Tuesday 25th September 2018, Cumwitton, near Carlisle
It has been impossible to keep writing over the past few days. Our days are hectic and at night, once we have settled, cooked supper and cleared away, Ian tends to disappear round to the front seat to work on his photos. Often by then I am so weary from driving or cooking supper in a confined space that all I want to do is get to bed. First though we need to convert Modestine into a bedroom and complete the three-dimensional jig saw with the seats that form our bed, I eventually clamber into bed intending to work with the computer or read a book. But inevitably it is suddenly the following morning! I haven't even opened my book or touched my computer! Then the events of last night take place in reverse. Bedding gets shaken and aired. We take it in turns to shower, the other one sorting out Modestine, preparing breakfast and transforming Modestine back into a road vehicle with bench seats. First though breakfast. Plates, cutlery, coffee, bread, jam or whatever we decide. Clambering past each other in a very confined space is difficult. This morning it was freezing cold so we had the added complication of the electric fan heater. Always there is the concern for personal safety and the avoidance of spilling coffee over the seating which will be our bed come nightfall!
Yes it works, we've been doing it for thirteen years now (some of you have the blogs to prove it) but it is not for the faint-hearted. When it is raining - or even snowing - it's not much fun. However, it does enable us to see the world and enjoy countless experiences we would otherwise never know. So we struggle on and Modestine continues as our loyal companion.
Back to our travels!.... Linlithgow. It is an attractive, busy little town. The main street has retained much of its charm by dint of moving the commercial centre half a mile up the road. This leaves the main street free for quaint pubs, cafes and bakeries. Above the town runs the Union Canal linking Glasgow to Edinburgh. It is charming with its barges and a tow path used for recreational purposes. It would be a great place for cycling.
Canal basin. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Scotland's first petrol pump. Linlithgow.
Burgh House. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Near the railway station is a pleasant park with bright flower beds and a massive stone dovecote that once ensured a regular supply of fresh meat to the castle and the town. It is now sealed up but must have housed thousands of pigeons in its time. There is a legend that the pigeon keeper murdered his own daughter and hid her body in the loft to avoid the cost of feeding her. Unlikely I would hazard. If anyone could smuggle out the odd pigeon surely he would be the one. Did the royalty in the castle keep an exact count of the birds housed in the loft so they would notice the odd one going missing to keep the young girl alive?
Dovecote. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Cross. Carved by a one-handed mason. Linlithgow. Scotland.
We walked up to the castle, just off the main street. It was here that Mary Queen of Scots was born in 1542 Today the castle is a ruin, having been destroyed by fire in 1746. Its blackened walls and empty windows look grimly down over the loch. The castle grounds, freely open to the public, are green and pleasant, stretching to the hills way beyond the castle on the far side of the loch, while on the water, this chilly, sunny Saturday, young people were having lessons in sailing. In the crisp sunshine it was a busy, lively place, the modern world rubbing shoulders with the past in a very relaxed and atmospheric manner.
Church and palace gateway. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace gateway. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace. Mary Queen of Scots. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace. Courtyard. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace. Loch. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Palace. Linlithgow. Scotland.
Linlithgow was a very positive experience and one of the most vivid and lively of our Scottish visit. It was with regret that we finally moved on.
