Today we did our first day trip from Edinburgh. After packing lunch and getting baby’s morning nap in, we started out. We didn’t go far, just about forty minutes outside the city to Linlithgow Palace and Blackness Castle. The weather held for us and was just overcast, had a tiny sprinkle of rain, then just windy.
Linlithgow Palace is famous as the birth place of James the V and Mary Queen of Scots and royal retreat for the monarchs of Scotland. It was incredible, I cannot believe how massive this place was! Again, the kids had a blast running around and exploring. Chris and I were marveling at how much of the architecture is still intact, and the detail of the carvings on the fountain. The views of the loch sure are stunning.
Right next to Linlithgow Palace is St. Michael’s church. A church has been on the site for over 1000 years. As you might have guessed, it used to be Catholic, before John Knox and his followers sacked it, destroying all the images in particular.
We met the sweetest locals here, particularly a lovely elderly couple. They called Caidoc’s hair red, so it’s official. He’s a red head. If a Scot said so it must be true right?
St Michael’s has a graveyard, and we ere looking around for he oldest ones we could. It was windy, but other than that the weather held for us.
We stopped at a little cafe that the elderly man suggested to us just a stones throw from the Palace.
After the Palace we went to Blackness castle, a ship shaped castle mostly for military use through out the centuries, even utilized in World War One and Two. Also probably lived in by my ancestors. Maybe. But probably not. But maybe!
As you see the the castle is located right on the water, and I mean, RIGHT, on the water. In the distance off to the right, you can see the Firth of Forth bridge, which is so odd to see such a new construction as a backdrop to these old castles! I didn’t get a clear picture of it, but it is a very picturesque white bridge.
Chris likes to tell me how much we’ve walked at the end of the day. His watch tells us it was 5.5 miles today, and 20 flights of stairs. This doesn’t included the evening walk around the town I took with Caidoc and Cosima to get some additional wiggles out ( yes, 5.5 miles wasn’t enough…).
The kids barely notice how much we are walking, which is great! The prep for the trip and the strategic visits to kid friendly places is really helping. Also they are just the best kids in the world. I am very impressed with the staff at all these locations so far, they are very kid and baby friendly, always offering explorer packs, or scavenger hunts for them to go on.
We ended the day with dinner and a rousing game of family charades.