Wednesday, June 1 -- Our Long Way Home

 On Wednesday, June 1, we took a taxi driven by the wonderful Adfinad from Iraq to the airport.  It was such a long slog home.  We wore our masks from 8am Scotland time (which would be 3am EST) until we got off the last of 3 planes back in Asheville at just before midnight.  And I have to wear a silk mask under my N95 because if I don’t, my sensitive skin breaks out.  Another 21 HOURS DOUBLE-MASKED!!!  I was so glad to finally get in our rental car going home. 

Photos from the plane from Edinburgh to JFK:

The three bridges over the Firth of Forth:

Inchcolm Island:

Oveer Long Island near JFK:

 

Monday, May 30 -- Yummy Treats & Haunted Room & Tuesday, May 31 -- Going to the Clinic

 Okay, I know I didn't do it this time--this blog is scrambling my posts, so I'm having to compensate by combining days.  UGH!!!!!

On Monday, May 30, after breakfast at the Booking Office (Wetherspoons) on Waverley Bridge as we did every morning here:

...we walked around Edinburgh and I tried to get a Cookies & Crème Cupcake from Mimi’s Bakery, but they had none.  So I got a Vanilla Confetti one.  Yum!  And my favorite store—Cranachan & Crowdie—is now closed!  We bought a duffle bag to bring home the sleeping bags in.  Turns out they are too nice to throw away. 

I got cookies from Ben’s Cookies—Macadamia Nut/White Chocolate.  Also Yum!  Their motto includes: Baking with CHUNKS not chips since 1983. These are World-famous cookies from Oxford, England, freshly baked on the day in locations all over the world.  Helge Rubinstein founded the company and coined the name after her son Ben (that’s him in their logo, drawn by her good friend and renowned illustrator Sir Quentin Blake—I knew I recognized the drawing style!  He was the illustrator of 18 of Roald Dahl’s books!

Everywhere was crowded and no one was wearing a mask, so we didn’t feel comfortable squeezing into World’s End Pub for dinner or going to Bella Italia or even to our Diner for breakfast—which, btw, has been painted grey now instead of recognizable red. 

My blue police box bakery stand that had no croissants when I went by & the Turkish guys wasn't there either:

We made a cursory search through St. Cuthbert’s Kirkyard for the grave of my ancestor, Robert Scott—born & died in St,.Cuthbert Parish, 1645-1706.  But we were unsuccessful. This part of the graveyard was especially creepy:

Sites from around Edinburgh:

Universoty of Edinburgh's Divinity School:

Scott Monument (Uncle Walter):

Edinburgh Castle:

Scotsmen Hotel steps made of different colors of marble from all over the world:

Zebra Crossing at Waverley Bridge & E. Market Street:

Warriston Steps (that lead to the Royal Mile) as seen from Waverley Bridge:

Balmoral Hotel where J.K. Rowling spent 6 months finishing up the Harry Potter series:  

St. Giles Cathedral with David Hume statue & one of a Scott ancestor, the Duke of Buccleuch:

Wojtek, the Polish Bear that served in WWII then retired to Edinburgh Zoo.  Statue in Princes Street Gardens:

Winner of the best dressed doggie:

I love taking photos of Scott Monument from Advocates Close.  Here are my tries:

2022:

2013:

2019:

2011:

Rooftops behind our hotel from the glassed walkway to our room:

I truly believe our hotel room at the Hub is haunted, for every time Ray leaves, it turns off the air conditioning and the lights.  I began to wonder if I was a ghost! 

On Tuesday, May 31, our minds were on the Covid Tests we have to take that afternoon at the clinic.  If we didn’t pass, we wouldn’t be allowed to fly home tomorrow.  Ray was especially concerned.  If I tested negative, and he was positive, he was insisting that I go on home.  If he was negative and I was positive or if we were both positive, we’d have to cancel our flight home and need to make plans for staying somewhere in Scotland until we tested negative again.  Such a worry.  But we both tested negative and were all set to fly home tomorrow.  Packing everything was a chore, but we got it done.

Pharmacy for the tests:

***Naturally, 10 days after we were home, the US lifted the requirement for testing to reenter the US. 

Saturday & Sunday, May 28 & 29 -- Drawing a Blank & Temple

 On Saturday, May 28, I can’t for the life of me remember what we did!  I know we spent that 4^th night in Dumfries, but what did we do during the day?  It’s not in my notes or our plan papers.  Everything got changed around so much that there is no telling what we ended up doing. 

