Scotland

Dear Reader, would you like to go somewhere other than Paris, London, New York, or New Orleans? Clearly, those are my favorite destinations. But believe it or not, I have traveled to other places I’ve loved. Like Scotland! 

So in this blog, for the sake of variety, we’re strolling down memory lane and over to Edinburgh.

Years ago, we took a family vacation to Scotland because of a castle I saw on TV.  

It wasn’t this castle: THE Edinburgh Castle that sits perched on top of the city. But, of course, we had to go see it.

The entrance was cool.

So was the armor room

It dates back 1000 years and is well worth a tour. You’ll see the royal birth chamber where Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son, the future king: King James VI. The chamber’s ceiling was decorated with the birthdate and the happy family’s initials. 

Their joy was not to last. Within 14 months, Jame’s father had been murdered, Mary deposed, and baby James crowned King of Scotland. 

You may remember that Mary Queen of Scots was later beheaded for treason by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth. Mary’s grown son (King of Scotland and, by this time, 21 years old) did not intercede on her behalf. In fact, he became Queen Elizabeth’s heir upon her death, becoming King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Now that’s some family drama!

Another interesting room in the castle houses the Scottish Royal Jewels and the Stone of Destiny (the king-making stone).

The ancient stone looks underwhelming but holds great significance to the Scottish people. It was forcibly removed from Scotland in 1296 by Edward I and sent to Westminster Abby in London, where it was enclosed within the Coronation Chair. The stone has been used ever since in coronation ceremonies. But in 1996, on the 700th anniversary of its removal, it was returned to Scotland. It will now only leave Edinburgh Castle when there is a coronation in Westminster Abby. So, look for it in May when King Charles will be coronated. 

The other castle I didn’t travel to Scotland to see but gladly toured was: The Palace of Holyroodhouse. 

This is the official residence of His Majesty The King in Scotland (King Charles). Queen Elizabeth used to stay for a week every summer to carry out public engagements. We’ll see how her son, King Charles, chooses to use the palace. 

The origins of this castle can be traced back to its twelfth-century Abby.  

The decaying Abby was my favorite part of Holyroodhouse, but its most interesting bit of history was, of course, centered around… Mary Queen of Scots. 

In a fit of jealousy, Mary’s husband (and several of his friends) brutally murdered Mary’s personal secretary, David Rizzio. The gang, led by her husband, rushed in on them in her private apartments. As Rizzio clung to Mary’s skirts, he was dragged into the outer chamber and stabbed 56 times.  

Those two castles were fascinating and impressive, but the castle I actually traveled to Scotland to see was: Caerlaverock Castle. (not sure about the pronunciation) 

When I saw this majestic castle on my TV screen, it captivated my imagination. It’s so romantic. It’s everything I want a castle to be: stoic, remote, crumbling, and surrounded by a moat! 

It did not disappoint. On a grey, cold October afternoon, we arrived at a nearly empty castle. Apart from a small wedding taking place in the back, we had the run of the place. My young son took off, charging through stone rooms and up and down turret stairways, reenacting some imagined epic battle. 

But he wasn’t the only one to feel transported.  

Our family split up. Curiosity was pulling each of us in a different direction. We wandered around the ancient fortress in silence and awe, allowing our imaginations to fill the empty rooms with long-ago life and activity. 

The castle was captured in the siege of Caerlaverock in 1300 when the English invaded Scotland by none other than Edward I. The same Edward who stole the Stone of Destiny. Edward showed up with 87 knights and 3000 English soldiers. This show of force was a tad overkill since the castle was defended by only 60 men. 

The medieval Caerlaverock Castle was worth the trip to Scotland. But it was challenging to get to. We rented a car in Edinburgh and drove two hours through the countryside on the wrong side of the street -with a stick shift! Even though road signs were in English, the roads were narrow, windy, and often unmarked. However, we were rewarded with beautiful views all along the way.     

Like this old church and cemetery scattered with tombstones almost as tall as me.

And, of course, we were rewarded with the castle itself. Can you imagine the wedding pictures?  

I got it in my head that I wanted to stay in a castle too. So I booked us a room in Melville Castle. 

This hotel was once the hunting seat of Mary Queen of Scots. Of course, we had to stay here. 

The castle felt more like a manor house -except for the bathroom in our room, which was in a turret. 

Melville Castle sits 20 minutes outside Edinburgh on a 54-acre estate, so we had to hike down a long wooded trail to the bus stop into town every day. And then retrace all those steps back again each night. One night, while walking down the pitch-black dirt road, I apologized to my family for our accommodations. My young son responded with, “This is my favorite part of the trip.” 

On one of Mary’s visits to her hunting lodge, Rizzio planted a chestnut tree for her as a token of his affection. She responded by planting 5 oak trees along the drive. Oak trees are associated with strength, stability, endurance, truth, and wisdom. I’m not sure of the significance of a chestnut, but I am sure this was some sort of love language between the two of them.  

This one still stands over 450 years later. 

It’s incredible to think how some trees have stood witness to so much history.  

While castles were definitely the trip’s theme, we did a few other things, like go on a scotch tour and see The Pretenders in concert.

Pictures of faraway lands can spark our imaginations. Travel shows and blogs can expose us to new places and expand our world. But sometimes, you just have to go see something for yourself. 

And if you’re lucky, you get to drag your family with you.