A Visit to 17th Century Scotland - Culross / Cranesmuir

Just off the A985 is Culross, a village that easily transforms you back to the 17th century.  Our tour started at the Town House - dates back to 1626. With help from the National Trust this village has been restored to an earlier time.

Walk through the cobbled stone streets and it's easy to imagine Claire visiting Gellis in Cranesmuir. With a little stretch of your imagination, you can see that unfortunate boy being nailed to the pillory. The amount of work that goes into transforming this small square into another of my favorite Outlander scenes is a wonder. Isn't CGI amazing? 

Mercat Cross

   

"Mr. MacTavish, your fingers are quite strong I suppose."

Off to the side of the square is where I had my  encounter with Jamie. While my husband was

inside talking with Jo Watson, the owner of a 

delightful little shop with souvenirs and hand made

 knit items, I stepped outside with Jamie. 

                                                    

Jo has plans to turn the shop into a tearoom. 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1801923628/tea-at-lallybroch-in-culross-help-with-planning-ap

After our visit with Jo, we walked a very short distance to the Red Lion Inn. We had the ploughman's lunch with soup - more than I could eat. It was a late lunch, but our tour guide recommended we wait until we got to Culross. He was right. The inn, like the rest of the town is full of old world charm.

                                

We had just enough time before rejoining our group for a quick walk around the gardens used in the scenes with Claire and Gellis. The gardens are just behind Culross Palace. You don't have to pay the admission to see the gardens. Earlier, we had decided to skip the palace so we would have time to explore the village. 

                                          

It was over all a charming afternoon in a charming village.

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Eilean Donan Castle - Outlander Inspired Visit

At one time, Scotland was believed to have over 3,000 castles. My reason for visiting Eilean Donan was the remoteness and connection to the Mckenzie clan and the Jacobite rebellion. Both are historical references I came to appreciate from my obsession with Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books. Unlike the Outlander film sites we visited, this castle's history is truly immersed in Jacobite history.

In the 15th century the castle was held and controlled by the Mckenzies. The MacRaes had no clan chief and garrisoned there in support of the Mckenzie chiefs. Several Jacobite battles were fought at the castle. In 1719 The British destroyed the castle and it stayed in ruin for over 200 yrs. John MacRae - Gilstrape is responsible for rebuilding the castle. Construction started in 1912. It took 20 yrs for it to be completed. 

Unfortunately, you can't take photos inside the castle. The views and photographic opportunities around the castle make even an amateur like me look like a professional. I took these pictures with my pocket Nikon and a little editing help from iPhoto

Five Sisters

The drive to the castle along the A87 is pretty impressive. A short distance past the Shiel Bridge are the Five Sisters. Like Loch Ness, this mountain range is infused with Scottish myths and legends.  Take the time to stop and take in the view.







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Outlander Tour - Lallybroch and More

 

Must do list for my trip to Scotland included - Plan Outlander Tour. 

Since I would be traveling with my son who has no interest in anything Outlander and my husband who sometimes watches the show, I had to limit my tour.





The one film location I would not
compromise was Lallybroch.
After searching, I found a one day tour with
Timberbush Tours - first stop Midhope Castle (Lallybroch). The other sites offered more than just the chance to see an Outlander filming location. They were remains of Scottish history.

 Once you find a tour that suits your needs, I would suggest booking as early as possible. Outlander tours fill up fast. I was lucky to get on one with such short notice. The site I use to book tours all over the world is Viator. It's easy to use and reliable. The tour was small with about twenty people plus our tour guides (one in training). Our tour was made up of a mix of readers and TV fans from the US, France, Canada, Panama and Austria. The stops were very well planned with just the right amount of time at each location. And of course time for lunch. We did have to pay our own admission fees at the sites. Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison) offered a 10% discount to the tour.                                     

Lallybroch

Although I watch and enjoy the series, my heart and obsession is with the Outlander books. Seeing Lallybroch in its rundown state, I realized how much goes into adapting my favorite book scenes into the TV adaptation.

I've read other blogs where visitors have been disappointed in the condition of Lallybroch.
Two hundred years later even Claire did not return to the Lallybroch she visited with Jamie.
The surrounding area is a bit industrial. You don't have to be an Outlander fan to appreciate how hard the film crew, actors and producers work to make it all happen. It's no easy task to take a shell of a building and transform it into a memorable scene.

It can be a bit dodgy if you're not prepared, but once I walked up the path, passed under the arch and sat on the steps I was there with Jamie and Claire. 

 

Blackness Castle - Fort William

We were the first visitors of the day. A piper greeted us in the yard where the scene for Jamie's flogging was filmed. One thing you quickly realize on a visit to Scotland is that there are pipers entertaining tourist wherever you go. I could stay all day and listen to him play.

Design of the castle is interesting. No one is 

sure if it was designed intentionally to look like a ship or if it was just following the lines of the rock formation.

I'll thank ye to take your hands off of my wife.






Which window did Jamie come through?                            


Linlithgow Palace - Wentworth

Some more about windows. The history of this palace with 700 windows was a stop over for the royal family traveling to Stirling Castle. Mary Queen of Scots was born there. And of course, Claire rescued Jamie from the damp, dark depths of the prison.

Callender House  - Vengeance is Mine

The house dates back to the 14th century. Kitchen scene where the Duke of Sandringham lost his head was filmed here. The charming guide in the kitchen had interesting stories about how the kitchen was transformed for filming and the clean up following the taping of the Duke's demise.

 

Hopetoun House - Duke of Sandringham's Residence

Our tour ended here. The current Marquis ( a noble ranking above a count and below a duke) was in resident. This is evident by the flag on the roof. The family still resides in half of the estate.

The tour was well worth the time and price of admissions. 

One stop is missing from this blog. Our visit to Culross deserves a blog of it's own. More to come.

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Castles, Museums and Food with a View- Edinburgh Day 2

Started the day with a complimentary Scottish breakfast before heading out for Edinburgh Castle.
Ben wasn't too thrilled with the haggis on his plate, but I enjoyed it along with my salmon and poached egg.

Instead of taking Princes Street to The Mound, we followed the path in Princes Street Gardens. Either way you have to trek up hill, but the gardens is an easier and more scenic walk.

The group ahead of us seemed to be walking with purpose so we followed them.

 

 They led us to just where we needed to be just below the Royal Mile.








 

Plan for at least 2 hours to walk
around the castle.
The audio set is worth carrying
and the guide book is a great souvenir.

Great views around the cannon wall.

The clouds were rolling in. Weather changes quickly. Need to dress in layers and wear waterproof jackets with a hood.

Walked down Royal Mile to the Writer's Museum. Go through the alleys. You'll be surprised what you find. 

Lady Stair's Close led us away from the Royal Mile toward the National Gallery. All the museums are free. We're big fans of Museum cafes and this one didn't disappoint.

As you've probably realized by now - food experiences are as important as the places we visit. 







Lunch and dessert with a view of the Princes Street Gardens.

Dinner at Nobles

Opened in 1896, Nobles is located in the shore area of Leith  Our waitress turned out to be a wonderful historian. In the 1960's the building was a go-go bar in a rough shorefront neighborhood. The neighborhood now is one of the hottest properties in GB. The stained glass is original and inside the dark wood decor maintains its Victorian charm.

Mussels and fries were delicious. 

Good night my friends. It's a long day tomorrow - 12 hour Outlander tour. And yes, my husband is going too. Said he wasn't going to let me touch the stones if he's not hanging on. Not as forgiving as Frank.