Day 11: Monday 13th July 2015

Monday.

And time has came to leave Causeway House. A sad moment. We have enjoyed our stay, slept well, relaxed and seen some great things.

I have one final coffee, before the packing begins, and we manage to fitit all in the car, with room for us to spare. Jools programs the sat nave to Rosslyn, the sat nave tells us our route, and we are off. It decides we should go via Carlisle and then up the motorway, which would have been OK were it not for the pouring rain, but then I guess all roads would have been horrible to drive on. Along the A69, round Carlisle and up the M6 to Scotland. But, as we crossed the border, the rain began to ease, and we thought we sensed some brightness overhead.

We took the scenic route alongside the trackbed of the old Waverley Line, through green valley, past the source of the River Tweed, over passes and down the other side. It is a beautiful route, even in list drizzle and mist, but after a while we began to wish for some straighter roads.

We stop at a greasy spoon some 20 minutes shy of Rosslyn, I have square sausage in a bun, Jools has bacon. And we still have six days of holiday left.

It is some 11 years since I was last at Rosslyn, back then Da Vinci Code fever had only just begun; but now it is a world famous place, and with ample parking. And nine of your Scottish pounds to get in! And only once we paid did we see the sign informing all that photography was banned inside. For £9, a small, if bonkers, church?

We looked round, I took some exterior shots, and we left, leaving visitors of all nations behind.

Thanks to my good friend, John, our next port of call was Linlithgow, where the Scottish Stewart Royal family had their home, and Mary, Queen of Scots was born. He recommended we go, and who I am I to argue with John?

The rain threatened again, but stayed dry, at least for a while. Round the Edniburg by-pass towards Glasgow, and there were the signs, all simple. Into the town, and then the road to the palace was closed, and there were no alternative signs.

We drove up and down the high street, all the long term parking was full, until just as we were about to give up, we see signs for another, a little further out, and so do find a place to park.

It was a 5 minute walk to the centre of town, past the bowls centre, Tesco and the railway station. We were hungry, and there was a fine looking Italian place just there, should we go in? I think we should.

It is very nice, we have Insalata Caprese again, and some bread. And some olives. All is nice, so we are not tempted by the desserts. Well, we are but resist.

The rain had begun to fall again as we walked to the old palace, up the cobbled street and through the ornamental gateway: the parish church is on the right, so we go in and once again are delighted. But the most stunning aspect is a modern south window, which is just spectacular and takes my breath away.

The castle next door is mostly complete, except for the roof, which in the steady rain would have been nice. But we get in for free, our favourite price, and have the place almost to ourselves. I follow a spiral staircase up, and end up at the top of one of the towers, with views across the castle and rooftops of the town behind.

Time was getting away from us, it was nearly two and we had so much to do: next up was the Falkirk Wheel. The Falkirk Wheel is a wonder of modern engineering, lifting canal boats in a ferris wheel kind of way 26m up a hill. And it is very photogenic.

The drive in more light dirzzle takes little under half an hour, but the entrance is in the middle of a housing estate, which without a sat nav would be impossible to find. After parking the car, we walk down the hill to a viewing point as the wheel is turning, and jools notices an orchid. And in the end it turns out the whole bank is filled with Common Spotteds, all of various sizes and shapes. Only, I did not have my macro lens. Oh well.

After walking to the top, looking at the canal entering the wheel, taking shots from all angles, we have had enough, not of the engineering, but of the rain, we walk back to the car so we could go and see some horses.

Two horses.

Big horses.

Big horse’s heads.

The Kelpies. A wonderful sculpture of two horses heads in steel, on a grand scale, and only just open by Good Queen Liz. So new, it does not have a post code, nor a booklet with instructions to get there. And the landscape does well in hiding them from sight until you are there. But a nice young man at the infomation office give me a map and direction, and off we go.

Situated at the edge of a large park, and in the middle of a building site stand the two horses heads. For two pounds you can park the car, then walk over the muddy ground to the statues. You can pay for a tour in which case you get to go inside. We decided that was just too exciting, so we walked round in the rain, taking shots and trying to resist the temptation to throw children in the canal.

The rain had stopped, but we now have to get to the other side of Edinburgh to our hotel, and instead of using the direct route, we decide to take the long way round and go back over the Forth Road Bridge.

Needless to say, traffic was heavy at five in the afternoon, and we stuck behind a caravan, which was a pain, but then we were not in a hurry I suppose. Soone enough we came to the bridge, got through the traffic and over it, with its wonderful views over the iconic railway bridge and out to sea, and down below was our hotel.

We find the side lane leading to the car park, abandon the car in a position where it causes least inconvenience to others, and walk up the cobbled street to the hotel, check in, then carry on walking to the top of the hotel, where our room is. And what a room, with both the main window, and the winodwn in the bathroom having stunning views over the railway bridge. We have stayed here before, and so asked for this room.

After a cuppa and checking on the world via the interwebs, we set out on a quest for dinner, and dine a place with equally stunning views to the bridge; I have haggis as a starter then folloowed by oven baked plaice. And we have wine. And it is delicious.

There is just time to walk down along the high street and then along the promenade to the old jetty to photograph the three bridges in the glorious end of day light. I wait for an hour, watching as the light changes and colours go from gold to dark red.

A quick walk home, I pick up a wee dram from the bar before climbing the wooden hill, and we sit at the window as dusk falls.