On Sunday, May 29, we left Dumfries and headed towards Edinburgh.

This was the sign for Terregles--I have a Scott ancestor that came from here, but I can't for the life of me remember who it was:

At one point, I saw this strange contraption alongside the highway & wondered what it was:

...So I glanced to the right & yep, here was the Alien that the contraption had summoned:

Near Peebles, I was taking photos of the beautiful countryside on the left side of the car when we passed right by Scotstoun House (that we had visited before on a past trip) without me even realizing it:

Just a few miles from Temple is Rosebery Steadings.  This may be the former "Clerkington Estates" that my Clerkington Scotts, owned.  Sir Knight William Clerkington Scott (1605-1656) was my 11GGF.  The estate was sold to the Primrose family & made into Barony of Rosebery in 1695.  It has a clock tower and doocot.  

Road to Temple:

First we stopped at Temple, the former Balantrodoch, the former seat of the Knights Templar in Scotland after their flight from France.  We drove in the back way, so driving and parking in town wasn’t necessary.  I had read that the site was now closed, so I wasn’t optimistic about being able to explore it, but all that was fenced off was the ruined church itself.  We tromped the mooshy grass—that felt like walking on our own front yard—to explore the graveyard.  Graves at the church ruins here date back to 1700s or since. 

In the 17th c., this area was known as “Clerkington” or the “Priest’s Town.”  My Scott ancestors include Laurence Scott of Harprig & Clerkington, born 1570 Edinburgh, died 1638 in Carmyliw Monkland, Sterling.  He was my 12 GGF.  His son & my 11 GGF, Sir Knight William Clerkington Scott was born in 1605 in Clerkington, East Lothian and died there also.   He died of apoplexy (unconsciousness bec of stroke or cerebral hemorrhage).  

East of the village is the remains of a preceptory arch out in a field.  It was originally the entrance to the Templars Manor House.  The Temple Church here was originally from the 1100s.  The ruins here now are from the 1300s Knights of St. Johns, reusing the KT church.  There is a legend that the treasure of the KT was removed secretly from Paris & hidden here in this village. 

“Twixt the oak and the elm tree/You will find buried the millions free.”

French legends say it went the Isle of May first then followed the River Esk to Rosslyn.

Opposite the church is Shillinghill 1832, built to replace the old church but now residential.  It is used as Alison Kinnaird's Stained Glass studio.  

East of church looks like a mill bldg. but was the manse for the 1832 church on part of orig foundations of  the cloister of the Knights Templar monastery.  This is Ray pointing in the wrong direction for the cemetery.

Interesting graves include those of Thomas Scott--a servant  at nearby ARniston House (born there & died there) & Jesse Middlemass, wife of Charles Scott & son Logan.  There was one with a Floral Cross or KT Baculus.  

John Craig in his best clothes and w/ his kids

The church with the old manse in the background:

Several graves carved with Masonic tools:

cute little bat on this one:

And this one looked like Voldemort!

Knights Templar cross on the gate:

Just to the South-East of this village of Temple (or Clerkington) is Castleton Burn, which is kind of strange since my 5 GGF was Archibald Scott who was from Castleton, Scotland.  We even passed by the sign for Castleton, which is really just a small farm area.  I wondered if this was the Castleton of which I had read so much. 

After our visit, we then headed to a different Castleton, out by Tantallon Castle east of Edinburgh on the coast.  Who knows which of the Scottish Castleton’s is mine?!

Bass Rock:

Bass Rock & Tantallon Castle:

The ghost that has appeared in visitors' photos while visiting Tantallon Castle:

Professional photo showing Tantallon on cliff, Castleton Farm, then Berwick Law hill:

Castleton Farm cottages & the old house on the far right::

Look how close the house at Castleton is to Tantallon Castle!

We had visited Tantallon Castle with its photographed ghost and Bass Rock out in the sea before, so we headed on to Edinburgh and dealt with the horrible construction and trying to drive in it and around it to park.  Susie from the Hub told Ray where to park, but after we got our bags in, Ray went to return the rental car at the airport and we didn’t have to worry about the construction any more. 

Our mice think they're getting a tan:

Always ready for adventure: