Doune Castle

Doune Castle!

How I loved exploring this ancient beauty!

It's been used in so many films that it's almost like I knew it already!

Every room seemed to bring a smile of remembrance.

Parts of it were under scaffolding, which really dampers the photography end of things, nevertheless, you can still picture every part of it without the construction, because you've seen it in such pictures as Monty Python's Holy Grail, Outlander, or Game of Thrones.

Those are the ones I know of, anyway!

There was lots of CGI going on in Outlander to age the castle for the 1940s scenes.  And there was undoubtedly CGI going on in Game of Thrones to add circular towers and other architectural details.

But you can still see the additions with your mind's eye by looking at the bare bones of the structure.

As you approach the front gate, it is a formidable fortress!

Then up through the portal and into the courtyard!

This is looking at people as they come into the courtyard.

Going up the staircase to the part of the castle over the entry gate.

You enter a great hall with this enormous double fireplace.

I found this cozy corner where I'd probably hide all night at any gathering I was allowed to attend!

Give me a few comfy pillows and a soft throw, good book, and just 

let me know when it's time to leave!

More spiral staircases in the corner towers.  These are equally precarious to maneuver as they are beautiful to admire and architecturally stunning.

These stairs led up to a great room with a very large fireplace and windows that looked down into the courtyard, or out over the countryside surrounding the castle.

And the countryside is some of the prettiest in Scotland!

I imagine some eavesdropping on conversations below happened at this very window.

This is where the prince in Holy Grail tried to tell his father he just wanted to ..... sing!!!

Look how thick these walls are!

Out on this castle wall is where the french soldier taunted King Arthur!

Also on this level they had these nooks and spaces in the walls so the lady could have church services.  It is where the priest would administer the sacrament.

Indeed, there were several curious spout-like openings for drainage of some sort.

I didn't want to ask too much.  I used my imagination.

This great hall was stunning - even today!

I can just see the parties and festivities that happened here!

You can see in the first picture the balcony up high where the musicians would play.

That iron stand in the middle is where they would build a large fire.

There would be rows and rows of long tables filled with all sorts of food.

And, of course, my favorite part - the kitchen!

This fireplace defies anything we know today!

I'm short, but this is HUGE!!!

This windowsill in the kitchen still bears the marks of cooks sharpening their knives over the centuries!  Isn't that cool!?  It was on both sides of the window!  And I also think it was awesome that the kitchen even had windows!  So many commercial ones today don't!

The room was large enough to set up several areas dedicated to different types of food prep.

Look at this corner that housed two ovens.

This space here is between the dining hall and the kitchen.  I don't know why I didn't get a picture of the two enormous pass-throughs where the servers could get the plates to be handed out to the diners - but you can see them in the background in the Holy Grail movie as they used this part for the Castle Anthraxx scene.

I imagine the shouting in this part of the castle, not only during the entertaining, but in the day to day life.  You know people would go to these different openings in the various levels and shout down for the things they needed or that someone was wanted.

It can't have been much different than we do today in our homes - shouting from the top of the stairs to get someone's attention below, right?

The audio guides were perfect.  You could hear the history of the castle narrated by Terry Jones of Monty Python's Holy Grail and you could hear parts of Holy Grail as well - such as the knights singing about jam and prams and spam in the dining hall.  You could also listen to Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in Outlander,  tell you about the various scenes where Outlander was filmed.

So really, you got about three audio guides for one!

This castle has it all!

It is a popular one as well so be prepared for crowds.

Dunfermline Abbey

We drove to Dunfermline today to see the famed abbey there.  We arrived around lunchtime and found a pub not too far from the abbey and right by this amazing edifice!

Isn't that just a fabulous building?

Of course,

The Dunfermline Abbey is no slouch when it comes to architecture!

I saw it peeking above the trees as we approached.

You could pay to see the old nave and wander the ruins of the palace but what we came for was to visit the graves of Robert the Bruce, as it is said he is buried here, and that part is free.

This memorial plaque was underneath the stand - but is he buried there?

After reading some of the boards around the room, I have to admit that I'm still not sure.

Some boards made it sound like when the grave was discovered in the 1800s, relics were taken to various locations.  Perhaps, some of him is here, and some of him is elsewhere?

Whatever the case, it is a glorious building.

And, even if he isn't there in "person,"

he has definitely left his mark!

I'd say that that took quite a bit of work in leaving one's name on something!

I found quite a few corners of interest around the grounds.

I immediately had to know what was under those arches!

A lovely resting place, I think!

