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Today was the worst day weather-wise of the trip but one of the best days for ruins! I started the morning with some eggs provided by the hens here at the farm and a perfect cup of tea. I then armed myself with my map book and my GPS and set off for Tantallon Castle. It was a misty morning and the visibility was a little poor in spots however what I could see of the countryside was beautiful. Green fields, sheep, horses, cows and lots of hedges.
I pulled up to Tantallon shortly after it opened to find one other car, which was great. This is another Historic Environment of Scotland property and I was able to show my pass and quickly make my way on to the grounds. I quickly noticed some shells on the ground and realized they were snails. There were so many of them and I tried to watch where I was walking so as not to step on any. It went pretty well until I heard a crunch. Poor guy☹
I think the weather made the visit better. The castle walls loomed out of the mist and were all the more imposing. Walking
along the walls with the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks and birds crying just added to the atmosphere. I really loved it here. Tantallon was built in the mid-1300s and was an imposing fortress for over 300 years. In 1651 Cromwell’s army came and the heavy guns destroyed large sections of the towers. And yet the castle still stands today for people to marvel at.
North Berwyck is just a few minutes’ drive up the coast and I figured I could find some lunch there. I think I made a wrong choice when I went into a tea shop. I had a cheese toastie and some tea which were fine but nothing special. Oh well. I continued on to Dirleton Castle, another Historic Environment site. This one was closed for lunch when I got there but I decided to stay and wait until they opened up again.
While not as large and eerie as Tantallon, Dirleton is still impressive. One major difference is it sits on a hill in the down surrounded by houses. This castle was built starting in the 1200s and was in used until the end of the 1600s. The castle today
is surrounded by some lovely gardens. Another nice feature is the intact doocot, which was built to house pigeons. Pigeons were highly prized for their meat and these stone buildings had an opening at the top to allow them to come and go and a door that was kept locked and guarded. Anyone caught stealing one of the lord’s pigeons would get in trouble! This building is what I found the most interesting on the site because of how complete it was and because I had never seen one before.
The final stop was Melrose Abbey. Melrose is one of the four large border abbeys, which were the main reason I wanted to spend some time in the Borders. Melrose was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks. It is maybe the most famous now for being the final resting place of Robert the Bruce’s heart. Like many other Historic Environmental sites there is ongoing preservation work and the Abbey itself is closed to visitors. The grounds are open and you are able to walk around the outside of the ruins. An audio guide is included with your ticket and provides additional information beyond what is on the regular signs.
It would be nice to go back when the Abbey is open to really get a feel for the size and scope.
I stopped into a hotel for an early dinner and this seemed to be another not great food choice. I had the small plate fish and chips and it was just ok. Back at the cottage I spent some time watching the sheep out the window and reflecting on the day and how amazing Tantallon was!
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