Glasgow!!!

We were able to go into Glasgow for the afternoon, and it was magic!  For the time, the sky cleared a bit, the winds calmed, and we were able to see the beauty of Glasgow that is so often over-looked.

Glasgow is not a city for the faint of heart!  It is in the midst of a slow going re-birth, an attempt to pull itself up by the bootstraps and move forward.  

Many of the Victorian-era buildings remain, but have been re-purposed.  What once were government buildings are now art museums and even casinos.  Don't worry, though, some of the classics still remain.  

Did I mention the shopping?  Harrods, Frasers, Argyle Court, you name it, they have it!  Even American brands like Lush - it's there, along with the chains we all recognize, like TGI Fridays and Starbucks (swoon!)

Glasgow is known for the most part as a rougher city.  It's working hard to change that image, but with some of the highest incomes in the country, along with some of the lowest, there will always be a culture clash - something simmering just below the surface.

My family is from not very far away, and so going into Glasgow was a bit of a homecoming. Seeing the things my mum saw growing up, seeing the buildings my Gran worked in - there is definitely something to that.  The town council is working hard to make it a gentler city, but I think that perhaps that rough exterior is what makes Glasgow what it is. That's part of what makes it home.

Thank you for reading about all of our wanderings!  I would love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment, ask a question, or share your own experiences!

He Who Holds Stirling....

Holds Scotland.

For years, Stirling Castle was a pivotal point in battle and politics.  It was far enough from Edinburgh, but close enough.  The castle sits high atop the town, and it simply put, amazing.  I remember visiting as a child, and just thinking "Oh yay, another castle".  Not this time, though.

There is something that is so cool about bringing your own children to places that you visited as a child.  Even better than that, is when you take your children to said places, and find that they have been painstakingly restored, and are not only beautiful, but now interactive. 

  

 Stirling castle has lovingly restored the inside of the Royal Quarters, and as you walk through, each room has a docent in there.  The docents are dressed in period costume, and will answer your questions, or even just tell you about day-to-day life in the castle.  This was so nice, as it kept my 10 year old completely engaged in what we were seeing, and made it realistic for her!

After wandering through the Royal Quarters, we found our way into the courtyard, where we found the Great Hall.

The Great Hall is the only buidling in  Stirling Castle that is lime washed.  In the day time it almost looks like it has a stucco finish, and was a huge show of wealth at the time.  Inside the hall, tapestries are hung along the walls as they would have been back in the 1500s.  (All the tapestries are woven on site in the Stirling Tapestry Studio - you can even watch the weavers at work until 4:30pm daily!) The wooden ceiling and all its beams are intact (restored) - it is beautiful!

When all was said and done, and we exited the Great Hall, Dusk had fallen.  We were near to, if not the last people in the castle besides the staff, and had the place pretty much to ourselves which made it SO nice!

An interior courtyard shot of the Royal Quarters.  At night all the pedestal figures are lit up beautifully.  It was explained to us that they are mostly Roman Gods, meant to show the wealth, health and prosperity that would follow.

This the the Chapel Royal.  In the 1500's the biggest threat to scottish life (besides repeated English attacks) was the change of religion.  The Monarchs of the time were Catholic, but there was a slow and steady wave of protestantism moving through the country.  In 1560, Scotland officially became protestant, and this was one of the first churches build for the newly Presbyterian nation.  It was also the last building to be build in Stirling Castle.

As we left the grounds, the castle was beautifully lit up.  In fact, the whole city of Stirling was beautifully lit up, to include the Wallace monument in the distance.

A statue of William Wallace, with the Wallace Monument in the background.

Thank you for reading about all of our wanderings!  I would love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment, ask a question, or share your own experiences!

It's all Racheal's Fault

Seriously.  This entire post, and the ensuing photography is the fault of one of my dear friends, Racheal.  She said she wanted to see pictures of Highland Cattle.  

We were en route to spend the day in Glasgow, to take in some fabulous Charles Rennie Mackintosh architecture and art, when we stumbled upon these guys. 

You may as well have just pointed at something and said "OOOOOHHHHH, SHINY!" because these giant beasts had the same effect on me.  Distracted I was.

My friend, Racheal, has a thing for cows - well, this past summer it was for Alpine Cows (only counts if they are wearing their bells) - and recently she informed the world that she had moved on to bigger and better cattle, and had set her sights on Highland Cattle (though growing up, we always called them Muckle Coos).  

So these, Racheal, are for you and your affinity for Highland Cattle :)

Thank you for reading about all our wanderings!  I would love to hear back from you!  Please leave a comment, share your experiences, or ask a question!