Yep, I was there!

Definitely worth the stop!

Pittenweem

The guys were golfing again today so I ventured out of Crail by hopping on the Route 95 bus and headed over a few villages to Pittenweem.

It's connected by the Fife Coastal Path but I didn't want to show up sweaty and buzzing with flies.

The bus ride is pretty straightforward and everyone seems happy to answer any questions you might have.  It cost me  a little over 5 pounds for the round trip.

Pittenweem wasn't just a random choice for an outing.

I'd done some Googling and found a highly rated yarn shop there.

It's only open a few days a week and this was one of them!

It's called The Woolly Brew.

Just look at that darling window display!

But just wait until you see the inside!

I had to get these shots on my way out because it was so crammed with shoppers when I arrived.

It is a wee shop but so cozy.  I was really wishing for an overstuffed arm chair in which to plop myself and read ALL the pattern books!

The owner was a friendly woman whose name I did not get, sadly, but she said I could take all the pics I wanted.

She was helpful when it came time to purchase the yarn for my chosen project, helping me settle on an acrylic since it was for a child and would get heavy wear and, consequently, more washings.

I had feared when I saw the name of her shop that it would only have wool yarn.

For some reason, I can't handle wool - it gives me goosebumps and raises the hair on the back of my neck!  However - I have found that I am hardly alone with this peculiar reaction!

And any good yarn store is going to offer a variety of fibers from which to choose.

I can't enough say how absolutely happy I was with this little shop!

If you're a knitter - go say hi!

And then pop down the street a bit and indulge yourself at

The Cocoa Tree Cafe!

The front of this little cafe is a chocolate store - filled with housemade gourmet chocolates.

They really had a wonderful assortment.

If you pass through that front area, though, there is a dining area inside as well as a garden area open in good weather.

I chose a seat inside where I could look at the rest of the dining area.

I'm a sucker for twinkle lights - especially when used well.

That back dining area was filled because it draws you in as soon as you enter.

But the area I was in was cute, too!  Notice how those deep window wells were

turned into little nooks with books!

I debated on whether or not to get the thick and intensely dark hot chocolate, flavored with chili -

think the movie Chocolat.  But I decided to satisfy my chocolate craving with a selection from the chocolates in the entry and stick to a ham and cheese crepe and some chamomile tea.

It was so light but very satisfying!

After lunch, I walked around Pittenweem for just a few minutes and then caught the bus back to Crail, beating the guys home by just a little bit.

They may have thought I missed out by not golfing - but I know I didn't miss a thing!

St. Andrews Brewing Co.

Did you know you can walk the grounds of the Old Course in St. Andrews on Sundays?  It appears that it's closed for the day (the new course stays open) and people go out for a stroll over the course, some packing picnics to enjoy along the way.  There were people everywhere!

My husband and son went out while I stayed in the clubhouse and read and knit.

They'd played the course a few years ago and had memories to talk about as well as take notes for their tee time later this week.  My son had had an excellent shot his last time on the last hole.  He was 47 yards out and his caddy suggested he use a putter and give it a good whack.  Well, he did just that and, don't you know, it made it right into the hole!!

The crowds that gather to watch others play the course erupted in cheers for him and it is still one of his best moments in life!  I mean, he was actually very sick that day, running a fever with a nasty cold, but you don't give up a slot to golf the Old Course!

I'm so glad he had such a great time!

So after the Old Course visit, we decided to check out a pub that my husband had found through Yelp.  St. Andrews Brewing Co. is downtown and is, thankfully, a little more of an open space than most pubs.  Many of the tables on the ground floor had reserved signs on them so we went upstairs and found a fabulous table right up close to the windows looking down on North Street.

We checked out the menu on the table and the guys went down to place the order at the bar, as is usually how it works in pubs.  Ken and I saw the appetizer called the Haggis Stack.  Oh yeah!  Add that to the list!  As it ended up, we all decided to have the Steak and Ale Pie for our dinner.

All selections were so wise as they were all delicious.

The Haggis Stack is tatties on the top, neeps in the middle, and haggis on the bottom - a mini version of a traditional Scottish meal!

Steak and Ale Pie with meat so very, very tender in a broth that's just mmmmmmm.  It's topped with a puff pastry crust and served with some mashed potatoes and roasted root veggies.  Talk about comfort food!

And my husband went down to order some carrot cake and brought back this chocolate cake for me as well - thankfully without Hershey Syrup!  It was all delicious!

I'd definitely recommend this place - and hope that we will be back before we leave!!