roads ran through was easily some of the most stunning I've seen in my 36 years of life - I cannot tell you enough how absolutely breathtaking Scotland is!
The sun doesn't set in the U.K. in the Summer until after 10 and so even though we didn't arrive at our AirBnB until shortly before 7 - we had plenty of daylight left! We put our things away at the awesome little house that was right across the street from the River Ness and walked along the river toward some pubs up the street! We had a delicious dinner and walked along the river a bit before heading back to the house for the night! It was a full and delightful day of exploration!
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